‘Parks and Recreation’: Which Cast Member Is the Least Like Their Character?
Although Parks and Recreation ended in 2015, the series is arguably just as popular now as it was while on air. Thankfully, we are able to stream the feel-good sitcom on platforms like Netflix, Peacock, and Hulu. It’s the perfect series to lift your spirits and put you in a good mood, thanks to the lovable characters and their hilarious escapades. (Plus, there’s always Little Sebastian.)
That being said, have you ever wondered which Parks and Recreation cast member is the least like their on-screen character? Keep reading to find out.
Most of the ‘Parks and Recreation’ characters are eerily similar to the actors who portray them
After watching interviews with the cast of Michael Schur’s series, it almost feels as though the characters on the show are exaggerated versions of the cast members themselves. Watch any interview with Aubrey Plaza, and you’ll see that she’s just as deadpan and Wednesday Adams-Esque as April Ludgate. Chris Pratt is as fun and “golden retriever-like” as Andy Dwyer.
Nick Offerman has the same rustic charm as Ron Swanson. Rob Lowe *literally* has the same positive outlook as Chris Traeger. And Amy Poehler, without question, is just as intelligent and ambitious as Leslie Knope. But which actor from Parks and Recreation is the least like their on-screen character? Is it Rob Lowe? Could it be Rashida Jones? Or perhaps Aziz Ansari? Keep reading to find out.
The ‘Parks and Recreation’ cast member who is the furthest from their character
In an interview with Seth Meyers, the cast reflects on the question, “which actor is least like the character they portray?” Michael Schur ponders on this. He then says, “Pratt’s not nearly as dumb as Andy Dwyer.”
In response, Pratt says, “I’m awfully dumb, but I’m not that dumb.”
As the interview goes on, Jim O’Heir (Jerry/Garry/Larry) says a raunchy joke. After everyone cracks up, Pratt chimes in, “I would say, to answer that previous question, Jim is the furthest from his character. Jim’s sick,” he jokes. “You don’t know. He’s a sick, sick man. His humor is awesome. Nothing like the wholesome Jerry.”
Chris Pratt’s funniest line on the series made Michael Schur furious
Pratt has a joke on Park and Recreation that is so funny, it made the series creator furious. In the episode where Leslie gets sick with the flu, Schur tells Pratt to improvise a line as she walks by him in the parks department. While Andy is sitting at the computer, he attempts to type in her symptoms to see what she could potentially be sick with.
Pratt (as Andy) says, “Leslie, I typed your symptoms into the computer, and it says you could have ‘network connectivity problems.’” The improvised joke is so brilliant that it made Schur “depressed.” He tells Seth Meyers, “It was very depressing, as a writer, because I’ve never written a joke that good. I’ve been writing for a long time and I’ve never written a joke that good. And I almost didn’t put it in, out of spite.”
