Nick Offerman lets us in on which Ron Swanson quotes he gets on the street from Parks and Rec fans

You probably know Nick Offerman from his role on Parks and Recreation, constantly having his own character quoted at him when he goes out. And he says he’s prepared for it when he touches down in Melbourne for his standup show.

Nick Offerman wants us to know he can pronounce Melbourne correctly.

“I think you’re referring to Melbourne-ay,” he says, as dry as sandpaper.

The eccentric actor, writer, comedian and keen carpenter is heading our way for his solo All Rise tour.

Offerman isn’t known as a stand-up comedian yet people are buying fistfuls of tickets to see “my particular brand of strange, I guess.”

He’s best known for being Ron Swanson in Parks and Recreation and Karl Weathers in the excellent Fargo TV series.

And he’s happy to explain what All Rise will entail.

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Nick Offerman is looking forward to touching down in Melbourne. Picture: Getty

“I’m not a great joke writer so I call myself a humourist. I bring my guitar and perform songs that are funny and people seem to laugh at them,” says the 48 year old Illinois native.

“The show opens with a song called We F---ed It Up. It’s a brief overview of the history of Western Civilization. That’s the jumping off point. We’ve done some things right, we have electric cars and airconditioning,” he shrugs, hope pushing through pessimism.

“Later, I do a song called Thank God It’s Monday. It’s about people working jobs that they hate. It turns it on its head. There’s so much incredible vitriol around the world thanks to our political situation in America; or cesspool. So our days are filled with voracious reading about what the criminals in the White House have been up to.

“I want to bring an uplifting show to cure all the depression in the world, I take a step back and make fun of all of us for getting ourselves in this mess.

“It’s called All Rise because I want us to all pull ourselves up from our bootstraps and be better than we’ve ever been.”

It doesn’t always go to plan.

“I did a show at a college in America and I’d come straight from England where I was filming a series and I didn’t have time to research the college. I did my show and it was strangely quiet and I thought ‘Are these people dumb?’ I say something to every college audience: ‘You’re at this point in your life where you’re about to make decisions that will effect the rest of your life so my advice is to you is to find something you love to do and spend the rest of your life doing that.’

Stand up comedian (sitting down) Nick Offerman.

The many faces of Offerman.

“I said ‘If you choose a career based on fame and money then you’ll end up like those assholes in the White House.’ That was met with almost dead silence. So I said into the microphone ‘Ohhhh, I’m so sorry, if you like those folks in the White House then I’m glad we had some laughs here this evening — best of luck to you, I still want you to consider being kind to people.’ I got off stage and my friend said ‘Did you not see the hundreds of MAGA hats in the crowd?’ I said ‘Let’s get the hell outta here’,” he says.

He’ll be welcomed Down Under; we lack Trump chumps.

A lot of keen beans in Australia appreciated his turn as Karl Weathers in Fargo, the series was streamed via SBS On Demand.
“Oh gosh, I was so tickled pink to be handed that script. I guess head writer Noah Hawley needed that particular brand of strange I mentioned. I love the strange characters in every community — Karl is probably the most well read person in that town, he’s incredibly intelligent, he’s the only lawyer.

“His life’s proclivities also have him suffering from alcoholism and loneliness which is not helped by his terrible facial hair. When the writing is that good it’s a matter of digging in.

“My favourite episode is at the Sheriff’s station facing off with the bad guy’s family. The great Australian actor named Angus Sampson, who played the role of Bear, made me good in that scene because he pointed a shotgun in my face,” he says, letting us into the actor’s studio.

“The tears were flowing in no time.”

Although not a traditional comic, Offerman weighs in on who he looked up to growing up. “I’m a theatre actor. I circumvented the world of stand-up (comedy). I love George Carlin and the way his brain works and the questions he poses. I enjoyed Steve Martin especially in the ‘70s when he gave us all permission to be complete weirdos. I used to love Carol Burnett in my youth. These days I really enjoy Patton Oswalt, Sarah Silverman, Amy Schumer, all so funny. I like the questions the ask. The American news comedy shows like (the ones hosted by) Samantha Bee, Stephen Colbert and Trevor Noah make us laugh so hard by telling the truth better than the press are telling it.”

Offerman has levels. He’s a carpenter and a maker. His show with Amy Poehler, Making It, sees the duo find handywomen and handymen then celebrate their stoic skills. Nick is always cutting, sawing and creating in his own workshop back home.

“I have a batch of 11 ukuleles at my shop that I made that are screaming for me to string them up. They’re prototypes so we can build a bunch more,” he explains. Mmm, you can practically smell the wood from here.

Offerman has a magnetic, economic presence on screen. If you loved him as rugged, twinkle-eyed Swanson in Parks and Recreation (spoiler: you did) you’ll most likely have a favourite line up your sleeve should you ever met him.

“I guess the most popular Ron quotes people say are ‘Never half-ass two things, full-ass one thing.’ Another one is ‘Give me all the bacon and eggs you have.’ I probably get that the most,” he says, getting on a role about the role.

“People simply say ‘Bully!’ as a quote. And there’s one from a bowling episode with Aziz (Ansari); he bowls what we call Granny style and I say ‘Son, people can see you!’”

Nick will be prepared for your spontaneous quotes when he hits the pavement in June.

“I like to walk around Melbourne-ay with one echidna under each foot and see what humans have done where a giant lake meets the ocean.”

The All Rise tour came about in a funny old way. In order to bring us Nick at night, Offerman first realised his partner Megan Mullally (Will and Grace) was heading to Australia.

“Megan was bringing (musical duo) Nancy and Beth. I said I’d love to come along because I love Australia. Usually I’m their roadie. Now our tours are embroidered together.

“We each get to perform and then we get together and chase echidnas around. Then we’ll go to Tasmania to check out that beautiful museum (MONA).”

Sounds like conjugal visits are on the itinerary. “I guess we’re going to take turns going Down Under,” he shoots back smoothly, like a gun with a silencer.
“I’m not sure if I’m using that euphemism correctly. If I was there I could draw you a schematic.”

Offerman with partner Megan Mullally. Picture: Getty

Offerman’s unharried attitude is a reason Megan fell in love with him and what makes casting agents seek out his serene strain of strange.

So, my dude, how do you do you?

“I fill my days practically. I look around and see the good work that needs doing, like sweeping the kitchen, and it makes me happy,” he says.

“It keeps me out of the pub and with a cheery disposition.”

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SEE: Palais Theatre, Lower Esplanade, St Kilda. June 7-8. $81.40. ticketmaster.com.au