Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally cajoled Patricia Clarkson into doing Parks & Recreation

The legend of Tammys One and Two (and Zero) is a beloved subplot of Parks & Recreation. That’s partially because of the hilarious writing, which saw Ron Swanson (Nick Offerman) juggling two formidable ex-wives and a mother who all shared the ominous moniker “Tammy.” But it’s also due to brilliant casting with Paula Pell playing Tamara Swanson, Megan Mullally playing the chaotic Tammy Two, and Patricia Clarkson playing the cold and intimidating Tammy One.

Recently speaking with The A.V. Club to promote her new film Monica, Clarkson reveals that the real-life couple of Offerman and Mullally convinced her to join the NBC sitcom. “I’m friends with Nick and Megan, and Nick was like, ‘You have to play Tammy One,’” Clarkson says. “So I was hanging out with them one night in Los Angeles, and they said, ‘We’re not leaving until you say you’re doing Tammy One.’ I said, ‘Oh my God,’” she laughs. “Blame it on Nick and Megan. … And so I ended up doing Tammy One, baby. Come on.”

The Sharp Objects alum says she “[worships] everybody on Parks & Rec,” adding that “Amy Poehler is one of the great actresses, who’s just brilliantly funny.” She adds that she’s still friends with Aubrey Plaza after having “so much fun” on the day of the infamous prairie drink-off. “They’re even funnier” behind the scenes than on the show, Clarkson shares, “Because remember, they’re doing all of these takes that don’t always make it in, and every single take that these brilliant comedic actors do is gold, but they can only use one take. But I got to see ten brilliant takes. So it’s very intimidating. Very.”

Another great experience working with comedic stars was her feature in a music video by The Lonely Island on Saturday Night Live. “Motherlover, baby. Yeah,” she says fondly. “I got a call, and they said ‘Do you wanna come do a video for us? You and Susan Sarandon would play the mothers. And I said, ‘What are we actually doing?’” Clarkson was impressed by how “brilliant” the SNL team was, shooting on Friday and getting the finished video on screen by Saturday night. She was happy to say yes when she got a call from the show’s producer, though she did have questions: “I said, ‘Is there nudity?’ And they said, ‘No, Patty, it’s on SNL.’ And I said, ‘Well, you know, you never know.’”