When it comes to the most rewatchable TV shows ever, Parks and Recreation has definitely earned a place in that distinction, even as the NBC comedy turned 15 years old earlier this year. And now as fans go back to Pawnee, Indiana to laugh out loud about all the funny bits from the series, they can understand the series from the perspective of the office’s biggest target of mockery, Jerry Gergich… er, Gerry.. or Larry, I mean, and how the rest of the cast really treated the actor behind the character, Jim O’Heir, in real life.
O’Heir has written his own memoir about being part of the Parks And Recreation family called Welcome To Pawnee: Stories of Friendship, Waffles, and Parks and Recreation, and CinemaBlend had the chance to chat with him about the making of it. During our interview, O’Heir told me his book is his “love letter to the show,” but most definitely not a “tell-all” to give Jerry a chance at redemption for all those office jokes. As O’Heir shared:
You get to hear me tell my stories, you get to hear me say as much as the characters were nasty to Jerry here and there, the love when the cameras weren't rolling, it was all great. I always say particular Chris Pratt, but Amy [Poehler], I think I'm eight or nine years older than Amy, but Amy was absolutely the mother on that set. She was our fearless leader. And, she checked in with all of us, ‘How are we doing? Any issues?’ So with all the Jerry stuff, she would check in like ‘Are you okay with this? I'd go like, ‘Oh my God, I am so okay with this. This is my kind of humor.’
If you’ve ever come away from watching Parks and Recreation thinking the cast was perhaps too hard on Jim O’Heir and his character’s misadventures, that could not be further from the actor’s experience. During our conversation, O’Heir said he doesn’t have “good dirt” on the cast of the beloved series because “it didn’t happen.” In fact, O’Heir cannot gush enough about his experience on the show and how special it is. (No wonder there was a Parks and Recreation reunion at the Agatha All Along premiere!) He even recalled his castmates checking in on him when Jerry Gergich had some especially dark jokes. In his words:
And there was one day I remember Pratt said to me, ‘Jimmy, this one seems really rough. Are you okay with this?’ And it might've been the one, I think when they're mocking me after the burrito incident when I fall into the creek. I said that I mugged and all that kind of stuff. And I said, ‘Dude, a couple of things. Number one, it's just funny. Funny is funny. Two, thank you my friend, for being concerned. And three, we're all making a good paycheck. I think it's all good.’ And so I guess basically I just want the world to know Jerry's fine. Jerry did really well.
As you may recall, in the Season 2 episode “Park Safety”, Jerry Gergich dislocates his shoulder one time when he is at a park to fill the establishment’s hummingbird feeders. It happened when he dropped his burrito in a creek, but he claims it was due to a mugging out of embarrassment. (The episode also had one of Parks And Recreation’s best guest stars with Andy Samberg on it). Here's a bit from the episode via the show's YouTube:
To O’Heir’s memory, during the filming of that episode, Chris Pratt approached O’Heir to make sure the actor was alright with the latest dig at the Parks and Rec employee. As the actor assured Pratt, who went on to star in tons of movies and TV shows after the comedy, and wants fans to know as well, he loves doing all the messy physical stuff that comes with being Jerry through and through. He even shared that there’s been instances where he’s begged the show (and others) to let him do the physical comedy bits himself instead of having a stunt person do it instead.
You can check out Jim O’Heir’s memoir, Welcome To Pawnee: Stories of Friendship, Waffles, and Parks and Recreation, now, and rewatch the series with a Peacock subscription.
