The fictional world of political satire often draws inspiration from real-life controversies, and one prominent example has recently come to light. Mike Schur, creator of the beloved American sitcom Parks and Recreation, has revealed that former South Carolina Governor Mark Sanford served as the direct inspiration for one of the show's most memorable characters.
The Political Scandal That Inspired Comedy
During a recent episode of the podcast Pablo Torre Finds Out, Schur disclosed that the character Councilman Bill Dexhart was based entirely on Mark Sanford and his notorious political scandals. The Republican governor's 2009 disappearance and subsequent admission of an affair provided perfect material for the show's writers.
"[Dexhart] was based entirely on Sanford, who at the time we thought was the funniest version of those guys because the lie was so outrageous and just so egregious," Schur explained during the Friday podcast episode. The connection between art and reality becomes even more striking when examining the character's dialogue.
From Real Politics to Television Satire
On Parks and Recreation, which aired from 2009 to 2015, Councilman Dexhart appears as a politician who frequently admits to sexual scandals without showing any remorse. In one particularly memorable episode, the character delivers a line that echoes Sanford's own controversies: "All I can say is, I wasn't just having sex. I was making love to a beautiful woman. And her boyfriend. And a third person whose name I never learned."
The character continues with another parallel to Sanford's real-life deception: "Furthermore, it was wrong of me to say I was building houses for the underprivileged when I was actually having four-way sex in a cave in Brazil." This directly references Sanford's 2009 disappearance, when he told staff he was hiking the Appalachian Trail while actually traveling to Argentina to conduct an affair.
Schur noted that the physical resemblance between actor Kevin Symons and the former governor played a significant role in the casting decision. The show's creators specifically sought an actor who could visually embody the Sanford persona.
Sanford's Continuing Controversies
The timing of Schur's revelation coincides with new allegations involving the former governor. Sanford initially gained notoriety in 2009 when he vanished for six days, initially claiming to be hiking before admitting to an extramarital affair. During a subsequent news conference, he confessed that during his 20-year marriage, he had "crossed the lines" many times.
This week, a new alleged affair has surfaced through political reporter Ryan Lizza, who wrote in his Substack publication that his then-fiancée, fellow journalist Olivia Nuzzi, had an affair with Sanford in 2020. Lizza's disclosure comes as Nuzzi prepares to release her memoir, American Canto, which details her separate affair with Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
The complex web of relationships between Nuzzi, Lizza, Sanford, and Kennedy has been described by The New York Times as "a media scandal drenched in sex, politics, secrets and self-dramatization." Following the revelation of her affair with RFK Jr. last year, Nuzzi left her position as White House correspondent at New York Magazine and now works as an editor at Vanity Fair.
In response to the latest allegations, Vanity Fair told The New York Times on Friday that they are reviewing the claims about Nuzzi's alleged affair with Sanford. The former governor has not yet responded to requests for comment regarding either the character inspiration or the new allegations.
