A new Parks and Recreation tell-all book revealed surprising details about cast changes, emotional exits and more during the beloved NBC show’s run.
Jennifer Keishin Armstrong‘s Parks and Rec: The Underdog TV Show That Lit’rally Inspired a Vision for a Better America, released on Tuesday, April 7, features behind-the-scenes insight from the Parks and Recreation cast and crew.
The mockumentary series, which aired from 2009 to 2015, followed the lovable and hilarious employees working for the parks department in the fictional town of Pawnee, Indiana. The show, which won 13 awards during its tenure including a coveted Peabody, featured a stacked cast that included Amy Poehler, Rashida Jones, Nick Offerman, Aziz Ansari, Aubrey Plaza, Chris Pratt, Adam Scott, Rob Lowe, Retta and Billy Eichner.
Keep scrolling for the biggest revelations about what went into creating Parks and Recreation:
The Parks and Recreation cast filled homes with laughs and love during its seven-season run on NBC, but since the show ended, fans have still been able to see their favorite faces from the group in a slew of high-profile projects. Thank You! You have successfully subscribed. Subscribe to newsletters Enter your email Please enter […]
How Amy Poehler’s Pregnancies Played a Role in the ‘Parks and Recreation’ Filming Schedules
Parks and Recreation marked Amy Poehler’s first TV role after ending her nine-year run on Saturday Night Live. The plan was to film a pilot that would air in a slot immediately after the Super Bowl.
According to the book, Poehler announced her first pregnancy with then-husband Will Arnett, which originally made creators Greg Daniels and Michael Schur start “brainstorming ideas for both [new] shows and stars.” They ultimately realized that Poehler was the key to Parks and Rec’s inevitable success, so they “gave up seven of their thirteen episodes as well as the Super Bowl slot” to work around her availability.
“Airing after the Super Bowl is a short-term decision, a decision that has the most impact now,” Schur explained. “But getting Amy Poehler on your show is a long-term decision.”
When Poehler got pregnant again in 2010, she “had been terrified to tell the producers,” but they used her pregnancy to get themselves a third season. They told the network they had to shoot more episodes immediately before Poehler started showing and they would bank six episodes ahead of her maternity leave.
Executive producer Dean Holland joked they “forced” NBC to renew the show.
Which Stars Auditioned for Other Roles?
Before Paul Schneider was cast in the role of Mark Brendanawicz, the character was referred to as Josh.
Nick Offerman and Adam Scott auditioned but later were cast as other characters. Offerman also auditioned for Michael Scott (played by Steve Carell) in NBC’s The Office before ending up in the running as Ron on Parks and Rec. Matt Walsh, Seth Morris, Jason Mantzoukas and David Koechner mentioned to Offerman that they auditioned for Ron (or Josh) — as did Mike O’Malley.
The Secret Reason Rashida Jones Was Hired
Coming off a role on The Office, the Parks and Recreation creators were excited to have Rashida Jones on the show to shut down spinoff rumors.
“I was worried about still getting pressure to say they were in the same universe and that there could be appearances and stuff,” Greg Daniels said. “So one of the benefits of having Rashida was that if Rashida plays a different character.”
Nick Offerman’s Wife Joining the Show
Once Megan Mullally got the script for the role of Ron’s ex-wife Tammy, the actress “immediately took” real-life husband Nick Offerman to the backyard. “To the lush grass, to practice violent kissing,” Offerman quipped.
Paul Schneider’s Exit From the Show
The actor only played Mark on two seasons of Parks and Rec before his character was written off. He later told ScreenCrush in 2014 that he had felt sidelined.
“That experience was very strange for me. You know, I signed up for a specific character that was changed in mid-season,” he recalled. “And it became a character with a lot less to do. And, all of a sudden, I was kind of confused and kind of having a lot less to do.”
In Jennifer Keishin Armstrong’s Parks and Rec: The Underdog TV Show That Lit’rally Inspired a Vision for a Better America, creator Michael Schur didn’t remember why Schneider won the role of Mark over Adam Scott, who would go on to play Ben.
“[Adam Scott] was really good. He claims to this day that he was bad in the audition. He’s never bad,” Schur said. “And so I was like, ‘Man, if we could just swap Adam Scott in that role, that might be the answer to our problems.”
He continued, “I felt bad for Paul, because I don’t think he did anything wrong. Our original conception of the shape of the show just didn’t totally work and we had to make a change.”
New Details About ‘Parks and Rec’ Production Costs
It was noted in the tell-all that Parks and Recreation was “around $2 million per episode” to make.
Which Cameos Didn’t End Up on ‘Parks and Rec’?
According to the book, Kentucky senator Rand Paul “tentatively agreed” to appear in a scene where he would “have lunch with Ron to talk about their shared interests — like wood-working.”
“His staff was so excited,” executive producer Morgan Sackett shared. “Because his likability factor wasn’t so good. And they were like, ‘This is going to make him feel so much more human.’”
Sackett claimed Paul changed his mind after reading the script because he “thought the show was making fun of him.”
How Adam Scott Knew ‘Party Down’ Was Canceled So He Could Do ‘Parks and Rec’
Adam Scott was offered to play Ben in Parks and Recreation starting at the end of season 2 — but he was still starring on Party Down at the time. The Starz series wasn’t renewed yet and Scott recalled an executive subtly confirming to him that Party Down wouldn’t be renewed for more episodes.
Scott also addressed the assumption that “his departure had caused Party Down’s demise.”
“It was just kind of messy,” he shared. “So it was a bummer, but I had the opportunity. And I couldn’t wait to join the show.”
How Rob Lowe’s Impression of Tom Cruise Created Chris
During a meeting with producers before being cast as Chris, Rob Lowe did an impression of Tom Cruise from their Outsiders days.
“He imitated Cruise ordering a glass of water at a restaurant: ‘I would like water. I’d like it in a glass. I would like a lemon,’” the book recalled about how Michael Schur used that as an inspiration for Chris. “A version of Lowe’s Cruise impersonation would even make its way into a Parks and Rec script in which Chris Trager orders a beer: ‘I would like a local beer. I’d like it in a bottle. I’d like the bottle to be cold.’”
Having to Blur Out Lil Sebastian’s Genitals
Parks and Rec fans are familiar with miniature horse Lil Sebastian, who won over most of the residents of Pawnee, Indiana. In the book, executive producer Dean Holland recalled how they ended up having to blur out Lil Sebastian’s genitals.
“There was a point when we’re shooting the horse, and the horse was … relaxed. That was not planned. So then we were like, ‘Oh, this is really funny. Every time we shoot the horse, we’re going to show the horse relaxed, and we have to pixelate … his area,’” he explained. “Then we were pixelating it when it wasn’t there And we’d go, ‘It doesn’t look right.’”
“Next thing he knew, the post supervisor was googling for images of large horse penises,” the excerpt continued. “And, indeed, in the end, he says, ‘Mike was right. It made a difference.’”
Why Joe Biden’s Cameo Aired After 2012 Election
Joe Biden’s memorable appearance on Parks and Rec was held to not trigger “the equal-time broadcast law” that would require NBC to “give the same amount of air time to Biden and Obama’s Republican candidates.”
How ‘Parks and Rec’ Tried Not to Pick a Political Side
“The show avoided any mention of political parties,” read an excerpt from the book. ”The producers made great efforts to include cameos by Democrats and Republicans. … But the show has a clear political message. And that message is left-leaning, if moderate. It argues for the power of government to help people, though it also believes that people of different political persuasions can work together on that project. Its national politician cameos underline that message.”
What Story Lines Were Scraped?
According to the book, Aziz Ansari’s Tom was meant to have a romance with a “middle-aged woman who owned the space next door” to his Rent-A-Swag business.
However, when casting began, producers “could not get an actress in her fifties to play fifties, to admit her own age in real life.” They “made lists of actresses to approach, but they all refused.”
Biggest ‘Parks and Rec’ Cast Exits
Rashida Jones left after season 6 to work on other projects, which led to her onscreen love interest Rob Lowe to be written out as well.
“The writers felt like Chris would be hard to write without her. ‘And I was OK with Chris being a casualty of Rashida’s writing career,’” Lowe shared.
Working With Chris Pratt’s Marvel Schedule
Parks and Rec had to work around Chris Pratt’s schedule after he was cast in Guardians of the Galaxy. As a result, he missed “the first several episodes” of season 6 with Parks and Rec even basing some episodes in London to help Pratt’s filming process.
Billy Eichner’s Divisive Character
Billy Eichner portrayed Craig in season 6 before being promoted to main cast. The actor had concerns, however, about making the character more relatable after viewer backlash.
“[Michael] Schur invited Eichner, who also wrote his own material in other contexts, to visit the writers’ room to hash out how Craig could progress for the next season,” the book stated. “They came up with the idea that Craig goes to anger-management class between seasons. He could still have occasional outbursts, but they could show him struggling to control them.”
Jon Hamm’s Cameo — and How He Kept It Quiet
“Mad Men star Jon Hamm appears in the briefest of cameos as Ed [in the final season]. [Michael] Schur wanted to keep it secret, though, because if word got out that Hamm was guest-starring, it would make news and blow the surprise. Hamm’s solution: ‘Oh, then I just won’t tell anyone,’” the tell-all book shared. “He didn’t inform his agents or his manager. He didn’t sign a contract. He drove himself to the lot and walked in alone. He waited until it aired before he told his people anything. Then he filed the proper paperwork.”
Why Arnold Schwarzenegger Passed on the Show
Producers tried back in season 3 to get then-California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger — who was friendly with Rob Lowe — to play the role of a mayor. He declined because “he couldn’t take the role while in office.”
‘Parks and Rec’ Lobbying for a Bill Murray Cameo
After Arnold Schwarzenegger passed, producers joked about Bill Murray being their next dream star for the role. Aubrey Plaza and Amy Poehler made numerous attempts from a public plea on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon to private conversations on various sets.
“Soon, [Michael] Schur got a voicemail, ‘Hey, this is Bill Murray. I hear you might have some dead work for me,’” the book detailed. “Still, no one truly believed it would happen until Murray showed up on set that day. In fact, the memorial scene had already been shot without him, just in case.”