It’s about time to take a trip to Pawnee, Indiana, right? Parks and Recreation premiered on April 9, 2009, and Leslie Knope became an instant legend. Over the course of 7 seasons, Leslie and her crew made us laugh out loud, cry happy tears, and so much more.
Since the hit NBC comedy series ended in 2015, the Parks & Recreation cast has been incredibly busy. However, they did have a chance to reunite in 2020 to raise money for Feeding America and honor Li’l Sebastian. From new TV shows and movies to co-hosting the Golden Globes (again), the actors who played the beloved characters of Pawnee are kicking butt and taking names. Get the latest updates on what the cast is doing now.
Amy Poehler
Amy Poehler, 49, starred as the one and only Leslie Knope for all 7 seasons of Parks & Recreation. In 2014, Amy finally won a Golden Globe for her Parks & Recreation performance. Since the show ended in 2015, Amy has starred in films like Inside Out, Sisters, Wine Country, and Moxie. The latter two films she also directed and executive produced.
She’s also been the co-host of the TV series Making It with Parks & Rec co-host Nick Offerman. The third season will premiere in summer 2021. She is the voice of Duncan and Annie Harris on Duncanville. Amy recently returned to co-host the 2021 Golden Globes with Tina Fey.
Nick Offerman
Nick Offerman, 50, starred as the no-nonsense and beloved Ron Swanson. He went on to star in the second season of Fargo, Devs, The Great North, and co-host Making It with Amy. As for films, Nick has appeared in The Founder, Hearts Beat Loud, Bad Times At the El Royale, Lucy In The Sky, and more since Parks & Recreation ended.
Aubrey Plaza
Aubrey Plaza, 36, starred as the sarcastic and hilarious April Ludgate for all 7 seasons of Parks & Recreation. She has since starred in movies like Dirty Grandpa, Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates, Ingrid Goes West, Child’s Play, and recently Happiest Season and Black Bear. She also starred in the FX series Legion from 2017 to 2019. Her next films include the untiltled Guy Ritchie movie, The Ark and the Aardvark, and more.
Chris Pratt
Chris Pratt, 41, played the lovable goofball Andy Dwyer on Parks & Recreation. The same year that the show ended, Chris starred in Jurassic World and later returned to the role of Owen for its 2018 sequel. After starring in Guardians of the Galaxy in 2014, he reprised the role of Peter Quill/Star-Lord in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Avengers: Infinity War, and Avengers: Endgame. He is set to bring Peter back once again for Thor: Love & Thunder and the third Guardians movie. He also voiced Barley in Onward and starred alongside Jennifer Lawrence in Passengers.
In addition to his upcoming Marvel films, Chris will also reprise the role of Owen in the 2022 film Jurassic World: Dominion. He is currently filming the TV series The Terminal List.
Chris and wife Anna Faris split in 2017. He married Katherine Schwarzenegger in 2019. Their daughter, Lyla, was born in 2020.
Aziz Ansari
Aziz Ansari, 38, played the hilarious and very entrepreneurial Tom Haverford on Parks & Recreation. Following the coemdy series, Aziz created and starred in the Netflix series Master of None. He won two Emmys and a Golden Globe for the show. After a brief break from Hollywood following a sexual misconduct allegation, Aziz returned with the 2019 standup special Aziz Ansari: Right Now. He also appeared in the 2020 TV special Mark Twain Prize: Dave Chappelle.
Rashida Jones
Rashida Jones, 45, starred as Leslie’s lovely best friend Ann Perkins. She was a series regular for the first 6 seasons and a guest star in the seventh and final season. Since the end of the show, Rashida has been very busy. She co-wrote the story of Toy Story 4 and directed the first episode of Hot Girls Wanted. She also co-directed the Netflix documentary Quincy about her father, Quincy Jones. The film won the Grammy for Best Music Film in 2019.
As far as acting goes, she starred in the TBS series Angie Tribeca and currently stars and executive produces the Netflix series #blackAF, which will return for season 2. She recently starred in the dramedy On The Rocks with Bill Murray. She welcomed a son with boyfriend Ezra Koenig in 2018.
Adam Scott
Adam Scott, 48, starred as Leslie’s Game of Thrones-loving beau Ben Wyatt starting in season 2. Following the end of the show, Adam went on to appear in films like Hot Tub Time Machine 2, Black Mass, Krampus, Little Evil, and more. He also played Ed Mackenzie in the HBO series Big Little Lies. Adam is currently the host of the ABC game show Don’t. He will star in the upcoming TV series Severance.
Rob Lowe
Rob Lowe, 57, *literally* began playing state auditor Chris Traeger in season 2 of Parks & Recreation. He was a series regular up until season 6. He returned for the final season as a guest star. After Parks & Rec, Rob starred in the short-lived but beloved series The Grinder. He was on Code Black fom 2016 to 2018.
He hosted the 2019 game show Mental Samurai. He currently stars on the FOX series 9-1-1: Lone Star. He also hosts the podcast Literally! With Rob Lowe.
Retta
Retta, 50, starred as the confident office manager of the Pawnee Parks and Recreation Department. Donna was a recurring character in the first 2 seasons but was promoted to a series regular in season 3. After Parks & Rec, Retta played Barbara on Girlfriends’ Guide to Divorce. She’s also appeared in several films. She currently stars as Ruby Hill on Good Girls, which is currently in the middle of its fourth season.
Jim O’Heir
Jim O’Heir, 59, played the legendary Jerry Gergich (but also Garry, Larry, Terry, and Barry). Since the show came to an end in 2015. Jim has appeared in several TV shows, including Bless This Mess, The Bold & The Beautiful, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and more. He’s also had roles in films like Bad Times At The El Royale, Logan Lucky, and more.