On Tuesday, Rashida sat down with Amy to speak about their friendship on and off display. Nevertheless, though they started working collectively on Parks and Rec in 2009, you may not know that the 2 have been significantly shut for over twenty years. Talking about how their offscreen chemistry translated so nicely, Amy stated, “They actually did base the complete exhibit of the truth that Leslie and Ann have been one another’s primary,” to which Rashida stated, “Not that onerous.”
However regardless of the pair’s longstanding friendship, Amy revealed that again when the present was nonetheless within the casting levels, issues have been much more rocky than you may anticipate. “The beginnings of that present have been… I’ll say a little bit clumpy,” Amy stated, as Rashida nodded in settlement, saying, “Crunchy. It was crunchy.”
In the event you want some context, Amy performed the present’s protagonist, chirpy authorities official Leslie Knope: deputy director of the Division of Parks and Recreation within the fictional city of Pawnee, Indiana. Rashida Jones, who you may additionally know because the daughter of the late music legend Quincy Jones, performed Ann Perkins, “buddy and delightful nurse,” in Leslie’s phrases. And whereas to followers, Amy and Rashida have been solid completely of their respective roles, it seems like there was some confusion through the begin of the present. “For the start we each have been frightened that we had taken one another’s half,” Amy revealed.
Rashida dove into the story, launching again to 2008 when she was “on maintain” for an untitled Michael Schur challenge, aka, the man who created The Workplace, and later Brooklyn 9-9. Michael and Rashida had change into shut in school, and have been each buddies with Amy, who was “extraordinarily pregnant” on the time. Rashida defined that Mike pitched the present to her within the early levels of improvement and that the “boss” character (who would finally change into Leslie) was initially written to be a person.
She then recalled that after she and Amy had arrived again from a vacation collectively, a day later Amy gently urged that they go to lunch. Ominous a lot? “Oh god, and I stated, ‘Let’s discuss one thing,’” Amy remembered.
“You took me to lunch, and stated, ‘I’m so sorry however they supplied me the half,’” Rashida defined. “Each of us pondering it was the identical half I used to be on maintain for, being created by a buddy of ours. And so I instantly began crying, and also you held my hand, and also you have been so heat. You have been like, ‘I do know, I’m sorry buddy.’ However you held your house, and also you additionally comforted me on the identical time. Which was a really stunning factor.” Rashida referred to as the second a “gold normal of friendship” and praised how Amy took care of her with out placing herself down.
However fortunately, the misunderstanding didn’t final lengthy. “I’m wondering what [Mike] Schur’s model of that is…” Amy started earlier than Rashida rapidly interjected, saying, “Let me let you know! As a result of I left him a message like, nearly instantly, as a result of I’m not shy.”
Though Rashida was fairly stern with Mike about not being knowledgeable about dropping out on the function, Mike rapidly set the file straight. “He was like, ‘No, no, no, again up, we modified the boss. It’s a lady, and Amy’s taking part in the boss.’ I used to be like, ‘You — Oh my god!’ I nonetheless wasn’t solid, I nonetheless needed to do a bunch of chemistry reads, however that grew to become like this large risk of my life being… the very best. From the worst to the very best.”
I believe it’s secure to say that Mike made the suitable name. Are you able to think about a world the place Ann was Leslie and Leslie was Ann? What are your ideas? I’d love to listen to them down beneath. In the meantime, you’ll be able to hearken to Rashida’s full look on Good Hold right here.
