Chris Pratt Gets Protective of ‘Parks and Rec’ Co-Star Jim O’Heir, Says Jerry Jokes Were ‘Meaner Than They Were Funny’

Chris Pratt used to step in and get protective of his “Parks and Recreation” co-star Jim O’Heir when jokes at his character Jerry’s expense got too “mean-spirited.”

Speaking jointly in a conversation published as part of O’Heir’s new Hollywood memoir, “Welcome to Pawnee: Stories of Friendship, Waffles, and ‘Parks and Recreation,'” the two actors remembered a dynamic that saw Pratt speaking up when he thought some of the NBC sitcom’s jokes were more cruel than comical.

“I was concerned in some of those moments because I care about you and I love you, and I knew that there were some jokes that were, like, mean. But meaner than they were funny,” Pratt told O’Heir.

He continued: “If it’s a joke, it’s funny. But if it’s mean for the sake of being mean, well, I’m not a huge fan of mean-spirited humor, and I just wanted to check in on you.”

Pratt played Andy Dwyer, Ann Perkins’ (Rashida Jones) goofy, lowly boyfriend, while O’Heir played Jerry Gergich, one of the parks and recreation employees who eventually becomes mayor of the fictional town of Pawnee. Though the character eventually rose to a higher level of status, he remained the comedic punching bag throughout the series. O’Heir said Pratt was the main person on set, who would reach out to him out of care.

“I remember you, particularly more than some others, being worried about some of the Jerry bits being … mean,” O’Heir wrote. “I remember you saying, ‘Jimmy, you OK with these?’ My theory was, ‘It’s funny and these are just jobs. I’m happy to be around.’ Do you remember that feeling at all?”

However, Pratt said there were moments when he’d speak up if he felt a bit went too far.

“There was one time where I put my foot down on something,” Pratt said. “There was that time you use the printer and it says something like ‘Jerry sucks’ on a piece of paper, and I just said, ‘I don’t think that’s funny. I don’t know about it.’ For the most part, I rolled with it, but there were a couple times where I think it went too far and I was concerned for you.”

Pratt went on, acknowledging that he believes sharper jokes are more customary for folks from the Midwest, as Pratt is from Minnesota and Illinois.

“Well, I also know that we’re from the Midwest, and people from the Midwest — their love language is, like, teasing,” Pratt said. “You learn to take your lumps and roll with it —­ I did, at least — and I was never overly concerned you couldn’t take care of yourself, but if it ever went too far, I wanted you to know I was there for you.”

Nevertheless, O’Heir said Pratt’s compassionate heart meant “the world” to him.

“It’s not like I expected everyone to check in on me, but the fact that you did was so special,” he said. 

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