Donna Meagle

Donna Meagle
First appearance	"Pilot"
Portrayed by	Retta
Information
Gender	Female
Occupation	Works in the Department of Parks and Recreation
Family	George (brother) Lavondrius (brother)

Donna Meagle is a fictional character in the NBC comedy Parks and Recreation. She is portrayed by Retta Sirleaf and has appeared in the show since the pilot. For the first two seasons of the show she appeared as a recurring character; she became a regular in the third season.

Background

Donna (Retta Sirleaf) is an employee of the Parks and Recreation Department. Having previously been dismissive of her coworkers, she is now accepting of them. She once donated money to David Duke, a former Grand Wizard of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan (ironically, due to her opposition towards the group), because she received a phone call promising lower taxes. She is also sought after sexually by South American men, due to her race and physical appearance, something that doesn't surprise her, saying that she "did very well" in South America when she visited. Donna loves her car, a Mercedes-Benz M-Class SUV.

Personality

She can sometimes be selfish. For example, on a hunting trip she does not particularly care about her boss Ron getting accidentally shot but becomes distraught when Tom inadvertently shoots out the windows of her car. She is affectionate towards Tom, calling him her "sweet little prince." She has become friends with Ann Perkins as she is seen giving her dating advice several times.

Critical reception

During a stand-up comedy performance at the University of Illinois at Springfield, Retta said the acting job on the show was stressful as it was unclear how long the show would stay on the air.^[1] Alan Sepinwall, television columnist with The Star-Ledger, said that season two episodes of Parks and Recreation have afforded more personality and funnier jokes to Donna and other minor characters.^[2]

References

1. ^ Dunn, Valeree (2009-10-14). "Performer Spotlight on... Retta". The UIS Journal. http://www.uis.edu/journal/artsEntertainment/2009/20091014spotlightonretta.html. Retrieved 2009-11-17. 
2. ^ Sepinwall, Alan (2009-11-05). "Parks and Recreation, "Ron and Tammy": Megan Mullally guests". The Star-Ledger (Newark, New Jersey). http://www.nj.com/entertainment/tv/index.ssf/2009/11/parks_and_recreation_ron_and_t.html. Retrieved 2009-11-06.