Paul Schneider

Paul Andrew Schneider is an American actor widely known for his role as Mark Brendanawicz on the first two seasons of the NBC sitcom Parks and Recreation. He won a Best Actor in a Narrative Feature award at the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival for his performance in Angus Maclachlan's Goodbye to All That and the Best Supporting Actor Award from the National Society of Film Critics for his performance as Charles Armitage Brown in Bright Star.

In 2000, Schneider made his film debut in George Washington and starred in All the Real Girls. As research for his role as Jesse Baylor in Elizabethtown, director Cameron Crowe suggested that Schneider tour with the band My Morning Jacket for five days beginning June 1, 2004. Schneider accompanied the band to concerts held in such locations as Irving Plaza, the Webster Theater, the Theater of the Living Arts, and Stone Pony Landing.

After Elizabethtown, Schneider had supporting roles in The Family Stone and Live Free or Die. In 2007, he portrayed Gus Lindstrom in Lars and the Real Girl and Dick Liddil in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. He was subsequently named one of the "Ten Actors to Watch" by Variety. In 2008, he made his directorial debut with the independent film Pretty Bird. Also in 2008, Schneider played President William Henry Harrison in a short parody miniseries called Drunk History Vol. 4.

In 2009, Schneider appeared as Charles Armitage Brown in the film Bright Star, for which he won the Best Supporting Actor Award from the National Society of Film Critics. The award was shared with Christoph Waltz for Inglourious Basterds. He portrayed Courtney Farlander in Away We Go.

Schneider co-starred in the NBC series Parks and Recreation as Mark Brendanawicz from 2009 to 2010. His character did not return at any point during the rest of the series, despite producers' claims that they wished to have him back, nor was he mentioned at all by any other characters. Schneider stated that he was not interested in returning to the show, and had never been contacted about it, adding that he found himself having little interest in promoting his career and was considering retiring from show business altogether.