Rand Paul canceled 'Parks and Recreation' cameo

Sen. Rand Paul was apparently set to appear on NBC’s “Parks and Recreation” for its recent episode filmed in Washington, but one of the show’s co-creators says the Kentucky Republican backed out at the last minute.

Responding to a question about which dream guests he had hoped to land over the course of the show’s seven-season run, Michael Schur told HitFix that the show’s plot and timeline also prevented the show’s producers from asking a certain Democratic presidential front-runner to appear.


“Hillary Clinton, but that became impossible once we jumped to 2017, because we would’ve had to have answered a question that she probably wouldn’t have wanted us to even pose at this point,” Schur said.

A February episode featured appearances from a bipartisan crowd of politicos, including Democratic Sens. Barbara Boxer of California, Kirsten Gillibrand of New York and Cory Booker of New Jersey; GOP Sens. Orrin Hatch of Utah and John McCain of Arizona; and former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright.

But at least one senator turned down the chance to rub elbows with Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler).

“We also wanted Rand Paul to be in the Washington episode, and he agreed, but then bailed at the eleventh hour. I think he thought we were making fun of him or something, which we were not, at all,” Schur said, adding that it was meant to be a flattering comparison to the show’s Ron Swanson character (Nick Offerman).

”I get the sense that maybe interpreting writing and humor is not his strong suit,” he said.