The legacy of Parks and Recreation still has fans celebrating favorite installments years later, ranging from the iconic “Treat Yo Self” episode to the “Flu Season” episode with an epic ad-lib from Chris Pratt. After a first season that is still considered to be the worst of the series, the sitcom brought in Rob Lowe and Adam Scott for Season 2, and Pawnee was never the same again. Lowe’s Chris Traeger may be best remembered for his “literally” catchphrase, and the actor opened up about it.
Chris was a pretty wholesome member of the Parks & Rec ensemble, although he hit the occasional rough patch. No matter which stage of development the character was, however, he could generally be counted upon for a “literally” at some point in an episode! Rob Lowe spoke with Entertainment Tonight about his time as Chris, and addressed the mysterious origin of “literally.” Lowe explained:
I don’t know how the ‘literally’ thing happened. I mean, clearly, I lean into that word. And I think I just leaned in maybe a little too hard one day, and then the day after that and then maybe another day after that. I like having a catchphrase. It’s fun.
Apparently, the origin of Rob Lowe’s catchphrase as Chris is just that he started saying it more often one day on set! The actor went on to share that Parks and Rec was a “lovefest” and that “we’re all still in a group text.” He plays golf with Chris Pratt – a.k.a. Andy Dwyer – weekly and recently reunited with Rashida Jones, who played Ann.
According to Lowe, they’d all “jump at the chance to be in the same room no matter what we were doing.” It remains to be seen if a Parks & Rec revival will ever happen, or even a reunion beyond the special that aired on NBC during COVID lockdown. The former West Wing and current 9-1-1: Lone Star star was not part of that special, but he hosted and later appeared as a guest of the Parks and Recollection rewatch podcast. He also hosts a podcast actually called Literally! With Rob Lowe.
Luckily, Rob Lowe is leaning into all the “literally” buzz that continues to surround him even years after Parks and Rec wrapped back in 2015. Plus, a video of every time Chris said the word on the show has accumulated more than 100,000 views on YouTube, for good reason. Take a look:
If you want to see every time Rob Lowe said “literally” as Chris Traeger at a slower pace than the 1-minute supercut, you can find all seven seasons streaming with a Peacock Premium subscription now. It may be some time before Lowe will be back in a primetime scripted series, as the fifth season of 9-1-1: Lone Star was delayed to next fall due to the WGA writers strike and SAG-AFTRA actors strike. The Fox series will have a place in the 2024 TV premiere schedule; just not for a while.