‘Parks and Rec’ Star Claims Connection To ‘Stranger Things’
By Joey Click
Parks and Recreation star Ben Schwartz, who played Jean Ralphio for the series’ 6-year run, has made a hilarious video calming his ‘Parks’ character is related to a certain resident of Hawkins, Indiana.
Warning. The following contains spoilers for Netflix’s brilliant Stranger Things. Read with caution.
This may be the strangest thing of all!
According to Entertainment Weekly, actor Ben Schwartz , best known as the annoyingly hilarious Jean-Ralphio from NBC’s Parks and Recreation, has recently been theorizing a possible paternal connection to a certain Strangers Things character.
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The character in question is Steve Harrington, the too-cool for school boyfriend of Nancy Wheeler. Steve, who eventually redeems himself in one of Stranger Things’ best moments, does resemble the Parks actor to a striking amount.
Check out two pictures below, and see if you can tell the two apart:
Joe Keery as Steve Harrington in The Duffer Brother’s ‘Stranger Things’_ Courtesy of Netflix
Ben Schwartz as Jean-Ralphio in ‘Parks and Recreation’-Courtesy of NBC
Pretty hard right? Actor Schwartz seems to think so as he’s even made a video to stake his claim.
Check out the video below, courtesy of The Late Late Show with James Corben’s Twitter account:
Of course the video is fake, but good god it’s an awesome theory. Whereas I’m a huge fan of Netflix’s Stranger Things, I also quite enjoyed Parks and Recreation; Jean Ralphio is one of TV’s all-time best recurring characters. So, given my fandom all things involved here, I eat this up faster than a fat kid with cake.
Also, the video is hilarious. When Schwartz starts talking about the conversations Jean Ralphio would have with the monster in the Upside Down, I freaking lost it. He’s a talented performer and always good for a few belly laughs.
So, do you think Steve and Jean Ralphio could be Father and Son?
Next: ‘Stranger Things’: Eleven’s Hair Goes To The Upside Down In Video
Stranger Things stars Winona Ryder, David Harbour and Finn Wolfhard. Matt Duffer and Ross Duffer created the show and Netflix produced. Netflix released Stranger Things on July 15th, 2016.
Love Stranger Things? See the family connection? Let’s the rest of the Strangers know what you think