April Fools' Day 2023: 5 best celebrity pranks

Split image of Usher smiling in a white suit, George Takei smiling in a white suit and Aubrey Plaza smiling in a brown dress

April 2, 2023 1:20 PM PT

The Los Angeles Times is dismayed to report that not a single celebrity pulled a prank on Saturday to ring in the new month.

April Fools!

Plenty of entertainment luminaries participated in the tradition over the weekend, playing mischievous tricks on their fans and each other.

Among the Hollywood figures who observed the humorous holiday this year were Usher, Martha Stewart, George Takei, Aubrey Plaza, Heidi Klum, Chris Pratt, Michael Che, Rick Astley and Sarah Polley.

Here’s a sampling of the best celebrity April Fools’ pranks of 2023.

Michael Che

“Saturday Night Live” cast members Che and Colin Jost have a history of pranking each other while hosting the show’s popular “Weekend Update” segment — usually by swapping jokes on air to make each other look bad.

But this weekend, Che switched things up by telling the studio audience not to laugh at Jost’s material at all.

While making quips about the indictment of former President Donald Trump, Jost drew only curt chuckles from the crowd, which dutifully roared at all of Che’s punchlines. After one heckler shouted, “You stink!” at Jost, the comedian buried his face in his hands and started to catch on.

“I told them not to laugh at you for April Fools’,” a gleeful Che finally admitted.

“I was truly like, ‘Am I not mic-ed? And then I was like, ‘Oh, I just suck,’” Jost said. “You’re evil!”

Struggling to get through the rest of the segment, Jost later added, “That’s the meanest thing you’ve ever done to me. I’m covered in sweat.”

Sarah Polley

“Women Talking” writer-director Polley made everyone’s April Fools’ Day by sharing a fake letter from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences rescinding her Oscar — written by her 11-year-old child.

“Women Talking” won the Academy Award for adapted screenplay last month.

“Dear Sarah Polley, we say this to you with the deepest regrets: the Oscar you received was given by mistake,” the phony missive reads.

“We are giving you one more week to enjoy its presence in your home, but after that period of time you must mail it back to LA, where we will give it to the rightful best adapted screenplay: All Quiet on the Western Front.”

In a final flourish, Polley’s child even forged the signature of film academy President David Rubin.

“My eleven-year-old swung low for April Fools Day this year,” Polley captioned a photo of the document on Twitter.

To make things funnier, “All Quiet on the Western Front” writer-director Edward Berger replied to Polley’s tweet and offered to provide her with his mailing address so she could “ship the Oscar directly.”

“My kid says to tell you that it’s already packaged and on its way,” Polley wrote back.

Chris Pratt

Pratt expertly trolled his Instagram followers on Saturday by announcing that he would be voicing yet another iconic character — Mickey Mouse — in an upcoming Disney film.

The “Super Mario Bros. Movie” star — who has already lent his voice to several blockbuster animated movies — quickly followed the fake casting announcement with an obligatory “APRIL FOOLS.”

“Gotcha,” he wrote on his Instagram story. “Well, some of ya.”

George Takei

On Facebook, Takei disseminated some phony casting news of his own. The legendary “Star Trek” actor attempted to convince fans that he would be starring in a sequel to this year’s best picture winner, “Everything Everywhere All at Once.”

“I love my agent,” Takei wrote.

“I’ve never gotten a chance to work with Michelle Yeoh, despite her extensive work in the Star Trek universe, so I am having a bit of a ‘nerdgasm’ about it. ... Life continues to amaze me, even well into my eighties!”

Takei’s working title for the alleged “EEAAO” sequel? “Nothing, Nowhere, Not at All.”

Usher

Claiming the prize for perhaps the coldest April Fools’ joke of 2023, Usher tricked the crowd at North Carolina’s Dreamville music festival by welcoming a very special guest to the stage.

“Ladies and gentlemen, without further ado, put your hands together for the one, the only Beyoncé,” he declared.

When Queen Bey didn’t show and the thunderous cheers started to die down, the “Love In This Club” artist returned to the mic, smirked and said, “April Fools.”

Bonus: Aubrey Plaza

Aubrey Plaza smiling and posing in a brown dress with her hand on her hip

We’re putting Plaza in the bonus category since she technically didn’t orchestrate or suffer from this silly April Fools’ gag — but she sure played along.

On Twitter, the “White Lotus” star thanked the state of Delaware for commissioning a 100-foot-tall statute of her beloved “Parks and Recreation” character, April Ludgate. In its fake announcement, the Delaware government added that Plaza had been “voted most famous Delawarean in the News Journal.”

“Dreams DO come true,” Plaza replied to the post. “Thank you.”