Jim O'Heir Reveals What Goes on in theParks and RecCast's Group Text — and Who Sent the 'Cutest Picture You've Ever Seen'

Mar. 15, 2025

The cast of ‘Parks and Recreation’.Photo:Mitchell Haaseth/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty

Mitchell Haaseth/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty

Jim O’Heiris pulling back the curtain on what really goes on in theParks and Recreationcast’s group text — and it’s just as sweet as you’d expect.Fans of the beloved NBC series will remember O’Heir as Jerry Gergich, an employee of the show’s fictional Indiana town’s Parks Department who was frequently the butt of his coworkers’ jokes. On a recent episode of NPR’sBook of the Daypodcast, O’Heir joined host Juana Summers to talk about his memoirWelcome to Pawnee: Stories of Friendship, Waffles and Parks and Recreation.Nearly 10 years after the show’s 2015 finale, Summers was eager know what theParks and Reccast talks about these days in their famous group text thread. In the interview, which originally aired onNPRin November, O’Heir noted the recent birth ofChris Pratt and Katherine Schwarzenegger’s son Ford.The cast of ‘Parks and Recreation’.Jordin Althaus/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal/Getty“He sent us the cutest picture you’ve ever seen,” O’Heir said of Pratt, who played Andy Dwyer onParks and Rec. “It’s that type of stuff. It’s not show biz-y at all.”However, he said, the cast did send their congratulations whenNick Offerman, who played parks director Ron Swanson,won a 2024 Emmyfor Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for his role in HBO’sThe Last of Us.“But it’s generally, like,Rettais the queen of history, and Retta will just post some random thing that happened,” O’Heir said of the actress and comedian who playedParks’ Donna Meagle. “She goes, ‘This was 10 years ago today,’ and then we all just go on a rant about whatever that was about.”“It’s just personal,” he added of the group chat, known to the cast as “Parks Family Text.” “It’s people who, to this day, are good friends, and we love each other.”Over the years, otherParks and Recstars have confirmed that the cast have continued to keep in touch via the group chat since the show ended.Jim O’Heir and the cover of ‘Welcome to Pawnee’.CHRIS DELMAS/AFP via Getty Images; HarperCollins Publishers“We’re all so busy so it’s not like we see each other all the time,”Aubrey Plaza saidonThe Ellen DeGeneres Showin 2019. “But we have a mass texting chain and someone updates it every other day so we’re all still spiritually and technologically connected.”Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.“We have a text chain,”Adam Scottalso confirmed in a 2022 appearance onAccess Hollywood. “Everybody’s in pretty close contact. It’s a tight group.”And onWatch What Happens Livelast July,Rashida Jonestold hostAndy Cohenthat theParkstext chain was “very active.”“They’re just the greatest,” O’Heir told Summers of his former costars. “And I sometimes think I sound very Pollyanna and very, like, ‘Oh, it’s all — everything was wonderful.’ But it kinda was. It kinda really was. And I will be forever grateful. And I know I will always be known as Jerry. And people are like, ‘Does that bother you?’ And I’m like, ‘Oh, hell no.’ I will take that with a badge of honor.”

Jim O’Heiris pulling back the curtain on what really goes on in theParks and Recreationcast’s group text — and it’s just as sweet as you’d expect.

Fans of the beloved NBC series will remember O’Heir as Jerry Gergich, an employee of the show’s fictional Indiana town’s Parks Department who was frequently the butt of his coworkers’ jokes. On a recent episode of NPR’sBook of the Daypodcast, O’Heir joined host Juana Summers to talk about his memoirWelcome to Pawnee: Stories of Friendship, Waffles and Parks and Recreation.

Nearly 10 years after the show’s 2015 finale, Summers was eager know what theParks and Reccast talks about these days in their famous group text thread. In the interview, which originally aired onNPRin November, O’Heir noted the recent birth ofChris Pratt and Katherine Schwarzenegger’s son Ford.

The cast of ‘Parks and Recreation’.Jordin Althaus/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal/Getty

Jordin Althaus/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal/Getty

“He sent us the cutest picture you’ve ever seen,” O’Heir said of Pratt, who played Andy Dwyer onParks and Rec. “It’s that type of stuff. It’s not show biz-y at all.”

However, he said, the cast did send their congratulations whenNick Offerman, who played parks director Ron Swanson,won a 2024 Emmyfor Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for his role in HBO’sThe Last of Us.

“But it’s generally, like,Rettais the queen of history, and Retta will just post some random thing that happened,” O’Heir said of the actress and comedian who playedParks’ Donna Meagle. “She goes, ‘This was 10 years ago today,’ and then we all just go on a rant about whatever that was about.”

“It’s just personal,” he added of the group chat, known to the cast as “Parks Family Text.” “It’s people who, to this day, are good friends, and we love each other.”

Over the years, otherParks and Recstars have confirmed that the cast have continued to keep in touch via the group chat since the show ended.

Jim O’Heir and the cover of ‘Welcome to Pawnee’.CHRIS DELMAS/AFP via Getty Images; HarperCollins Publishers

CHRIS DELMAS/AFP via Getty Images; HarperCollins Publishers

“We’re all so busy so it’s not like we see each other all the time,”Aubrey Plaza saidonThe Ellen DeGeneres Showin 2019. “But we have a mass texting chain and someone updates it every other day so we’re all still spiritually and technologically connected.”

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

“We have a text chain,”Adam Scottalso confirmed in a 2022 appearance onAccess Hollywood. “Everybody’s in pretty close contact. It’s a tight group.”

And onWatch What Happens Livelast July,Rashida Jonestold hostAndy Cohenthat theParkstext chain was “very active.”

“They’re just the greatest,” O’Heir told Summers of his former costars. “And I sometimes think I sound very Pollyanna and very, like, ‘Oh, it’s all — everything was wonderful.’ But it kinda was. It kinda really was. And I will be forever grateful. And I know I will always be known as Jerry. And people are like, ‘Does that bother you?’ And I’m like, ‘Oh, hell no.’ I will take that with a badge of honor.”

source: people.com