Star Wars Just Recruited A Parks And Recreation Star
The Star Wars universe has added a mysterious new character, to be played by one of the stars of the hit show Parks & Recreation.
This article is more than 2 years old
It looks like Star Wars has just recruited one of its deadliest characters yet: Jerry Gergich. Or is it Garry Gergich? But seriously, it seems that Parks & Recreation star Jim O’Heir has joined the Star Wars universe in some capacity, although his role is typically hush-hush as of now. On a recent episode of former Parks & Rec co-star Rob Lowe’s podcast Parks & Recollections, O’Heir let it slip that he was working in New Mexico on some unnamed project. Lowe went on to bulldoze him by strongly implying that O’Heir was working on the next installment of the science fiction franchise. While there is no confirmation as of yet, all clues indicate that O’Heir was filming on the upcoming third season of the Disney+ streaming show The Mandalorian. Will O’Heir be playing a grown-up Grogu in a centuries-long time jump? Seems unlikely, but if so, you heard it here first.
Jim O’Heir appearing on The Mandalorian season 3 especially seems likely considering the show’s propensity for employing primarily comic actors in supporting roles. Beginning in the very first episode with Mando’s bounty being a heavily-made up Horatio Sanz of Saturday Night Live fame to Amy Sedaris’ recurring Tattooine mechanic Peli Motto to Space Boston’s very own Bill Burr showing up as a former Imperial sharpshooter, it seems to be a recurring theme for the show. Perhaps it is show creator Jon Favreau’s background in comedy that keeps these actors getting hired, but regardless, it is a fun game of “spot the comedian in Star Wars.” Given all that, O’Heir could be playing anything on the show.
Aside from his most well-known role as the hapless government employee Jerry Gergich on Parks & Rec, Jim O’Heir is one of those actors you see popping up everywhere. After beginning his career at Chicago’s famed Second City, he eventually transitioned into television and film roles, even winning a daytime Emmy in 2017 for a guest spot on the long-running soap opera The Bold and the Beautiful. Considering the man has a staggering 188 acting credits on his IMDb (nearly Samuel L. Jackson level), it is not surprising that he would eventually show up in the Star Wars universe as Disney continues to expand its roster of shows.
And while it seems most probably Jim O’Heir will be appearing on The Mandalorian in some capacity, there is also a chance he could be in the upcoming Rosario Dawson show Ahsoka or Ewan McGregor’s Obi-Wan Kenobi (both of which are also in production). He could even be showing up in Patty Jenkins’ Rogue Squadron movie, perhaps portraying doomed Yavin pilot Porkins? And given that Disney seems to be expanding the offerings of both MCU and Star Wars shows streaming on Disney+ at a rapidly increasing rate, it could even be some project that has been kept tightly secret so far. If neither O’Heir or Rob Lowe are going to give us more, we will just have to wait and see. And it is not like there has never been a Parks & Rec/Star Wars crossover before.
