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  3. Parks and Recreation cast: Where are they now?

Parks and Recreation cast: Where are they now?

"No one achieves anything alone."

Sydney Bucksbaum
By Sydney Bucksbaum Updated August 03, 2022 at 08:20 AM EDT
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The Parks and Rec cast, then and now

Parks and Recreation
Credit: Mitchell Haaseth/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images

In 2015, fans said farewell to Pawnee and the cast of characters that made up the town's Parks and Recreation department. While the cast reunited for a special in 2020 in honor of Feeding America's COVID-19 Response Fund, their careers have mostly gone in different directions since the original series ended. Go ahead and "treat yo self" and catch up with everyone from Star-Lord to Lone Star.

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Amy Poehler (Leslie Knope)

Parks and Recreation
Credit: Mitchell Haaseth/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images; John Shearer/Getty Images

After starring as Leslie Knope for seven seasons, Amy Poehler moved on from her local government days for new shows and films. She serves as cohost of NBC's craft competition series Making It with her fellow Parks and Rec alum Nick Offerman. She also voiced the characters Duncan and Annie Harris in animated series Duncanville, which she created. She earned triple threat status by starring in, directing, and executive producing Netflix's original film Wine Country, and went on to direct the Amazon documentary Lucy and Desi.

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Nick Offerman (Ron Swanson)

Parks and Recreation
Credit: Mitchell Haaseth/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images; Noam Galai/Getty Images

Memorably starring in Alex Garland's FX on Hulu miniseries Devs as Forest, the long-haired, wizard-bearded tech mogul attempting to decode the mysteries of quantum mechanics (and god), Nick Offerman also cohosts Making It with Poehler. He recently traded in his flannels and woodworking as Ron Swanson for… other flannels and more woodworking to play a version of himself in The Good Place's series finale. Over the years, he's racked up many acting and voiceover credits in shows and films like Lucy in the Sky, 3Below: Tales of Arcadia, Frances Ferguson, Good Omens, Bob's Burgers, The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part, Bad Times at the El Royale, Hearts Beat Loud, White Fang, and Will & Grace, among others. In addition to his busy screen career, Offerman has written several books, including one with his wife Megan Mullally, The Greatest Love Story Ever Told, in 2018.

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Aubrey Plaza (April Ludgate)

Parks and Recreation
Credit: Mitchell Haaseth/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images; Jerod Harris/WireImage

After years of playing sarcastic, apathetic teen–turned–hardworking government employee April Ludgate, Aubrey Plaza has stayed busy with many TV shows and films once Parks and Rec wrapped. She reprised her role of Cat Adams on Criminal Minds, starred in the drama thriller Black Bear, played the instantly iconic role of Lenny on FX's Legion, and served repeat performances on Comedy Central's Drunk History. Other credits include Child's Play, Ingrid Goes West, Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates, Castle, and Happiest Season.

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Chris Pratt (Andy Dwyer)

Parks and Recreation
Credit: Mitchell Haaseth/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images; Rich Fury/Getty Images

During Parks and Rec's run, Chris Pratt shed Andy Dwyer's beer weight to become an action movie star, which continued after the NBC comedy wrapped its seven-season run. Currently starring in the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Peter Quill, a.k.a. Star-Lord, Pratt has led multiple Guardians of the Galaxy films as well as the Jurassic World trilogy. He also voiced one of the lead roles in Pixar's Onward. Other post-Parks credits include The Kid, The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part, Passengers, The Magnificent Seven, and The Terminal List.

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Aziz Ansari (Tom Haverford)

Parks and Recreation
Credit: Mitchell Haaseth/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images; Christopher Polk/Getty Images

After Parks and Rec wrapped, Aziz Ansari found awards recognition with his Netflix series Master of None, which he created, directed, and starred as Dev. He also voiced Darryl on Bob's Burgers. But Ansari also found himself mired in controversy during the #MeToo movement when, in January 2018, a woman using the pen name "Grace" accused him of sexual misconduct in a Babe.net piece that inspired new conversations about enthusiastic consent. After spending some time away from the spotlight, he came back with his own Netflix comedy special Aziz Ansari: Right Now in 2019, in which he addressed the issue.

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Jim O'Heir (Jerry Gergich)

Parks and Recreation
Credit: Mitchell Haaseth/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images; Desiree Navarro/WireImage

Jim O'Heir moved on from playing lovable fool Jerry Gergich by starring in a sitcom (Bless This Mess) and a daytime soap (The Bold and the Beautiful). He also appeared on TV shows and movies like Criminal Minds, 2nd Chance for Christmas, No Time Like Christmas, Drowning, Liza On Demand, The Neighborhood, Pearson, and Bad Times at the El Royale.

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Retta (Donna Meagle)

Parks and Recreation
Credit: Mitchell Haaseth/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images; Maarten de Boer/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images

From supporting player to star, Retta leveled up since Parks and Rec ended. After playing fan favorite Donna Meagle, Retta played Ruby Hill, one-third of Good Girls' main trio, on the NBC crime drama. She also racked up TV and film credits for projects like DuckTales, Big Mouth, Where's Waldo, Good Boys, and Girlfriends' Guide to Divorce. Plus, her live tweeting has never been better.

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Rashida Jones (Ann Perkins)

Parks and Recreation
Credit: Mitchell Haaseth/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images; Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images

Even in the post-Parks and Rec world, you can't split up the BFF duo of Ann Perkins and Leslie Knope — Rashida Jones voiced Mia on Duncanville along with Poehler. She also starred as Joya Barris on the Netflix series #blackAF. Her Netflix documentary Quincy, about her father Quincy Jones, won a Grammy for Best Music Film. She also voiced the role of Marcy in Spies in Disguise and Alva in Netflix's Klaus. Other credits include Between Two Ferns: The Movie, The Sound of Silence, Angie Tribeca, Tag, and On the Rocks.

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Adam Scott (Ben Wyatt)

Parks and Recreation
Credit: Mitchell Haaseth/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images; Nicholas Hunt/WireImage

Adam Scott played the perfect boyfriend-turned-husband on Parks and Rec, but he turned around and played the exact opposite of Ben Wyatt in his biggest post-Parks gigs. From playing a much more realistic version of a husband on Big Little Lies to an actual demon on The Good Place to a cheating billionaire on Loot, Scott also appeared on The Twilight Zone reboot, I'm Sorry, I Love You America, and Ghosted. His starring role in the Apple TV+ drama series Severance earned him his first Emmy nomination. Scott will once again sport a pink bowtie as actor-caterer Henry Pollard in the limited series Starz revival of the cult comedy Party Down.

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Rob Lowe (Chris Traeger)

Parks and Recreation
Credit: Mitchell Haaseth/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images; Stephane Cardinale - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images

Rob Lowe traded in Chris Traeger's running shoes for a cowboy hat with his series 9-1-1: Lone Star. After Parks and Rec ended, he leaned into holiday films with Netflix's Holiday in the Wild and The Knight Before Christmas. He also voiced Simba on The Lion Guard, starred on Wild Bill and Code Black, and logged appearances in The Bad Seed, Super Troopers 2, and The Orville. In addition to his work on Lone Star, Lowe also hosted the Fox game show Mental Samurai.

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Jay Jackson (Perd Hapley)

Parks and Recreation
Credit: Danny Feld/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images; Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic

Pawnee's favorite TV anchor didn't stay local after Parks and Rec ended. Jay Jackson, best known for playing Perd Hapley on the NBC comedy, also went on to play a reporter on The L Word: Generation Q reboot, and a news anchor on Silicon Valley, What/If?, and Scandal. In other, non-news roles, Jackson appeared on Black Monday, The Neighborhood, Good Girls (with fellow Parks and Rec alum Retta), and Criminal Minds, among other shows.

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Ben Schwartz (Jean-Ralphio)

Parks and Recreation
Credit: Colleen Hayes/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images; Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images

In a strange twist of fate, Jean-Ralphio might be the busiest guest character after Parks and Rec ended. Ben Schwartz costarred in the Netflix series Space Force and lent his voice to Dewey Duck in DuckTales and the titular character in the Sonic the Hedgehog movies, as well as starred in the improv sensation Middleditch & Schwartz. He also appeared on Modern Family, Bajillion Dollar Propertie$, The Afterparty, and the YouTube series Ryan Hansen Solves Crimes on Television, and voiced roles on Bob's Burgers, Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and BoJack Horseman.

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Natalie Morales (Lucy)

Parks and Recreation
Credit: Ben Cohen/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images; Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic

On Parks and Rec, Lucy ended up married to Tom. In real life, Natalie Morales voices the role of Lois Lane on the animated adult comedy Harley Quinn, starred in NBC's short-lived comedy Abby's, voiced Miss Calleros in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and Yolanda Buenaventura in BoJack Horseman, and appeared on Santa Clarita Diet, Sunnyside, Stuber, and Room 104.

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Mo Collins (Joan Callamezzo)

Parks and Recreation
Credit: Byron Cohen/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images; Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic

After playing Pawnee's iconic talk show host Joan Callamezzo on Parks on Rec, Mo Collins went on to appear on Fear the Walking Dead, Lady Dynamite, Dream Corp LLC, Single Parents, Teachers, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and more. She also did voice-over work with roles on Puppy Dog Pals, F is for Family, and American Dad!

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Jon Glaser (Councilman Jamm)

Parks and Recreation
Credit: Tyler Golden/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images; Jared Siskin/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images

On the final seasons of Parks and Rec, Jon Glaser played local orthodontist and city councilman Jeremy Jamm who lived to annoy Leslie Knope. Once the series wrapped, he wrote, executive produced and starred in his own mockumentary series Jon Glaser Loves Gear, went on to voice Larry Kudlow on Our Cartoon President, appeared on Mr. Robot, Living With Yourself, Hustlers, Wine Country, and worked as a writer on Inside Amy Schumer.

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Billy Eichner (Craig Middlebrooks)

Parks and Recreation
Credit: Chris Haston/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty Images; George Pimentel/Getty Images

Billy Eichner stopped screaming as Craig Middlebrooks on Parks and Rec once the series ended, but he continued to scream on the sidewalk for his award-winning series Billy on the Street. Now a part of the Ryan Murphy extended universe, Eichner appeared in Impeachment: American Crime Story as Matt Drudge, following his roles in multiple seasons of American Horror Story. He's also voiced the role of Timon in The Lion King remake, Mr. Ambrose in Bob's Burgers, Big Man in Green Eggs and Ham, and appeared in the Disney+ film Noelle and on Netflix's Friends From College. In 2022, Eichner made history by co-writing Bros, the first LGBTQ+ comedy for adults by a major Hollywood studio.

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    1 of 17 The Parks and Rec cast, then and now
    2 of 17 Amy Poehler (Leslie Knope)
    3 of 17 Nick Offerman (Ron Swanson)
    4 of 17 Aubrey Plaza (April Ludgate)
    5 of 17 Chris Pratt (Andy Dwyer)
    6 of 17 Aziz Ansari (Tom Haverford)
    7 of 17 Jim O'Heir (Jerry Gergich)
    8 of 17 Retta (Donna Meagle)
    9 of 17 Rashida Jones (Ann Perkins)
    10 of 17 Adam Scott (Ben Wyatt)
    11 of 17 Rob Lowe (Chris Traeger)
    12 of 17 Jay Jackson (Perd Hapley)
    13 of 17 Ben Schwartz (Jean-Ralphio)
    14 of 17 Natalie Morales (Lucy)
    15 of 17 Mo Collins (Joan Callamezzo)
    16 of 17 Jon Glaser (Councilman Jamm)
    17 of 17 Billy Eichner (Craig Middlebrooks)

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