Credit: Parks and Recreation
The seven-season NBC sitcom Parks and Recreation is known for its cast of notable actors, including Amy Poehler, Adam Scott, Aubrey Plaza, Aziz Ansari, Chris Pratt, Nick Offerman, Rashida Jones, Retta, and Jim O’Heir. It received numerous nominations and accolades, including 14 Primetime Emmy Award nominations (two for Outstanding Comedy Series), a Golden Globe Award win for Amy Poehler’s performance, and a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy. All this contributed to its massive popularity, which gave the producers an opportunity to cast some big-name cameos. Without further ado, here is a list of the famous cameos that appeared in the show.
1. Joe Biden – Season 5 Episode 7: “Leslie vs. April”
The current U.S. president, who was still the vice president at the time, makes an appearance on Parks and Recreation. Leslie is awestruck by him because she has always viewed him as a hero. When Ben (Adam Scott), her fiancé, introduces her to him as a gift for their engagement, Ben has to yank her away before she makes a fool of herself by overly complimenting him and repeatedly remarking that he is handsome.
2. Michelle Obama – Season 6 Episode 21: “Moving Up”
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Yes, the former American First Lady also made an appearance on the show, but she was still in office at the time. She is presented to Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) in an effort to convince her to work for the National Parks Service in Chicago. The First Lady makes the most of the opportunity to express her genuine affection for national parks and her Chicago roots. It’s a funny and awkward scene to see Leslie’s awe as she struggles to speak to Michelle Obama.
3. John Cena – Season 7 Episode 10: “The Johnny Karate Super Awesome Musical Explosion Show”
Famously known for his career as a professional wrestler in WWE, John Cena is also an actor and rapper. He makes a guest appearance as a martial arts superstar on Andy’s (Chris Pratt) kid’s program and gets drenched by Andy’s wife, April (Aubrey Plaza), which makes for an entertaining episode.
4. Andy Samberg – Season 2 Episode 19: “Park Safety”
Popular actor Andy Samberg has been in a number of productions, most notably Saturday Night Live and Brooklyn Nine-Nine as the lead character. He is also well-known for his work as a musician for The Lonely Island, a well-known musical comedy group. In Parks and Recreation, he portrays Carl, the overbearing and obnoxious head park ranger who gets a chance to work with the parks and recreation department to enhance park security.
5. Dax Shepard – Season 7 Episode 5: “Gryzzlbox”
Dax Shepard, an American actor, comedian, and director, portrays Hank Muntak, the channel’s station manager and host of Andy’s TV program. Tom (Aziz Ansari) tries to bargain with him about raising Andy’s pay and acquiring the show’s rights. Dax is depicted as a haughty man who likes to brag and exaggerate his accomplishments, such as riding in the original Batmobile and James Woods following his niece on Twitter.
6. Jonathan Banks – Season 5 Episode 6: “Ben’s Parents”
Jonathan Banks is famously known for his role as Mike Ehrmentraut in the acclaimed series, Breaking Bad, and its spinoff, Better Call Saul. At Ben and Leslie’s engagement celebration, he makes an appearance as Ben’s father, introducing a young girl who he claims is his girlfriend and is pregnant while having an argument with Ben’s mother, with whom he is divorced. This episode turns out to be one of the most hilarious in the series.
7. Heidi Klum – Season 6 Episode 2: “London”
Heidi Klum is famous for her illustrious modeling career as the first German model to debut as a Victoria’s Secret Angel. In Parks and Recreation, she plays a Danish politician, Ulee Danssen. In this episode, Ulee meets Leslie in London, where she has flown to accept a global award. Leslie claims that the Pawnee people detest her and are trying to remove her from the workplace, while Ulee claims that her people love her and have made a statue of her out of goat cheese.
8. Bill Murray – Season 7 Episode 11: “Two Funerals”
Bill Murray is an accomplished actor and comedian who gained recognition for his deadpan delivery and acting on Saturday Night Live and in his subsequent film career. In Parks and Recreation, he plays Walter Gunderson, the recently deceased mayor, and at his memorial service, his body is placed in the city’s council chamber for a day, as per his wishes. This episode reveals some amusing and disturbing biographical details about his life, such as his open marriage. Additionally, he leaves a video message that is to be shown after his death in which he admits he did little to advance the town’s development and blames Pawnee residents for their lack of diligence. Although his character had been mentioned since the second season, it wasn’t until his funeral, after 39 years as mayor, that it was fully disclosed.
9. Jon Hamm – Season 6 Episode 22: “Moving Up”
American actor, director, and producer Jon Hamm is best known for his remarkable performance in the television series Mad Men, for which he won numerous accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award. He gets a brief role on Parks and Recreation as Ed, a nice but inept worker in Leslie Knope’s employ who gets fired and rehired several times until he is permanently fired for his failure to improve.
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