Parks and Recreation had many celebrity cameos, and its best one was not only surprising but also very brief. One of the best TV shows of the 2010s, as well as one of the best TV shows of all time, is Parks and Recreation. Created by Greg Daniels and Michael Schur, Parks and Recreation premiered on NBC in 2009, and after a rough first season, it found its voice, and the rest of the show was a success. Parks and Recreation ran for seven seasons, ending on a high note in 2015.
Set in the fictional town of Pawnee, Indiana, Parks and Recreation introduced the audience to Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler), an eternal optimist working at the Parks Department. The show follows Leslie’s many ups and downs at the Parks Department and in her personal life, accompanied by her colleagues and friends, such as Ron Swanson (Nick Offerman) and April Ludgate (Aubrey Plaza). Throughout its seven seasons, Parks and Rec had some notable celebrity cameos, and its best one was only on-screen for around three minutes.
Bill Murray Made A Surprise Cameo As Mayor Gunderson In Parks & Recreation
Major Gunderson Finally Appeared In Parks & Recreation Season 7
Pawnee’s Mayor Walter Gunderson was mentioned many times throughout Parks and Recreation, but he never made a physical appearance… until season 7, at his funeral. Season 7’s 11th episode, “Two Funerals”, saw Leslie and Ben announcing that they would move to Washington D.C. as Leslie took a job at the Department of the Interior, with April and Andy also moving to D.C. Amid all these announcements, the crew learned that Mayor Gunderson passed away, and so they attended his memorial service.
There, Parks and Rec revealed that Mayor Gunderson was none other than Bill Murray, who simply lied there, in a coffin. Parks and Rec played a recorded message from Gunderson during his funeral. At the service, many paid their respects to the Mayor and shared some of their best memories of him. Among them was Ethel Beavers (Helen Slayton-Hughes), a court stenographer who worked on City Hall’s fourth floor and who had minor appearances throughout the show.
Ethel revealed at the Mayor’s funeral that he and his wife had an open marriage, and that she had a relationship with Gunderson for 46 years. Ethel regretted not expressing her love for him earlier, kissed him on the forehead, and said “Good night, you animal.” Mayor Gunderson’s funeral was not ordinary at all, and Bill Murray’s presence was not only surprising because of his legacy, but because he just lied there while the video played, and Parks and Rec made it even funnier with Ethel’s reveal.
How Parks & Rec Got Bill Murray To Play Mayor Gunderson
Mayor Gunderson Had To Be Played By Someone Big
Bill Murray is a legend, especially in the world of comedy, but he’s also known for his attitude, which is why it was even more surprising to see him in Parks and Recreation in such a small role. The team behind Parks and Rec originally didn’t consider showing Mayor Gunderson at all unless they could find the right actor for it, with Schur revealing in 2015 that they initially wanted Arnold Schwarzenegger to play the character (via EW). However, Schwarzenegger turned down the offer as he couldn’t take the role while he was still in office.
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It then became a joke among the Parks and Rec team that they would only show the mayor if they got Bill Murray to play him, and in 2011, Poehler joked on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon that she would pay Murray $250 to do it. After that, Plaza, Poehler, and Rashida Jones tried on different occasions to convince Murray to join Parks and Rec as Gunderson, and in Plaza and Poehler’s final attempt, they told Murray he would be lying in a coffin, and he accepted.
Why Bill Murray’s Parks & Rec’s Cameo Is The Show’s Best
Parks & Recreation Knew How To Make Mayor Gunderson’s Only Appearance Memorable
Saving Mayor Gunderson’s appearance until his funeral is already a brilliant and hilarious idea, very fitting with Parks and Rec’s tone and style, but the surprise of him being Bill Murray made it even better. Despite his role being very brief and simple, Parks and Rec knew how to seize Murray’s comedic genius, as even while he was in the coffin, he seemed to be slightly smiling, which was hilarious when the camera turned to him after Ethel’s big revelation.
The reveal of Ethel and Gunderson’s relationship made Murray’s brief Parks and Recreation appearance even funnier and more memorable.
Murray’s Parks and Rec cameo was also amazing thanks to his improv skills, as he added some improv to Gunderson’s recorded message – and Parks and Rec’s biggest strength was its cast’s improv skills. The reveal of Ethel and Gunderson’s relationship made Murray’s brief Parks and Recreation appearance even funnier and more memorable, further cementing it as the show’s best celebrity cameo, despite how brief it was.
Source: EW.
This story originally appeared on Screenrant
