Parks and Recreation had various special guests over the course of seven seasons, among those Bill Murray, and the story behind his cameo appearance is a very special one. Created by Greg Daniels and Michael Schur, Parks & Recreation made its debut on NBC in 2009 and came to an end in 2015. The series had a rough start as its first season wasn't well received, but the writers ultimately found the right tone and style, and the subsequent seasons were a major improvement. As a result, Parks and Recreation received several awards and nominations, built a strong fan base, and is now considered one of the best TV shows of the decade.
The series followed the daily lives of eternal optimist Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) and her friends and coworkers from the Parks Department in the fictional town of Pawnee, Indiana. The Parks crew came across with many colorful characters played by well-known actors, such as Kristen Bell (as Ingrid de Forest), Paul Rudd (Bobby Newport), and Andy Samberg (Carl, the loud park ranger), among many others. Pawnee also saw many cameos by several real-life political figures, most notably Michelle Obama and Joe Biden, as well as a brief and very peculiar appearance by Bill Murray in season 7.
Murray played the mysterious Mayor of Pawnee, Walter Gunderson, in one episode and under special circumstances. Getting him to appear in the series wasn’t easy, but made a very fun story worth telling.
Mayor Gunderson was mentioned a couple of times through the series but never shown, and at some point the writers and producers considered never showing him at all – unless they found the right actor for the role. In an interview with EW back in 2015, Michael Schur revealed that they originally wanted Arnold Schwarzenegger to play Mayor Gunderson, and former Parks & Recreation actor Rob Lowe actually reached out to him. Sadly, Schwarzenegger had to turn down the offer as he couldn’t take it while he was still in office. The team then joked about how the only way they could show the mayor was if they got Bill Murray to do it – and so the mission began.
In 2011, Amy Poehler joked about it during an appearance in Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, saying she would pay Murray $250 for his services. Later, Aubrey Plaza met him and told him he should play the mayor on their show, but Murray had no idea what she was talking about. Poehler tried it too but was unsuccessful. Plaza later “fell into his circle in the film world” and tried to convince him. Poehler later jumped in to help, and so did Rashida Jones, but still nothing. At that point, the writers began working on the episode in which the mayor dies, and tried to come up with jokes that would obscure his identity. Luckily, Plaza and Poehler reached out to Murray one last time, saying that the mayor was dying and if he “wanted to come lie in a coffin”. Not long after, Schur got a call from Murray.
To truly seize the opportunity and Murray’s presence, the writers added the video message that plays at the mayor’s memorial, with Murray adding some improvisation to it. Bill Murray’s time in Pawnee was brief, but it was one of the most memorable guest appearances in Parks & Recreation and a peak moment for the cast and crew.
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