Where Are The Cast Of Parks And Recreation Today?
Airing on NBC from 2009 to 2015, the Amy Poehler-produced comedy "Parks and Recreation" collected an army of loyal fans. After finding its feet in the first season, when it received mixed reviews, LA Times Blogs notes, the show took the comedy world by storm, sticking around for seven seasons and a special reunion episode in 2020.
Years later, "Parks and Recreation" still holds an important place in comedy culture. In 2019, Rolling Stone referred to it as the television series that defined the cultural era of the Obama Presidency, with writer Alan Sepinwall commenting, "Few series in recent memory have been as clearly tied to a moment — and, specifically, a presidential administration — as Parks and Rec. The show's belief in the power of government to make people's lives better — and, more broadly, in the obligation members of a community (be they friends, family, or, as Ron Swanson once put it, "workplace proximity associates") have to help one another in times of need — made it the standard-bearer for the hopefulness of the Obama era."
So where are the stars of "Parks and Recreation" now?
Amy Poehler is voicing two lead characters on Duncanville
After six years of blessing our screens as the hilarious and loveable Leslie Knope, Amy Poehler has continued to thrive as a comedic actress. From starring as Susie in the TV mini-series "Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp" to co-creating the Emmy Award-winning comedy-drama series "Russian Doll" starring Natasha Lyonne, Poehler has not appeared to miss a step. Poehler began co-hosting the reality television series "Making It" with her "Parks and Recreation" co-star Nick Offerman in 2018. The show features craftspeople skilled in different media competing to win $100,000, and for her role as host, Poehler was nominated for the Primetime Emmy for outstanding host for a Reality or Competition Program in both 2019 and 2020.
Since 2020, Poehler has been executive producing, writing, and voicing both the characters of Duncan and Annie Harris on "Duncanville," an adult animated sitcom on Fox. The show is currently in its third season, which premiered on May 1, 2022. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Poehler spoke about her experience creating "Duncanville," commenting, "It's been pretty wild to make it during a pandemic, and animation was one of the places you actually could keep making stuff, which we were very lucky about."
As for her family life, Poehler married actor Will Arnett in 2003, but the couple divorced in 2014, TMZ notes. She currently lives in Los Angeles with her two sons — Archie, born in 2008, and Abel, born in 2010.
Rashida Jones took on writing and producer roles
Following her role as Ann Perkins in "Parks and Recreation," Rashida Jones branched out in her career, working as a writer and producer while still taking acting roles. In 2015, Jones took on the role of producer on the documentary "Hot Girls Wanted," as well as the follow-up series "Hot Girls Wanted: Turned On" in 2017.
Along with her writing partner Will McCormack, Jones worked on the script of "Toy Story 4" in 2017, though the pair left the desk early due to a lack of diversity. In a statement following their departure, Jones and McCormick said, "We parted ways because of creative and, more importantly, philosophical differences. There is so much talent at Pixar, and we remain enormous fans of their films. However, it is also a culture where women and people of color do not have an equal creative voice." The following year, Jones elaborated on her stance in an interview with Net-A-Porter, commenting, "All I can be is myself, and speak up and be honest when I feel things don't reflect the world as it today. As a corporation, you will be held accountable."
In 2020, Jones starred as Joya Barris on the Netflix sitcom "#BlackAF," where she also served as an executive producer. She starred in the comedy-drama film "On the Rocks" opposite Bill Murray the same year.
Chris Pratt has a leading role in the Marvel Cinematic Universe
Chris Pratt starred as the goofy and loveable Andy Dwyer, and his acting career has not slowed down since. After taking on parts in "Moneyball," "The Five-Year Engagement," and "Her" while still on "Parks and Recreation," Pratt cemented himself as a leading man with the role of Star-Lord in Marvel's "Guardians of the Galaxy" in 2014.
Pratt went through a big physical transformation to enter the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Speaking to Collider about what that was like, he said, "There are a lot of elements that really made it easy for me. The costume and the hair and the make-up and the props and the sets, and then working out and getting in good shape, I would just get out of hair and make-up and have my costume on and look at myself in the mirror, and I would just not even see myself staring back."
In 2021, Pratt starred as Dan Forester in "The Tomorrow War," which he also executive produced. In September of the same year, NME announced that Pratt would voice the title character in the upcoming "Super Mario Bros.: The Movie," which is expected to appear in 2023. As for Pratt's personal life, he and actress Anna Faris split in 2017. In 2018, Pratt met author Katherine Schwarzenegger, and the couple married in June 2019. They have a daughter — Lyla Maria, born in 2020 — and People announced that they are expecting their second child.
Aziz Ansari focused on stand-up comedy
After portraying Tom Haverford, Aziz Ansari starred as Dev Shah in the series "Master of None," which he also co-created, wrote, and directed. He has also largely focused on his career as a stand-up comedian. In 2015, around the time of wrapping "Parks and Recreation," Ansari released the comedy special "Aziz Ansari: Live at Madison Square Garden" on Netflix.
On January 13, 2018, Ansari was accused of sexual misconduct by a woman using the pseudonym "Grace," whose allegations were published in an article on Babe.net. The blog claimed that Ansari and "Grace" had gone out on a date, after which Ansari allegedly attempted to pressure her into sex. Ansari released a statement to E! News on January 15, 2018, claiming that the sexual encounter "by all indications was completely consensual." Ansari briefly retreated from the public eye before resuming to perform stand-up comedy in May of the same year.
In February 2019, Ansari began a new stand-up tour entitled "The Road to Nowhere," where he focused on the topics of cultural appropriation, racism, and sexual misconduct and responded to the allegations from the year before. In July 2019, he released his next comedy special, "Aziz Ansari: Right Now," and in January 2022, he followed it up with "Aziz Ansari: Nightclub Comedian."
If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
Nick Offerman is starring in A League of Their Own
After starring as the staunch libertarian Ron Swanson on "Parks and Recreation," Nick Offerman has taken on roles in both films and television series. Recently he appeared as Uncle Miltie in the highly anticipated TV mini-series "Pam & Tommy" alongside Lily James and Sebastian Stan and took on voice roles in "Trollhunters: Rise of the Titans" and "Sing 2."
Offerman has co-hosted the reality television series "Making It" alongside Amy Poehler since 2018, a role for which he has been nominated for the Primetime Emmy for outstanding host for a Reality or Competition Program in both 2019 and 2020. Speaking to The A.V. Club about the upbeat show, Offerman commented, "I prefer to be on the side of life that is creating and blossoming rather than the side of life that is destroying or consuming." Offerman's latest role as Dave Porter in the period comedy "A League of Their Own" is currently in post-production, set to premiere in 2022.
Aubrey Plaza wrote a children's book
Following her role as the deadpan and cynical April Ludgate on "Parks and Recreation," Aubrey Plaza has continued on in show business. In 2017, Plaza both starred in and produced "The Little Hours" and "Ingrid Goes West," and from 2017 to 2019, she starred in the FX series "Legion." In January 2022, Plaza's starring role in the drama film "Emily the Criminal" aired at Sundance. The same month, Deadline announced that she would star in the second season of "The White Lotus," a satirical comedy series on HBO.
Plaza has had success outside of the acting world as well. In 2021, she wrote a children's book entitled "The Legend of the Christmas Witch" with co-author Dan Murphy and illustrator Julia Iredale. Plaza dedicated the book to her mother, explaining on The Today Show, "My mother taught me to be a little witch as a child. Well, she always had a kind of magic in her step. She always inspired me. She had me very young and taught me that anything was possible. She's a magical woman."
Adam Scott leads a science fiction thriller series
Following his starring role as Leslie Knope's geeky partner, Ben Wyatt in "Parks and Recreation," Adam Scott seems to have popped up everywhere! From 2016 to 2018, Scott had a guest role as Trevor in NBC's "The Good Place," and in 2017, he made a cameo in the highly acclaimed film "The Disaster Artist."
In 2022, Scott began starring as Mark Scout in the Apple TV+ science fiction thriller series "Severance," which premiered on February 18. The show's first season was filmed during the COVID-19 lockdowns, adding an extra element of difficulty to an already heavy show concept. Speaking to NPR about filming "Severance" during the pandemic, Scott said, "Everybody was really sealed off and isolated. I would shoot the show, [then] get in a van, drive for 40 minutes to this apartment I was staying in, sit there by myself and eat, sleep, [then] get up, get back in a van, go there [and] shoot this crazy show."
Outside of acting, Scott co-hosts the comedy podcast "U Talkin' U2 To Me" alongside Scott Aukerman, which launched in February 2014. Each episode is dedicated to discussing the work of the band U2, though the topic is generally just used as a jumping-off point for improvised comedy. In 2018, the pair launched another podcast of the same format titled "R U Talkin' R.E.M. Re: Me?" and in 2020, they moved on to their current podcast, "U Talkin' Talking Heads 2 My Talking Head."
Rob Lowe hosts a Parks and Recreation recap podcast
Rob Lowe stole the screen as the overly perky and optimistic Chris Traeger on "Parks and Recreation," and he hasn't slowed down since. In December 2015, shortly after wrapping the show, Lowe was honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, located in front of the Musso and Frank Grill on Hollywood Boulevard. From 2015 to 2019, he starred as Dean Sanderson in "The Grinder," a legal comedy series on Fox, before taking on the voice of Simba on "The Lion Guard," an animated series based on Disney's "The Lion King."
Moving away from the camera, Lowe began hosting a podcast called "Literally! With Rob Lowe" in 2020, and in September 2021, he launched a second podcast called "Parks and Recollection." The latter is focused on recapping episodes of "Parks and Recreation" alongside the show's writer and producer, Alan Yang.
In an interview with Parade.com, Lowe explained why he launched the series, saying, "Parks and Rec continues to have this importance in people's lives. I think people are as infatuated with it now more than they were when it was actually on the air. I thought [Parks and Recollection] would be a really good sort of gift back to all of the fans that love the show so much to do an episode-by-episode, behind-the-scenes look back."
Retta starred in NBC's Good Girls
Following her role as the hilarious and confident Donna Meagle, Retta moved on to star as Barbara in "Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce" from 2015 to 2018. Branching out on her talents, she published a series of essays in 2018 called "So Close to Being the Sh*t, Y'all Don't Even Know." The comedic book received overall favorable reviews from critics and readers alike, holding a score of 3.91 out of 5 on Goodreads as of this writing.
From 2018, Retta starred as Ruby Hill on NBC's comedy-drama series "Good Girls" opposite Christina Hendricks and Mae Whitman. In an interview with Vogue about her transition into a more dramatic role, Retta said, "It was very comfortable. I think as you get older, you start being more aware of you, who you are, and your intentions. And in my head, I always knew I could do drama; I just enjoyed comedy more." Unfortunately, in June 2021, "Good Girls" was canceled after four seasons, much to the disappointment of the show's loyal fans.
Most recently, Retta signed a talent holding agreement with NBCUniversal in January 2022. Under the arrangement, she will work with the company to find projects she can star in across their broadcast, cable, and streaming platforms.
Jim O'Heir starred in a quarantine comedy
After cycling through names as the office punching bag Jerry/Garry/Larry/Terry/Barry Gergich on "Parks and Recreation," Jim O'Heir has continued acting, predominately in guest roles. From 2016 to 2019, he featured in "The Bold and the Beautiful" as Matt Cannistra, and in 2016, he appeared in two episodes of "Brooklyn Nine-Nine" as Sheriff Reynolds.
In March 2020, O'Heir made headlines in the best possible way when he shared a video on social media in character as Jerry Gergich, encouraging his followers to socially distance and support COVID-19 protocols. Reprising his famous "Parks and Recreation" character, O'Heir told his fans, "Things are really crazy right now, but you know what? They're gonna get better, but in the meantime, to make them get better, we gotta stay home. The Gergichs, we are hunkered down. We are not going anywhere."
In October 2020, Variety announced that O'Heir was joining the cast of the quarantine comedy "Distancing Socially" alongside Sarah Levy, Blythe Howard, and Alan Tudyk. The film was shot using remote technologies and an iPhone 11 during COVID-19 lockdowns and was released in October 2021.
Paul Schneider took on Broadway
Who can forget Paul Schneider starring as Mark Brendanawicz in the first two seasons of "Parks and Recreation"? Following his departure from the series in 2010, Schneider appeared in a range of films, including "Water for Elephants," "The Babymakers," and "Goodbye to All That." In 2014, he took on the main role of Clark Rylance in the TV series "The Divide," and in 2016, he starred as Mike Painter in "Channel Zero."
Breaking away from his on-screen roles, Schneider made his Broadway debut as Matt in Young Jean Lee's play "Straight White Men," earning praise as a highlight performance. In a red carpet interview with TheaterMania, Schneider commented on his own personal identity and how it impacted his role: "My character was very disillusioned by the fact that the world is more complicated than he thought. I like the idea that, you know, sometimes people are desperate to help the world, and sometimes the world doesn't give a sh*t about your desperate need to help it."
Schneider's most recent TV series "Florida Man" is currently in post-production and is due to be released in 2022.
Billy Eichner made history with his LGBT film Bros
Joining the cast in 2013 as Craig Middlebrooks, Billy Eichner quickly became a hilarious fan-favorite on "Parks and Recreation." Outside of the show, Eichner has had his fair share of big roles, from voicing the character of Mr. Ambrose on "Bob's Burgers" to starring as Billy Epstein in the series "Difficult People," which was executive produced by his "Parks and Recreation" co-star Amy Poehler.
In 2019, Eichner voiced Timon in Disney's live-action remake of "The Lion King," alongside Donald Glover, Seth Rogan, and Beyonce. Talking to Variety about recording his voice for the film, Eichner commented on why it was different from his other voice roles, saying, "Usually because of logistics or people's schedules, you record your part separate from the other voice actors, and they just edit it together in post and make it sound like you were all in the same room. For this movie, we were always together. Even the scenes with Donald, we were all there for "Hakuna Matata." It allowed us to really lean into our improv skills."
In March 2021, Eichner announced on Twitter that he was writing and starring in the film "Bros," produced by Universal Pictures. Following the story of two gay men with commitment issues who decide to settle down with each other, Eichner stated in the announcement that the film is the first adult-oriented LGBT movie ever produced by a mainstream film studio.