Nick Offerman is an American actor, comedian, writer, and carpenter, best known for his role as the gruff, libertarian Ron Swanson in the NBC sitcom Parks and Recreation.
Born on June 26, 1970, in Joliet, Illinois, and raised in nearby Minooka, Offerman grew up in a close-knit farm family.
The son of Cathy Roberts, a nurse, and Ric Offerman, a social studies teacher, he was brought up with strong Midwestern values of hard work and self-reliance.
Offerman graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 1993, where he honed his acting skills and developed a passion for woodworking, a craft he learned from his father.
His early career in Chicago’s theater scene, including co-founding the Defiant Theatre, laid the foundation for his later success in Hollywood.
Siblings
Nick is one of four children born to Ric and Cathy Offerman, sharing his upbringing with two sisters, Laurie and Carrie Offerman, and a brother, Matt Offerman.
Laurie Offerman is an accomplished librarian, currently serving as the Executive Director at the Three Rivers Public Library District in Illinois, a position she has held since 2013 after starting as Assistant Director in 2009.
She holds a Master’s degree in Library and Information Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Anthropology from Eastern Illinois University.
Laurie, who married in August 2019 and has a daughter named Holly, keeps a relatively low profile but shares a close bond with her siblings, often seen in family gatherings on social media.
Carrie Offerman, the most private of the siblings, works as a social studies teacher at Aux Sable Middle School in Illinois, following in her father’s footsteps.
She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Education from Eastern Illinois University and a degree in Teaching, Learning, and Leadership from Concordia University.
Carrie lives in Minooka with her daughter, Sunshine “Sunnie” Offerman, and maintains a minimal online presence.
Matt Offerman, like his brother Nick, has a creative streak, having dabbled in acting with roles in short films like Pee Shy and Meter Maids, and even appearing as Don Swanson in an episode of Parks and Recreation.
However, Matt’s primary focus has been woodworking, co-running the Offerman Woodshop in Los Angeles with Nick and their father.
He also serves as the Taproom Manager at Iron & Glass Minooka and is a father of two daughters with his wife, Lise Offerman, whom he married in 2008.
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Career
After moving to Los Angeles in 1996, Offerman began with small roles in films like City of Angels (1998) and TV shows such as ER and The West Wing.
His breakthrough came with Parks and Recreation (2009–2015), where his portrayal of Ron Swanson became a cultural phenomenon, earning him widespread recognition.
Offerman’s deadpan humor and rugged charm carried over to roles in films like The Founder (2016), 21 Jump Street (2012), and We’re the Millers (2013), as well as dramatic performances in Fargo (2015) and The Last of Us (2023).
Beyond live-action, he has lent his distinctive voice to animated projects like The Lego Movie franchise, Hotel Transylvania 2, and The Great North.
Offerman is also an accomplished writer, having authored four semi-autobiographical books, including Paddle Your Own Canoe and Good Clean Fun: Misadventures in Sawdust at Offerman Woodshop.
His woodworking passion led to the establishment of Offerman Woodshop, where he creates furniture and crafts alongside his brother and father.
Additionally, Offerman co-hosted the reality competition series Making It (2018–2021) with Amy Poehler and has performed in comedy tours with his wife, Megan Mullally, including their 2016 show Summer of 69: No Apostrophe.
Accolades
For his role as Ron Swanson in Parks and Recreation, Offerman won the Television Critics Association Award for Individual Achievement in Comedy and received two nominations for the Critics’ Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series.
His performance in Fargo earned a Critics’ Choice Television Award nomination, showcasing his dramatic range.
In 2023, Offerman won a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series for his poignant portrayal of Bill in The Last of Us, a role that also earned him four additional award nominations.
His work as co-host of Making It alongside Amy Poehler resulted in three Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Host for a Reality or Competition Program.
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