One Of Rob Lowe's Parks And Rec Co-Star Was Scared To Meet Him Because Of A Childhood Crush

"Parks and Recreation" is one of the best sitcoms of the 2010s; a time capsule of the optimism of the Obama era, the belief that government could work, and that we could come together and get the job done. Like many sitcoms, "Parks and Rec" had a rough start, as it was almost a spin-off of "The Office" — and very much felt like it at the start.

Still, it quickly found its footing, especially when it expanded its cast and added Adam Scott and Rob Lowe as Ben Wyatt and Chris Traeger. Their characters and their chemistry with the rest of the cast created one of the most beloved ensembles of the 2010s, a cast of characters that felt alive, in arguably one of the most fleshed-out fictional towns in a sitcom since Springfield in "The Simpsons." It's no wonder that the best seasons of "Parks and Recreation," according to us, are the ones where Lowe and Scott are part of the main cast.

But it's not just the main cast that makes this show so great, for just like "The Simpsons," this is a show with a large gallery of side characters that make memorable appearances and delight audiences when they show up. One of the best ones is Jennifer Barkley, a political whiz from Washington who plays dirty but acts extremely charming and sympathetic. As played by Kathryn Hahn, she is an absolute delight and immediately fits right in with the rest of the Pawnee residents, except one — Rob Lowe.

As Hahn told Lowe while he was guest-hosting "The Ellen Show," Hahn was excited about acting alongside Lowe in the show, but also scared. "I could not believe that we got to have an onscreen romance!" Hahn said. "I had to forget everything of my childhood so I could be present, because otherwise I would've exploded."

"I turned into an animal — I was like, 'Just do the job,'" Hahn added. "If my 13-year-old self had known that this was in my future, I could not have worked."

It's easy to see why Hahn would be excited and anxious about working with Lowe, and specifically having a bit of a romance with his character. As part of the Brat Pack, one of the most prolific young actor ensembles in Hollywood during the '80s, Lowe was an absolute icon and a heartthrob. This is why one of the best comedic bits of "Parks and Recreation" is that his character, Chris, is so nice and so charming that when he breaks up with Rashida Jones' Ann Perkins, she literally doesn't realize it until days later when he explains it to her.

As for Hahn, Lowe reciprocated the feeling of admiration. "How great is it when you get to tell your husband ... I tell my wife, 'I got a tough day at work today. I'm gonna go make out with Kathryn Hahn for, like, eight hours,'" Lowe quipped in that same interview.

The Jennifer and Chris pairing is just one of many that continue to delight fans all these years later, and one of the reasons "Parks and Recreation" ranked so high amongst our list of the best sitcoms of all time.