‘Agatha All Along’s Star Aubrey Plaza’s Life-Changing Stroke: The Shocking Incident That Transformed Her View on Life

Aubrey Plaza is widely recognized for her portrayal of April Ludgate in Parks and Recreation, where her deadpan humor brought her significant fame. She has also showcased her talent in acclaimed projects like Legion, Ingrid Goes West, and The White Lotus, demonstrating her versatility in both drama and comedy.

Currently, Plaza stars in the MCU series Agatha All Along, and her latest film, Megalopolis, was released on September 27, 2024, receiving mixed reviews.

Watching Plaza on screen, it’s hard to believe that her career almost didn’t happen due to a serious medical condition she faced at the age of 20, which went undiagnosed because of her youth.

While visiting a friend, Plaza experienced a stroke that struck mid-sentence, and she immediately realized something was wrong when she lost her ability to speak.

Yes. I was 20, and I was living in Queens, in Astoria. And I was going to my friend’s apartment for lunch. It’s really kind of a very typical I think stroke story where it just happened mid-sentence out of nowhere. I don’t think I had even taken my jacket off. I walked into the apartment. I was telling my two friends about a Hilary Duff concert that I had taken my younger sister to the night before.

And then I kind of blacked out for a second. And then I remember there was just like a really loud kind of sound happening. And I brought my hands to my throat, and I was kind of making like an ah (ph) sound because I couldn’t talk because the blood clot was in my language center of my brain.

So I had expressive aphasia instantly, which means that if you’re talking to me, I could understand what you’re saying in my mind and understand how to respond. But I couldn’t actually get it out. I couldn’t actually talk.

The situation Plaza experienced is familiar to many stroke survivors. Aphasia, or dysphasia, is a condition that makes it difficult for a person to understand or produce language due to damage in specific areas of the brain, typically caused by strokes or head injuries.

Fortunately, Plaza’s condition was temporary.

So my friends were kind of – I think they thought I was – yeah, that I was making a joke or that I was just – I don’t know. I was always doing something stupid, so – but then after a couple of minutes, you know, they kept saying, you know, like, do you want us to call an ambulance, or – and I was aware enough to shake my head yes.

And just – I kept just shaking my head yes because I knew something was really, really wrong. But I didn’t know what it was, and I couldn’t talk.

Plaza shared that her stroke was initially misdiagnosed by paramedics, who assumed she was dehydrated or on drugs because of her young age and appearance.

Once she arrived at the hospital, doctors recognized she had suffered a stroke when she had difficulty following simple commands, which led to her being transferred to a stroke unit. Although her recovery was quick due to her youth, she still experiences some lingering effects and occasional transient ischemic attacks (TIAs).

So what happened was the paramedics came, and they also – I think because I was so young – didn’t assume that I had had a stroke. They were thinking that I was dehydrated. And I really think they thought I was on drugs because they kept asking me if I’d taken drugs, and I hadn’t.

I had a cognitive therapy specialist work with me. And my writing came back, and I started talking again really quickly. I think I was lucky. I was so young that my brain was really – healed itself really fast.

So I was talking after a couple of days. But I still have – there’s still certain, you know, things that only I would notice that are kind of residual from – left over from that incident. And since then, I’ve had some minor – they call them TIAs, which are transient ischemic attacks, that are tiny little strokes. So something’s up with my blood, but I don’t know what it is.

The actress mentioned that, while the stroke was frightening, it has quietly shaped her view on life. She recognizes that, although she hasn’t made drastic changes, she has grown more mindful of life’s fragility and strives to focus on the bigger picture, not getting caught up in minor issues.

This outlook motivates her to stay active and make the most of her time, even if she doesn’t yet fully grasp the long-term impact of her experience.

I think unconsciously, yeah. I mean it was terrifying. It was really scary. And I didn’t change anything dramatically, you know, in my life. But I guess it sounds cheesy to say, but I think I always am aware of how precious life is, and I try to remember that every day. And I’m sure that has something to do with my approach and my attitude about, you know, about everything.

Source: NPR

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