The Best Roles The Parks & Rec Cast Had Outside Of The Show (According To IMDb)

One of the things that made Parks and Recreation such a smashing success during its tenure was its incredible cast. Indeed, a lot of the actors have been part of some fantastic films and TV shows during their careers. Some came after they got their big break on the hilarious sitcom. Others were already established stars.

Over on IMDb, Parks and Recreation holds an impressive 8.6 rating. For the vast majority of the cast, this was their highest-rated project. However, once you’re done binging the series on Netflix or Peacock, you may want to see these talents elsewhere. Using IMDb ratings, these are the things most worth watching.

10 Jim O’Heir – Bad Times At The El Royale (7.1)

Jim O’Heir starred as the dim-witted butt of everyone’s jokes on Parks and Recreation, Jerry Gergich. Since everyone got his name wrong so often, he was also called Terry, Larry, Garry, and even went by the last name of Gengurch. However, his home life was much better than the one at work.

O’Heir is a character actor who you’ve probably seen all over the place in small parts. That was the case with his career-best point according to IMDb, which came in 2018’s Bad Times at the El Royale. He played Milton Wyrick, the MC in Reno in a tiny bit of the film.

9 Retta – Good Girls (7.9)

When you go by one name, you tend to stick out in the minds of others. Retta stands out for a handful of reasons, though, including for her fierce portrayal of Donna Meagle. She started as a background character but then moved into the main cast and became a scene-stealer.

In 2018, Retta nabbed a huge starring role as Ruby Hill, one of the three leads on Good Girls. The series follows three female friends (Christina Hendricks and Mae Whitman round things out) desperate for money to the point where they commit a robbery. They end up in way over their heads in the criminal world.

8 Amy Poehler – Inside Out (8.1)

Not many comedians on the planet have a resume that could match Amy Poehler. She has shined on Saturday Night Live and has done great work as a writer. However, her true highlight was playing Leslie Knope and leading the Parks and Recreation cast.

Poehler had plenty of options to choose from but it’s her animated work that tops her career. She voiced Joy, the lead character in Pixar’s 2015 hit Inside Out. Listen to her voice once and you can tell she was perfectly cast. The movie, centered on the various emotions in a girl’s head, won the Best Animated Film Oscar.

7 Aziz Ansari – Master Of None (8.3)

It would seem like the role of Tom Haverford was specifically written for Aziz Ansari. The comedian’s style was tailor-made for the arrogant character with big dreams. That being said, the role that makes this list was indeed literally written for him and by him.

Premiering in 2015, Master of None was a Netflix series that was created by Aziz Ansari and he starred as the lead character, Dev. It lasted two seasons and dealt with a young man searching for his place in the world as an Indian-American living in New York City.

6 Aubrey Plaza – The Legend Of Korra (8.4)

Aubrey Plaza played one of the most memorable characters in Parks and Recreation, the always sarcastic April Ludgate. As the series progressed, she ultimately followed in the footsteps of her mentor, Leslie Knope. Plaza does the same here, with an animated role like Poehner.

Beginning in 2012, The Legend of Korra started airing. The popular Nickelodeon series was a sequel to Avatar: The Last Airbender (which holds a whopping 9.2 rating). For a dozen of the show’s 52 episodes, Plaza voiced Eska, one half of a pair of twins.

5 Chris Pratt – Avengers: Infinity War (8.4)

Nobody could’ve expected Chris Pratt would become the star that he did when they first saw him on Parks and Recreation. He was great as the dim-witted but lovable Andy Dwyer. Pratt managed to turn that into a blockbuster career, starting with his turn as Peter Quill in Guardians of the Galaxy.

That led him to 2018’s Avengers: Infinity War. It was the first time that his character got to share the screen with so many iconic heroes like Iron Man and Spider-Man. The film puts all these heroes together to take on their biggest threat, yet it still might not be enough. Of note, his appearance in Avengers: Endgame, the sequel, also scored an 8.4.

4 Adam Scott – Big Little Lies (8.5)

Adam Scott was a later addition to the show than most, not showing up until season two was wrapping up and becoming a main cast member in season three. Scott portrayed Ben Wyatt, who went on to stick around until the show ended and married Leslie Knope.

Scott has a diverse filmography including comedies and dramas. The latter is where HBO’s 2017’s Big Little Lies fits in. The show, which centered around a group of women holding a murderous secret, was heavily praised in season one but the follow-up wasn’t beloved. Scott played Ed Mackenzie, husband of Reese Witherspoon’s character.

3 Rob Lowe – The West Wing (8.8)

Along with Adam Scott, Rob Lowe joined the show near the end of the second season. He was the confident and upbeat Chris Traeger, who was basically a superhuman in terms of his incredible level of health. Lowe is a veteran actor who has been around for decades.

Even with such a vast field to choose from, his tenure on The West Wing was still a definitive winner. The political hit drama deal with White House staffers, ran from 1999 until 2006 and spanned 155 episodes. Lowe appeared in 85 of them as Sam Seaborn.

2 Nick Offerman – Fargo (8.9)

Two actors have projects tied with an 8.9 rating at the top. That being said, Nick Offerman’s turn on Fargo in 2014 has a few thousand fewer ratings so it ranks below. In the crime comedy anthology series, Offerman played Karl Weathers for five episodes.

Meanwhile, Nick Offerman is certainly most famous for his iconic role as Ron Swanson on Parks and Recreation. Even years after the show ended, Swanson remains a pop culture staple through various memes.

1 Rashida Jones – The Office (8.9)

Almost everything Rashida Jones has done has been a success. Whether it’s a guest role on a show, helping to write Toy Story 4, or anything in between, Jones is great. She starred as Ann Perkins, nurse and best friend to Leslie, for 106 episodes of Parks and Recreation.

The first place where a lot of fans saw Rashida Jones also happens to be the best. She first appeared in season three of The Office as Karen Filippelli, a new love interest for Jim Halpert. Originally, fans didn’t like her because she was a foil for the Jim/Pam romance. Over time, people have grown to love her, though.

About The Author