Chris Pratt reveals he ‘put his foot down’ against ‘mean jokes’ towards Parks and Rec costar’s character

Chris Pratt, who brought Andy Dwyer to life on Parks and Recreation, got candid about how he stood up for one of his costars on the iconic NBC sitcom.  

In Jim O’Heir’s new book, Welcome to Pawnee: Stories of Friendship, Waffles, and Parks and Recreation, Pratt opens up about going to bat for O’Heir, whose character, Jerry Gergich, was the show’s perpetual punching bag, according to Variety.

O’Heir first recalled how Pratt made a point to check in about some of the jokes at Jerry’s expense.

‘I remember you, particularly more than some others, being worried about some of the Jerry bits being…mean,’ O’Heir told Pratt in the book, per the outlet. ‘I remember you saying, “Jimmy, you okay with these?”… Do you remember that feeling at all?’

‘I do, I do,’ Pratt replied. ‘I was worried because I care about you and I love you. There were some jokes that were, like, mean. But meaner than they were funny.’

He explained that while he appreciates humor, he’s not a fan of jokes that are ‘mean-spirited’ and wanted to ‘check in on’ O’Heir. 

Chris Pratt as Andy Dwyer, Aubrey Plaza as April Ludgate, Retta as Donna Meagle, Rashida Jones as Ann Perkins, Nick Offerman as Ron Swanson, Aziz Ansari as Tom Haverford, Rob Lowe as Chris Traeger, Amy Poehler as Leslie Knope, Adam Scott as Ben Wyatt, Jim O’Heir as Garry Gergich

‘There was one time where I put my foot down,’ Pratt said, referring to a scene where Jerry prints a document, and the paper reads, “Jerry sucks.”

‘I just said, “I don’t think that’s funny. I don’t know about it.” For the most part, I rolled with it, but there were a couple times where I think it went too far.’ 

Jerry might’ve been the punchline of countless jokes, but O’Heir says he never took it to heart. 

But Pratt’s kindness definitely didn’t go unnoticed. 

‘Just so you know, that meant the world to me,’ O’Heir told Pratt in the book.

‘You checked in on me, [Amy Poehler] checked in on me, and it’s not like I expected everyone to check in on me, but the fact that you did was so special…

‘You have the biggest heart, and I don’t mean it from a medical perspective,’ he quipped.  

Parks and Recreation premiered on NBC on April 9, 2009, and ran for seven hilarious seasons, wrapping up on February 24, 2015.

In Jim O’Heir’s new book, Welcome to Pawnee: Stories of Friendship, Waffles, and Parks and Recreation, Pratt opens up about going to bat for O’Heir, whose character, Jerry Gergich, was the show’s perpetual punching bag, according to Variety 

‘I do, I do,’ Pratt replied. ‘I was worried because I care about you and I love you. There were some jokes that were, like, mean. But meaner than they were funny’

One of the last times the Parks and Recreation cast reunited was during the SAG-AFTRA strikes in August 2023.

The cast also featured Amy Poehler, Rashida Jones, Nick Offerman, Aubrey Plaza, Aziz Ansari, and Adam Scott. 

It earned multiple accolades, including 14 Primetime Emmy nominations, with Amy Poehler winning a Golden Globe for Best Actress in 2014.

One of the last times the Parks and Recreation cast reunited was during the SAG-AFTRA strikes in August 2023. 

They got together on the picket lines to show their support, giving fans a sweet peek at their off-screen bond.