Andy Dwyer wasn't always intended to be a series regular on Parks and Recreation. The lovable goofball was played by marvel-alumni Chris Pratt for all seven series of the NBC sitcom. His popularity in the series helped jumpstart his career as a movie superstar. However, the character was originally written to be limited to Parks and Recreation season 1.
When Andy was first introduced in Parks and Rec, he was the boyfriend of Ann Perkins. Andy fell into the pit behind Ann's house prior to the events of the series and suffered from two broken legs. Leslie Knope used Andy's injuries to fight for the pit to be filled in. With two leg casts, Ann was forced into pampering Andy. Due to this treatment, he delayed getting his casts removed and when Ann found this out, she angrily broke up with him. Rather than disappear from the series, Andy returned in season 2 to win back Ann.
Andy was never the brightest character on the series in terms of intelligence, but he was extremely loyal. After getting a job as a shoe shiner in the Pawnee City Hall building, he became good friends with April Ludgate. That friendship later turned romantic and they became one of the core couples of the series. Initially, Andy was only supposed to appear in a handful of episodes in season 1. Pratt was considered as a guest star with no plans to return for season 2 or beyond. Andy's various personas presented some of the best comedic moments of the series, and the lack of his character would have been a detriment to the series. Due to Pratt's portrayal of Andy, the Parks and Rec creative team quickly changed their original plan.
Why Chris Pratt Was Promoted To Series Regular In Parks & Rec Season 2
After Pratt was cast, the producers instantly knew they had to bump up Andy to a regular character in Parks and Rec season 2. Pratt's performance as a slacker who was trying to get his life on track to impress a girl opened the eyes of the crew. They knew that the character couldn't be wasted with such a short arc. He was instantly seen as a fan-favorite character and it would have been a major loss if Andy left the series. Pratt was obviously game for whatever they threw at him in the sitcom. The actor even gained weight to further encapsulate the image of Andy. Pratt's weight gain supposedly prevented him from being cast in movies in the early years of Parks and Rec, but thankfully that didn't last long, and Pratt was cast in iconic roles for franchises like the MCU, the The Lego Movie, and Jurassic World.
During Pratt's time on the series, he landed his breakthrough role as Star-Lord in Guardians of the Galaxy. The actor was absent for a short time in Parks and Rec season 6 to film the movie, but he returned before the season closed out. Pratt also appeared regularly in the show's seventh and final season. Even though he was subsequently working as a huge movie star, Pratt never considered leaving Parks and Recreation.