'Parks and Recreation's' Nick Offerman: Manly-Man

Actor Nick Offerman, aka Ron Swanson from the TV hit "Parks and Recreation," on becoming an actor, and being a manly-man.

Big mustache actor Nick Offerman has been the surprise breakout star — alongside Amy Poehler — of NBC’s quirky comedy "Parks and Recreation."  Offerman plays Ron Swanson –red meat-eating, government-hating, manly-man who works for the show’s little fictional city of Pawnee, Indiana.  The gruff government worker and libertarian who detests government.  The director of parks and recreation who wants to shut down public parks. Privatize.  Offerman’s macho, hunting, wood-working Ron Swanson is a hot item.  Up next On Point:  actor and ambivalent manly-man icon, Nick Offerman.
-- Tom Ashbrook

Nick Offerman, actor, comedian, wordworker and author. He plays Ron Swanson in the NBC sitcom, "Parks and Recreation." Author of "Paddle Your Own Canoe: One Man's Fundamentals For Delicious Living." (@Nick_Offerman)

New York Times: Inside the List — "Offerman avoids political labels in the book, but like any good libertarian he does draw a clear line between religion and government: 'I believe people misuse Christianity in modern society. . . . Disputing legislation based upon what it says in your holy book? Not patriotic.' And he definitely shares Ron Swanson’s carnivorous tastes. 'I have no intention of ever ceasing to enjoy red meat,' he writes. 'I’ll happily sport a bumper sticker that reads, ‘You can have my rib eye when you pry it from my cold, dead fingers,’ or even write a bit of poetry.'"

Washington Post: Nick Offerman - More Than a Mustache -- "Ultimately, it’s amusing when people try to dress me up as Ron. But when you think about it, it’s one of the most sublime problems a boy could ever wish for. People sometimes ask me,'Aren’t you afraid you’ll never get cast again after being so defined in the role of Ron Swanson?' And I say, if that’s the trade-off for the greatest role anyone has ever had — I never could have fathomed a part as good as Ron Swanson."

USA Today: 'Parks' star Nick Offerman says 'Paddle Your Own Canoe' -- "First and foremost, it's meant to be entertaining. I would like for them to take away some chuckles. And the idea in attempting the book in the first place is the notion that I might impart some advice to the reader. My dad always told me that the best way to learn is to make a mistake, so by that token I should have learned a great deal and I hope that the benefit of my jackassery will be a boon to those reading the lessons I have to offer."

Lou Reed, rock legend and godfather of punk music. He passed away Sunday at the age of 71.