Parks and Recreation was an NBC comedy that ran from 2009 to 2015. This sitcom is a political satire mockumentary sitcom with a similar format to The Office. The show follows the activities of mid-level bureaucrat Leslie Knope who works in the Parks Department in Pawnee, Indiana. Created by Greg Daniels and Michael Schur, Parks and Recreation is known for its ensemble cast and its approachable, comedic take on politics. Thanks to phenomenal performances and writing, the show was nominated for a total of 14 Primetime Emmy Awards.
Part of what made the show so memorable was the ensemble cast, featuring big names in comedy like Amy Poehler, Rashida Jones, and even the talents of Hollywood heartthrob Rob Lowe. While some sitcoms are the heights of many people’s careers, that is not the case for the majority of the Parks and Recreation cast. Here’s where the cast of the hit workplace TV comedy is today.
Amy Poehler
Leslie Knope is the main protagonist of Parks and Recreation. Portrayed by Amy Poehler, this Deputy Director of the Pawnee Parks and Rec department is an over-achiever who hopes to please everyone around her. Her bright and bubbly optimism can often become exhausting for those around her, but she always manages to live up to her potential. Poehler was originally a member of the cast of Saturday Night Live, but she left the show to play the role of Knope, a decision she would not regret. Since Parks and Recreation, Poehler has starred in a number of films and TV, including Disney/Pixar’s Inside Out and voicing Duncan and Annie Harris in the series Duncanville.
Rashida Jones
Ann Perkins is a nurse who gets involved with the Parks and Rec department after lodging a complaint about the dangerous empty lot beside her house. Ann grows close with Leslie and the two wind up becoming best friends. Ann is portrayed by Rashida Jones, who made her first appearance on the Fox drama Boston Public before moving on to play the role of Karen Filipelli on The Office while also playing her part on Parks and Recreation. After Parks and Recreation, Jones led the TBS comedy series Angie Tribeca. Jones’ upcoming works include main roles in the upcoming series Wool and Sunny, both of which don’t have confirmed release dates yet.
Adam Scott
Introduced in the second season of Parks and Recreation is Ben Wyatt. While Ben is initially a state auditor meant to help evaluate the town’s funds, he eventually stays in town after falling in love with Leslie and eventually marrying her. Ben is a work-oriented and somewhat immature man portrayed by Adam Scott, who was nominated for multiple awards for his performance in the show. Aside from his role in Parks and Recreation, he is also known for his role as Derek in Step Brothers. After Parks and Recreation ran its course, Scott continued to appear in roles left and right, including the award-winning Big Little Lies, The Good Place, and most recently the Apple TV+ original drama Severance.
Nick Offerman
A fan-favorite character of many Parks and Recreation fans is Ron Swanson. This Libertarian is the polar opposite of Leslie Knope. Between his wish for the government to be privatized and his lack of trust in banks, Ron Swanson is a character you can’t easily forget. Ron Swanson is played by Nick Offerman, a real-life carpenter. His performance in Parks and Recreation earned him a number of awards, gaining him a great deal of attention and earning him a role in The Founder, 21 Jump Street, and the FX drama series Fargo. Most recentl,y Offerman has appeared in the series A League of Their Own and, according to Game Rant, is lined up to star in The Last of Us, a series based on the video game of the same name, and The Resort.
Aubrey Plaza
Aubrey Plaza who plays the goth-like April rose to universal acclaim for her performance in Parks and Recreation. April’s deadpan sense of humor contrasts greatly with the bubbly optimism of Leslie Knope, her character being particularly appealing to the younger viewers of the show. April starts working in the Parks and Rec department as an intern before being hired as Ron Swanson’s assistant to keep people away from him. Plaza saw universal acclaim for her performance, earning her a role in the FX drama series Legion. Most recently, Plaza has appeared in Black Bear, earning herself an Imagen Award nomination for Best Actress in a Feature Film. Currently, Plaza is filming season two of HBO's The White Lotus.
Chris Pratt
Probably the most recognizable name on this list is Chris Pratt, who portrayed Peter Quill in the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise. But before he became the beloved Star-Lord, Pratt starred in Parks and Recreation as Andy Dwyer. Originally Ann Perkins’ sloppy boyfriend, he eventually fell in love with April and wound up marrying her. Thanks to his hilarious performance on the show, he quickly rose to prominence and even received critical acclaim for his performance. This earned him a great deal of attention, gaining him roles in Movie 43, Her, Guardians of the Galaxy, and the Jurassic World movies. Pratt is lined up to reprise his role as Quill in Thor: Love and Thunder, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 and is set to voice Mario in the upcoming untitled Nintendo and Illumination Mario film.
Retta
Retta AKA Marietta Sangai Sirleaf plays the role of Donna Meagle, office manager of the Parks and Rec department in Parks and Recreation. Little is known about Donna apart from her obsession with her Mercedes and her eventual marriage to Joe. Donna is a no-nonsense lady who often gives people the straightforward advice they don’t want to hear. Retta’s comedy career kicked off thanks to Parks and Recreation earning her roles in films like Sex Ed and To the Bone. After Parks and Recreation, Retta went on to have a main role on Good Girls as Ruby Hill. Most recently, Retta has taken on the role of Host of the new reality show Ugliest House in America.
Aziz Ansari
Aziz Ansari plays the role of Tom Haverford, a wannabe playboy with supreme amounts of confidence. That said, Tom still manages to underachieve at his job. After Parks and Recreation wrapped up its final season, Ansari became known as the creator of the Netflix original series Master of None, earning him two Emmys and a Golden Globe. Between this, Ansari appeared in a number of shows, including Bob’s Burgers and Adventure Time. Ansari’s upcoming works include The Bob’s Burgers Movie, Being Mortal, and has most recently come out with his own Netflix special called Aziz Ansari: Nightclub Comedian.
Jim O’Heir
The office screw-up Jerry Gergich gets blamed for everything bad that ever happens, leading to the ever famous line “dammit Jerry”. While not much is ever known about Jerry, he still manages to be a part of the Parks and Recreation team. Jerry is portrayed by Jim O’Heir and while this is his most known role, he has had plenty of other roles on his record. Before his run on Parks and Recreation O’Heir had guest roles in shows such as Friends and 3rd Rock from the Sun before moving on to have a main role in Comedy Central’s Strip Mall. O’Heir has continued his run as a guest in most shows that he’s appeared in recently, including Criminal Minds and 9-1-1.