AUBREY PLAZA – RISING STAR STANDING OUT in a movie with comedian Seth Rogen can’t be easy, but that’s just what New York transplant Aubrey Plaza has done in the new Judd Apatow comedy “Funny People.” “By the way,” Post film critic Kyle Smith wrote in his review, “remember this actress’ name: Aubrey Plaza. She’s awesome.” That name, as the 25-year old recently explained, is an unusual combination: Plaza, she says, is “Puerto Rican Spanish,” while Aubrey was inspired by the title of a song by band Bread in the ’70s. A native of Delaware, Plaza has been making her comic mark since her college days at New York University – a school she chose for its proximity to famed comedy group the Upright Citizens Brigade. A former intern on “Saturday Night Live,” she’s worked on two shows featuring female alums of the latenight show, Tina Fey’s “30 Rock,” and Amy Poehler’s “Parks and Recreation.” Named a “Hot Comic” by Rolling Stone and one of “10 Comics to Watch” by Variety, Plaza is maintaining momentum with an indie movie, “Mystery Team,” and “Scott Pilgrim vs. The World,” a comedy with Michael Cera set for release next year.

From the California Chronicle