AceShowbiz - On the surface, NBC's beloved sitcom "Parks and Recreation" is a minefield of humor, quirks, and feel-good moments. However, behind the scenes, around the ever-approachable but often beleaguered character, Jerry Gergich, there brewed earnest concerns about the nature of jokes at his expense.

Chris Pratt has shed light on these concerns in a heart-to-heart featured in co-star Jim O'Heir's newly released book, "Welcome to Pawnee: Stories of Friendship, Waffles, and Parks and Recreation".

"I remember you, particularly more than some others, being worried about some of the Jerry bits being…mean," O'Heir tells Pratt in the book.

Pratt, who played the bumbling yet endearing Andy Dwyer, took such moments seriously. "I was concerned in some of those moments because I care about you and I love you, and I knew that there were some jokes that were, like, mean. But meaner than they were funny. If it's a joke, it's funny. But if it's mean for the sake of being mean, well, I'm not a huge fan of mean-spirited humor, and I just wanted to check in on you," Pratt responded.

O'Heir's Jerry, endearingly known for his cringeworthy moments and mistaken identity, often bore the brunt of sharp office jokes. His TV coworkers couldn't even remember his real name, calling him Gary, Larry, Lenny, or Terry.

Despite the jesting, O'Heir mentions that he did not take these jabs personally, but acknowledges the support he got from Pratt and other cast members. "Just so you know, that meant the world to me. You checked in on me, [Amy Poehler] checked in on me, and it's not like I expected everyone to check in on me, but the fact that you did was so special," O'Heir remarked.

Pratt even went a step further by refusing to participate when he found certain jokes crossing a line. He recounted an instance where a joke about Jerry involving a printer saying "Jerry sucks" went too far for him. "I don't think that's funny. I don't know about it," Pratt expressed, nor did he shy away from these moments, as he valued the overall morale and dignity of his co-star over a mere laugh.

O'Heir's experience in the show was initially uncertain. He had auditioned for the role of Ron Swanson, but eventually accepted the role of Jerry. Reflecting on this, O'Heir said, "My agents didn't know if I should do it because they'd been told that they didn't know what was going to happen with this character and they didn't want me to feel like an extra. I thought, these are the guys who did 'The Office' and I knew what had happened to Kevin, Phyllis, Stanley, Angela. All of those side characters had become major players."

As "Welcome to Pawnee" makes waves, it brings out behind-the-scenes camaraderie, reminding fans that even in a show driven by humor, the heart of its cast ensures that respect always comes first.