How has it taken this long for Aubrey Plaza to play a witch on TV? The actress re-unites with her Parks and Recreation co-star, Kathryn Hahn, in the new Marvel Studios/Disney+ series, Agatha All Along. Reprising her role from WandaVision, Hahn plays the titular Agatha Harkness, a malevolent witch stripped of her powers, who assembles a coven to walk The Witches Road (don’t get the song stuck in your head) and regain her magic. The pair share plenty of screen time in the new series, with Plaza playing Rio Vidal, an old enemy of Agatha’s. But, during their time on Parks & Rec, Plaza and Hahn never actually met on screen.
Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter at the premiere of Agatha All Along, Kathryn Hahn expressed her delight at finally sharing the screen with her old Parks & Rec alumni. “That was a dream,” Hahn said. Plaza played April Ludgate, an intern at the Pawnee parks department, and became a core member of the cast from the very first episode. Hahn first appeared as Jen Barkley, a manipulative campaign manager, in Season 4, and became a repeat guest star in the show’s final seasons. While April was chasing after and eluding Andy Dwyer (Chris Pratt), Jen Barkely made for a worthy political adversary to Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) and Ben Wyatt (Adam Scott), meaning Jen and April’s paths never crossed. Hahn continued:
“We had never had any scenes together in Parks & Rec. I think we passed eachother in hallways, but for this to be the first time we really worked together was incredible. I just think she’s such an extraordinary actor. And to be able to play with her like this was so fun.”
Could Parks and Recreation Get a Reboot?
Just like every popular sitcom from the 00s and 2010s (here’s looking at you The Office), there have long been rumors about a potential Parks & Rec revival/reboot since the show’s finale in 2015. The emotional farewell saw many members of the Pawnee Parks department go their separate ways, as the episode showed glimpses of each character’s future. No official announcement has been made by NBC about a potential reboot/revival, but it hasn’t stopped the show’s stars from weighing in with their thoughts.
Just last month, Rashida Jones (who plays Ann Perkins) said she would be more than open to a reboot of Parks and Recreation. The actress revealed that the stars of the show all keep in touch in various group chats. She hinted that everyone from the show would probably return for a reboot, but there has to be a good reason to do so. Jones said:
“We’re all still friends. We have a text chain. We talk all the time. We actually all really love each other. So, if there was a reason and a way that we would come back together, great! Doing it for the sake of doing it because nobody has any new ideas? That I don’t want to do necessarily. But yeah, I think we’re all so down if the moment’s right and the reason is right, for sure.”
Agatha All Along
releases weekly on Disney+.
Parks & Rec
is streaming on Peacock.