Nicholas David Offerman (born June 26, 1970) is an American actor, writer, comedian, producer, and carpenter. He is best known for his role as
Ron Swanson in the
NBC sitcom ''
Parks and Recreation'', for which he received the
Television Critics Association Award for Individual Achievement in Comedy and was twice nominated for the
. Offerman is also known for his role in ''
The Founder'', in which he portrays
Richard McDonald, one of the brothers who developed the fast-food chain
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is an American multinational fast food chain, founded in 1940 as a restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald, in San Bernardino, California, United States. They rechristened their business as a hambur ...
. His first major television role following the end of ''Parks and Recreation'' was as Karl Weathers in the
second season of the
FX black comedy
Black comedy, also known as dark comedy, morbid humor, or gallows humor, is a style of comedy that makes light of subject matter that is generally considered taboo, particularly subjects that are normally considered serious or painful to disc ...
crime drama
Crime films, in the broadest sense, is a film genre inspired by and analogous to the crime fiction literary genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and its detection. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and comb ...
series ''
Fargo'', for which he received a nomination for the
Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Movie/Miniseries. Since 2018, Offerman has co-hosted the NBC reality competition series, ''
Making It'', with
Amy Poehler; he and Poehler have received two nominations for the
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Competition Program.
Offerman served as an executive producer for the film ''
The House of Tomorrow'', in which he also starred. He has provided voice-work for
''The Lego Movie'' franchise, ''
Hotel Transylvania 2'', ''
Ice Age: Collision Course'', and the
''Sing'' film franchise and played Agent Powers on ''
Gravity Falls''. In 2020, Offerman hosted ''
Have A Good Trip: Adventures in Psychedelics'' on
Netflix
Netflix, Inc. is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and production company based in Los Gatos, California. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph in Scotts Valley, California, it offers a ...
.
Early life
Offerman was born in
Joliet, Illinois
Joliet ( ) is a city in Will and Kendall counties in the U.S. state of Illinois, southwest of Chicago. It is the county seat of Will County. At the 2020 census, the city was the third-largest in Illinois, with a population of 150,362.
His ...
, and grew up in nearby
Minooka.
He is the son of Cathy (''née'' Roberts), a nurse, and Ric Offerman, who taught social studies at a junior high school in nearby
Channahon. Offerman was raised
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
. Offerman attended
Minooka Community High School
Minooka Community High School, or MCHS, is a public four-year high school located in Minooka, Illinois, a southwest suburb of Chicago, in the United States. It is part of Minooka Community High School District 111.
History
The doors to the hig ...
. He received a
Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the
University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (U of I, Illinois, University of Illinois, or UIUC) is a public land-grant research university in Illinois in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana. It is the flagship institution of the Un ...
in 1993.
That year, he and a group of fellow students co-founded the
Defiant Theatre, a Chicago-based theatre company.
Career
Acting
Offerman lived in Chicago in the mid-1990s, where he participated with theater companies such as
Steppenwolf,
Goodman, and Wisdom Bridge. At Steppenwolf, he also worked as a
fight choreographer
Stage combat, fight craft or fight choreography is a specialised technique in theatre designed to create the illusion of physical combat without causing harm to the performers. It is employed in live stage plays as well as operatic and ballet p ...
and
master carpenter. During this time, Offerman became acquainted with
Amy Poehler, who was heavily involved with the Chicago
improv comedy scene.
In 2003, he married ''
Will & Grace'' actress
Megan Mullally. Offerman has also appeared on her talk show, ''
The Megan Mullally Show
''The Megan Mullally Show'' is an American talk show hosted by Megan Mullally that debuted in syndication on September 18, 2006, and was cancelled in January 2007 due to its low ratings.09 January 2007Megan Mullally Show Cancelled MSNBC News. Earl ...
''. At the same time, he began appearing on television as a plumber on ''Will & Grace'' on its fourth season's
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated on various dates in the United States, Canada, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Liberia, and unofficially in countries like Brazil and Philippines. It is also observed in the Netherlander town of Leiden ...
episode, on ''
The King of Queens'', in three episodes of ''
24'', and in an episode of ''
The West Wing''. Prior to ''Parks and Recreation'', his most prominent role was as a factory worker and
Benny Lopez's love interest Randy McGee on ''
George Lopez''. He appeared twice on ''
Gilmore Girls
''Gilmore Girls'' is an American comedy-drama television series created by Amy Sherman-Palladino and starring Lauren Graham (Lorelai Gilmore) and Alexis Bledel ( Rory Gilmore). The show debuted on October 5, 2000, on The WB and became a flag ...
'', in 2003's "The Festival of Living Art" and 2005's "Always a Godmother, Never a God" and in the third-season episode of ''
Monk
A monk (, from el, μοναχός, ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a person who practices religious asceticism by monastic living, either alone or with any number of other monks. A monk may be a person who decides to dedic ...
'', "Mr. Monk and the Election" as a helper for the campaign of Natalie Teeger. In 2007, Offerman co-starred in the
Comedy Central series ''
American Body Shop
''American Body Shop'' is an American comedy series that aired on Comedy Central from July 8 until September 19, 2007 that revolves around a dysfunctional body shop in suburban Phoenix, Arizona and the accident-prone crew that works there.
The sh ...
''.
In 2009, ''The Office'' producers
Michael Schur and
Greg Daniels offered Offerman a regular supporting role in their
NBC sitcom ''
Parks and Recreation'': that of
Ron Swanson, the deadpan, government-hating, libertarian head of a city parks department and boss of
Amy Poehler's character
Leslie Knope.
''
Slate'' magazine declared Offerman "''Parks and Recreation'' secret weapon", and said he regularly stole scenes and "has a gift for understated physical comedy." The role weaves antagonism and political philosophy with humanity, while the intense
libertarian
Libertarianism (from french: libertaire, "libertarian"; from la, libertas, "freedom") is a political philosophy that upholds liberty as a core value. Libertarians seek to maximize autonomy and political freedom, and minimize the state's en ...
philosophy the character lives out is often played off against the equally intense social liberalism and "do-gooder" mentality of Poehler's character. Offerman said that supporting parts such as that of ''Parks and Recreation'' are his ideal roles, and that he draws particular inspiration from Reverend
Jim Ignatowski, the character played by
Christopher Lloyd
Christopher Allen Lloyd (born October 22, 1938) is an American actor. He has appeared in many theater productions, films, and on television since the 1960s. He is known for portraying Dr. Emmett "Doc" Brown in the ''Back to the Future'' tril ...
in the sitcom ''
Taxi''.
Offerman has also been featured in the
Adult Swim
Adult Swim (AS; stylized as dult swim'' and often abbreviated as s'') is an American adult-oriented night-time cable television channel that shares channel space with the basic cable network Cartoon Network and is programmed by its in-house ...
series ''
Childrens Hospital'' with
Rob Corddry and
Rob Huebel. He is the voice of Axe Cop in the animated series of the
same name that premiered on July 27, 2013. In the same year, Offerman portrayed
Johnny Cool in the "Boston" episode of
Derek Waters' ''
Drunk History'' on
Comedy Central. In 2014, he portrayed a lovesick German talk show host in
The Decemberists' video, ''Make You Better'' . The same year, he also appeared in a short film
The Gunfighter
''The Gunfighter'' is a 1950 American Western film directed by Henry King and starring Gregory Peck, Helen Westcott, Millard Mitchell and Karl Malden. It was written by screenwriters William Bowers and William Sellers, with an uncredited rewri ...
directed by
Eric Kissack. Nick played the role of the narrator of the film where the actors of the film break the fourth wall and are able to hear the narrator.
Offerman can be seen on the big screen briefly as a construction worker in City of Angels (1998) and later in other films such as ''
November'' (2004), ''
Cursed'' (2005), ''
Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous'' (2005), ''
Sin City'' (2005), ''
The Men Who Stare at Goats
''The Men Who Stare at Goats'' (2004) is a non-fiction work by Jon Ronson concerning the U.S. Army's exploration of New Age concepts and the potential military applications of the paranormal. The title refers to attempts to kill goats by sta ...
'' (2009) and ''
The Kings of Summer'' (2013). He also appeared in the 2006 film ''
Wristcutters: A Love Story'' as a cop who attempts to arrest
Shannyn Sossamon's character, Mikal. 2012 saw him in two film roles, as ''
21 Jump Streets Deputy Chief Hardy and in ''
Casa de Mi Padre'' as DEA Agent Parker. He reprised his role as Deputy Chief Hardy in ''
22 Jump Street'' two years later. Additionally, he starred in and produced an independent film, ''
Somebody Up There Likes Me'' (2012), shot in Austin, Texas. He appeared in the 2013 comedy ''
We're the Millers'', which starred
Jason Sudeikis
Daniel Jason Sudeikis ( ; born September 18, 1975) is an American actor, comedian, producer, and writer. In the 1990s, he began his career in improv comedy and performed with ComedySportz, iO Chicago (Improv Olympic), and The Second City. In 200 ...
and
Jennifer Aniston
Jennifer Joanna Aniston (born February 11, 1969) is an American actress and film producer. She is the recipient of various accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award, a Golden Globe Award and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. Since her career ...
, and voiced MetalBeard in ''
The Lego Movie''. Offerman conceived of and starred in punk band
FIDLAR's 2013 video for their song "Cocaine". Offerman also played an alcoholic college guidance counselor in ''
Believe Me''. Offerman played the
recurring role Karl Weathers in the second season of ''
Fargo ''(2015). Offerman voiced Grandpa Mike alongside wife Megan Mullally who voiced Grandma Linda in ''
Hotel Transylvania 2'' (2015). He portrayed the first establisher of McDonald's,
Dick McDonald, in ''
The Founder'' (2016). Offerman also starred in alternative rock band
They Might Be Giants
They Might Be Giants (often abbreviated as TMBG) is an American alternative rock band formed in 1982 by John Flansburgh and John Linnell. During TMBG's early years, Flansburgh and Linnell frequently performed as a duo, often accompanied by a dr ...
' 2018 video for their song "The Greatest.
Woodworking
In addition to acting, Offerman is also a professional boat builder and has a side business as a wood craftsman. Offerman makes furniture and other wooden structures such as canoes and boats at his woodshop. He also released an instructional DVD in 2008 titled ''Fine Woodstrip Canoe Building with Nick Offerman'', shot by
Jimmy DiResta. DiResta's pay for shooting the DVD was a canoe, the second Offerman has built.
He has been featured in, and contributed articles to, the magazine ''
Fine Woodworking
''Fine Woodworking'' is a woodworking magazine published by Taunton Press in Newtown, Connecticut, USA.
History and profile
The magazine began publication in 1975, with simple monochrome printing and stapled monochrome covers.
The magazine focu ...
''.
Writing
Offerman has released four semi-autobiographical publications: the first, ''Paddle Your Own Canoe: One Man's Fundamentals for Delicious Living'' was released in 2013; his second, ''Gumption: Relighting the Torch of Freedom with America's Gutsiest Troublemakers'', was released May 26, 2015; the third, ''Good Clean Fun: Misadventures in Sawdust at Offerman Woodshop'', was released October 18, 2016. His fourth book, ''Where the Deer and the Antelope Play: The Pastoral Observations of One Ignorant American Who Loves to Walk Outside'', was released October 12, 2021. He has also narrated all four as audiobooks.
Comedy tours
In 2017, Offerman launched his ''Full Bush Tour'' which consisted of 28 shows across the U.S. and Canada. His ''All Rise Tour'' kicked off on July 20, 2019, in Thackerville and continued through the rest of 2019, hitting major cities: Chicago, San Francisco, Washington DC, Philadelphia, New York, Detroit, and Atlanta.
Theatre
In 2014, Offerman and Mullally starred alongside each other in the off-Broadway one-act play, ''Annapurna''. The two play an estranged couple that reunites one last time. In 2015, Offerman starred as Ignatius J. Reilly in a theatrical adaptation of ''
A Confederacy of Dunces'' with the Huntington Theatre Company.
Personal life
Offerman married actress
Megan Mullally on September 20, 2003. They met while acting in ''The Berlin Circle'',
a play produced by the Evidence Room Theatre Company, and married after dating for 18 months. While they were still dating, Offerman appeared in a guest role on Mullally's sitcom, ''
Will & Grace'', in a 2001
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving is a national holiday celebrated on various dates in the United States, Canada, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Liberia, and unofficially in countries like Brazil and Philippines. It is also observed in the Netherlander town of Leiden ...
episode. He later guest-starred in a different role in a 2018 episode. Mullally also had a recurring role on her husband's sitcom, ''
Parks and Recreation'' as
Ron Swanson's second former wife, Tammy 2. The couple have also appeared together in films such as ''
The Kings of Summer'' and ''
Smashed'', as well as performing voice work together in ''
Hotel Transylvania 2'', ''
Bob's Burgers
''Bob's Burgers'' is an American adult animated sitcom created by Loren Bouchard that premiered on Fox on January 9, 2011. The show centers on the Belcher family—parents Bob and Linda and their three children, Tina, Gene, and Louise—wh ...
'', and ''
The Great North''.
Offerman and Mullally did a live comedy tour in 2016, the theme of which was their sex life.
Offerman and Mullally launched a podcast in 2019, ''In Bed with Nick and Megan'', discussing their personal lives and interviewing guests.
Politics
On whether he is a
libertarian
Libertarianism (from french: libertaire, "libertarian"; from la, libertas, "freedom") is a political philosophy that upholds liberty as a core value. Libertarians seek to maximize autonomy and political freedom, and minimize the state's en ...
like his character Ron Swanson, Offerman has stated, "While I admire the philosophy of the libertarian mindset, I think it's proven to be ineffectual in actual governance. So no, I'm not. I'm a free-thinking American." Offerman was critical of
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...
describing him as racist and sexist. However he also mocked Trump's democratic opponent
Hillary Clinton
Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton ( Rodham; born October 26, 1947) is an American politician, diplomat, and former lawyer who served as the 67th United States Secretary of State for President Barack Obama from 2009 to 2013, as a United States sen ...
over her use of a private email server. Upon voting in the
2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries in his home state of
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
, Offerman
tweeted a photo of himself with an "I Voted" sticker, adding the caption "''#VoteWarren''", referring to the
Democratic Senator
A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...
from
Massachusetts
Massachusetts (Massachusett: ''Muhsachuweesut Massachusett_writing_systems.html" ;"title="nowiki/> məhswatʃəwiːsət.html" ;"title="Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət">Massachusett writing systems">məhswatʃəwiːsət'' En ...
and then-presidential candidate,
Elizabeth Warren
Elizabeth Ann Warren ( née Herring; born June 22, 1949) is an American politician and former law professor who is the senior United States senator from Massachusetts, serving since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party and regarded as ...
.
In June 2020, he tweeted his support for
Charles Booker, a progressive Democratic candidate in the
U.S. Senate Democratic primary in Kentucky.
Filmography
Film
Television
Theatre
Video games
Theme park attractions
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Offerman, Nick
1970 births
20th-century American comedians
21st-century American comedians
20th-century American male actors
21st-century American male actors
Actors from Joliet, Illinois
American carpenters
American male film actors
American male stage actors
American male television actors
American male voice actors
American podcasters
American woodworkers
Living people
Male actors from Chicago
People from Minooka, Illinois
Writers from Joliet, Illinois
University of Illinois College of Fine and Applied Arts alumni
Catholics from Illinois
Comedians from Illinois