Paul Schneider
OF PARKS AND RECREATION ON NBC
A: City planner Mark Brendanawicz on the late-2000s NBC sitcom “Parks and Recreation” is Paul Schneider’s best-known role. But according to both him and series creator Michael Schur (“The Office,” “The Good Place”), he left to try to change that. Shortly before leaving the show, Schneider appeared in the hit indie film “Bright Star” (2009). To hear Schur tell it in a 2010 interview with the L.A. Times, Schneider wanted to pursue those sorts of meatier, big-screen roles. So his character was written off “Parks and Recreation.”
Meanwhile, Schneider, in a different interview (with Screencrush.com), said he left because he didn’t like the direction Schur was taking the character, but also said he wanted to instead pursue “more interesting” roles.
Both arguments amount to the same thing for Schneider’s career, though, and he did indeed find further success on the art-film circuit. For example, he appeared in the smashhit 2011 film “Water for Elephants,” and a few years later did a Woody Allen movie (2016’s “Cafe Society”), seemingly a must for any indie star.
He’s continued on in that vein ever since — mostly doing indies, while occasionally popping up on TV.
Most recently, he had a supporting role in the Netflix comedy series “Florida Man,” which debuted on the streamer last April. And a year earlier, he popped up in the low-budget crime drama “American Murderer” (2022).
Schneider’s currently filming the family-themed, sci-fi adventure movie “Xeno,” about a young girl who befriends and protects an alien who crash-lands near her home.