Jim O'Heir

James O'Heir (born February 4, 1962) is an American actor and comedian. He is best known for portraying Jerry Gergich on the NBC sitcom Parks and Recreation.

O'Heir first became active in Chicago theater and improv during the late 1980s and early 1990s as part of the comedic theater troupe "White Noise", and appeared in such plays as The Book of Blanche, Stumpy's Gang and Ad-Nauseam with the group. O'Heir has appeared in several films and made guest appearances on such shows as The Drew Carey Show, Friends, Boston Legal, Malcolm in the Middle, Star Trek: Voyager, 3rd Rock from the Sun, ER, Parenthood, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and Better Call Saul.

In 2000, he starred in the Comedy Central series Strip Mall as Harvey Krudup, the husband of protagonist Tammi Tyler, who was played by Julie Brown.

Early life and education O'Heir was born in Blue Island, Illinois to John and Eileen O’Heir (né O’Keefe) and was raised in nearby Lansing, Illinois. He is a graduate of the Thornton Fractional South High School in Lansing, Illinois, and of Loyola University Chicago.

Career Theatre O'Heir was active in the Chicago theater during the late 1980s and early 1990s, training and performing improvisational comedy at Chicago's Second City and as a member of the six-person sketch comedy troupe "White Noise", which formed in 1987. The group wrote and produced comedic plays that often employed bizarre humor or black comedy. Starting in November 1988, O'Heir appeared in White Noise's production of The Book of Blanche, about a woman who falls through a television screen and ends up in a fantasy world influenced by various television show genres. In July 1989, O'Heir appeared in the Chicago premiere of the Tom Griffin play The Boys Next Door at the Edgewater Theatre Center. O'Heir played Norman Bulansky, a childlike middle-aged mentally handicapped man who works at a doughnut shop.

Starting in 1990, O'Heir appeared in White Noise's Stumpy's Gang, a one-act black comedy play by Patrick Cannon. The show played at Stage Left and Strawdog Theatres in Chicago, where it developed a cult following. O'Heir played Frank Bubman, the janitor for a genetics laboratory whose job is to destroy the unsuccessful experiments, which are portrayed by puppets. Ernest Tucker of the Chicago Sun-Times described O'Heir's performance as very funny and "unforgettable",

In 2005, O'Heir played the inmate Dale Harding in Dale Wasserman's stage adaption of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest at The Theatre District in Hollywood, California. Backstage writer Terri Roberts said O'Heir stood out among the show's cast.

Film O'Heir appeared in the 1996 baseball comedy film Ed He also appeared in the 2007 family drama film Welcome to Paradise!!!.

Television O'Heir has appeared in several television shows since the 1990s and 2000s, including 3rd Rock from the Sun, The Drew Carey Show, Malcolm in the Middle, Just Shoot Me, Star Trek: Voyager, Suite Life of Zack and Cody and ER. After learning Harvey is not wealthy, Tammi makes numerous attempts to have him murdered.

In November 2003, he made a guest appearance in the tenth season episode of Friends, "The One With the Birth Mother", where he played the manager of an adoption agency.

Starting in 2009, O'Heir became a regular supporting cast member of the NBC comedy series Parks and Recreation. He originally auditioned for the role of Ron Swanson, before being cast as Jerry Gergich, a clumsy employee at a local government parks department who is routinely mocked by his fellow co-workers who also called him one of four names, Jerry, Larry, Terry, and Garry. Although the character was featured in the series since the first episode, he started to become more fully developed and play larger roles in the episodes during the second season.

In 2011, O'Heir made a guest appearance on the NBC comedy-drama series Parenthood as a bar owner. In 2013, he guest-starred on Good Luck Charlie as a couch surgeon and the owner of a couch store, and later in the year he had a main role in the Ion Television movie My Santa, as Jack, Santa's right-hand man. That same year, he appeared on Jimmy Kimmel Live as real-life Toronto mayor Rob Ford, who had recently been involved in a crack-smoking scandal. In 2016, he appeared as Sheriff Reynolds in two episodes of Brooklyn Nine-Nine. In 2016, he voiced the character "Aiden" on Harvey Beaks, the grandfather of the titular character.

In 2017, O'Heir won a Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Guest Performer in a Drama Series for The Bold and the Beautiful.

Podcasting In April 2023, O'Heir replaced Rob Lowe as co-host of the Parks and Recollection podcast, a Parks and Recreation recap show.

Filmography

Film

Television

Theatre Year Title Role Notes 2023 Catch Me If You Can Inspector Detective Levine Lead