Garry “Jerry” Gergich may be the bane of the Parks and Recreation department of Pawnee, but in real life the actor who plays the mishap-prone Jerry, Jim O’Heir, is a complete delight. Hollywood.com caught up with O’Heir in time for the Season 5 finale of Parks and Rec (and right in the middle of spring) to solve a few important mysteries, such as: How much of a cliffhanger is the season finale going to be? How did Jerry snag his smoking hot wife, Gayle, anyway? And, as a matter of solving question number two, how does Jerry go about wooing the ladies during a prime dating season like spring?
Of course, while O’Heir says he understands the confusion about Jerry and his ravishing wife (played by Christie Brinkley), perhaps Ben Wyatt (Adam Scott) and his fellow Pawneeans are just being a little myopic. “People fall in love for a million different reasons. Some people don’t see physicality, they see what’s inside of a person,” says O’Heir. And if we’re being really specific, O’Heir also points out, “In the bachelor party episode, Jerry would not have normally gone for someone like Gayle, because he says, ‘Long legs, blonde hair, big breasts? Not my type at all.’ That’s what’s even crazier. Like, why the hell are they together?”
To get to the bottom of the mystery, we devised a test for O’Heir and his beloved office screwup: How does Jerry date? And given the he-man task of watching over Iron Man’s suit, what would he do with it? From the looks of O’Heir’s answers, it’s pretty clear how good ol’ flatulent Jerry managed to bag a babe like Gayle. (Well, almost.)
Jerry’s Dating Tips for Spring:
–Everything needs a spring cleaning. Nose and ear hair included. Use fingers or clippers.
–Always have a box of Marzipan ready in case you meet a special someone.
–Watch what you eat before the date. Unexpected flatulence is and can be embarrassing.
–Don’t be too pushy. If by the third date you feel like things are going well… maybe take her hand into yours. I’ve always been a bit of a risk taker, so that move is not for everyone.
–You’ll most likely spill something on yourself. Always carry a handkerchief for accidents.
–Most importantly… Be respectful and ALWAYS BE A GENTLEMAN!
Jerry’s Plans for Iron Man’s Suit
–Jerry would use the power of flight to have lunch in Muncie EVERY DAY!
–Jerry would use the quick reflexes to be able to file faster (and more accurately).
–Jerry would take Gayle in his arms and fly her anywhere she wanted to go. Probably to our time share in Muncie.
–Jerry would use the speed of the suit to fill all the Hummingbird Feeders in the parks. For some reason they always pick Jerry’s name out of the random drawing.
–The only adjustment to the suit would be an air hole in the buttock area (in case of fart attack).
–Jerry would also ask everyone else in the office what he could help them with. He’s a helluvah guy!
His big move is hand-holding? He’d use Iron Man‘s suit to fly Gayle to Muncie. How could a lady resist those charms? Apparently, she couldn’t.
And here’s hoping Jerry’s charms have the same effect on NBC, who’s yet to announce a sixth season for Parks and Recreation. Getting a little more serious, O’Heir spoke about the final episode and why his series needs another season.
“Some fans are so loyal, they almost want it to end so that there will never be a bad episode. I think it’s a little nutty, but I think even those people, because there’s a cliffhanger, would be very upset if they didn’t find out what happens. They’d be pulling out their hair,” says O’Heir. But he notes, the hope to continue the series isn’t just about resolving the cliffhanger, it’s about keeping the cast – who he says is a rather tight, friendly bunch – together.
“It’s not about work. It’s about what goes on on that set, so it’s very selfish at this point. It’s just too much fun … Sometimes after Season 5, people can be like, ‘Okay, time to move on.’ We have none of that. I mean, literally, no one wants this to end,” he says.
Luckily for O’Heir, neither do we. While we think NBC knows what’s good for them (Parks is their second highest-rated comedy next to the departing The Office), and that we will see much more of Jerry and his Pawneean cohorts for at least one more season.
The Parks and Recreation season finale airs Thursday night at 9:30 PM ET on NBC.
Follow Kelsea on Twitter @KelseaStahler
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‘Parks and Rec’ Recap: Andy’s Swan Song
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