[39] Ron Swanson has been praised as the show's breakout character,[nb 1] and some of his traits were based on elements of Offerman's real-life personality, like their shared affinity for woodworking and saxophone-playing.[3][47]. Kim asks a question about the "news" only to have Leslie bluntly tell her that the substance in question is from Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace and she's just revealed that she's broken the law. Perderick L. "Perd" Hapley (Jay Jackson) is a Pawnee television journalist and host of the television news programs Ya Heard? She first appeared in season 5 and continued to appear in the final two seasons (particularly Season 6) as an unreformed lunatic who frightened/terrorized anyone in her path. Larry and Rita are extremely pleased to meet him, and April later reveals Rita is a big fan of Ron's secret saxophonist alter ego, Duke Silver. Ben Wyatt (Adam Scott) is Leslie's husband. He knew the curse to be fake, but believed it would frighten people enough to ruin the festival,[161][162] insisting, "There are two things I know about white people: they love Rachael Ray, and they are terrified of curses. Chris Traeger (Rob Lowe) first appeared in "The Master Plan", along with Ben Wyatt, as an Indiana state auditor who visits Pawnee to help solve their crippling financial problems. When Andy finished the course, Linda went to dinner with them to celebrate, where April tried to set her up with Chris. Leslie ultimately solved the problem by turning Pawnee's side of the park into a wiffle ball field and making the fence its home run wall. [15][62] While Ben never previously established roots in a town due to the constant traveling from his job, Ben gradually came to develop a love of Pawnee, which coincided with his developing romantic interest in Leslie herself. Ethel Beavers (Helen Slayton-Hughes) is an elderly town employee, who continues to work as the municipal stenographer.[175][176]. She is put in charge as the deputy director of the animal control part of Parks and Recreation. [160] He appeared in "Harvest Festival", where he asked Leslie to relocate her festival because it was taking place on the sacred burial grounds of the Battle of Indian Hill, where his ancestors were killed in a seven-day battle. Leslie unsuccessfully tried to stop her, while Tom simply flirted with her, acknowledging she was a gold digger but calling himself a "gold digger digger". Buddy Wood (Sean Hayes) is a journalist from Indianapolis that does an annual special where he profiles five political candidates from around Indiana. He later appears briefly in the fifth season, at the local sperm bank when he tells Ann and Leslie (Who were there because Ann was trying to have a baby) that he and his friends were regular donors. [160][161] He also appears in "Telethon" as a guest of Leslie's 24-hour telethon, where he performed the dance move the worm to "Axel F". "[212], Eduardo (Carlo Mendez) was an attractive young Venezuelan man who briefly dated April Ludgate. [142] Mullally's performance was well received by viewers, which made the Parks and Recreation producers feel more comfortable about using celebrity guest actors in later episodes.[141][143]. [117] This came at a time when Ann was regularly going on a string of dates with random, underachieving men, and the date with The Douche led to a major argument between Ann and Leslie because Ann was supposed to be preparing for a job interview Leslie had arranged for her. ", "Review: 'Parks and Recreation' 'Andy and April's Fancy Party': Impulse power", "Parks and Recreation, "Hunting Trip": Who shot Ron Swanson? Jennifer finds out that she might not get any of her promised quarter-million fee due to her handshake deal with Nick, and watches as Bobby manages to tell the press that Leslie is an awesome person. . He shows zero initiative. August Clementine joined the show after the Pawnee-Eagleton merger. His first appearance is in "Greg Pikitis," in which Leslie is determined to put a stop to his yearly Halloween tee-peeing of a statue. Ron explains that Tammy I was present throughout most of his young life: she witnessed his birth, was his Sunday School teacher, and even took his virginity. When April asks why there are so many police outside city hall, the presumably stoned Harris and Brett quickly run off. [121] Tom, who strongly admired Justin's hipness and idolized him, became extremely disappointed by the break-up and reacted like a child whose parents are divorcing. Lawyer Justin Anderson, played by Justin Theroux, was a blast from Ann's past who agrees to help Leslie when she is sued over her efforts to build a park. [192][205] In her first appearance, "Pawnee Zoo", she objected to Leslie's marriage of two male penguins during a publicity stunt for the zoo. Months before joining Brooklyn Nine-Nineas Gina Linetti, Chelsea Peretti played Zelda in one 2012 episode of Parks and Rec. He quickly realizes he wants to marry Lucy, causing some awkwardness when Ron informs her of Tom's feelings; however, they work past it, and become engaged in "Two Funerals". Parks & Recreation: Every SNL Actor Who Appeared On The Show Megan Mullally, Offerman's real-life wife, played his character's ex-wife Tammy Swanson, and Poehler's former husband Will Arnett made an appearance as a man on a blind date with Leslie. When Tom voted for the beautiful Trish Ianetta but Leslie pushed for a smarter but less attractive contestant, the superficial Jessica sided with Tom. [81] Although Ken enjoyed giving Leslie some tsuris[clarification needed] at this point, later on it is shown he fully respects her; when Leslie desperately plants Wamapoke artifacts on the Lots 42 site after Councilman Jamm and the Pawnee Restaurant Association henchwoman have broken an agreement to leave the site alone until a city meeting, Ken first accepts Leslie's apology and then bluntly threatens reprisals unless the agreement is reinstated, which a cowardly Jamm quickly agrees to do. Television makes us better people. Perhaps one of the most notable guest stars in 'Parks and Rec' history comes about at the National Parks Conference where Michelle Obama imparts words of wisdom to a flabbergasted Leslie. Despite Andy's blatant desire to have children, April is hesitant to comply for some time, before finally warming to the idea after a conversation with Leslie. She first appeared in Season 6 episode Recall Vote and appeared again in Season 7 in episode William Henry Harrison. The 20 Best 'Parks And Recreation' Recurring Characters (And The 5 Best He has a very serious and gruff personality, and speaks in a dry, monotonic manner. Norman "Typhoon" Montalban (Rodney To) is a Pawnee hairdresser and the eventual husband of Craig Middlebrooks. Garth challenged Leslie to live by the outdated laws of the Pawnee Charter, but Oswalt's shining moment came as he began a citizen filibuster by outlining the plot of the seventh "Star Wars" film and connecting it to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. But whatever, he's a douchebag." See agents for this cast & crew on IMDbPro Series Directed by . Craig at first seemed to be the polar opposite to Donna's more laid-back personality (with layoffs imminent, Donna actually suggested to Leslie that Craig should have her job because he was much more passionate). He is named mayor of Pawnee in the second to last episode of season 7. He then goes on to explain that he was accidentally called Jerry by a high-ranking employee of the city and thought it was rude to correct him. Later, it is confirmed that he is a real person when he acts as the off-screen therapist to Craig Middlebrooks. [195] During that interview, Andy made Shauna feel awkward by openly discussing her having previously slept with Mark. Appeared In Season 7, Episode 6. She also appears again in "Jerry's Retirement. [223] Leslie got annoyed with Raul's insults, but he eventually offered her a check for $35,000, enough to completely fund her plans to turn a construction pit into a park. In the episode "Soulmates", Chris shops at the, Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace, "Parks and Recreation Season 3 Cast Photo", "Making bureaucracy work: How NBC's "Parks and Recreation" overcame bad buzz", "Parks and Recreation, 'Summer Catalog': Picnic perfect", "Parks and Recreation: Interviewing co-creator Mike Schur", "Parks and Recreation: The Harvest Festival and Beyond", "Bye-bye, Li'l Sebastian on 'Parks and Rec', "Parks and Recreation: "Rock Show" Review", "Parks and Recreation: "The Master Plan" Review", "Parks and Recreation: "Harvest Festival", "Amy Poehler comedy 'Parks and Recreation' adds cast", "Parks and Recreation, "Rock Show": Reviewing the season finale", "Parks and Recreation: "Pawnee Zoo" Review", "Parks and Recreation: "Telethon" Review", "Aziz Ansari: Downtown comedy for the masses", "Q&A with Aziz Ansari of 'Parks and Recreation', "Parks and Recreation recap: "Jerry's Painting", "Parks and Recreation: "The Practice Date", "Parks and Recreation, "The Fourth Floor": Tom's divorce", "Parks and Recreation 2.24 'Freddy Spaghetti', "Q+A with Nick Offerman: Former Altar Boy, Current Carpenter, Ron "F-ing" Swanson", "Friday Casualties: Parks and Rec, 30 Rock, Gossip Girl and more", "Parks and Recreation Review: "The Bubble/Li'l Sebastian" (Episode 3.15)", "Parks and Recreation, 'The Possum': Leslie's task force", "Parks and Recreation: They Got 93 Meetings But Ron Ain't Done", "Parks and Recreation, '94 Meetings': Ron Swanson's nightmare", "Review: 'Parks and Recreation' 'The Bubble/Li'l Sebastian': Give a little swivel", "Review: 'Parks and Recreation' welcomes Rob Lowe and Adam Scott", "Interview: 'Parks and Recreation co-creator Mike Schur post-mortems season 3", "Parks and Recreation Review: "The Master Plan", "Parks and Recreation Recap: April and Andy's Fancy Party", "Rob Lowe joins 'Parks and Recreation' as a series regular", "Review: 'Parks and Recreation' 'Time Capsule': Twilight time", "Parks and Recreation 3.01 "Go Big or Go Home" Review", "Parks and Recreation The Best of Donna! Oliver is conceived when Ann, having grown fed up of dating around, decides to become a mother via sperm donation. ", "When did "Parks and Recreation" get so funny? Buddy interviews Leslie, but this doesn't go well because she is drunk, and Wood tries to turn the story to Pawnee not being as great as it once was. Initially disappointed to find no problems, she eventually learned about a supposed Indian curse placed upon the harvest festival by a local Pawnee tribe, which she turned into a major scandalous story. When Andy asked whether Dr. Harris can have him fully healed in the next 10 minutes, the doctor sarcastically responded, "Sure, I'll just advance medical science 30 years. The best Parks and Recreation guest stars of all-time in: Real World Guest stars View source This article is written from a real-world point of view. After the Eagleton-Pawnee merger, Ingrid replaced Leslie on the town council. The divorce goes smoothly, and the two part on good terms. Ron sheepishly admits that he loves her as well. Swanson at first took a liking to Dunn, as the latter was mustachioed, taciturn and also named Ron. Ed cheerfully accepted her order and waved goodbye to the office, thanking them for letting him work there for the three years that unfolded off-screen. To prove his commitment to Diane, he shows her his double life as night club saxophonist Duke Silver (a part of his life Leslie doesn't know about), and plays her a song, naming her as his "duchess". Unfortunately for Kim, Leslie and Donna find proof that Kim has illegally hacked into Leslie's e-mails, when Leslie sends a bait message about "midichlorians" in the soil near the Pawnee Commons project. [11][148] For example, in "94 Meetings", Leslie ran into Councilman Howser in the men's bathroom, which she entered while following Ron Swanson and trying to discuss something with him. [39][101] His character was inspired by South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford and his 2009 scandal, in which he admitted to a long-time extramarital affair with an Argentinian woman. But after Leslie does score a huge victory over Bobby in the debate and pulls within 2 points of him in the polls, Jennifer strikes back by using the death of Nick Newport (and Leslie's comments, made before she learned he had died, that Nick was a jerk) to force Leslie into several embarrassing mistakes. Scott constantly admonished Leslie when she tries to apologize, at one point shouting, "No miming!" The 29 best Parks and Rec guest stars | EW.com April gave her an address in Miami that she claimed was hers, and said Tynnyfer was welcome to climb over the fence and stay there. [131][133], Frank Beckerson (John Larroquette) is a man who, in his youth, had a passionate love affair with Leslie Knope's mother, Marlene Griggs-Knope. Although Leslie has very different standards,[86] she nevertheless sees Marlene as a source of inspiration,[87] and is extremely eager to impress her mother. This inadvertently caused Ann to meet Leslie after Ann attends a city hall meeting to demand the pit be filled in. [184], Before his appearance as Crazy Ira, Matt Besser was a co-founder of the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater, an improvisational theater and training center also co-founded by Amy Poehler.[178]. He has an extremely sarcastic personality and responds to everything in a deadpan manner. Shauna is increasingly shown throughout the show to have a particularly messy personal life. He was dating Ann at the start of the show and, prior to the events of the first episode, he falls into a construction pit and breaks both his legs. After he holds a series of hearings to drag out Leslie's ordeal, Leslie publicly stands up to Jamm and says that she's going to get back to work as a councilwoman and won't attend any more of the hearings. And I can control animals with my mind", to which Leslie curtly says he will not be hired and repeats that he needs to get lost, which he does. He appeared in "Kaboom", where Leslie accidentally injured Andy by arranging for a bulldozer to fill in a giant pit, unaware that Andy was inside it. Jackson was originally expected to appear only in one Parks and Recreation episode, during which his character was seen only on a television screen. [134][222] Since he comes from a military state, The Venezuelan delegation is accustomed to being treated like royalty, so they were unimpressed with the conditions of Pawnee and its citizens. [202][205] Marcia reappeared in "Jerry's Painting", where she demanded the destruction of a painting that depicted Leslie as a bare-chested centaur. [17][49] He has two ex-wives, both named Tammy, both of whom he hates. Trish Ianetta (April Marie Eden) is an attractive young woman who won the title Miss Pawnee in "Beauty Pageant". And while Ann might secretly still harbor some feelings for him, she agrees to set Leslie on a date with him after the case is done. [131][202] Finally, Leslie revealed she knows Kelly's true motivations: he had recently gone through a divorce and was trying to impress his teenage daughter, who loves Twilight. At Ben and Leslie's engagement party, he paraded his new girlfriend Ulani around in front of Ben's mother and tempers started to flare. After she agrees, in season four, they start working on her campaign, as her advisors. He ended the night by telling Leslie, "Hey park lady, you suck," to which she proudly replied, "Hear that? In "Women in Garbage", Ron is babysitting her daughters in the office with Ann, and accidentally allows them to lock themselves in his office with the contents of Ann's medical bag. April then revealed in a cutaway that the house belongs to Dwyane Wade and she got the address off the Internet. [54][55] The Ludgates also attend April and Andy's surprise wedding ceremony in "Andy and April's Fancy Party", where they voice their approval of the marriage. [127], Lucy Santo Domingo (Natalie Morales) is the on-off girlfriend and eventual fiance of Tom Haverford. : The Extra-Terrestrial only 1 and 1/2 stars because "it's a good story, but it's just not believable". [177][178] The show prominently features fart jokes and "your mom" insults, as well as constant sound effects from their sound man "China Joe",[179][180] who hates his job. [27][157] Joe also appeared in "Soulmates", where he made a pass at Leslie, prompting her to wonder why only jerks have recently seemed to be attracted to her. [37] He constantly hits on women, particularly Ann Perkins, but usually to little success. He constantly talks extremely loudly, speaking at screaming levels even when asked to talk quietly,[74][75] and works as a ranger because he cannot hold down a job that involves working indoors due to his inability to control the volume of his voice. Typhoon meets Craig for the first time while serving as Donna's stylist for her wedding, and their relationship develops further in the series finale, culminating in their marriage; Ron is the best man at their wedding. [43][19], At the time of the episode, Arnett was the real-life husband of Amy Poehler, who played Leslie. He called me park lady. Milton (James Greene) is the longest-serving Pawnee Councilman, having been elected in 1948 as a Dixiecrat largely due to his commitment to de-integrating Major League Baseball, as well as a plan to re-open a former WWII Japanese-American Internment Camp in Pawnee and get it back up to speed. Chris (Will Arnett) is an MRI technologist at the hospital where Ann Perkins works. She was initially pleased to see him, but upon learning his life amounted to nothing, she rejected Frank, who publicly berated Marlene on a dance hall stage before storming off. Bradley Whitford found himself back in the political game six years after wrapping his run as Josh Lyman on The West Wing. Werner Herzog dropped by Parks and Recreation's final season as Keg Jeggings. Ron's early efforts at caring for them are particularly brutal, including destroying a tiara they are arguing over in order to remove the problem. The model played Ulee Danssen, a beloved mayor from a small town in Denmark, who meets Leslie in London. First Lady Michelle Obama graced Parks and Recreation with her presence at the end of the show's sixth season. [31] The sarcastic Tom seemed to care little for his mid-level government job and seldom showed any initiative or work ethic. [96][215], Lindsay Carlisle Shay (Parker Posey) is the parks and recreation director of Eagleton, Pawnee's more upscale neighboring town. In the first episode of the sixth season, Diane reveals she is pregnant. [172] Paul appeared in several other Parks and Recreation episodes, including "The Master Plan", where he announced the pending arrival of state auditors Ben Wyatt and Chris Traeger due to Pawnee's crippling budget problems. [28] He did not appear in any episodes after Season 2, and the show pointedly made no references to him ever having been there at all, most notably in the episode where Ann Perkins left Pawnee and the storyline reviewed her many pre-marriage/pregnancy romances but erased Mark from that listing even though they dated for almost all of Season 2. [121] Decades later, Marlene shared the story of her long-lost love with Leslie, and Leslie's boyfriend Justin Anderson insisted they find Frank and surprise Marlene by reuniting the pair. Leslie Knope, a midlevel bureaucrat in an Indiana Parks and Recreation Department, hopes to beautify her town (and boost her own career) by helping local nurse Ann Perkins turn an abandoned. Afterwards, she tells Leslie and Ben that she "mostly" made all that up, then details how she'll be able to spin any outrage from them in Bobby's favor. Very little could faze Olympic-level overachiever Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler), but meeting former First Lady Michelle Obama did the trick. [22][23] Nevertheless, he admired Leslie's unwavering optimism in the face of government ineffectiveness and tried to help her. [19][20] Jaded and disillusioned with his job due to government red tape,[21] Mark often pragmatically insisted to Leslie that her ambitions to turn a construction pit into a park were unlikely to succeed. He became hospitalized, and Scott encouraged Leslie not to apologize or admit fault in the incident because it would risk Pawnee getting sued. She is partly responsible for the opening of her father Dr. Saperstein's store which eventually runs Tom Haverford's Rent-a-Swag store out of business. He appears in three episodes across Seasons 46, during which Leslie secures his endorsement for City Council, Ann considers him as a sperm donor, and Pete refuses to endorse Sweetums' new sports drink. [214] In "Time Capsule", Andy and Eduardo started bonding, particularly over their mutual appreciation for the Dave Matthews Band. Also, they share a high five. Marshall's sexuality was never confirmed, but, when speaking to Chris Traeger, he smiles in a way that could be interpreted as attraction. After the show's time jump on the final season, Leslie immediately fired Ed, saying, "You're the most incompetent person I've ever worked with, and that includes Terry.". [200] She won the Miss Pawnee contest in 1994 primarily based on her looks; her talent during the pageant was packing a suitcase. Leslie and Ron are feuding over the Newport land rights at this time, and Jamm is the swing vote on the issue. Credited starting with season 2 episode 23: The Master Plan. Kristen Bell spent three episodes on Parks and Recreation as Ingrid De Forest. [110] Nick Newport Sr. appeared in the episode "94 Meetings", where his young and attractive gold digger wife Jessica Wicks held his 85th birthday party at the Turnbill Mansion. He doesn't do a lot of work around here. [177][179] The interview proved disastrous for Ben, who was so socially awkward he could barely talk, and it led to other Pawnee media taking on the story and nearly ruining the harvest festival. [134][222] Since he comes from a military state, Raul is accustomed to being treated like royalty, so he was unimpressed with the conditions of Pawnee and its citizens, who he treated rudely from the moment he arrived. [53], Dr. Harris (Cooper Thornton) is a doctor who works at the hospital with Ann Perkins. [132][133] In "End of the World," Jean-Ralphio invites Lucy to his and Tom's "best party of all time", much to Tom's pleasure and Jean-Ralphio's disappointment, as he had planned to pursue Lucy himself. [76] Jerry often demonstrates great artistic talent and is an excellent pianist and painter,[27][77] although his talents are usually overlooked, ignored or even mocked by his colleagues as though they were character faults. He is also the doctor whom Ann and Chris go to while the former is pregnant. Joan Callamezzo (Mo Collins) is the hostess of Pawnee Today, a local news magazine/talk show that combines elements of NBC's Today and news shows like Nancy Grace. Ben was bombarded with angry callers and labeled a "human disaster" on the show's subtitles. [30][91], Though not seen after early in season 5, Marlene is still referenced from time to time. Leslie used Tom's company, Entertainment 720, to give Li'l Sebastian a funeral. Heidi Klum joined Parks and Recreation for a two-part episode in the show's sixth season. Leslie nodded adamantly and replied, "I agree with you on all things throughout history until the end of times forever.". Crazy Ira (Matt Besser) and Howard "The Douche" Tuttleman (Nick Kroll) are two shock jocks of a morning zoo-style Pawnee radio program. Ron's affection for Diane grows, and in "Halloween Surprise" he officially begins a relationship with her, deciding that dating a single mother might help him expand his life experience. Jhonny invites her to go with him to Venezuela, his country and attend her like a princess full of luxuries and acts. Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) is the deputy director of the Pawnee Parks and Recreation Department, and the protagonist of Parks and Recreation. In his first appearance, Donna describes him to Ron as her Tammy, so we have no idea what to expect. On a whim, Leslie invites Dave out to dinner with her and Ben and while Ben is in the bathroom, Dave reveals to Leslie that he still has feelings for her. She also appears again in "Jerry's Retirement.". She first appears in "Ron and Diane", singing Christmas carols with her mother, father, and sister Gladys. After recurring heavily during the show's sixth season, Eichner was promoted to a starring cast member in the seventh season, beginning with the fourth episode "Leslie and Ron". Kim (Jamie Denbo) is an obnoxious, untalented tabloid reporter working at the local rag "Pawnee Sun" who made her only appearance in Season 5's "Correspondents Lunch". Leslie said it was the best present she could have received (from Ben). She is also the former girlfriend of Tom Haverford. This made him a favorite of Ron Swanson, who once quipped, "I like Tom. She and Ron remain married as of the series finale, "One Last Ride". [210][211] In Season 4, he remained at Entertainment 720, and was hanging out with Roy Hibbert, who had the free time to work with them due to the NBA lockout; both men roundly mocked Tom and Jean-Ralphio's lack of business sense. Leslie is a passionate, hard-working and ambitious woman who loves her hometown of Pawnee and, unlike many around her, has not lost her optimism in the face of government bureaucracy. [28][98] Although the pairing causes significant tension between Ron and Tom, Ron proves so happy in his relationship with Wendy that it allows him to resist the temptations of his horrible ex-wife Tammy II. The star sits down with EW for a deep dive on his blockbuster Netflix franchise, those "overdramatized" retirement reports, the upcomingFuriosa, his hopes to "reinvent" Thor, and more. Marlene Griggs-Knope (Pamela Reed) is Leslie's mother and a major political figure in Pawnee's school system. [53] She also became the manager of Andy's band, Mouse Rat, previously known as Scarecrow Boat. [105][106] Nervous about the upcoming first date, Leslie became drunk in "Practice Date" and visited Dave's house in the middle of the night, acting foolish until Dave brought her home. Leslie convinced him not to do so at the last minute, and they instead angered Callamezzo by discussing the 2009 film Avatar and whether it lived up to its hype. In the season seven episode "Pie-Mary", Brett and Harris are revealed to be secretly living in the basement of city hall. when she made a motion indicating how bad she feels. Craig is the one former Eagleton Parks employee not laid off after the merger, and continues to work at the Pawnee offices under the title of "Associate Administrator". In the same episode, Leslie decides that Diane is a good guardian of Ron's well-being and a shield against the disruptive antics of Tammy II.