10 Parks & Recreation Characters Who Deserve Their Own Spin-Off
3. Jean-Ralphio Saperstein
The best of all Parks and Recreation’s many side characters, Jean-Ralphio Saperstein brought more laughs than arguably some of the main cast during the show’s six-season run.
A hilariously annoying ball of energy, the brilliant Ben Schwartz made his name as Tom Haverford’s hapless best friend and occasional business partner on the series.
The pair’s stint running Entertainment 720, a money-burning venture with little to no purpose other than spending the money Jean-Ralphio received after deliberately getting himself hit by a car, ranks among the show’s highlights.
There’s also Jean-Ralphio's amusing attempts at ingratiating himself with Tom’s work colleagues, often through a mixture of flirting, word play and raps that rarely end on a rhyme. A seasoned improviser on the comedy circuit, Schwartz brought something special to the role of Jean-Ralphio. It would be great to see that replicated in a series centred on his increasingly outlandish schemes.