The Real Reason Rashida Jones Left Parks & Rec

April 2024 · 2 minute read

"Parks and Recreation" was one of NBC's biggest hit comedies. The show, which was led by "SNL" alum Amy Poehler, had a stellar cast, which boasted names such as Nick Offerman, Aubrey Plaza, Aziz Ansari, Rob Lowe, Chris Pratt, and Adam Scott (via IMDb). So, it seemed like a perfect fit for Rashida Jones. She portrayed the character of Ann Perkins, a local nurse who befriends Poehler's Leslie Knope. The show ran for seven seasons on the network, but Jones was only a part of six seasons as fans were forced to say goodbye to both her and Lowe when their characters were written off after deciding to leave the town of Pawnee to move closer to her family.

CheatSheet reports that Jones opted to leave "Parks and Rec" in order to expand her career and get into production. She had been receiving offers to work on the other side of the camera and was unable to dive in due to her acting commitments. So, she made the decision to leave the show and Ann Perkins behind. CBR reports that it was always the plan for both Jones' and Lowe's characters to exit the storyline. "We had the idea creatively to sort of move in that direction, and it totally dovetailed and aligned with what the two actors envisioned for themselves in their careers," executive producer Mike Schur said. "So it's a big, happy, mutual hug-fest celebration."

Of course, Jones never forgot her role — and even reprised the character in the series finale and a reunion episode in 2020.

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