casting couch

Parks and Recreation Has Its Tammy 1

Photo: Frederick M. Brown/2011 Getty Images
BEVERLY HILLS, CA - JULY 27:  Actress Patricia Clarkson speaks during the 'Five' panel during the Lifetime portion of the 2011 Summer TCA Tour at the Beverly Hilton on July 27, 2011 in Beverly Hills, California.  (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
Patricia Clarkson. Photo: Frederick M. Brown/2011 Getty Images

The biggest casting item of the year is upon us: Parks and Recreation has found its Tammy 1 in Patricia Clarkson. Clarkson does in fact seem like she has the inner steeliness to frighten Ron Swanson (and terrify Tammy 2), but she also has a very different energy to Megan Mullally. Parks’ showrunner Mike Schur told the AV Club that he was envisioning someone in the Rosalind Russell vein for the role, and that since we know Ron’s preference for dark-haired women, the actress would need to be a brunette. (Presumably a wig will suffice?) Clarkson has Russell’s same unflappable alto vibe, plus proven comedy chops and the kind of sultriness that speaks to the Ron Swanson in all of us. This is so perfect something else probably just got jinxed really badly. [TVLine]

Parks and Recreation Has Its Tammy 1