Nick Offerman
| Nick Offerman | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Offerman in October 2013 | |
| Born |
June 26, 1970 Minooka, Illinois, U.S. |
| Alma mater | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (BFA) |
| Occupation | Actor, comedian, writer, musician, humorist, carpenter |
| Years active | 1997–present |
| Spouse(s) | Megan Mullally (m. 2003) |
| Website |
www |
Nick Offerman (born June 26, 1970) is an American actor, comedian, writer, musician, humorist, and carpenter widely known for his breakout role as Ron Swanson in the acclaimed NBC sitcom Parks and Recreation, for which he received the Television Critics Association Award for Individual Achievement in Comedy. His first major television role since the end of Parks and Recreation was his role as Karl Weathers in the FX series Fargo, for which he received a Critics' Choice Television Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a Movie/Miniseries.
Early life
Offerman was born in Joliet, Illinois, and grew up in Minooka, Illinois.[1] 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.[2][3][4] Offerman was raised Catholic[5][6] and received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign in 1993.[1] That year, he and a group of fellow students co-founded the Defiant Theatre, a Chicago-based theatre company.[1]
Career
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Offerman lived in Chicago in the mid-1990s, where he participated with theatre companies such as Steppenwolf, Goodman, and Wisdom Bridge. At Steppenwolf, he also worked as a fight choreographer and master carpenter.[7] During this time, Offerman became acquainted with Amy Poehler, who was heavily involved with the Chicago improv comedy scene.[1]
In 2003, he married Will & Grace actress Megan Mullally and has also appeared on her talk show, The Megan Mullally Show. At the same time, he began appearing on television: as a plumber on Will & Grace during its fourth season's Thanksgiving 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 factory worker and Benny Lopez's love interest Randy McGee on George Lopez. He appeared twice on Gilmore Girls, in 2003's "The Festival of Living Art" and 2005's "Always a Godmother, Never a God". Offerman played would-be assassin of Wild Bill Hickok, Tom Mason, in an early episode of the HBO series Deadwood and in the third-season episode of Monk, "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.
In 2009 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 head of a city parks department and boss of Amy Poehler's character Leslie Knope.[1] Slate magazine declared Offerman "Parks and Recreation's secret weapon", and said he regularly stole scenes and "has a gift for understated physical comedy".[8] The role weaves antagonism and political philosophy with humanity, while the intense libertarian philosophy the character lives out is often played off against the equally intense 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 in the sitcom Taxi.[1]
Offerman has also been featured in the Adult Swim 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.[9] In the same year, Offerman portrayed Johnny Cool in the "Boston" episode of Derek Waters' Drunk History on Comedy Central.
Offerman has appeared in films such as November (2004), Cursed (2005), Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous (2005), Sin City (2005), The Men Who Stare at Goats (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 Street's Deputy Chief Hardy and in Casa de Mi Padre as DEA Agent Parker. 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 and Jennifer Aniston, and voiced Metalbeard in The Lego Movie. Offerman conceived of and starred in punk band FIDLAR's 2013 video for their song "Cocaine".[10] Offerman also played an alcoholic college guidance counselor in Believe Me (2014). He is now playing a recurring role in Fargo (2015). He is casted to play Karl Weathers.
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.[11] 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.[12] The writers of Parks and Recreation added a fondness for woodworking to Offerman's character.
Writing
In addition to his other work, Offerman is also known for his writing. He has released two 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.
Offerman writes using his extensive vocabulary, and the contents and subject matter are generally reflective of his life experiences, personal philosophies and belief system of how an individual may use this information in bettering one's self.
Personal life
Offerman married actress Megan Mullally on September 20, 2003.[13] They met while acting in The Berlin Circle,[14] a play produced by the Evidence Room Theatre Company, and married after dating for 18 months. Mullally had a recurring role on Parks and Recreation as Ron Swanson's second ex-wife, Tammy. The couple have also appeared together in films such as The Kings of Summer and Smashed.
He is a die hard Chicago Cubs and Chicago Bears fan.[15] He and his wife play guitar together in their free time.[16]
Filmography
Film
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Going All the Way | Wilks | |
| 1998 | City of Angels | Construction Worker | |
| 1999 | Treasure Island | Samuel | |
| 2000 | Groove | Sergeant Channahon | |
| 2002 | Murder by Numbers | Officer at Richard's house | |
| 2004 | November | Officer Roberts | |
| 2005 | Cursed | Officer | |
| 2005 | Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous | Karl Steele | |
| 2005 | Sin City | Shlubb | |
| 2006 | Wristcutters: A Love Story | Cop | |
| 2006 | 3 lbs | Dr. Coffey | |
| 2007 | The Go-Getter | Nick the Potter | |
| 2008 | Harmony & Me | Meter Maid Man | |
| 2009 | The Men Who Stare at Goats | Scotty Mercer | |
| 2009 | Taking Chances | Sheriff Hoke Hollander | |
| 2010 | All Good Things | Jim McCarthy | |
| 2012 | Somebody Up There Likes Me | Sal | Also producer |
| 2012 | Smashed | Dave Davies | |
| 2012 | 21 Jump Street | Deputy Chief Hardy | |
| 2012 | Casa de Mi Padre | DEA Agent Parker | |
| 2013 | The Kings of Summer | Frank Toy | |
| 2013 | In a World... | Heners | |
| 2013 | We're the Millers | Don Fitzgerald | |
| 2013 | Paradise | Mr. Mannerhelm | |
| 2014 | Nick Offerman: American Ham | Himself | Also executive producer |
| 2014 | The Lego Movie | Metalbeard (voice) | |
| 2014 | Ernest & Celestine | George (voice) | English dub |
| 2014 | Date and Switch | Terry | |
| 2014 | The Gunfighter | Narrator | Short film |
| 2014 | 22 Jump Street | Deputy Chief Hardy | |
| 2014 | Believe Me | Sean | |
| 2015 | A Walk in the Woods | REI Dave | |
| 2015 | Me and Earl and the Dying Girl | Greg's Dad | |
| 2015 | Knight of Cups | Scott | |
| 2015 | Danny Collins | Guy DeLoach | |
| 2015 | Welcome to Happiness | Moses | |
| 2015 | Hotel Transylvania 2 | Mike (voice) | |
| 2016 | The Founder | Richard McDonald | Post-production |
| 2016 | Ice Age: Collision Course | (voice) | Post-production |
| 2016 | Sing | (voice) | Post-production |
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | ER | Rog | Episode: "Ambush" |
| 1998 | Profiler | Bobby | Episode: "Double Vision" |
| 1998 | KaBlam! | Colonel Kudzu | 2 episodes |
| 1999 | The West Wing | Jerry | Episode: "The Crackpots and These Women" |
| 2001 | Will & Grace | Nick the Plumber | Episode: "Moveable Feast" |
| 2002 | The Practice | Charles Rossi | Episode: "Manifest Necessity" |
| 2003 | Good Morning Miami | Police Officer | Episode: "About a Ploy" |
| 2003 | 24 | Marcus | 3 episodes |
| 2003 | The King of Queens | The Man | Episode: "Thanks, Man" |
| 2001–2003 | NYPD Blue | Steven Debrees / Billy | 2 episodes |
| 2003–2004 | George Lopez | Randy | 8 episodes |
| 2004 | Deadwood | Tom Mason | Episode: "Deep Water" |
| 2005 | Life on a Stick | Greg | Episode: "The Gods of TV" |
| 2005 | Monk | Jack Whitman | Episode: "Mr. Monk and the Election" |
| 2003–2005 | Gilmore Girls | Beau Belleville | 2 episodes |
| 2006 | CSI: NY | Joe Green | Episodes: "Cool Hunter" |
| 2007 | American Body Shop | Rob | 10 episodes |
| 2008–2015 | Childrens Hospital | Chance Briggs | 14 episodes |
| 2009–2015 | Parks and Recreation | Ron Swanson | 124 episodes TCA Award for Individual Achievement in Comedy (2011) Nominated—TCA Award for Individual Achievement in Comedy (2010) Nominated—Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series(2011–2012) |
| 2012–2014 | Bob's Burgers | Cooper / Pete (voices) | 2 episodes |
| 2012 | The Cleveland Show | Harris Grundle (voice) | Episode: "Tis the Cleveland to Be Sorry" |
| 2013 | Conan | Ron Burgundy | Episode: "Occupy Conan: When Outsourcing Goes Too Far" |
| 2013 | Out There | Doug (voice) | Episode: "Viking Days" |
| 2013 | Drunk History | Johnny Cool | Episode: "Boston" |
| 2013–present | Axe Cop | Axe Cop (voice) | 22 episodes; also executive producer |
| 2014 | Comedy Bang! Bang! | Himself | Episode: "Nick Offerman Wears a Green Flannel Shirt & Brown Boots" |
| 2014 | Kroll Show | Vanya | Episode: "Krolling Around with Nick Klown" |
| 2014–2015 | Gravity Falls | Agent Powers (voice) | 4 episodes |
| 2014 | The Simpsons | Captain Joseph Bowditch (voice) | Episode: "The Wreck of the Relationship" |
| 2014 | Sofia the First | Whiskers (voice) | Episode: "Winter's Gift" |
| 2014–2015 | Last Week Tonight with John Oliver | Guest actor | 2 episodes[17][18] |
| 2015 | Fargo | Karl Weathers | 5 episodes Nominated—Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Movie/Miniseries |
| 2015 | The Muppets | Himself | Episode: "Bear Left Then Bear Write" |
| 2015 | You, Me and the Apocalypse | Buddy | Episode: "Still Stuff Worth Fighting For" |
| 2015 | Brooklyn Nine-Nine | Frederick | Episode: "Ava" |
Video games
| Year | Title | Voice role |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | Lego Dimensions | Metalbeard |
Music videos
Offerman starred in the music video for "Cocaine" by Californian garage punk band FIDLAR. Offerman also directed the music video for "Low Key" from Tweedy's debut album, Sukierae. Offerman was also in the music video for The Decemberists' song, "Make You better", playing a faux German music show host.[19]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 Ryan, Maureen (2009-09-23). "Nick Offerman serves up solid comedy on "Parks and Recreation"". Chicago Tribune (Chicago, Illinois). Retrieved 2009-10-17.
- ↑ "Local News", The Herald-News (Joliet), 30 November 2003
- ↑ Ken O'Brien (1997-10-19). "Cast party: When NBC's "ER" drew a large national audience... - Chicago Tribune". Articles.chicagotribune.com. Retrieved 2014-01-02.
- ↑ Bill Cribbs. "Northeastern Illinois Obituary Collection – 140". Genealogybuff.com. Retrieved 2014-01-02.
- ↑ Rock 'n Roll Ghost. "TV Interview: Nick Offerman – Parks and Recreation (NBC)". Rocknrollghost.com. Retrieved 2014-01-02.
- ↑ "Nick Offerman, deadpan man – Viewer Discretion". Boston.com. 2010-02-24. Retrieved 2014-02-06.
- ↑ Adams, Erik (2012-06-21). "Showrunner Michael Schur on building Parks And Recreation’s fourth season (Part 4 of 5) | TV | The Walkthrough". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 2012-09-06.
- ↑ Weiner, Jonah (2009-12-02). "You Really Should Be Watching Parks and Recreation". Slate. Retrieved 2009-12-06.
- ↑ Fitzpatrick, Kevin (January 8, 2013). "FOX RELEASES ‘AXE COP’ VOICE CAST, SETS SATURDAY ANIMATION DOMINATION HD PREMIERE". ScreenCrush. Retrieved May 11, 2013.
- ↑ "How Punk Band FIDLAR Recruited 'Parks and Rec' Star Nick Offerman for NSFW Video (Q&A)". hollywoodreporter.com. Retrieved 6 November 2013.
- ↑ "Offerman Woodshop". offermanwoodshop.com. Retrieved 6 September 2012.
- ↑ "Ace on the House Premier". adamcarolla.com. 14 January 2011. Archived from the original on July 1, 2012. Retrieved 6 September 2012.
- ↑ Fox, Jesse David. "The History of Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally’s Awesome Marriage". Vulture. Retrieved 31 March 2014.
- ↑ "Nick Offerman Talks Costarring With Wife Megan Mullally". Huffington Post. 29 May 2013. Retrieved 31 March 2014.
- ↑ "10 Things You Didn’t Know About Nick Offerman". Buzzfeed.com. Retrieved August 5, 2013.
- ↑ "Nick Offerman Interviews Chris Baio". Interview Magazine. Retrieved 19 September 2015.
- ↑ Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: State Legislatures and ALEC (HBO). YouTube. 2 November 2014. Retrieved 19 September 2015.
- ↑ Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: Sex Education (HBO). YouTube. 9 August 2015. Retrieved 19 September 2015.
- ↑ The Decemberists – Make You Better (Official). YouTube. 24 November 2014. Retrieved 19 September 2015.
External links
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