Aubrey Plaza, the 40-year-old actress known for her roles in “The White Lotus” and “Parks & Recreation,” has shared a harrowing account of a medical scare she faced years ago. In an interview with Howard Stern on September 11, Plaza revealed that she suffered a sudden stroke at the age of 20 while visiting friends in New York City.
Plaza described the experience as “wild” and “terrifying,” explaining that it happened mid-sentence while she was speaking with her friends. “I took the train to Astoria to have lunch with my friends and I walked into their apartment—I hadn’t even taken my jacket off—and it just happened,” she said.
The stroke left Plaza paralyzed for a minute and affected her ability to speak. “I lost my motor skills really briefly. The freakiest thing was I forgot how to talk,” she continued. Plaza’s friends initially thought she was joking or had taken drugs, but she was aware enough to nod in agreement when they asked if they should call an ambulance.
Even medical professionals were skeptical of the situation, with paramedics assuming she was dehydrated or had taken drugs. However, Plaza revealed that her birth control might have been the cause of the stroke.
Despite the traumatic experience, Plaza considers herself “lucky” because her brain “healed itself really fast.” She has since made a conscious effort to appreciate the preciousness of life and not take things too seriously. “I try to remember that every day. I try to see the bigger picture and try not to take things so seriously. I do have an overall feeling of ‘life is short.’ And I might as well just do as much as I can.”
