Jim O'Heir didn't like Newt Gingrich's cameo on 'Parks and Rec'

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https://ew.com/jim-oheir-didnt-like-...nd-rec-8750399

O'Heir was thrilled when Leslie Knope got to meet Michelle Obama, but less than happy with his own political encounter.

By Ryan Coleman Published on December 20, 2024 01:00PM EST

Not throwing up when you have to meet a politician you hate: that's acting, baby!

Jim O'Heir was nauseated anew when recounting the cameo star he was less than thrilled to shoot with on a season 5 episode of Parks and Recreation, which referenced a big film in star Rob Lowe's past. "Unfortunately, not everything about that St. Elmo’s episode was worth remembering, like the unexpected appearance of Newt Gingrich," he explained in his book Welcome to Pawnee: Stories of Friendship, Waffles, and Parks and Recreation.

O'Heir confessed the had "no idea if he knew we were there or if it was just a coincidence (I think most politicians have never meta camera they didn’t like.) Either way, he was on set and [showrunner] Mike Schur decided to throw a cameo appearance his way. I have to be honest, I wasn’t thrilled, since I’m not a fan of Newt or his politics, but I trusted Mike and knew he was always thinking about what's best for the show."

On the episode, called "Two Parties," Lowe's Chris Traeger throws every male character on the show a bachelor party, after realizing none of them had their own. Ron's (Nick Offerman) idea of a perfect night consists of a visit to St. Elmo's Steakhouse, where Jerry (O'Heir) mistakes a tidily dressed older man's table for their own. That man is former Speaker of the House and failed Republican presidential candidate Newt Gingrich.

"In the scene Mike wrote, Jerry and Tom (Aziz Ansari) accidentally sit at Newt's table, and Jerry tells Newt they might be related because their last names are so similar. Newt responds, 'I don’t think so, Jerry.' As usual with Parks, the bit was smart and funny. That being said," O'Heir contends, "I still didn’t like it. My problem with Newt’s appearance on the show was that nothing about his personality or politics reflected the communal - dare I say, democratic - spirit of Parks. Everything about him seemed to suggest it's his way or the highway."

While serving as house speaker from 1995-1999 under President Bill Clinton, Gingrich gained a reputation as a pugnacious defender of conservative values, who would argue, filibuster, and fight against anyone to make his way the law of the land. He didn't possess a spirit that O'Heir believes gels particularly well with the Parks spirit.

The following season, O'Heir's distaste for his forced Gingrich encounter developed into outright bitterness (at least O'Heir's sweet, lovable version of bitterness) when his costars got to shoot with a political guest much better suited to his tastes: Michelle Obama.

"It took [Amy Poehler] doing leaps and hurdles to get the First Lady to appear on the show," he explained. "But Amy and Obama had reached an agreement where Amy would campaign alongside Obama for her 'Let's Move' initiative and Obama would cameo in Parks, wherein she’d further promote the mission."

O'Heir continued that, "Since the Obama cameo occurred in Washington, D.C., due to scheduling (and since Obama was already promoting 'Let's Move' there), I wasn’t able to see the coolest First Lady in our nation’s history unfortunately. I had one over on Amy, though. I got to meet Newt." There's an asterisk next to Gingrich's name in the text, which is met with a corresponding footnote that reads, "Remind me to throw up, please."

As O'Heir points out, Parks "got a huge ratings bump because of the First Lady’s appearance," and her cameo appeared on the first part of the climactic sixth season finale. Gingrich, meanwhile, appeared for just over a minute in the middle of season two, when Parks was still finding its footing in the network TV landscape. There's little question which guest star the show's sympathies laid with. But still, no more scenes with arch-conservatives for O'Heir in the future, please.