WWD – The actresses, who star as a loner and a fashion blogger in the dark comedy, discuss their relationship with social media and each other.
As the stars of the dark and quirky Sundance hit “Ingrid Goes West,” Aubrey Plaza and Elizabeth Olsen — who frequently inhabit opposite ends of the character spectrum — play out a comedic, cutting-edge take on the modern social phenomenon of Insta-envy and Insta-aspiration. Adrift in her life, loner Ingrid (Plaza) takes her obsession with the picture-perfect images from the feed of social media-savvy Taylor (Olsen) to a disturbing, sometimes funny, extreme.
Indeed, the pair may inspire career-coveting among their peers: along with appearing together in the critically praised indie comedy, each has an equally lauded film hitting theaters — Olsen as an out-of-her-depth FBI investigator in the bleak drama “Wind River,” and Plaza as a foul-mouthed 14th-century nun in the farce “The Little Hours.” And of course, they both have superhero blockbusters on their résumés: Olsen plays “The Avengers’” Scarlet Witch and Plaza is one face of the malevolent Shadow King on the X-Men spin-off “Legion.”
During their chat with WWD, the pair were thick as thieves while musing about their friendship, their mutual envies and the women they admire.
WWD: How soon after signing on to this did you guys start following each other on Instagram?
Elizabeth Olsen: I didn’t have an Instagram, and you didn’t either. Well, apparently, you did.
Aubrey Plaza: I did. I had a private one. No, I didn’t have a public one.
E.O.: She never invited me or told me about it!
A.P.: Come on. Don’t do this. I never post on it.
E.O.: You post a lot of stories on it.