Instruct: Given a question, retrieve documents that can help answer the question.
Query: Who plays Leslie Knope in the Parks and Recreation?
A principal cast of six actors received star billing in the show's first season. Poehler portrayed the lead character, Leslie Knope, the naive but well-meaning, eager-to-please deputy director of the parks and recreation department of the fictional town of Pawnee, Indiana. Poehler said, upon reading the script provided by Michael Schur, "it took me five minutes to realize Leslie Knope was the best character ever written for me". She also felt it took a few episodes before she started "feeling my groove" with the character, but came to realize the cast was extremely talented and "would eventually become like family". Also among the cast were Aziz Ansari as Tom Haverford, a sarcastic parks department employee, and Rashida Jones as Ann Perkins, a nurse who befriends Leslie and tries to help her turn a giant construction pit into a park. Daniels and Schur intended to cast Ansari and Jones (who previously appeared in "The Office" as Karen Filippelli) from the series' earliest stages of development, but the ultimate "Parks and Recreation" concept did not coalesce until they learned Poehler would be available to star. After her recruitment, the general concept of the series was established and the script for the pilot episode was written.
After auditioning for "Election", Payne chose Klein and they began filming. The film was released in April 1999 to positive reviews. Soon after, Klein found a steady amount of work in the film industry while briefly attending TCU, where he studied theater and was a member of the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity. He was next seen in "American Pie", acting as Christopher Russell Ostreicher, which opened on July 9, 1999, and was a box office success. The following year Klein starred in "Here on Earth" alongside LeeLee Sobieski and Josh Hartnett (2000). Klein reprised his role in "American Pie 2" (2001) and "American Reunion" (2012), but was not in "American Wedding" reportedly due to scheduling conflicts. In 2002, Klein had a role in the Mel Gibson Vietnam War film "We Were Soldiers". Klein starred in the 2002 remake of the film "Rollerball", but the film was a massive critical and financial failure. Klein has also appeared in several teen movies, including "Just Friends" (2005) and "American Dreamz" (2006).
Jo Marie Payton (born August 3, 1950) is an American actress and singer who starred as Harriette Baines–Winslow, the matriarch of the Winslow family on the ABC/CBS sitcom "Family Matters" (1989–1998), and also appeared in a recurring role on its parent series "Perfect Strangers". From 2001 to 2005, Payton provided the voice for Suga Mama Proud on Bruce W. Smith's Disney Channel's "The Proud Family". The role earned her an NAACP Image Award nomination in 2005. Payton also had a recurring role as the personal assistant to Gregory Hines' character, Ben Doucette (Will Truman's boss), during season two of "Will & Grace" (1999–2000).
In 2012, Fox appeared briefly in Sacha Baron Cohen's comedy "The Dictator" and had a featured role in Judd Apatow's comedy "This Is 40". She was the voice of Lois Lane in the film "Robot Chicken DC Comics Special", an episode of the television comedy series "Robot Chicken", and it aired as a one-off special during Cartoon Network's Adult Swim on September 9, 2012.
Julia Scarlett Elizabeth Louis-Dreyfus (; born January 13, 1961) is an American actress, comedian, and producer. In television comedy, she is known for her work in "Saturday Night Live" (1982–1985), "Seinfeld" (1989–1998), "The New Adventures of Old Christine" (2006–2010), and "Veep" (2012–present). She is one of the most awarded actors in American television history, winning more Emmy Awards and more Screen Actors Guild Awards than any other performer (eight of the Emmy awards were for acting, tying Cloris Leachman for the most acting Primetime Emmy wins; she has also received three Emmy Awards for producing).
Throughout its fifteen-season run, "The Red Green Show" sported a cast of well over forty secondary and minor characters, ranging from fellow Possum Lodge members to guests making single appearances, and even audience members appearing on the set. During the second season, the regular cast was expanded to include many different lodge members, none of whom were kept on for appearances after the second season.
The cast, while primarily male, did include occasional female characters as well, including network executive Kelly Cook (Sugar Lyn Beard) and Anne-Marie Humphrey (Jennifer Irwin), Dalton's wife.
On January 23, 2018, it was announced that Kip Pardue had been cast as Chad, Zelena's fiancé from when she was cursed as Kelly. He will make his first appearance in the seventeenth episode of the season.
Noah Levenstein, also known as "Jim's dad", is the only character to appear in all eight films to date. At the 2000 American Comedy Award, Levy was nominated for Funniest Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture although he didn't win. At the 2000 Blockbuster Entertainment Award he was nominated for Favorite Supporting Actor - Comedy which he won. At the 2002 Canadian Comedy Awards he was nominated for Pretty Funny Male Performance for his role in "American Pie 2" and won the award.
Sandra Peabody and Lucy Grantham were cast in the roles of the doomed Mari and Phyllis. The role of the lead villain, Krug Stillo, was given to David Hess, also a musician and songwriter. Jeramie Rain, who was twenty-one at the time, was playing Susan Atkins in an Off-Broadway production based on the Manson family murders; despite the fact that the original script called for an actress in her forties, Rain was awarded the part of Sadie. Fred Lincoln, who had appeared in pornographic films, was cast as Krug's criminal partner, while Mark Sheffler was given the role of Krug's heroin-addicted son. According to Lincoln, he and Peabody were acquaintances prior to filming and had the same agent at the time.
Grandma Levenstein is a fictional character from the "American Pie" series of teen comedy films. She appears in "American Wedding" and is introduced to be Jim's grandmother and Noah's mother. In the deleted scenes it is revealed that She does not have much longer to live so the wedding is moved up so She can attend. She voices her disapproval towards Michelle for not being Jewish. Jim, Kevin and Finch recruits John and Justin to keep an eye on her. However, they put Grandma Levenstein in the closet due to her constant complaining in her disapproval against Jim and Michelle's wedding. Stifler walked inside the closet and believed her to be Cadence that he has sex with her. Only when Kevin and Finch open the closet, he is horrified that he had sex with Jim's grandmother, who tells him to focus more. After this, she acts more friendly and kind, especially to Stifler who is still horrified by the whole thing.
In 2004, she made her film debut in "Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen" co-starring opposite Lindsay Lohan, playing the supporting role of Carla Santini, a rival of Lola (Lohan). Fox was also cast in a regular role on the ABC sitcom "Hope & Faith", in which she portrayed Sydney Shanowski, replacing Nicole Paggi. Fox appeared in seasons 2 to 3, until the show was cancelled by ABC in May 2006.
Kari McKeen (voiced by Bret Parker) is a friend of the Parrs, whom Violet calls upon to babysit Jack-Jack while the rest of the family are flying to save Mr. Incredible (in "The Incredibles"). She has taken numerous babysitting classes and feels more than adequately prepared to care for Jack-Jack in any capacity, and assures Helen Parr to that effect. She has one scene in the film, and she is heard later on Mrs. Parr's voice mail, complaining that some "very weird things" are happening; she does apparently learn all of Jack-Jack's powers as she has a defense for all of them after one day. Her eventful night with the baby (see above) is documented in the "Jack-Jack Attack" short included on the DVD release, ending with Rick Dicker erasing her memory of the incident.
In 2005, Deschanel was cast as Dr. Temperance Brennan with David Boreanaz as FBI agent Seeley Booth on the Fox crime procedural comedy-drama "Bones", based on the novels and the career of forensic anthropologist and author Kathy Reichs, created by Hart Hanson. The series ran for 12 seasons from September 13, 2005 to March 28, 2017. For her performance, she received a 2006 Satellite Award nomination and a 2007 Teen Choice Award nomination. Deschanel and Boreanaz served as co-producers at the start of the show's third season, before becoming producers in the middle of the show's fourth season. While "Bones" was still in production, Deschanel also played the Brennan character on a 2015 episode of "Sleepy Hollow" and a 2016 episode of "BoJack Horseman".
Bethany Britney Platt, played by Lucy Fallon, made her first appearance on 4 June 2000. Amy and Emily Walton shared the role of Bethany Platt from the character's birth in 2000 until 2007 when Tina O'Brien chose to quit. Mia Cookson also played the role of Bethany alongside the Walton twins in 2000. On 23 October 2014, it was announced that Bethany, now 14 years old, would return to the show. Katie Redford was initially cast in the role, but was sacked just days later before filming began after it was revealed that she was 25 years old, not 19 as she and her management had claimed. On 29 January Blackpool-born Lucy Fallon was confirmed as her replacement. She returned on 20 March 2015. Bethany's storylines have included her taking ecstasy tablets when her uncle, David Platt (Jack P. Shepherd) hid them in a toy, her infatuation with Callum Logan as well as being caught up with her family's feud with Callum.
Jennifer Leann Carpenter (born December 7, 1979) is an American actress. She is known for playing Debra Morgan, the adoptive sister of the title character of the Showtime series "Dexter", for which she earned a Saturn Award in 2009, and also for playing Rebecca Harris in the CBS television series "Limitless".
In late 2006, "The Young and the Restless" recast the role of popular daytime villainess, Sheila Carter. Originally played by Kimberlin Brown on both "The Young and the Restless" and "The Bold and the Beautiful", the character was later handed over to Michelle Stafford, who also plays Phyllis. Although this recast was mainly storyline-directed, since Sheila had plastic surgery to look like Phyllis, fans of Sheila have expressed mixed opinions regarding Brown's absence in the role.
Naomi Clark was initially developed by the series' original show-runner, Rob Thomas, who was succeeded by Gabe Sachs and Jeff Judah prior to the premiere. Early press releases described the character as a privileged, attractive, and popular teenager, prompting the media to draw comparisons to Kelly Taylor of "Beverly Hills, 90210", the first series of the franchise which launched "90210". As production of the spin-off began, the part would become more defined, with actress AnnaLynne McCord, who received the role, labeling Naomi an intelligent girl who possessed both manipulative and sensitive sides. She further described the character as "kind of a chameleon", stating that "she'll be someone with the principal and then someone else with her mother and then someone else with her friend."
Following her 1985 departure from "SNL", Louis-Dreyfus appeared in several films, including the Woody Allen-directed "Hannah and Her Sisters" (1986); "Soul Man" (1986), starring C. Thomas Howell; and "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" (1989), in which she starred alongside fellow "SNL" alum Chevy Chase. In 1987, Louis-Dreyfus appeared in the NBC sitcom pilot "The Art of Being Nick", an intended spin-off from "Family Ties" starring Scott Valentine. When the pilot did not make it to series, Louis-Dreyfus was retained by producer Gary David Goldberg for a role on his new sitcom "Day by Day", as the sarcastic and materialistic neighbor, Eileen Swift. Premiering in early 1988, "Day by Day" aired for two seasons on NBC before being cancelled.In the early 1990s, Louis-Dreyfus became famous for the role of Elaine Benes on NBC's "Seinfeld". She played the role for nine seasons, appearing in all but three episodes. One of the episodes that she did not appear in was the inaugural pilot episode, "The Seinfeld Chronicles", because her character was not initially intended to be a part of the series. It was only after the first episode that NBC executives felt the show was too male-centric, and demanded that creators Jerry Seinfeld and Larry David add a woman to the cast. It was revealed in the commentary on the DVD package that the addition of a female character was the condition for commissioning the show. Louis-Dreyfus won the role over several other actresses who would also eventually enjoy their own TV success, including Patricia Heaton, Rosie O'Donnell and Megan Mullally.
Estella Payton sometimes Estelle Payton (August 17, 1904 – December 16, 1999) was a co-star on the "Woman's World" cooking show that aired on WKRG-TV in Mobile, Alabama for decades. Payton, an African American woman, appeared with Connie Bea Hope, a white woman, on the show starting in 1956. In the early years, Payton did not appear on camera unless her hands slipped into the shot while setting up or removing utensils. Later, in the 1960s, Payton began to appear on air and she eventually received third billing on the program's opening titles, was given her own microphone, and offered comments on Hope's demonstrations. The two women were known in the station for their usually good-natured backstage squabbles.
"30 Rock" episodes were produced in a single-camera setup (with the exception of the two live episodes that were taped in the multiple-camera setup), and were filmed in New York. The pilot episode premiered on October 11, 2006, and seven seasons followed. The series stars Fey with a supporting cast that includes Alec Baldwin, Tracy Morgan, Jane Krakowski, Jack McBrayer, Scott Adsit, Judah Friedlander, Katrina Bowden, Keith Powell, Lonny Ross, John Lutz, Kevin Brown, Grizz Chapman, and Maulik Pancholy.
The CW announced on their official website that Chad Michael Murray will return as Lucas Scott for a guest appearance. Lucas returns to Tree Hill when Haley reaches out to him for help. Murray later revealed he will return for one episode. He will appear in the seventh episode of the season. Murray revealed in an interview his reasons for returning, "The fans have loved this show and rooted for every character throughout its run. I know how important Luke's return is for our fans and wanted to give them one last ‘Lucas Scott’ moment. Luke's return is for them." Former Desperate Housewives actor Richard Burgi, has been cast as Brooke's father, in a recurring role. Allison Munn and Scott Holroyd will return during season nine as Miss Lauren and David Fletcher, respectively. They will return as a couple, and she will be carrying his child. "Devin McGee"—who portrayed Brooke's attacker and Quentin's murderer, Xavier Daniels during season six—will also return during the season. James Lafferty has signed on for one extra episode, which will be the series finale. Bevin Prince will return as Bevin Mirskey in the series finale. Antwon Tanner will also be a part of the final episode.
The concept for "Parks and Recreation" did not start to form until series creators Greg Daniels and Michael Schur learned Poehler would be available to play the lead character. Once that casting was determined, the general concept for both the series and the Leslie Knope character was established. After the first season, changes were made to Leslie's character to make her appear more intelligent. Schur said this was in response to critical feedback that Leslie came across as "ditzy" during the show's first run of episodes, which Schur said was never their intention. Schur said that the show considered a backstory element for Leslie where she had been elected mayor while a teenager; this story was later used for the Ben Wyatt character.
On November 10, 2016 a member of the Parks and Recreation's writing staff wrote an open letter for Vox from the fictional character Leslie Knope on the election results.
Scott first appeared in "Parks and Recreation" starting in the penultimate second-season episode, "The Master Plan", the same episode Rob Lowe joined the regular cast as Chris Traeger. The idea of a character trying to rebuild a government career following a humiliating public failure was one of the original ideas for the protagonist of "Parks and Recreation". The idea was ultimately abandoned in favor of Leslie Knope's character, but those early ideas were ultimately incorporated into Ben Wyatt. Ben's role as a state auditor, and Pawnee's subsequent budget problems, were conceived from global economic crisis and news reports about government services getting shut down around the country. Scott described his character as "someone who jumped in on a moving train" in trying to integrate with the other characters. Ben was expected to become a love interest for Leslie Knope from his earliest conception. In addition to the growing relationship between Leslie and Ben, one of the biggest story arcs for season three was Ben's growing love of the city of Pawnee, which coincided with his romantic feelings for Leslie. Schur described Ben's character as one who never had a firm sense of home due to the excessive amount of traveling with his job, but who gradually grew to appreciate Pawnee due to the optimism and enthusiasm Leslie has for her job.
Marlene Griggs-Knope (born March 5, 1953) is a fictional character played by Pamela Reed in the American comedy television series "Parks and Recreation". She is the mother of the show's protagonist, Leslie Knope, and an important political figure in the school system at the fictional Indiana town of Pawnee, where Leslie also works as a government official. In contrast to Leslie's sweet and optimistic personality, Marlene is a tough and shrewd politician who is willing to resort to unethical tactics to get her way. Nevertheless, Marlene serves as a source of inspiration for Leslie and, although Marlene is sometimes critical of her, she is ultimately supportive of her daughter.