Nick Offerman

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Hello everyone, welcome to another episode of Good Hang. Boy, what a guest we have today. Um my brother, um Nick Offerman, uh who uh as you know was instrumental in making Parks and Recreation the hit that it was and played the beloved Ron Swanson and is just a wonderful friend, person, actor. We talk about so many good things today. We talk about, um Uh parks and recognition.

Getting the job, how it felt to be on a show um that meant so much to us. We talk about Cleopatra, how he feels about her, and would he hit that. And um we also um talk about his book, Little Woodchuck. his amazing new book that is out now and how he feels deeply about how important it is to make things. So um please uh uh please start get ready for Nick Offerman. But before we get to Nick, we always do this thing, right? We talk to somebody who knows Nick, we get a question to ask Nick.

And we have the wonderful Aubrey Plaza joining us. Aubrey, April Ludgate. Um, you know her, you love her, she's zooming in from New York. Plazie? This episode is presented by Allstate. Checking Allstate first could save you hundreds on car insurance. That's smart. Not checking that the fake roast chicken is, in fact, a fake roast chicken before chomping into a wing? Rookie mistake.

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Hello? Hi, Plause. Hi. Hi. Thank you for doing this. I know you're about to go. I think you're about to go on stage. Oh my God, have you been sitting there since the last time I did your podcast? Yeah. I'm so sorry. I live here now. Oh my god. And I know you ha I don't have a lot of time, but I there's I felt like there was nobody better. To ask a question to Nick Offerman than you. Oh, I know. Well, first of all, you know that we are Brothers.

yeah talk about that Nick and I have the same birthday, June twenty sixth. The day that the Pied Piper led the children of the rats into the water. Real story, folks. And you can feel the Pied Piper energy coming out of both of us. Jason Schwartzman also has a birthday on June 26th. So does Paul Thomas Anderson actually, but he's not in our club yet. But um

Yeah. So we have this like birthday text message chain, which I almost want to read out loud because it's so funny because the th it don't we only write on it on our birthday and it's always it's so it's always like in medieval talk. It's you and Nick and Jason Schwartzman. Nick and Schwartzmann yeah. Can you read just yeah, can you read just a little bit of it? ok hold on I got my phone Okay. This is like sacred territory. Okay, here's one that

Nick wrote, mighty power, this was a couple of years ago, mighty powers and health to you, my fellow birthday triplets. Let us dance under the moon and delight Gaia for another 12 moons with our dark japes. And an emoji that I can't don't want to describe. Ha ha ha. Um This is another one from Nick. Dear my birthday beauties, it's nine AM on our birthday in New Zealand and I'm sending you both a massive load of my fulsom

Oh, Ursine love. I thought it said urine when I read it on my birthday. But now I'm real seeing it. Now I'm seeing it clearly. I thought he said a massive load of my urine. Uh that would sound like it could be him, but Ursine Love, which Is bear like, right? Oh, the bear, right. I wrote back and my load to you, my brother. But it was a different love that I was Ha ha ha. Um that's just a little tape.

It's a little taste and it's it is how Nick talks. Do you remember meeting him for the first time? I think it was probably later. I don't remember. I think he scared me, you know, at first. He scared me a lot. Bye. In a good way. Um I d no, just'cause I think no, he was so funny, but I was always like trying to replicate his

like behavior on set. Like I'll never forget. I mean, you guys all taught me how to really be on set because I didn't you know, I didn't really I'd only done one job. So I didn't know. But like I remember Nick kind of put not put me in my place, but like kind of reminded me of something. I'd probably tell you the story, but like where I was like, you know how when you're on set, you get treat like actors get treated like babies?

And it's so such a weird vibe. Like when I'm haven't worked for a while and then I go back, I'm like, this is so weird. No wonder why actors get so weird because everyone treats you like a baby, like you can't do anything. And I remember like I was just sitting in my little chair or something and I wasn't doing anything for a while. And one of the PAs came up and was like, do you need anything? And I was like, uh, sure, I'd take a coffee or something like that.

And then Nick was sitting next to me, like reading a book or something, and he looked over and he went, Don't forget that you can get up and get your own car. It's right over there. And I know that sounds kind of like an asshole thing to say, but I didn't take it like that. I was like, you're fucking right.

I was like, I don't need that little PA over there to get to walk over there in my eyesight and pour me a cup of coffee. I'm like, cause you get in that zone on set where you just turn into like a couch potato where you're like And he reminded it like jolted me. I was like never gonna ask for coffee again. Ever. It's never. So it's so true. And you never have. And anytime anyone brings you coffee, you just throw it in their face.

I slap it on the bottom so it goes not only the liquid, but the cup right on their forehead.

The he's he's so um he is very paternal and he was very paternal on set like when Nick was there he would know his lines And he loved to goof around, but he wanted to get the job done. Like he was daddy energy for sure. Yeah, he was daddy. And but he really did ha you you both though, you both had such a perfect balance of like professionalism but fun and fun. And I and I it was a very, very good for me to witness because it was like I wanted to

I wanted to be good for him and for you. Like I always wanted to be prepared and but then also be ready to fuck around. And yeah, I love I loved that about working with Nick. Yeah. The April and Ron stuff started early. I think it was season one when you two started doing stuff together. Mm-hmm. And it was really helpful for both of your characters.

It was so helpful. I think it I'm trying to remember I have one memory of like that. Remember that episode when we were like in the grocery store? Mm-hmm. or something. I think that was one of those early on ones. I I'm thinking I think there was an episode in season one when he hurts his neck. Oh yeah, oh yeah, yeah, yeah Right. Yeah. Yeah, yeah. And then I like go I like go into his o I like stand in his office.

And I'm like I'm like kind of his assistant that day or something. And we we barely say like anything to each other. Yeah. We just like stare at each other and then like we it's almost like we're telepath we were telepathic. Yeah, both of you are very good at saying little and talking slowly. And it's funny that he uses the word Ursine because he really is like One could classify him as a bear. He is a bear. He's rare. And he's a he's a man in a very um you know, you don't find a lot of like

men who can build things. I mean Uh-huh. In this profession. Actually, I wonder if if if he if that's a lie. I don't think he can. I don't think he's actually doing it. So weird to say I've never actually seen him build anything. You ever seen him with a hammer? I haven't. Nope. And I seen where he does it, but there's other people in there. So true. And he comes in and says, I made this canoe. And it's like, when? Yeah. When? When exactly? What question do you think I should ask him?

What does it f feel like when you jerk off to every episode of Parks and Rec when you're watching? Let's get a real question that I can actually ask. All right. Okay, I have two questions. Okay. One, have you ever seen a ghost? Mm. I wanna hear like if he has any like Other realm stories. Ooh, interesting. I d I don't know where he would land on that in the on the woo-woo scale of being open.

Me neither. Me neither. Like for real, I wanna ask him. Yeah. Like do you believe like do you believe in ghosts? Like do you believe in that? Have you have do you have a good story? Mm-hmm. And do you believe in hell? No, don't ask him that. So well. Believe me, I won't. Okay. Okay. Uh how about do you remember a good time we had working together? Sorry. Sorry. Sorry. You're right. No, you're right. You're right.

I just immediately want to know like If you had to haunt one person In the afterlife. Who would it be? And also, how'd you get started in showbiz? I don't know. Or any am I are these is this anything? Thank you. Yeah, these are good. These are good. Okay, here's my real question. Okay. Bill and Ted's excellent adventure happened to you in real life. What time period would you go to? And who would you fight? Perfect! You know he's gonna have some. Perfect question. Okay, good. That's perfect.

And would you take me with you? You want to. You know you want. I mean, I have to say you guys were like a strong duo for a million reasons, but both you and Nick have a fortitude, like a way where you could face You you guys are very emotionally and physically strong. Like yeah, I mean, you and Nick were the only two cast members to play on the Parks and Rec softball team. That's right. Um all right. Well that we got our question. I don't wanna keep you you okay with time? All right. I'm gonna

not okay with time. Okay. I'm actually but but why? Do you want to do something else? Yeah. No, but you told me. Okay I'm out, baby. I'm out. Watch me. In less than an hour, I'm gonna be on that stage ripping apart. What do you have to do between now and the show? I am interested before I let you go. What's your routine? Um, I'm literally get supposed to be there in like 20 minutes. I'm gonna get a shower. I'm disgusting right now. We're at home. Okay, you're not at the theater. We're

Okay. I didn't time my day out very well. Okay. Okay, okay. Thank you for doing this. I can actually do anything. Yeah. If I really put my mind to it. It's gonna be a nightmare getting a cab. I this is what I literally am going to do. Yeah. Get a shower in like the mo in like two minutes. I believe in you.

Then I'm gonna run to Sixth Avenue and I literally mean it. I'm going to run. It's rush hour. And I'm gonna hail a cab and that cab's gonna fly me up there and it's gonna be exhilarating. And then I'm just gonna I just hope I won't you know. If I can get myself in character in time. I'll start in the cap. I'm going to let you go right now. Codependently. I'm worried about you. And um, okay. Thank you for doing this. Thank you, Plosy. Love you. Miss you. love you love you and love Nick Yeah.

Okay. Okay, thank you All right. I hope you get out of there sometimes. Okay. Okay. Drink water. Okay.

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Hold on, sit down on the mic, get on the mic so I can Oh my God, Nick okay, listeners, Nick has brought me a bag of treats. Well God I love what do we got? Yeah. Yes, which we will. Um this this is uh the first project in my book is a slapstick. Little woodchucks. Because and I thought you would appreciate this um when Lee and I do you remember Lee by the way? Um, we've had so much fun. G we go on tour and Lee does woodw she makes one of these on stage with a bench.

while I sing and I'm a jackass. And when we were pick when we were figuring out the projects for the book, I said, Look, I'm b any kid that you go in the woods with and you're like, let's find a good stick. Let's let's make something.

A good percentage of kids are gonna be like, this is a sword or a gun or like this is yeah an implement of violence. Let's make war or whatever. Yeah. It's it's we do you know, I I hate that about us, but we we have it. So I said uh we have to have a weapon in the book I have a comedy weapon. The slapstick. May I see? Yeah. So for those that don't know, the word slapstick came from this And this says butt joint on it. Which is a type of of wood joint. It's not something prurient.

You know, I've never used this lap. Many haven't. I mean I I had never heard of one. It's from like Commedia Dell Arte or or Punch and Judy shows use'em. Mm-hmm. And it's and the How do you do it? And it and it makes a noise and you know, and so you make a reaction. Yeah. You have comedy. You can do sp spanking, you can do fake spankings. Okay. Um I wanna talk about your uh book and all the stuff you make in it and But before Well hold on, you also brought a water bottle? Yeah, sorry.

Is that your Offerman Woodshop Water Bottle? But the I you know. I have that too. I have one of those. I just got rid of the one you gave me, that huge one from making it. Yeah. I finally wore it out like a month ago and I replaced it. Are you big um we're gonna get into a lot of stuff today, but how much water do you drink a day? Generally I've been doing a lot of working out'cause I ha did a sh a job where I had to work out. Rag. Uh not a not a huge deal. Um I got Well I got super jazzed.

How much can you lift? Like what do you lift in these days? Um two I I lift uh uh uh cyber trucks. I do two cyber trucks. And then I put people in them. There's the uh but I I I got s crazy I and then I did actual wrestling. Oh my god. I trained with the people. Slur. There's so many places to go from what you just told me because number one, I've wrestled with you in a small way on set, and you're very strong. Thank you.

Um, you have the body like you have the carriage of someone who I feel like would be good at wrestling. Did you wrestle when you're in high school? tried. I I my uncle was a wrestler and I s I tried wrestling and i and for Quite honestly, my dad was a was great at basketball and baseball. Yeah. So I went out for wrestling uh one year and was like, no thanks. How come? It was really hard. Yeah, yeah.

It's just and and I wasn't I wasn't great. Um I was uh I didn't ha I didn't have the fire to to like to overcome to The vision quest, if you will. Exactly. And in your fifties though, when you have to get buffed, that's hot. I was unable to approach the lunatic fringe. Um but I've I've always loved being an athlete. Yeah. Uh and so um I've always maintained an athleticism. But uh

It it was actually pretty fun. I worked with a this great trainer named Grant Roberts who does this. Yeah. And he's super good at it. And it actually is only four times a week, one hour each, and there was nothing crazy. A bunch of protein. But remember when Pratt was doing um Guardians, like he had to eat crazy amounts of food all The good thing is I'm a former pro wrestler. Your character was.

There's n there's no like shower scene where I'm like languorously, you know, showing my Chris Pratt abs. Right. Uh in fact it's in my contract with that language.

Um, I'm glad we're talking about sports because I kinda wanna start with young Nick Offerman today in high school in Manooka, Illinois. Like athletic kid in the drama club. Okay. Well... And I'm not saying that those two things don't go together. It's just in the eighties Like what was it like being a drama kid and a sports kid? The thing is I there wasn't a lot of culture and when I say this I love my town and like and my family, but like there wasn't um there wasn't a lot of counterculture or

Uh so so like we had the Beatles but only their first three records, you know? Like when I got to college and they were like, check out the White album, I was like, What? I already loved Please Please Me. Um And so there th like the dr there the drama kids weren't fully drama kids and the jocks weren't fully jocks.'Cause I think the school and town were small enough And there just wasn't a lot to do. I I was definitely a polymath, and I think it was just because I

I didn't I hadn't figured out what I was gonna do. Yeah. And so I was just kind of trying everything. Remember what made you try out for your first play? Like Like w you know.

I definitely there there's a famous in my family there's a famous uh like uh Super Eight movie from our fishing cabin when I was like eleven and and it was When you go to the Cubs game and you get a free jersey, three quarter length, like white body, blue sleeves, cubs, and on the back was a Keebler elf uh tree and the Kebler Elves.

sponsored the jersey. And uh I'm in that jersey and and the camera's going around every family member and they're all like ducking away from the camera. And it gets to me and I'm literally going Like just pointing at myself and making faces like you have fo if you have a camera, you you found the right funny that like you can see that sometimes in people where they like even just your reflection in a in in like the store window or a mirror, like I used to do commercials.

On my bathroom sink in the mirror to myself, just like one day. Yeah. I'm gonna someone's gonna be looking at my face. I mean Megan had the my my champion wife, Megan Millale, had the wherewithal Sure. She knew for since like when she was a kid, she would sit in a room and and do Barbara Streisand records into a hairbrush to the point where she can now perfectly she's like a Broadway star because she did that. I didn't have any like I knew

I wanted to entertain and I knew that I loved Jim Ignatowski, Christopher Lloyd's character on Taxi. Oh yeah. Where I was like, that guy's so weird and like scary, but he's super funny. I feel like that's somehow that's what I'm drawn to. But I had no it wasn't until uh late in when I was trying to figure out where to go to college that I was like, oh you can I can try and do acting as a job.

And you know, very early on in your career and my career, we meet. in Chicago. And we're both kind of in Chicago in the early nineties. trying stuff. Just like m you know, trying to get hired and but how do you get to Chicago from like how do you move there? I had this crazy moment uh where I was I took my girlfriend, who was a year older than me, to audition at the University of Illinois for their dance department.

And to this day it's so miraculous. I must have been loitering in the hallway because these two theater students who I then came to know I don't remember how it started. I wish I had a a v film of this. They there were somehow it was like, Hey kid, why are you ha loitering in the hallway of the theater facility? And somehow we we struck up a conversation and they said they were theater students and I said, What does that mean?

And they said, you can study acting. And I was like, you gotta be fucking kidding me. Like because I told my s guidance counselor at school that I want to be an actor. And he was like, That's not available. You can't do that. And then I said I want to be a musician and he was like, Come on What are you gonna do with that? That would be really interesting to dig into this guy's forgotten dream. Sounds like there was a lot going on with him.

But they had told me you can't be an actor. So then I met these students that were like, We're going to the univers like this great state school. They have a conservatory program. And and I I said, Okay, so you s you become an actor, then what? And they said, You can get paid to do plays in Chicago And I was like, You I took them by the lapels of their coat and was like, Are you fucking kidding? Ha ha ha. You told me you can't this this you can't.

I did I had no idea that I I I I just wanna say I relate'cause I didn't know anyone who was an actor growing up and Although I wasn't discouraged in that way, it just didn't seem like a job. It was like, what do you mean? Like be an actor? Yeah. Like it just seemed like mm that's stupid. And so we meet in nine in the early nineties. In the attic of a house. That's right. All I remember is that you always love to punch me in the arm. Yeah. Which I took as a compliment.

Big time. Uh it is it's a love tap, really. But you know, I I think w you know, and again I might this might be revisionist history, but I remember when we met I you felt very familiar to me even though, you know, we hadn't we didn't know each other, even though at the time you were in kind of in deep character for a play. Oh right. It was that's right,'cause it was during Clockwork Orange at Steppenwolf and I I was riding a big motorcycle and I had a shaved head

I was experimenting with what what Nick was gonna turn out to be like. Um I had a shaved head, but I kept the front inch of my hair. Right. Down into a full beard and I dyed it different manic panic like punk colors. Right. So it looked really scary. Really scary. And it is the thing about you that's so great to your to the Jim Ignitelsky of it all, which is like you are able to look scary, but you're not sc not a scary person at all.

Which uh uh w which I've learned to appreciate. There was a time when I'd be like, Shut up. I'd I'd pull my knife out on you if you said that. Yeah. And then I'd apologize. I mean I remember talking to you, I guess punching you in the arm. I remember talking about the play that you were in. I remember that company and, you know, at the time in Chicago there were like

different w ways into the same creative experience. I feel like they are kind of a big soup now, but at the time it was very important that like serious theater and then improv and sketch and they were like never the twain shall meet. I'd tell you something. I uh so this is like uh early to mid nineties. I was so ignorant even then that if I had I had no idea that

Like I was a big fan of SNL as a kid. If I had any idea that there was a pipeline to s that you you know what I mean, that you guys had even ha could get an audition or anything, I had no idea. In fact I remember just thinking like you guys so you guys make stuff up in a bar? Like what we we're performing works of literature. Yeah. Believe me, we felt that vibe. And we were like, yeah, we know. It's uh we have some notes. It's three hours long. Yeah.

I have to say, if I may, just digress, you have some of the best posture. Wow, thank you. Of any friend of mine. And that feels like it comes from a core training, like a You have great posture. I d I mean, I um thank you. I I th it's something that I do have to think about, especially after our show. Everything I got offered was like somehow overweight, uh barbecue master, and it's all these guys in their tidy whiteys in the mirror crying. Some one way or another.

And the first couple, I was like, oh, this is interesting. And then I realized, oh, I need to I need to stay in shape. That's interesting. You are. You know, so Ron Swanson on Parks and Recreation had a physicality to him that felt like you understood really early on. Um, and played with. And you talked about it a lot. It's really interesting to me. But before we get to that, because I do want to talk about that, let's just talk about.

you getting that part. I know you've spoken about it a lot, but I think the physicality was part of the part, was like what you understood really fast about him. Cause you're right, if you in the wrong hands, he's a joke he's a total clown. Sure. Um, I'm sorry, I'm I'm being a little moved by uh we we've never talked about our show. I and I also haven't seen our show. Wait, are you crying? No, I'm not crying. I thought you were gonna crush. Yeah. We haven't talked about our show.

Yeah, and that and it's not. I mean we've talked about it with each other all the time. For sure. I mean no, not publicly. I mean where do we even start? Totally like it. I just listen, I just came here from a a book tour in the UK. Yeah. And guess and guess how I close every show? I play five thousand candles. And I had the these incredible these two sisters named Flo and Joan opening for me. You would look the they're these super funny sisters who do funny songs. And I mean

The when you say uh I'm in a crowd, a theater of two thousand people, and you just say Parks and Recreation or Ron Swanson, the pl the roof flies off the place. I know. And you're just like, you guys, that was a long time. Long you know, my son just turned seventeen, which is when we started the show, seventeen years ago. Holy cow. And I know. Think about that.

And the fact that there's still People are still dressing up for Ronswans and at Halloween and people said that you got us through the pandemic and people are saying my kids just starting it and like it's it's unbel I don't I mean I know we knew, I gotta say, and I I think I can speak for us both, we were old enough And I don't know, maybe a little like we knew what we had at the time, you and me. We really did. For sure. And we tried to enjoy every minute of it. But

Like Ron Swanson is g would be in the hall is in the hall of fame of characters. I mean, he is he is this person that people feel can what is it like?

in t almost twenty years later, interacting with that kind of work. Like how do people interact with you? It's interesting. I mean uh mostly first of all, I'm so stupidly grateful, like from st soup to nuts. And also, people are so nice to me and respectful, I think of Ron like People approach me with a deference and also a little fear.

Yeah. Yeah. Um but they're they are really polite to me where I they uh I usually have to say please call me Nick or you know,'cause they're shaking and they're Mr. Swanson, if I may. Yeah. May I approach Mr Sw may I approach the bench? Do. And um and so I'm uh for all of that, um I'm I'm super grateful. It's w certainly weird too. There there are thorns on the rose or or or or pits in the peach of like Um Ron's politics or or Ron's what Ron represented sort of as a paradigm uh some people with

poor uh reading comprehension were like, oh, he's got he's a shotgun guy. Like finally so that so they mistook Ron for sort of w things they wanted to represent in themselves. Yeah. And usually it was something old fashioned or right wingish, like misogynistic or Or violent or anything like that.

And so that's been weird too, where people love the character. And I've even had people argue with me online where they'll say something about Like they'll say Ron definitely would have voted for this jerk. And I'll b and I'll be like, hang on, hang on, one second. And I'll call Mike, sure, the main creator and writer, and say, This somebody said this. Do you and he would give me a a pair uh he you know, he would whip out a perfect paragraph of that's hilarious, right. But also why Ron

For example, anybody that went from the world of business to the world of politics, Ron would think was a fool. Because Ron's like, what are you doing? You were a capitalist. And so then I would d r you know, this is back when I used to participate when social media wasn't just a cesspool. Yeah. But I I would go back and say, Mike here's what Mike Schur said. And they'd say nope.

They would say, No, he d you guys don't know. You guys don't know shit about Ron Swanson. And I was like, Well, I'm just gonna leave it at there like I thought I did, but I guess you got me on that one. Do people come up to you and say, People call me Ron Swanson? Yeah. I get that a lot with Leslie No. People say I'm like Leslie No.

And usually that means like i to your point, it can mean a bunch of different things. It can mean I work hard and I'm fighting the good fight. It can mean I kinda drive everybody crazy. And I talk too much and I'm you know, like it can mean a million things. Sure. I I mean, I I feel like when I think of Leslie Nope, I I think of her her ebulliance the most. Like that that sometimes and sometimes when people are like that, it's a very heroic characteristic, but it can be too much. Yeah.

Okay. Because you're like okay, like I I'm doing what you w asked me to do. Uh but and when people say that to me about Ron Swanson, it it's like it usually means they're taciturn. Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah. And and they're like Yeah. You know, like I imagine a husband in the grocery store.

carrying like a hundred and twelve pounds of stuff and his wife's like, Let's just get a cart and like, No, I got this. I got it. I'm just keep going. And so b being too stubborn or be or like relying too much on I could just remember us doing scenes together and I would have a hundred words to your one. Ha ha ha. And I would just circle around you in that office, just like and you would just sit and watch me. And the t it it was like old archetypes of like the you know

different animal two different animals uh in the same room, basically. And that was what's was so fun is playing those energies. And then as we got more comfortable, like flipping those energies and having fun with those energies. But like those early days of just Being able to just kind of come in and buzz around while you stood your ground was so fun. That was a really fun game and and just picturing that, you describing it and me picturing it. There's a giggle.

Shauna Malway tweep on B Cam on a Scooty Scooter. Yeah. And she she we would always make her laugh and she would slam into the wall. Yeah, the camera operators were in the room with us a lot and they we they were part of the family for sure. And we would make them laugh. And um you talk pretty you don't talk as slow, you don't you talk differently than Ron, but you talk pretty slow. I d I'm the slowest talking like uh how do you Why do you do that?

I don't know. Anything that I see myself in, uh even now I'm like, pick it up, man. Like what is your deal? Oh my god, I'm the exact opposite. I'm like, babe, take a breath, dude. I mean, now that I have a podcast, I hear myself and I'm like And I'm like, whoa! It's weird to wa especially when people enjoy when people like praise uh some acting work and I'll and you know, I ha I have to watch everything that like w like like watching your baseball swing to make you know, see what's working.

And every time I'm I speak my dialogue. Well I feel like uh could you d I feel like I can do an impression of you. Can you do an impression of me? I I wouldn't ever want to. Really? I'm gonna do you right now to your face. I don't have it in me. Yeah. Well I have it in me.

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When you were playing Ron uh on the show, what did you do like what were some like ways to get into that character? Like was w was it wardrobe? Was it the mustache? Was it It's it's funny. Uh Megan uh we've been together for twenty five years and only about five years ago, God bless her, I mean you've seen the crazy ways I I I

I never get cast as like good looking people. So I get I get cast as I'm like, Okay, great. I'm gonna shave the top of my head off and have like Larry from the Three Stooges hair and Megan's like there were th there was one time I was doing a play and she wouldn't let me get in bed'cause I looked so upsetting. And I slept on the couch for two nights before I figured out that I could put on a stocking cap. And then I got in.

She five years ago she finally said, You know what? I really don't like your facial. Oh my god! That's her heart! I know. After twenty years of it, she's I mean, I think she has liked it at times, but it's a it's a practical thing where she said it's a mouthful of thistles like Yeah.

We're getting into it. Sh it's and I was like, Well, when you put it that way, it is like a bristle brush. It's like the kind of brush that people farmers have to get the mud off your work boots. Yeah. It's a really stiff brush. And if you have sensitive skin at all and you have make out sesh, you can just be totally red faced. Right.

Yeah. And so and and and so now we negotiate. Uh so I've got some work and so I'm I'm maintaining a mustache for the moment, but in a couple of weeks I'll be shaving it. Yeah. And what something I've noticed is my talking changes. invisible clamp comes over me and and things become more stentorian and more like Sam the Eagle from the Muppets, like where my I can feel my brow more. And when I shave I look fifteen years younger and I be and I just become boyish where I'm just like Yeah guys.

Um but do you give free mustache rides until you shave your mustache? I don't I've you've always charged for mustache, right? Yeah. And I've always thought that was rude. So we do this thing where we talk to someone who knows our guests to get a question from them. So we talked to Aubrey. Oh Jesus. I know. And there's nothing we can use. It's barely usable. Bor born on the same day. She speaks of that.

And she might read us a little bit of some text that you guys had back and forth. Nothing bad. Nothing bad. You guys share a birthday. And um I feel like there was, you know, there there's so many people that talk about on the show, obviously, that we worked with and that we love. But Ron and April's relationship to me, especially in the rewatch, is very special. Most most of the podcasts so far I'm willfully not crying. Yeah. By the way. Yeah. Like I I know that you would like some crying.

I don't I don't care either way. Like j like all if you just say run in April. I know! Ron in April. I mean there I have a lot of love for uh all of this subject. Wait, I have tissues. Oh Don't hit me with the slapstick. Look I have good hang tissue. Um I'll just keep them here just in case. Um Run in April because because I if we're gonna extend the mommy daddy metaphor, definitely Aubrey slash April was uh our daughter on that show. And we both of our characters kind of helped raise her.

and loved doing it and by doing it like any good parent you learn something about yourself by doing it like You know, uh Leslie learned that like her kind of pushy ambition uh needs to be replaced with like a gentle listening as to what people want and need from her. And Ron learned what? Ron didn't Ron learned what rap music was. Yeah.

Yeah. What but I mean, what was it like doing scenes with Aubrey? Like I mean i i it it was uh it was so fun because she um you know, she could uh she she could uh meet me in my own game. She took m my cause w one of the things, one of the formative things when we started the show was I said to the guys, I mean I I just couldn't believe it.

I couldn't believe that they created a part for me. Like I I I was so aware that uh if if someone had said to me, Write your dream part, I would have written something so much stupider. Because I'm not Mike sure, you know. Like I would have been like, okay, he's got a fucking he's got a motorcycle and he always wears t-shirts with no sleeves. Like a it would have been like some twelve year old's version of like it's he he's like David Lee Roth.

And it would and it would have been very superficial. And in my final audition with you. Uh which I you know, I had to audition for five months to get the job. Wow, I didn't know it was that long. Yeah. It was c well It it started with Adam and I were brought in to read for a role named Josh. Right. And it was it was chemistry reads with Rashida. Right. And, you know, if you're going in to read a chemistry for a TV show, guess who you don't want to walk in the fucking door? Adam.

Yeah, Scott, fucking ca chemistry. Oh my gosh. I'm his I'm like his plumber, if I'm lucky. Thank you. And uh Gorgeous hair both of you have gorgeous hair. We d yeah, the b but they were And and people should know this is your hair. It is, but they also photographed the fleshy parts. Um But so so that was crazy and that didn't work. And somehow Mike and Greg also were stuck on me. Thank God. I mean, they called my agent and said, it's not gonna happen.

If you can imagine we're not gonna cast you as someone who Rashida has to kiss. Ha ha ha ha. If you can wrap your head around that. But we really want you on the show. And there's this part of of Amy's boss. That should have really been like twenty years old. Yeah. Yeah. I think it they were thinking a lot older in the beginning. Yeah. But I was and I was like

Great, whatever. And and so then they had me come in and they read every guy in the world. So then finally it it it th the net got as wide as possible, then it narrowed, narrowed, narrowed, and they brought me in One more time for like and and Mike said, Okay, we're looking at like eight guys

And then you came to town and and Mike said, All right, we're gonna have you come in and uh and read with Amy and this is it. This is gonna be it. And it was one of those things this this happened to me a lot where I got the job and uh It it blew my mind. Um Also you cried. Oh, I sobbed my eyes out. I mean I said to Mike I'm gonna I was like I'm gonna I said I'm gonna openly sob, but p I wanna stay on the phone.

I was thirty eight years old. Like I had been through a lot of experiences where m I almost got a life changing job. And this one was so much better than any of them had been. Before we get off of park,'cause I do want to talk about the other stuff that you have done, um and are doing. Favorite episode. I know it's hard to pick, but just like, you know, pick one. Don't overthink it.

I I have two answers in there and it's funny, um, but one is called Ron and Tammy and one is called Leslie and Ron, I I believe. But I mean Mm you know, Meghan is just s the most wickedly funny person I've ever met. Uh and getting to again, the alchemy of of what Mike and the writers came up with for her to do, you know, the two of us Ban banding together against this evil librarian, slapping her face with like a big cock of beef jerky.

We're just like m uh Mike knew that, you know, he was like, Do you think Megan would uh I'd still have people come up and go, you really got the library right. Those people over there, I'm like, what? The people that run the library are like Tammy? That's insane. That's so funny. But the but then the you know, the entire s series paying off In this episode that was such a gift, that was like this crazy one act play. Yeah. Um Oh here it comes.

I love that episode so much. And it was so like senior our senior year. That was the other thing. It was like senior year. We got to be in that we got a whole week together in that room. uh where where, you know, Ron th the that whole story uh going into that last season was so gorgeous because they had laid so much pipe. No. For Ron to like swallow his pride and come to ask you for a job and and then the way it all went down. Um that was

possibly the greatest thing about the show for me was the history of of me and Tammy bred so much w hilarity. But then what developed between Ron and Leslie, um was was the first time in my life that, you know, that I was counted on by a show to, you know, to carry uh some emo emotional weight.

Yeah, and it was and also I think just like a great example of like the different kinds of love. I mean, we really lionize romantic love and we'd make a lot of art about it, but there's so many different ways to love. And Love, platonic love and friendship, and the idea of like being there for each other and being th going through things with each other and like

mentor, mentee and then equals and then and just and also just the idea if we're to really widen out that people don't have to agree to treat each other with respect. Remember that? Yeah.

Okay. Speaking of beautiful roles, Nick, The Last of Us Oh my God. That was so good, Nick. Well Thank you. That was so beautiful. I mean, I remember texting you right after and congrats on winning the Emmy. Yeah, crazy. I mean it was so how did you get that part? Well, I wrote a joke about this. Uh that they needed a guy who could use a shovel, and there are only three of us in Hollywood. Harrison Ford passed and Jane Lynch was not available.

Craig Mason, who wrote that, I mean, that everyone knew. When you read that script, you were like, This is going to if we don't fuck this up, this is going to Yeah. win awards or whatever. For for many years, my godson uh had a a little league team and I sponsored it. It was the Offerman Woodshop Little League team and Craig uh was one of my little league dads. So I I was just friends with him from

a pretty wholesome place. Um and w we had expressed some mutual affection for each other's work over the years, but I he got a hold of me and was like, I'm sending you something and you have to do it. And I read it and it was funny'cause Megan and I had just had a talk about That I... Still to this day, my vice is that I overload my calendar with fun with'cause

I have seen that in real time. We worked on making it together, a really fun show together. You would tell me your year and I would think, This too shall not this isn't gonna hold. Yeah. Too many things. The problem is It it's I l I love it. It's all it's all but but that's that's my vice. That's my problem. And Megan and I had just had a talk about where I was like, okay I'm gonna Yeah. Take a break.

I'm gonna I'm gonna do less. And this thing came in and it and they needed me in Calgary for a month. And the I didn't have the mu. Yeah. And so but I read the script so I had so I had Megan uh uh read the script and she was like, Guess what, buddy? You're going to Calgary. Um okay. We I mentioned it, we made a really fun show called Making It about makers and like the process of making it. You have little woodchucks, the book that's all about

your guide to tools and tomfoolery, but it is y y the idea of making things has always been very important to you. You've spoken about it a lot, the spirituality of it, like how important it is for your life, your peace of mind. You work primarily with wood but all different ty types of material.

Why are you writing you and you've written a many, many books? This book is for little people. Why is how do you get little people, young people, to get interested in making things and why is it important for them to do that? I I just took my mom and dad on this book tour with me in the UK and we were just talking about how they brought me and my siblings up in a house where it wasn't talked about. They just taught us all to

sustain the family. Like part of the family was we make things together, whether it's a meal or you know, if we are mending our clothing or build making firewood, building outbuildings, we'd gardened. Um, and woodworking is a is a great way to think about what's this made of. Yeah. And that it's true of everything. Who's making this? Who made this car? Who made these shoes? Who made this pie? Are they having a good time?

Yeah. Are they being cool with our resources the way they're making this car or th you know? Yeah, beautiful. I I I you can feel it in here. It's awesome, Nick. It's so Thank you. I people are are responding really well to Yeah, it's great. all of us, I'm I'm a kid who looks at a screen too much. Like we all understand that. And making things with each other, whether it's your family or your neighbors or your co stars.

is a great way to not look at a screen and and still have a delightful life. Can I show you a prop? Yes. Of course. The the thing sitting in my shop. is uh so I wanna make a guitar because because I tour and I do songs and I thought if I if I do that with a guitar I made amazing I'm done. I I can just do that for the rest of my life. Uh Guitars are daunting, so I started with a ukulele.

So this is a a mahogany ukulele and I've got um Wow twelve of them sitting in my shop that are just the bodies and the necks waiting to be put together. Uh This is beautiful. So I think probably instruments and boats. Can you play the ukulele? Would you like to hear my ukulele song? Yes. Love. Who muld like to stay the husband of Whiskey I'll give you one more verse. In a crowded room completely alone, it gives me more willies in the twilight zone or brains. Action can proceed more gayly.

Silence your tablet. The sounds of Eucalae. Oh my god! There's there's more, but that that felt like enough. Now you're gonna get me going. Now you're gonna get my waterworks going. Okay, we're gonna end our um our interview today with a speed round. And um You got the you got the wrong guy for a speedrun. I should just do one snap or two snaps. Yeah. All I'm allowed.

Um, but you mentioned hot takes and people having hot takes and how we don't really need hot takes. I want your hot takes on history and philosophy. Okay. Because I know you love history. You love philosophy. I'm gonna try lightning round today, but I'm gonna only ask you questions about history and philosophy. Okay, I'll try to go fast, but it's that's pretty pretty daunting. Okay, I know. Well don't worry. It won't be hard. Aristotle, smart or weird? Smart.

Kierkegaard used different pseudonyms to debate. What what would be a pseudonym you would use to debate? Oh, um Pilotus. Ha ha ha. Freud, yes or no. Uh no. I say no too. Okay. Um True or false? Uh Uh true. I think therefore I am. True or false? False. You cannot step twice into the same river. Oh true. That's a that's a huge one. That's that's on my that's on my up on my board. Is it? Oh yeah. It's it's something that that occurs to me a lot. Um, you know.

There's th nothing you can never recapture, especially in our business. Um, you know, if like if if we ever uh had cause to do some sort of reboot or something of Parks and Wreck. Yeah. Uh Well it's not the same river. Different river. Yeah. Can't step twice into the same river. No. Uh I'm a joker, I'm a smoker, I'm a midnight toker. True. Now we're moving on to history. Okay. What was the coolest thing Egyptians invented? In your opinion.

Th this is a guess'cause I don't uh no I'm not sure if that was Egyptians. I was gonna say irrigation. Yeah, I think so. But yeah, they did. If if people disagree with that, they're wrong. Cleopatra, smash or pass. Uh pass. That shit is tired. Yeah. The Vikings got to America before Columbus. Why doesn't anyone talk about that? Um because uh because the Vikings did not have good PR. Col Columbus had a great press rep. Columbus didn't even d set foot on the mainland. He like hit an island. Yeah.

Um, okay, and now we get to Aubrey's question for you. So Aubrey had she had a few questions. Her first one was, Do you believe in ghosts? Okay. But but I don't disagree. I th uh when people do, I believe them. Ah, well said. Do you uh do you believe in hell? No. Um, and if you could go back in a Bill and Ted kind of way where you could basically you could get zapped back to any point in history. And I'm not It sounds like a good movie. And she'd never seen Bill and Ted. I missed a lot of stuff.

My God, fun. It's a great one. Well, anyway, they zap back in like a time machine. Um, right? And uh Billy yeah, and they go back and they're just Bill and Ted indifferent and diff they're just two dummies. It's like dumb and dumber in a time machine. Um, and um they so what if you could zap back in the time machine to any era, who where would you go? Who would you fight and would you take Aubrey with you?

Oh man. Um sh yeah, if if taking Aubrey is an option, of course, like and weapons are involved, by all means. Um I uh I I suppose I would go uh to the Roman Empire. And I knew it. And I would have Aubrey fight them with her wiles. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. And uh I would discover Cumberland sausage and take over the British Isles and become king. Cumberland sausage got made people king? Yeah. Yeah. Damn right, yeah. Guys, we guys Ha ha ha. Yeah. We could do this Or

Have you heard of caraway seed? Come with me.

Um, why do you love history so much? Um I don't Do you? I do. I'm I'm I mean, I think because I'm fascinated with what assholes we are, you know. And but also what incredible creatures we are. Like it's it when you look at my own uh anybody's the foibles of your own life, uh And you look at like, I don't know, a lot of what's going on in our in our world right now, it's astonishing

That the lights are on. Like it's pretty crazy that that a civilization has even lasted this long Do you believe in aliens? I d uh I I'm I'm agnostic about all that. I I f it seems like there is probably life in the universe. Yeah. Yeah. But until I get to shake hands with them or uh I don't mean to be. Whatever their uh Yeah.

You know, all of all of those things. I I think I think there's a lot we will never know as humans and I like dwelling in that. So if there are ghosts or spirits, uh I don't I don't I don't think hell exists'cause that's a fiction written in a book by people. Um, but uh that that sensibility, whatever the afterlife is, um, I I don't think anyone will ever know what it is. And so

If some people are like the I speak to spirits or whatever, I I have I have no cause to disagree with that. Yeah. They just have never talked to me. That's a very Ron Swanson answer actually. It's a very libertarian answer basically, which is like To each his own. Yeah. Yeah. Everyone should be allowed, you know, their their own trip and to to like what they like. And last question, Nick. What are you watching, listening? Where do you go right now to laugh? Where do you where? Right?

Th there are two shows uh'cause I I feel like it comes up a lot that there's not a lot of great ki it's not a great time for comedy on television. Um The the big hits like hacks and studio, those are that make us laugh quite a bit. But there are two that we've really loved that I that are more obscure that I would love to your listeners to know about. One's Australian and it's called Colin from Accounts. Yes. Excellent show.

So funny and also so heartwarming. It really moves me. And then there's one in England called I think it's called Such Brave Girls. Do you know that show? Do very well, cat cat saddler. And and I think the credit The opening credits th are the words spelled out in pubic hair on a tile floor, on a bathroom floor. And that's it's a great example of the the tone of the show. Oh. Yes. It's so delightfully filthy, um, and so funny.

Um that is a great show. That's a hilarious show. And those ladies are great. There's a lot of good stuff out there. You just gotta find it.

Um, Nick, did we cover everything? I think we did. So, yeah. You know Did we did we weigh in on Aristotle? Yeah, we did. You g you and you said pass on Cleopatra, you're not gonna smash. Come on. I love you. I'm not I'm not gonna st step in that river twice. I mean You came all the way from England. You just landed. Thanks, buddy, for doing this. I know. Imagine how fast I would talk if I hadn't just gotten off a plane. W should we just try to do this like every month? Sh totally.

Um, I love you. Thank you for doing this. I love you. Thank you. And um I can't wait to make something else with you soon, some day. Amen. Yeah. That would be awesome. But thanks for make for doing this and making this. And thank you for my slapstick. Oh is it is it mine? Oh oh no, this is the one you travel with. by all means It says bot on it. It does say butt joint on it. It scares me a little bit.

Thank you so much, Nick Offerman, for being here today. I love you and um it's always good to spend time with you. And for this polar plunge, I d I do wanna just highlight something I didn't get a chance to talk to Nick about, which is You know, we spoke a little bit about the physicality of Ron Swanson and how important it was uh for him to figure out that character.

But do yourself a favor when you're watching Parks and Recreation, take a look at how Ron runs. It's one of my favorite things about Nick is Ron Swanson runs in a very specific way. And sometimes he wipes out. And when he wipes out, it's beautiful. It's like Stunt level wipeout. I can't explain it other than to say it just gives me total delight, uh, the choice Nick made to run the way Ron runs. And

Um, I'm I'm gesticulating for those listening so you can't see, but it's just so funny. Um, the tucked-in shirt, the way Nick sits. when he plays Ron Swanson, the way he stares, all of that stuff is just like a master class, I think, in comedic acting and um probably, you know, what a trained actor learns. Um and I wouldn't know. But um Ha ha ha. But anyway, look, he's

That he's a g it's a genius at work watching Nick work. And um so happy he could join us. Thank you for listening uh to Good Hang and we'll see you soon. Bye. You've been listening to Good Hang. The executive producers for this show are Bill Simmons, Jenna Weiss Berman, and me, Amy Polar. The show is produced by The Ringer and PaperKite. For The Ringer, production by Jack Wilson, Kat Spillane,

Kaya McMullen and Alea Zanares. For paperkite, production by Sam Green, Joel Lovell, and Jenna Weiss Verman. Original music by Amy Miles.