Scoop: 'Parks and Rec' collars Natalie Morales (original) (raw)

Image Credit: Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images_White Collar_‘s loss is _Parks and Recreation_‘s gain.

Natalie Morales, whose stint on the USA Network drama concluded on March 9 with the show’s season finale, is joining NBC’s Parks and Recreation for a multi-episode arc, sources confirm to me semi-exclusively.

Morales will play Lucy, a smart and funny busgirl at a local Pawnee bar.

Morales’ deal caps a busy couple of weeks for the casting gurus at Parks and Rec. As previously reported, departing Brothers & Sisters star Rob Lowe and _Party Down_‘s Adam Scott have booked recurring roles on the recently-renewed comedy. And last week it was announced that Paul Schneider (a.k.a. city planner Mark Brendanawicz) is leaving the show at the end of the season to focus on his burgeoning film career, which I’m still not happy about.