Tom Haverford
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Parks and Recreation Character Guide
Tom Haverford is a fictional character in the NBC comedy-drama Parks and Recreation. He is a sarcastic and underachieving government official for the city of Pawnee. He is portrayed by Aziz Ansari.
Tom Haverford is Indian American. He works as Leslie Knope's immediate subordinate at the Pawnee Parks and Recreation department, often serving as her right-hand man.
Tom married his college friend Wendy, a Canadian resident, to get her U.S. citizenship. This green card marriage was so successfully hidden because people always assumed Tom was the one who would need citizenship, which he could prove wrong because he was born in South Carolina. Despite the marriage, Tom aggressively flirts with other women, which has prompted confusion from people unfamiliar with his arrangement with Wendy.
He is constantly pursuing women even during his marriage, as far as going to clubs, hitting on Ann Perkins, and judging at the Miss Pawnee pageant.
Tom appears lazy about his work at the parks department and regularly undermines Leslie. He plays online Scrabble against his superior, Ron Swanson, during work time and loses on purpose in order to further his career. Ron, who believes in as little government interference as possible, approvingly states of Tom, "He doesn't do a lot of work around here. He shows zero initiative. He's not a team player. He never wants to go that extra mile. Tom is exactly what I'm looking for in a government employee."
Tom is often chosen to go on field projects with Leslie. He is also known for abusing his small amount of public power for self-benefit.
Ron discovers Tom's arranged marriage with Wendy Haverford but agrees to keep it secret. Tom and Wendy get a divorce shortly after she gets her citizenship. Although he initially appears fine, Tom realizes he did in fact harbor feelings for Wendy and regrets the parting.
When Ben Wyatt sets up a youth basketball league, Tom uses his uniform from the footwear outlet to act as the referee. He gives preferential treatment to Andy Dwyer out of jealousy that Ron Swanson is dating his ex-wife Wendy.
As an attempt to exact revenge on Ron, Tom brings Ron's ex-wife Tammy 2 as a date to an event organized by the parks department in "Ron & Tammy: Part 2." The night ends in chaos with Ron and Tammy being arrested and getting married. Tom tries to stop Ron from proceeding with Tammy, which causes Tammy to beat him senseless. Realizing Tammy is still a horrible woman, Ron breaks up with her and carries Tom off in a huff.
In "The Fight", the parks department comes out to The Snakehole Lounge bar for the debut of Tom's new drink "Snake Juice." Chris forces Tom to sell his shares in The Snakehole Lounge because it conflicts with his government job, much to his disappointment.
In "Li'l Sebastian," Tom and his friend Jean-Ralphio Saperstein successfully organize Li'l Sebastian's memorial service, which helps inspire Tom to leave City Hall to start an entertainment company with Jean-Ralphio.
Tom begins working at Entertainment 720. In "Ron and Tammys", Tom tasks Ben with helping out with his grossly mismanaged new company. Entertainment 720 goes bankrupt after quickly blowing through their funding while doing little actual work.
Ron tries to persuade Tom to take his old job back. Tom initially refuses but eventually agrees to return to the parks department in "The Treaty."
Tom finally begins what appears to be a reputable business, based on an idea he came up with during a fundraiser for Jerry in "Halloween Surprise." The idea, aptly titled "Rent-a-Swag" is to rent his own high-end clothing to middle school boys whose mothers won't buy them nice things through puberty.
Rent-a-Swag is offered a deal to be bought out. Tom rejects the offer and so a counter-attack, the client will open a store across the street from Rent-a-Swag called "Tommy's Closet" which is the exact same idea as Rent-a-Swag but sells baby's, grown-up and elder's high fashion clothes. Business at Rent-a-Swag is dead because of Tommy's Closet.
Tom goes on yet another business venture that he calls "Tom's Bistro," which turns out to be wildly successful at its opening after the Unity Concert.
Tom's Bistro is one of the most successful businesses in Pawnee. After being persuaded by Andy, Tom goes to Chicago to visit his ex-girlfriend Lucy to try to get her back. After discovering that she has a boyfriend, he panics and asks her to work at the bistro. She agrees and moves back to Pawnee.
After going to visit her boyfriend, Lucy comes back to Pawnee to tell Tom that she and her boyfriend have just broken up. He later asks her to come with him to Donna's wedding, but nervously adds that they would only be going as coworkers. After much contemplation, he tells Lucy that he would like to go as her date, to which she agrees.
In "Two Funerals," Leslie convinces Tom that he should propose to Lucy when he picks her up from the airport. With Leslie and Jean-Ralphio's help, he shoots a proposal action movie trailer for Lucy. When Lucy arrives at the airport, Tom tells Leslie that he can't give her the movie, and tells her to get a vase of flowers, pancakes from JJ's Diner, and a deck of cards, and to meet him at The Snakehole Lounge.
He takes Lucy to the lounge, where he sets up a table with the pancakes and flowers, reenacting his and Lucy's first date in the place they first met . He recalls how he tried to show her a card trick and attempts to do it again. When Lucy picks her card, it says "Will you marry me?" Lucy says yes, and the two hug.
In "One Last Ride", his future montage shows that at the advice of his Senior Advisory Board, he attempts to expand his business, which ultimately fails. He then authors two self-help bestsellers and reacquires Tom's Bistros.
Tom Haverford is Indian American. He works as Leslie Knope's immediate subordinate at the Pawnee Parks and Recreation department, often serving as her right-hand man.
Tom married his college friend Wendy, a Canadian resident, to get her U.S. citizenship. This green card marriage was so successfully hidden because people always assumed Tom was the one who would need citizenship, which he could prove wrong because he was born in South Carolina. Despite the marriage, Tom aggressively flirts with other women, which has prompted confusion from people unfamiliar with his arrangement with Wendy.
He is constantly pursuing women even during his marriage, as far as going to clubs, hitting on Ann Perkins, and judging at the Miss Pawnee pageant.
Tom appears lazy about his work at the parks department and regularly undermines Leslie. He plays online Scrabble against his superior, Ron Swanson, during work time and loses on purpose in order to further his career. Ron, who believes in as little government interference as possible, approvingly states of Tom, "He doesn't do a lot of work around here. He shows zero initiative. He's not a team player. He never wants to go that extra mile. Tom is exactly what I'm looking for in a government employee."
Tom is often chosen to go on field projects with Leslie. He is also known for abusing his small amount of public power for self-benefit.
Ron discovers Tom's arranged marriage with Wendy Haverford but agrees to keep it secret. Tom and Wendy get a divorce shortly after she gets her citizenship. Although he initially appears fine, Tom realizes he did in fact harbor feelings for Wendy and regrets the parting.
When Ben Wyatt sets up a youth basketball league, Tom uses his uniform from the footwear outlet to act as the referee. He gives preferential treatment to Andy Dwyer out of jealousy that Ron Swanson is dating his ex-wife Wendy.
As an attempt to exact revenge on Ron, Tom brings Ron's ex-wife Tammy 2 as a date to an event organized by the parks department in "Ron & Tammy: Part 2." The night ends in chaos with Ron and Tammy being arrested and getting married. Tom tries to stop Ron from proceeding with Tammy, which causes Tammy to beat him senseless. Realizing Tammy is still a horrible woman, Ron breaks up with her and carries Tom off in a huff.
In "The Fight", the parks department comes out to The Snakehole Lounge bar for the debut of Tom's new drink "Snake Juice." Chris forces Tom to sell his shares in The Snakehole Lounge because it conflicts with his government job, much to his disappointment.
In "Li'l Sebastian," Tom and his friend Jean-Ralphio Saperstein successfully organize Li'l Sebastian's memorial service, which helps inspire Tom to leave City Hall to start an entertainment company with Jean-Ralphio.
Tom begins working at Entertainment 720. In "Ron and Tammys", Tom tasks Ben with helping out with his grossly mismanaged new company. Entertainment 720 goes bankrupt after quickly blowing through their funding while doing little actual work.
Ron tries to persuade Tom to take his old job back. Tom initially refuses but eventually agrees to return to the parks department in "The Treaty."
Tom finally begins what appears to be a reputable business, based on an idea he came up with during a fundraiser for Jerry in "Halloween Surprise." The idea, aptly titled "Rent-a-Swag" is to rent his own high-end clothing to middle school boys whose mothers won't buy them nice things through puberty.
Rent-a-Swag is offered a deal to be bought out. Tom rejects the offer and so a counter-attack, the client will open a store across the street from Rent-a-Swag called "Tommy's Closet" which is the exact same idea as Rent-a-Swag but sells baby's, grown-up and elder's high fashion clothes. Business at Rent-a-Swag is dead because of Tommy's Closet.
Tom goes on yet another business venture that he calls "Tom's Bistro," which turns out to be wildly successful at its opening after the Unity Concert.
Tom's Bistro is one of the most successful businesses in Pawnee. After being persuaded by Andy, Tom goes to Chicago to visit his ex-girlfriend Lucy to try to get her back. After discovering that she has a boyfriend, he panics and asks her to work at the bistro. She agrees and moves back to Pawnee.
After going to visit her boyfriend, Lucy comes back to Pawnee to tell Tom that she and her boyfriend have just broken up. He later asks her to come with him to Donna's wedding, but nervously adds that they would only be going as coworkers. After much contemplation, he tells Lucy that he would like to go as her date, to which she agrees.
In "Two Funerals," Leslie convinces Tom that he should propose to Lucy when he picks her up from the airport. With Leslie and Jean-Ralphio's help, he shoots a proposal action movie trailer for Lucy. When Lucy arrives at the airport, Tom tells Leslie that he can't give her the movie, and tells her to get a vase of flowers, pancakes from JJ's Diner, and a deck of cards, and to meet him at The Snakehole Lounge.
He takes Lucy to the lounge, where he sets up a table with the pancakes and flowers, reenacting his and Lucy's first date in the place they first met . He recalls how he tried to show her a card trick and attempts to do it again. When Lucy picks her card, it says "Will you marry me?" Lucy says yes, and the two hug.
In "One Last Ride", his future montage shows that at the advice of his Senior Advisory Board, he attempts to expand his business, which ultimately fails. He then authors two self-help bestsellers and reacquires Tom's Bistros.