Jerry Gergich

Living… in anticipation of the next awkward moment. Jerry lives with his wife and three girls in Pawnee, Ind., where his story has become a catalogue of infamous incidents. 

Profession… employee of thePawnee Parks Department. Jerry’s tasks are usually minor and mundane, yet he approaches them with unbridled enthusiasm. He rarely complains, which is fortunate because he rarely does things correctly on the first try. Something as simple as stuffing envelopes could take more than one failed attempt. He’s fine with the ridicule. He’s there for the pension.

Interests… art. Despite his clumsiness at work, Jerry seems to be an exceptionally talented artist, particularly of pastoral scenes. This is ignored by practically everyone around him, since they simply don’t take him seriously in any sphere. Though his credibility isn’t helped by his habit of pronouncing mural as “murinal.”

Relationship Status… happily married for over 30 years to the shockingly beautiful Gayle Gergich. (Her attractiveness is shocking to Jerry’s co-workers, at least.) It’s Jerry’s daughters’ love lives that worry him. His co-worker Chris asked for Jerry’s permission to pursue his daughter, Millicent. Jerry was supportive at first, but Chris took the honesty thing a little too far – frequently volunteering to Jerry intimate details about their relationship. No dad wants to hear that kind of thing.

Challenge… gaining the respect of the people around him. He’s constantly the butt of jokes – about his adoptive mother, the time he was hit by a fire truck, or his habit of spilling his soup. He’s not just the biggest target, he’s also the easiest, because he’s unlikely to fight back or stand up for himself. Still, Jerry doesn’t mind. He likes his job anyway because it’s easy, it gives him plenty of time to spend with his beloved family, and it provides excellent government benefits. That’s all he’s looking for. 

Personality… sad sack, at least at the office. He’s so submerged in the sea of jokes at his expense that it’d be impossible to take him seriously at this point. As Parks Department Director Ron Swanson says, “A schlemiel is the guy who spills soup at a fancy party. A schlemazel is the guy he spills it on. Jerry is both the schlemiel and the schlemazel of our office.” But at home, Jerry seems to be a completely different guy, able to sustain a long-term, loving marriage to a gorgeous wife and raise three doting daughters. Will the real Jerry Gergich please stand up? (P.S. His real name is Garry, but that’s another story altogether.)