I am Jim O' Heir, veteran actor and "Jerry" on Parks & Recreation. Hit me with your best shot.

Shut up, Jerry.

Aw, geeze. I'm sorry guys.

The way that Jerry seems to "accept" his role as the butt-monkey of the Parks office might be my favorite aspect of his character as you portray him. He's almost got the look of somebody who feels he's done something to earn so much vitriol.

I particularly like what showrunner Michael Schur said about Jerry in an interview with AV Club, justifying why he lets himself be the punching bag:

And so we gave him this tag where he says, “You know what, I’m two years away from my retirement. I just want to get to my retirement. I have a beautiful little house by a lake, I have a wife and two beautiful daughters who I love, and I’m going to retire there, and I’m going to smoke a bunch of cigars and read a bunch of mystery novels, and it’s going to be great.” [...] So we just gave that to Jerry with the idea that he understands his role, he understands that this is what happens to him, and he’s kind of okay with it. He’s ironically the only married person in the office. He’s the only person who has a wife and daughters, and he has these outside interests. He’s a classical pianist, and he paints these beautiful landscapes. He just kind of gets that this is his role in the office, and he’s okay with it. As soon as he said he was okay with it, I felt like we could keep doing it for comedy’s sake.

Perfectly sums it up.

Jerry is perhaps my favorite character just cause I have been that guy at work.

Shut up, MSien.

OK. That's just mean. And Funny!

Tom and Jerry (Yes I said it) have the greatest interactions on that show!

I love April and Jerry.

"These are amazing!" "They're more than amazing, they're terrific!" "Terrific's not more than amazing, Jerry."

Edit: Realized I totally butchered the quote but glad you guys got it anyway

I love that one too.

Hey, why you got such a big ol' cube butt, Jerry?

CUBE BUTT CUBE BUTT

I always wondered: How does it feel to be an actor that gets physical jokes made about you in the show? It's not like playing a "dumb" character where you know that's not really your mind. Does it make you self-conscious?

You know, we are who we are. I'm a big guy and always have been. It leads to some obvious comic situations that I would find funny whether it were me or someone else playing the part. As far as being self-conscious...I guess I'd have to say at times yes. We all have certain insecurities to deal with but the folks at P&R always have my best interest at heart.

If you decided to start training for an Ironman triathlon tomorrow, would your agent be outraged? Would it mess up your career if you got ridiculously fit?

That's a really great question. To be perfectly honest...I think my agents would HATE it. I've worked steady as a big guy and they do get 10% of everything so I can't imagine they would want to mess around with what's been working.

As far as messing up my career. So hard to say. I have seen it happen where someone has done a major body change and couldn't find work. A great example is the guy who played Newman on Seinfeld. He lost a ton of weight and had trouble getting work. He's put the weight back on and is now a series regular on a TV Land show.

Apparently people are saying that Jonah Hill is no longer as funny because he's been losing a lot of weight. He came on the MTV VMA's the other night and joked about it. (I apologize for watching the VMA's in advance).

Also, your character on P&R has me in stitches all the time! Thanks for posting an AMA, and way to be awesome, Jim!

I played Jonah's father in "Accepted". When he showed up to the premiere he had lost a lot of weight. Next time I saw him he had put it back on and now I see it's off again. Constant struggle is my guess.

I'm sure they could write it in. I can just imagine Jerry winning, say, over Rob Lowe's character and everyone congratulating Rob Lowe's character instead.

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LITERALLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That's a very funny concept. I might pass that along.

I've always wondered this, not with you personally but still.

How do people go about pitching these jokes? (Jokes based around your physical appearance, I mean)

Do they just slap it in the script or do they come up to you beforehand and ask if it would be okay with you? If the latter, do they go about it delicately or is it just so normal by now that the conversation is casual and light?

Have you ever refused an idea because you were offended and didn't want to be humiliated that way?

Thanks, I think I watched an episode of your show the other night. I'm not sure but it involved twlight and a time capsule, seemed to be a decent show. Maybe I should watch it more.

You should definitely watch it more. I promise we won't disappoint.

As far as the physical appearance jokes go...if I ever had a problem with a certain line or even story line they would make whatever changes were necessary. Everyone is very aware of how the characters are treated and would never want to cross the line. Amy actually came up to me after the table read where I split my pants and farted. She wanted to make sure I was comfortable with that. Of course the answer was yes but how great that she was concerned about my feelings. That's pretty much how the whole show runs.

How similar are Ron Swanson and Nick Offerman? For that matter, who's most similar to their character, and who's the most different?

I LOVE Parks and Rec; it's my absolute favorite show on TV right now and I can't wait for it to come back. I live in Indiana and it's awesome to have a show based here (even with the occasional inaccuracies).

Thanks for the nice words about the show. Sorry for the inaccuracies. We do try our best but I know what you mean.

Nick and Ron are similar in that they're both really manly men. We joke that Nick can grow the Ron mustache in an afternoon. Nick is also an artist with woodworking. So is Ron.

I think every actor brings a bit of themselves to every role so I can't say that any of us are super close to our characters but there's some similarities.

I saw Nick Offerman on Carson Daly. They met in his personal 'woodshop' thing, where he was making a canoe.

Saw him on Martha Stewart (Sorry) doing the same thing. I cannot differentiate the man from the charactor. He will forever be Ron Swanson. R.I.P. Lil' Sebastian!

We are all forever changed by knowing Li'l Sebastian.

Nick and Ron and very different but very much alike. One of my favorite times on set is hanging around with Nick and just shooting the shit.

Right... Like Ron would just shoot the shit with Jerry.

They do go on hunting trips together.

Good point.

Daaaammmnnn Jerry, you fell in a creek for a burrito? What would you do for a klondyke bar, kill your wife?

I can't even begin to tell you what I'd do for a Klondyke bar. Killing my wife is just one of many. lol

Is Rashida Jones as gorgeous in person? Does the song "Dream Weaver" play every time she enters a room in slow-motion and does a hair flip?

Edit: If you answer this I might forgive you for killing DJ Roomba.

Wow. I can't believe how you nailed it right on the head. Every time Rashida walks by the music plays and as she slowly turns toward me her hair flows in the wind...even on days when there is no wind. It's amazing. lol Rashida looks great even at 5:30 am when she walks in with no makeup. Just a natural beauty.

I love Rashida Jones like Gaddafi loves Leeza.

Hey-o, topical humor!

Apply directly to the forehead.

That's very funny. I'm gonna be stealing that line.

It was an accident!

(normal question) How much ad-libbing versus sticking to the script is there on the show?

(creepy question) Can you tell Aubrey Plaza that I have a serious crush on her?

We definitely do some add libbing but I have to tell you that the writing is so strong on the show that we usually stick to the script. Also, we do what we call a "fun run" after we finish every scene and that's where we get to try whatever we want. Can't begin to tell you how much fun that is.

As far as Aubrey goes I will let her know. lol

It seems like the "fun run" shots are used mainly when Amy Poehler is listing things to another character in the show and they end up using the funniest ones. Is this what is occurring?

For example; When she is explaining to the DNR officer how she "accidently shot" Ron Swanson.

I got that tunnel vision that girls get.

I let my emotions get the best of me.

I cared too much, I guess.

I was thinking with my lady parts.

I was walking and it felt icky.

I thought there was gonna be chocolate.

I don't even remember!

I'm wearing a new bra, and it closes in the front, so it popped open and it threw me off.

All I wanna do is have babies!

I'm just going through a thing right now.

I guess when my life is incomplete, I wanna just shoot someone.

This would not happen if I had a penis!

Bitches be crazy.

I'm good at tolerating pain; I'm bad at math, and... I'm stupid.

Without a doubt that is one of the funniest moments from the show. The writers had a bunch written down but our director (and co creator) Greg Daniels and Amy just started riffing on different ideas. Amazing.

Bitches Be Crazy gets me every time.

"Bitches be crazy"

Aint dat da trute?

My girlfriend has a 3 year old sister, her first swear was "Dammit Jerry!" Just thought you should know, you're changing lives.

Changing lives one child at a time. Very heroic if you ask me. lol Thanks for letting me know.

What was it like being on Star Trek: Voyager?

Out of this world experience.

how often do you get a "case of the giggles" on the set? how many days does it usually take to make one episode? what is the average airspeed velocity of a swallow?

The "giggles" are a daily occurrence. We just keep going at it until we get it right. We shoot one episode in five days and on the rare occasion we have to make up a scene that we couldn't get to.

Now as far as the velocity of a swallow goes...here are my thought:

In order to maintain airspeed velocity, a swallow needs to beat its wings forty-three times every second, right? Actually, wrong. By comparing the European Swallow with bird species of similar body mass, we can estimate that the swallow beats its wings 18 times a second with an amplitude of 18 cm:

Species Body mass Frequency Amplitude Zebra Finch 13 g 27 Hz 11 cm European Swallow 20 g ≈ 18 Hz? ≈ 18 cm? Downy Woodpecker 27 g 14 Hz 29 cm Budgerigar 34 g 14 Hz 15 cm Note that even the tiny Zebra Finch flaps its wings no more than 27 times a second while cruising.

If we ignore body mass and look only at bird species with a similar wingspan, we can estimate an average frequency of 14 beats per second and an amplitude of 23 cm:

Species Wingspan Frequency Amplitude Budgerigar 27 cm 14 Hz 15 cm European Swallow ≈ 28–30 cm ≈ 14 Hz? ≈ 23 cm? Downy Woodpecker 31 cm 14 Hz 29 cm European Starling 35 cm 14 Hz 26 cm By averaging all 6 values, we can estimate that an average European Swallow flies at cruising speed with a frequency of roughly 15 beats per second, and an amplitude of roughly 22 cm.

Skip a bit, Brother Last month’s article on The Strouhal Number in Cruising Flight showed how simplified flight waveforms that graph amplitude versus wavelength can be useful for visualizing the Strouhal ratio (fA/U), a dimensionless parameter that tends to fall in the range of 0.2–0.4 during efficient cruising flight.

For a European Swallow flying with our estimated wingbeat amplitude of 24 cm, the predicted pattern of cruising flight ranges from a Strouhal number (St) of 0.2:

... to a less efficient 0.4:

If the first diagram (St = 0.2) is accurate, then the cruising speed of the European Swallow would be roughly 16 meters per second (15 beats per second * 1.1 meters per beat). If the second diagram (St = 0.4) is accurate, then the cruising speed of the European Swallow would be closer to 8 meters per second (15 beats per second * 0.55 meters per beat).

If we settle on an intermediate Strouhal value of 0.3:

We can estimate the airspeed of the European Swallow to be roughly 11 meters per second (15 beats per second * 0.73 meters per beat).

Is Amy Poehler really that funny?

Yes. Amy really is that funny. But, more importantly, Amy is one of the kindest people you could ever meet. She's the heart of the show and has a BRILLIANT comic mind.

Does she have a lot to do with the writing as well?

Amy has written two of our best episodes...The Telethon and The Fight. The girl can do it all.

Parks & Rec is awesome! Do you feel bad that your character is basically the punching bag for everyone else in the show?

Yes. Jerry's definitely the punching bag. In my days of working a real job in an office there always seemed to be someone who took the brunt of the jokes. As far as feeling bad...I LOVE IT! I've always been a big fan of the underdog characters on TV shows.

Your brave work has not been done in vain, good sir. "DANG IT, JERRY" is now a common phrase in our household.

Love It! Thanks.

Did you know, getting into the job, that you'd be playing the punching bag? It seems like the role has evolved farther and farther in that direction as the seasons go on. I think you do a great job BTW; the perfect balance between hurt and dignity to make it believable without making the viewer feel too guilty for watching (and laughing).

They didn't know what was going to happen with Jerry. When the show first started they put me at a desk and waited to see what would happen. Greg Daniels (who also created the American version of The Office) likes to work that way. Eventually you get to see who that person is. In my case when it was revealed that I was adopted and didn't know it that they knew who Jerry was.

I love Parks & Rec! What's it like working with everyone? Is Aziz hilarious off camera?

What a coincidence...I love Parks and Rec too!! lol Working with everyone is really a gift. I've done many different shows over the years and have never seen such a great sense of harmony among a cast and crew. We laugh all day long.

Aziz is hilarious off camera. What he brings to Tom Haverford is amazing.

Would you say that it's "not fair" that you get paid for doing a job that's so much fun?

Don't worry, Reddit comments can't be used to nullify existing contracts.

You have to believe me when I tell you that that has crossed my mind. I just tell myself that I've worked a lot of nasty jobs over the years and this is my payback. I even worked at a golf range for a year where golfers were aiming for me while I was out picking up the golf balls.

How is being a continuing actor on a show different from just having a small role on individual episodes? Do you enjoy working with the same people for a season? Do you like playing multiple characters at a time? or would rather play one character for multiple episodes?

P.S. Love Parks and Rec! Jerry Always makes me laugh!

Great question. First off...being a series regular is FUCKING AWESOME! The job of an actor is to always be looking for the next job. As a regular you can just breathe a little and not worry about the next audition.

I love working with the same people. You have to realize that it's not just the cast we're with all day. There's about a hundred and fifty other people involved who make the show what it is. To get to see them all every day and laugh and joke around is just amazing.

I do like playing different characters which is why acting can be so much fun. But, to play one character for multiple seasons is also fun because you can watch the growth over the years. We're also lucky because we have a long hiatus (from April - July) where we can do other projects and play different characters.

Can you ever look at Nick Offerman and take him seriously off set?

Nick would really surprise you. He's so damned intelligent that it's a little intimidating. I'm always looking for a dictionary after we've hung out. He's also a great story teller and as manly as Ron Swanson.

Is he kind of the papa bear of the set? I get that vibe.

Nick is by nature a very strong male influence. So I think you might be on to something.

How did you hear about Reddit?

My publicist...Metro PR

Are you and Donna best friends off set? The 'Know Ya Boo' episode is one of my favorites.

Me and Retta are set husband and wife. We hang and bullshit all day long. She's really really funny.

You've worked on some of the biggest TV shows of all time and with some of my favorite actors of all time; Which show has been the most rewarding and which actor/actress has been the most fun to work with?

I've been really lucky. I've been able to work on some of my all time favorite shows. I can tell you that when I did "Friends", it was the last season of the series and I wasn't sure what I was in for. I had worked with Matt LeBlanc on a TERRIBLE movie with a monkey so I knew him going in. What I found was a group of people who truly loved each other. Courtney Cox is so kind and caring. It made me want to have that experience some day. And I'm here to tell you that that's what we have on P&R.

OK, so here's a few of my favorites (not including the cast of P&R because of course they're at the top of my list): Jenna Elfman, Courtney Cox, Megan Mullalley, Julie Brown, Matt LeBlanc, Dick Van Dyke (kindest man every), Steve Carell, Drew Carey, Jonah Hill, Wendy Malick and Justin Long. Believe me when I tell you I could go on and on. I've been really lucky is working with some wonderful people.

That makes me pretty excited to start watching P&R. For some reason I never got around to checking it out but I've sen you in plenty of other work.

For me, the cast being so close can really make a show. It shows ten fold in the final product. It's half the reason why I love Firefly so much. Those guys are STILL friends after so many years of being away from that medium. When the people are passionate about the product they are apart of, it makes me passionate about the work as well. When you pour your heart and soul into something it deserves, at the bare minimum, the respect of the people in enjoying it.

It's pretty awesome that you seem this into the life you have lived and really consider yourself lucky. Hats off to you, and I wish you all the best in everything you do.

OH, and if it gets you more air time, tell them you totally got a new viewer for the show.

Wow. Thanks for the great comments. Please check us out...I think you'll quickly fall in love with Pawnee and the crazies who live there.

I just wanted to say thank you for giving us the moment when you bent over, farted, and no one was supposed to laugh or make fun of you.

Whenever my girlfriend or I are having a bad day, this scene will always make us smile.

It was something I'd been doing for years in my every day life. So glad it could bring a smile to your face. lol

What's the funniest thing you've seen happen on set - prank or outtake?

Also, I would LOVE to see a Jerry-centric episode, if they haven't done one already!

We did a Jerry-centric episode in Season 2. It's where I was supposedly mugged and fell in a creek. Such a great episode to shoot.

As far as a prank or outtake...I would say one of the funniest was watching Retta (Donna) have to sit nose to nose with Ben Schwartz (Jean Ralphio) in a scene where he's trying to convince her to buy shares in a nightclub. Watching Retta try to keep it together is making me laugh right now just thinking about it. We have lots of stuff that never make the air...mostly because it's filthy. lol

Jean Ralphio's pitch to Donna ("Bounce, bouncebouncebounce") is in my top five favorite scenes from the show. You guys rock.

Thanks. It's in my top also.

Jim, the second I saw your name I screamed out loud. I believe Parks and Recreation has consistently been one of the funniest shows on television since it came out, filled with easily some of my favorite characters of all time.

My favorite moment of yours is (sadly) from a deleted scene of season 2. It was the Halloween PSA where your character was playing a creepy person handing out dangerous candy. Your fake over-acting was honestly one of my biggest laughs of the deleted scenes, possibly of the whole season. "Don't be a ham, Jerry." It also helped that Aubrey and Aziz (and Amy, of course) were firing on all cylinders for that scene.

I hope you guys sell a billion DVDs next week because you deserve it. The deleted scenes alone are worth the purchase. It's truly a shame you guys only get to be funny for 20 minutes every week because there's clearly at least that much material for each episode that gets left on the cutting room floor.

I honestly can't think of a question to ask, but that's probably for the better as you seem to be getting flooded with them. All I'll say is I hope this comment made it in front of your eyes and to keep up the amazing work, all of you. Can't wait for the new season.

The comment made it in front of my eyes and has humbled me. I don't know that I deserve all the praise but I certainly want to thank you for putting it out there. I loved doing the Halloween PSA. Silly fun.

How hard is it to keep a straight face when shooting some of those scenes?

Keeping a straight face is a constant battle. We shot something at the beginning of this week where Chris Pratt (Andy) had all of us pissing our pants. We also had Access Hollywood on set that day and the camera guy couldn't stop laughing. He actually ruined some of the takes.

We also had Access Hollywood on set that day and the camera guy couldn't stop laughing. He actually ruined some of the takes.

Do people in the studio really keep laughing at the same joke after 6 or 7 takes? It seems like at some point the funniness would wear off, unless the actor brought something different to it each time.

We don't shoot with a live audience so we don't have laughter during the scenes. We shoot single camera not multiple. Multiple is when there's about three hundred people watching and laughing as the scenes are played out. I think you're right....how many times can you laugh at the same take?

Hey Jim - love the show, love your act. Jerry is a terrific character, and you pull it off REALLY well.

• How much of the "funny" comes from your writers, and how much of it is the cast? I never thought much of Amy Pohler until P&R, and suddenly, she's a riot. Aziz Ansari, on the other hand, could probably make me laugh while reading Pride & Prejudice. The Office, on the other hand, was incredible up until a few seasons ago, and suddenly it's just awful. Did their great writers pack up and move over to you guys?

• How competitive - if at all - are you guys with the other comedies on your network?

Keep up the great work, man!

To be perfectly honest...other than the portrayal of our characters...almost all the funny comes from the writers. Every week we sit down and do a table read of the next weeks episode. I am constantly blown away by the strength and quality of the scripts. I think the writers have really found the voice of Pawnee and our individual characters. As much as we're allowed to improve here and there it is ultimately the written word that makes it in the show because that's whats funniest. We did get some of the folks from "The Office". Both of our co-creators, Greg Daniels and Mike Schur, came from "The Office". For me, I still love "The Office". I've always thought it is one of the smartest comedies on the air.

I've been an Amy fan from way back. I knew her a little in Chicago but was blown away by her work on SNL. I had never heard of Aziz (I'm out of his demographic lol) but knew from the first time I met him that he was a powerhouse. It's so cool to watch his career taking off.

As far as being competitive with other shows there's not really much you can do to each other. We just try to put out the best show we can and hope it resonates with the masses. Ultimately all of the shows are full of writers, actors, producers and crew who just want to make great shows and keep their jobs.

Hey Jim, love you in Parks in Rec! What episode is your favorite, and also, can you think of any funny behind the scenes type moments in the making of a particular parks and rec episode? Thanks man!

I think one of my favorite episodes was in Season 2...The Hunting Trip. It was the first time where all of us (except Andy and April who stayed back and had their romance develop) were put together in a crazy situation out of the office. I think it's one of the first times you got to see how these people really dealt with each other. I also love "The Harvest Festival" and "Li'l Sebastion". To be honest, there's not an episode that I haven't thought had some amazing comic moments. Even in the first six which were not given as much love as the rest.

Do you have any remorse for killing DJ roomba?

IT WAS AN ACCIDENT!!!!!!

• Is Amy Poehler as awesome and hilarious in real life as she is on the show? How about Adam Scott? He seems like a total bro. • Will we ever see your wife or daughter on the show? • What is your favorite episode?

I think the word AWESOME is the perfect description for Amy. She's warm hearted and caring (and of course hysterical). Adam Scott is amazing. I always tell him that for me it seems like he's been with us from day one. He made such an easy transition into our world and is absolutely one of the nicest men you'll ever meet. He's got a great family and to top it off he's hysterical.

I'm not sure if I should be saying this...but yes...you'll be meeting some of Jerry's family soon.

I have to say, having Adam Scott go to Parks and Rec is the only solace I have for Party Down getting cancelled.

I know what you mean. Party Down was great.

1. Who flubs their lines the most?
2. Whatever happened to the awesome mural design idea of Jerry's? I.e. Who has the prop now? Or is it hanging somewhere on set?

We all do our share of flubbing lines. The toughest part is keeping it together when other people lose it.

We have all sorts of stuff hanging around the sound stage from the show. All of my painting and "murinals" are on a all wall for all to see.

In the episode with the cookoff between Chris and Ron, how great did it feel to get to hate on Kyle? That was one of my favorite moments on the show so far: when Jerry the punching bag finally gets to interact with someone lower than him on the City Hall totem pole

I also loved that moment. When we did the table read for that episode it got a huge laugh. It was jus so great to see Jerry give crap to somebody even lower on the himself.

What is your favorite moment (or if none stands out as a 'favorite', just one good moment) that has resulted from your work on the show?

Two weeks ago I was on the red carpet at Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood for the premiere of "30 Minutes Or Less" starring Aziz. I lived in Hollywood when I first moved to Los Angeles in 1994. I would watch red carpet events at Grauman's all the time always hoping that one day I would be a part of that. I actually got a little choked up walking the carpet that day.

What was it like working on Curb Your Enthusiasm? How detailed is the script/outline?

Curb was really interesting. Even the audition was totally different. Usually on an audition you're given material from the show and you learn it and make your "acting" choices. But with Curb, they just gave me a sentence that outlined a story they were going for. I walked into the room and there was Larry David and all the producers. VERY INTIMIDATING. I must have done OK because I got the job. The day of the shoot you again are told what they're going for and then just start improvising. When things start flowing they'll tell you to stick with this or that. Larry just sort of sits off to the side and does his own thing. Lots of crossword puzzles if I remember correctly. Jeff Garlin is one one of the sweetest men ever.

Fascinating! I've always wondered how that works. Thank you for the answer and for all your answers on the AMA. It's very cool of you to take the time to do this.

It's my pleasure. Fans of the show are so loyal. Anything for them.

What do you feel about Jerry as a person?

What are the ways he's different from you?

How is he similar?

I think Jerry's a really nice guy. I like to think people see me that way too. I feel he's dedicated to his family and will do whatever it takes to make them happy. Again, I trait I would hope to have.

Did they really tie you to the top of Donna's Mercedes?

Absolutely. I love when they let us do little stunts like that.

OH pretty pretty pretty please tell Aziz I'm the one that threw him in the air at the LCD show and am the reason he broke his ankles. I am very sorry :(

Um...OK.

1. Can you get me any Snake Juice?

2. Do you know if there will be a possibility of Ben Schwartz joining the cast?

3. PLEASE tell me that you kept the shirt that Jerry wore to April and Andy's wedding.

Snake Juice is a secret concoction known only to Tom Haverford.

Unfortunately, but fortunately for him, Ben Schwartz is a regular on a new Showtime series with Don Cheadle. I would love to have been around every day. He's a genius.

The shirt is hanging proudly in the Jerry section of the wardrobe trailer.

How often do you use your experiences growing up in the Midwest on Parks and Rec in portraying a person from Pawnee, IN?

I've always been told that I can't get rid of my Chicago accent. Of course I don't hear it but I'm sure it helps add to the feel of the beautiful city of Pawnee.

From one Chicagoan to another, keep the accent

I agree!

You did a lot of one-off appearances on TV shows. Did you have any tricks to try and get invited back? For instance, leaving your keys in the dressing room to have an excuse to come back the next day.

No...but that's a great idea. Unfortunately, once you've shot your stuff you're done. It doesn't hurt to get to know some of the cast and crew. If people like you there's a chance they'll try to bring the character back.

Was Jerry originally going to be a continuing character? When was that decision made? How has your attitude towards your character been/changed since starting on P&R?

It's hard to say if Jerry was going to be a regular. I was first hired as a recurring "guest" because nobody knew what was going to happen. They had hired six series regulars and had to cater to those characters at the beginning so the audience could become familiar with them. Characters like Jerry and Donna were put at desks just to see how it would play out. I remember I was at an airport in Florida and my manager called telling me that they wanted to start negotiating to have me become a regular on the show. I was SOOOOO happy with that news. I also loved with they announced it at one of our table reads. Everybody started clapping and the support was incredible.

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Thanks for watching.

This comment is going to get buried, but I want to say this anyway -- I watched a slew of NBC shows during one of my major depressive episodes. I watched the entire Park & Rec series (up to the current season, obviously) within a matter of days. Thank you so much for being part of a show that truly kept me from being swallowed by depression. You are a crazy wonderful actor, and Jerry is the bee's knees.

No fun questions or anything, sorry! Wanted you to know how grateful I am for the show and that I really appreciate the hard work you all do!

Wow. I can't begin to tell you how much that means to me and the show. I've known people who have dealt with depression and it's a beast. If we had anything to do with your recovery than I couldn't be prouder. Remember to find the sun and get out every day. It will help.

Are there a lot of pranks that go on around the set? I always imagine with a bunch of comedians working together it can get pretty crazy. And by crazy, I mean hilarious.

PS - huge fan of the show - can't wait for the new season!

So glad you like the show. I don't think you'll be disappointed in the new season. We just finished our fifth episode and I think they're great. Wait till you see the latest Tammy episode. BRILLIANT!

I wouldn't say there's lots of pranks on the set but we make each other laugh all the time. There's always laugher on our set which is a huge gift.

If you could only choose one type of fruit to eat for the rest of your life, and only that type of fruit, what would you eat?

Blood Orange.

Hi Jim. You seem to be the butt of everyone's jokes on Parks & Recreation, how easy is it for you to keep a straight face during the jokes? Also, is the actor who plays Jean-Ralphio as funny as his character?

The actor who plays Jean-Ralphio is named Ben Schwartz. I can honestly tell you that I just sit back and watch his brain work. He's a BRILLIANT improvisor and idea man. He makes me laugh so hard. He is one of the people who makes it the toughest to keep a straight face.

"It was just farts."

Just wanted to let you know that is my favorite line from the entire show.

I forgot about that line. hehehehehe