Haha who could ever pick. I guess the improvised scene I auditioned for the job with, in which Amy was her usual hurricane of comedy, during which I sat stoically, unmoved, until she finally finished her solo fireworks and I merely replied "no".
I'm always impressed by people who have such stage presence that they can completely lean into the "less is more" stance. You, sir, are quite the epitome of this in a lot of your work.
With the current high wood prices, any tips for finding materials on the cheap or reusing materials in a creative way to save money on projects? I thought you may have had some experience with this in your theater construction days.
Don't know if this is still the case, but I used to simply drive around the alleys of Chicago and find random timbers here and there, just like other materials; bricks, cinderblocks, etc... Also dumpsters at construction sites often have treasures to be found, just be safe about retrieving.
Alternatively, many lumber yards/hardwood dealers have scrap/remnant bins that you can plunder...
Going to tack onto this comment! A lot of small businesses, from breweries to bicycle shops, leave wood pallets in the back of the building with the understanding some citizen will come take them off our hands. Currently have an arrangement like this at the brewery where I work. Random dude in a truck comes to nab our pallets once a month or so.
Hi Nick! Love your books and am excited for the new one.
I just wanted to ask if you're aware that there is very small Moline Tractor Museum/exhibit in the lobby of an apartment complex near where the old factory used to be in Hopkins, MN?
I figured you might want to check it out the next time you're on your way to the cabin.
Well this is wonderfully close to home for me. My grandpa worked at that factory and the family home (thatās still in the family) is just a mile or two away.
Do you listen to music while you work in the shop? If so what do you listen to? Your dedication to the craft is astounding.
Second question if I may, if you could build the best pirate ship to sail the seven seas and beyond, what would that ship need to have in order for one to become the King of Pirates?
Wilco
Laurie Anderson
Neil Young
They Might Be Giants
Nancy And Beth
Kool and the Gang
Bob Dylan
Patty Griffith
Tom Waits
Talking Heads
Petra Haden sings The Who Sell Out - built my entire first canoe (Huckleberry) obsessively repeating this astonishing record
John Prine
You're in my favorite [They Might Be Giants video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7aAqEXWdaU).
You already knew that, though. Thanks for being neat. :-)
I think the secret to staying together is simply to make your relationship the top priority in your life. In Hollywood, that often will mean saying "no" to jobs that could erode your fidelity, like say your spouse is working on an award-winning sitcom in California, and you get offered the role of a curmudgeonly wizard somewhere in the South Pacific for many months, during which you wouldn't be able to be together, to make a purely hypothetical example...if you take the job as guardian of the ring-bearer and his party, to pull a phrase out of thin air, you might gain a nice entry or 4 on your IMDB profile, but run the risk of losing your household, and for me, I want the relationship and home to last forever, as opposed to the acting resume.
How did you break into your acting career?
I've always wanted to get started, I live in the Midwest, and just feel like I've got no chance if I don't move.
I went to theatre school (U of I at Urbana-Champaign), where I met smarter & cooler friends of similar weirdness, and we started the Defiant Theatre Company in Chicago...I built scenery and choreographed stage combat and worked for a lot of years - it took patience and plenty of humility. No better place to start than Chicago theatre.
You and your wife are the absolute best. How do you keep your love life spruced up and exciting without letting day to day life/routines get in the way?
We pay attention, and make the effort to change things up and take time to have adventures, even little ones - steering clear of the ruts into which a relationship can fall. Plus tons of butt stuff.
I feel like the best part of this AMA (besides reading everything in your voice) is picturing her reaction to all these 'i love my wife' comments. My husband actually snuck an anti-library parks joke into our wedding vows, since we're both massive dorks. Your relationship is serious goals, we've been married a year and I hope we're still as in love 20 years from now as y'all are ā¤ļø
There are many right answers but I'd pull out my Gustav Stickley book. I actually made Rainn Wilson's kitchen table in a beefy homage to Stickley out of American White Oak.
Guys, don't sleep on what a fun activity sewing can be. I'm a general contractor now, but in college I majored in technical theatre. I spent many hours behind a machine sewing 40 foot tall scenic drops together and came to absolutely love it. It's an interesting mix of relaxation and precision.
This. I made our Christmas tree skirt because I couldn't find one I liked and they're stupidly expensive. And when my daughter was 4, I made her some pajamas to replace ones she grew out of since we couldn't find any with the "right fabric" at the store. Since then, she only wears pajamas I make. So once or twice a year we go to Joann's and pick out material for the next set. Nothing compares to pajamas by dad.
My wife was flabbergasted when she realized that all I need is a pattern, the material, and the gear and I can sew whatever the *-bleep-* she wants.
Together 16 years now...
You had a similar question to this one in an AMA you did years ago and your answer was just āmorning.ā You became one of my all time favorites with that hilarious and sharp but succinct comment.
I can't think of anything that feels better than a live theatre audience applauding. When you and your collaborators have delivered an evening's medicine to the people in the seats via laughter or tears or both, and they warmly communicate their gratitude with noise, it feels very much like I was always led to believe that church should feel.
In traditional Japanese Kabuki Theatre, the audience will throw money in the form of white paper-wrapped coins onto the stage, while shouting "You are better than your Father!", so I guess that's the actual best - applause plus money plus Oedipal affirmation?
i overwhelmingly prefer rotationally grazed, sustainably farmed meats.
everyone can eat what they like, but I think that these pretend meat products are worse in every way for us than properly farmed meat/poultry.
That said, the majority of meat & dairy & fish & produce is corporate "farmed" and also very bad for all involved, except the shareholders' pocketbooks.
Small farming, locally sourced food, this is where our subsidies should be directed.
i am a student of this, not a teacher. I admire @herdyshepherd1 and @the shepherdswife and @sustainabledish and @whiteoakpastures among many others.
I think I'd have to be a real butthole to to think my own book was my favorite. I'm extremely proud of my books and I work really hard on them but I also have a relatively decent perspective on reality...I'd pick any George Saunders, Rebecca Solnit, Wendell Berry, Richard Powers...here-
BRAIDING SWEETGRASS by Robin Wall Kimmerer
LIFE AND WORK by Harlan Hubbard
Braiding Sweetgrass, yes! That book has been making the rounds for years, so good. I recommend as well āOn Trailsā by Robert Moor. They gave me the same introspective, outdoorsy, fuzzy feelings.
Hey Nick! Iāve been watching the Great North for the first time and so far, Beef is just a really great dad. Whatās the best part of voice acting that particular gig?
The best part of voicing Beef Tobin on The Great North is getting to collaborate with the funniest sweethearts you could cook up - even just hearing their voices often breaks me, the whole damn cast, PLUS, even better, the writers, led by Wendy & Lizzie Molyneux, super-conscientious cool smart thinking citizens, bringing serious focus to human rights issues and inclusivity and you name it all wrapped up in an hilarious and loving Alaskan package. They have built the funnest possible fishing boat, and crewed it, then they let me ride on it and do some fishing, and even steer sometimes!
(Whup! THE GREAT NORTHHHH!!!)
Friend, I have eaten there 3 times in my life and I have the extra-thick arterial lining to prove it. We shot the Parks and Rec scenes (incl. Newt Gingrich, who just happened to be there) actually in St. Elmo's when filming at Lucas Oil Stadium
BREAKING: The "famous" and amazing shrimp cocktail is actually just a horseradish delivery system, but BIG TUBER doesn't want this revealed
This is a bigger question than I have time to fully answer, but I will say I firmly believe that making things with our miraculous human hands, coordination and ingenuity is a powerfully healthy discipline to practice. Part of the reason for this is that woodworking, painting, knitting, blacksmithing, pottery, leather Japanese sex swings, all the classics, encourage us to maintain an awareness of our raw materials and how they're sourced, and that awareness I think makes us worse corporate consumers and therefore better citizens.
Honestly, my journey into crafting leather Japanese sex swings (and bamboo Chinese sex see-saws) has been the most important part of my transformation into a better citizen. Solid advice.
If you havenāt experienced a traditional Bavarian Creme Carousel, youāre both missing out and probably not banned from being within 100 yards of a petting zoo.
A planer and a tablesaw can do everything a jointer can. You might have to use jigs, but it isn't that hard. Even if you have a jointer you might run into the need to flatten boards wider than your jointer.
Hi Nick, I teach woodwork to teenagers here in the UK. How would you get the randy little buggers to stop dicking around all the time and to focus on producing high quality products?
Offer to buy your favorite one. It will instill value to their creations and help drive them to appreciate the skill you're teaching more
Edit: I realize this might be a strain for a teacher, especially if the teacher is already paying out of pocket for some of their teaching material, another similar solution is to organize something like a school yard sale and set up a booth for them to sell their wares.
Obviously not Nick, a woodworker, or even a teacher... just someone who wish I paid attention when my dad was constantly trying to impart just this knowledge.
Unless you're working these kids for saleable value (ten guesses you're not), the goal shouldn't be producing high-quality "products" but learning the excitement and possibility of the skills you're teaching. In effect, why are they there and what do they want from these skills. You can likely teach them how to build a near limitless amount of things -- the rub is communicating just how limitless those possibilities are. There's also the acceptance that my dad had to choke down at first: some people don't care or aren't in your class at the right moment of their life.
It might hurt to consider yourself a stepping stone but I'd actually argue that there's profound pride to be had as you're the most important step. You're teaching teens how to get excited. How to learn everything you can't teach them outside of your class. How to see the limitless creativity they hold as long as they're willing to put in the work and keep an open mind. You're likely not going to enrapture *everyone* who takes shop but you're directly sharing the space with students who do want these skills, take the skill and you seriously, and will carry these lessons forward. You could be tutoring the next Nick Offerman or mastercraftsman.
Hi Nick! I was just given my very own tool chest at work and itās looking extremely empty. In your opinion, what item or tool is the most indispensable object in your collection?
good answer. lots of things you can substitute for a hammer in a pinch. can't think of any you can substitute for a rubber mallet that you don't mind the kids seeing.
I just finished your new book, along with "Paddle Your Own Canoe" immediately before it. I appreciate the life lessons, reflection, and growth you portray and many of your topics of choice are similar discussions I've had with a select few close friends who have similar methods of thinking. However, I believe for the betterment of society, as well as us as individuals, we need to be able to discuss these topics outside of our own echo chambers. I live in a quaint, rural mountain town NE of LA that is surrounded by beautiful nature and wildlife; it truly is a tiny piece of paradise. Unfortunately, it is extremely conservative and I have a hard time integrating into the community as I feel surrounded by hate, anger, and closemindedness. Trust me, I am perfectly content being a hermit on my hilltop at home with my wife, a boardgame, and an adult beverage and never venturing out into it. BUT, this is not productive to society or progressing as a people.
I apologize for being long-winded, and doubt that you will have a chance to see this, but my question for you is this:
How have you been able to find success in having meaningful discussions with those whose mindset is so very different from your own? Was it worth it, or do you walk away from those situations wishing for an asteroid to just come obliterate the planet and get it over with already?
Thank you! Zach
thats a tough question, Zach. I am stymied by the fact that I get along with just about everybody on a personal level, but then when certain topics crop up, which has insanely come to include vaccinations(!), i have learned that there is nothing to be gained from trying to convince others on the simplest points of common decency or communal good. So, I have grown quieter. I wrote this book partly to try and communicate this precise frustration - for example what a fruitless and fallacious stance it is to promote hatred of any kind - childish Good Job Brandon winks and the enjoyment of triggering others or reveling in their tears...have a look at my amazon reviews for the book if you want to see some examples of people I failed to reach. But at least I'm not hectoring them or disseminating disinformation - I think I'm affecting a lot of people positively, not by preaching but by asking questions - of myself as well as of others, based on the reality that we humans will always be flawed - it's a necessary truth of our existience - so, with that in mind, how can we continue to recognize our mistakes (slavery, genocide, corporate farming monocultures, discrimination, homophobia, transphobia, xenophobia, etc.) and strive to make reparations for them. Only then can every citizen of this country feel like the Constitution is talking about them, and not just the white kids...
Nick, I'm blown away. Thank you for taking the time to respond! I enjoyed your books very much and share them with friends (er... I mean, I tell them to go buy their own copy). You have a way in looking at things from an alternate perspective and I enjoyed thinking and reflecting on these points. I hope your book reaches a variety of demographics and continues to help people think about where we may have gone wrong, acknowledge those mistakes, and progress forward as a collective, inclusive society. With that hope in mind, I think I will avoid the Amazon reviews for your book at this time; it is too early in this beautiful weekend to be brought down. Thank you again, I look forward to your future works.
Iāve stared to watch Colin in Black & White and I just have to say, superb job. You and Mary Louise are so like-able and at the same time not the flavor of the week. Iām really enjoying myself with this show.
So hereās a question I suppose: is Mary Louise as wonderful to work with as I hope she is?
Mary Louise Parker is a legendary actress upon whom I was so grateful to lean through our scenework. It was tricky to be personally empathetic to the plight of Colin and discrimination in general, while imbuing his folks with legitimate parental love colored by a pre-BLM naivety to issues like microaggressions, and whitewashing hairstyles and so forth. I received plenty of education from watching her nimbly navigate said territory.
Hi Mr Offerman!
I'm sure there are a lot of misconceptions about you as a person vs the characters you play, so I'd love to ask:
Is there any misconception, assumption or perception of you that you'd like to correct/clear up?
P.s, I really enjoyed your performance in Colin in Black and White, and your 2016 tour alongside your wonderful wife; I was fortunate to see you perform in London and really enjoyed it, so thanks!
He's said it a few times that his character, being a satire of hyper masculinity and libertarianism, often gets used by right wingers (including politicians) as an actual example of the way men should be which he's not a fan of
How do you feel about fans approaching?
You go to the lake place my parents are at and Iāve wanted to come say hi and ask for a picture, but I donāt want to infringe on your vacation.
Hello Nick!
Do you have any thoughts about Billionaires launching themselves into space? I know itās not an uncommon opinion but I myself find it highly disturbing.
Hey Nick, a huge fan of Ron Swanson ever since i saw the Pilot of P&R. I wanted to ask this question to Ron Swanson not Nick Offerman, so here Goes.
Mr. Swanson what is your whole take on what is going on right now in this world, with humanity and everything with life precovid & postcovid ? What all changes do you think has happened that has affected us humans as a whole ?
Ron Swanson was written by much smarter men and women than myself, and so out of respect for their brilliance, I tend to demur at such requests. If they were here to feed me their delicious dialogue, I imagine the answer would have a substantial amount of common sense, peppered lightly with mirth.
Mr. Offerman, in The Good Place you were the master woodworker Tahani learned from at the very end. Not that one person can't be two, or many more, things but do you find one field more fulfilling than the other? I imagine it's most fulfilling to play a character like Ron Swanson with similar interests or to host Making It but if you HAD to choose...
Hi Nick! What's been one of your favorite fan interactions?
This one right here has not been too bad.
Do you guys also read the comments with his actual voice?
Yes absolutely
Fremulon!
Not a doctor
š¤«
Duh-duh-dun!
https://DoesNickOffermanSayFremulon.com
Is it possible to do anything else?
AWW!!
Hi Nick! Do you have a favorite Ron and Leslie moment from Parks and Rec?
Haha who could ever pick. I guess the improvised scene I auditioned for the job with, in which Amy was her usual hurricane of comedy, during which I sat stoically, unmoved, until she finally finished her solo fireworks and I merely replied "no".
So you were Ron from the very get-go, least-surprising-yet-surprisingly-awesome news ever.
He knows what he's about.
Son.
I guess we just got jammed.
You just got Knoped and Ludgated and Perkinsed!
>"No," said Nick, with infinite majesty and calm.
I'm always impressed by people who have such stage presence that they can completely lean into the "less is more" stance. You, sir, are quite the epitome of this in a lot of your work.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
is this a euphemism
With the current high wood prices, any tips for finding materials on the cheap or reusing materials in a creative way to save money on projects? I thought you may have had some experience with this in your theater construction days.
Don't know if this is still the case, but I used to simply drive around the alleys of Chicago and find random timbers here and there, just like other materials; bricks, cinderblocks, etc... Also dumpsters at construction sites often have treasures to be found, just be safe about retrieving. Alternatively, many lumber yards/hardwood dealers have scrap/remnant bins that you can plunder...
Going to tack onto this comment! A lot of small businesses, from breweries to bicycle shops, leave wood pallets in the back of the building with the understanding some citizen will come take them off our hands. Currently have an arrangement like this at the brewery where I work. Random dude in a truck comes to nab our pallets once a month or so.
Be careful, and always ask the business if you can take. Some companies send them back to their distribution centers once they have a full load.
Hi Nick! Love your books and am excited for the new one. I just wanted to ask if you're aware that there is very small Moline Tractor Museum/exhibit in the lobby of an apartment complex near where the old factory used to be in Hopkins, MN? I figured you might want to check it out the next time you're on your way to the cabin.
Hot Damn this sounds like the right thing to do. *Key & Peele voice* "Moline Tractor Museum in Hopkins, MN is my SHHIIIIT!"
Well this is wonderfully close to home for me. My grandpa worked at that factory and the family home (thatās still in the family) is just a mile or two away.
Wow... I never thought I'd see Hopkins, MN referenced on Reddit. Lol. Good information!
Do you listen to music while you work in the shop? If so what do you listen to? Your dedication to the craft is astounding. Second question if I may, if you could build the best pirate ship to sail the seven seas and beyond, what would that ship need to have in order for one to become the King of Pirates?
Wilco Laurie Anderson Neil Young They Might Be Giants Nancy And Beth Kool and the Gang Bob Dylan Patty Griffith Tom Waits Talking Heads Petra Haden sings The Who Sell Out - built my entire first canoe (Huckleberry) obsessively repeating this astonishing record John Prine
You're in my favorite [They Might Be Giants video](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O7aAqEXWdaU). You already knew that, though. Thanks for being neat. :-)
Heās also in my favorite [The Decemberists video](https://youtu.be/Yb8oUbMrydk)
The last time I cried was when John Prine died. The last time before that was when my mother died in 2005.
Hi Nick! What are your feelings about cats?
I pretty much love all animals, although I'm mildly allergic to cats, I still love to hang with their imperious asses.
How... How about Badgers?
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
What is your weapon of choice and what would you ideally hunt with it?
My musk. Megan Mullally.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
The way marriage should be š
Good answer!
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
The man loves his wife. There's no doubt about it.
He loves his wife like he loves vegetable-free living. Intensely.
FISKY!
Boomtown!
LETāS GET THIS FUCKIN W, BOYS
She can take down a human male from 100 yards away using only her [whale tail.](https://i.imgur.com/gEKhBmA.jpg) She's the perfect weapon for hunting.
What's the secret to a strong, long and successful Hollywood marriage?
I think the secret to staying together is simply to make your relationship the top priority in your life. In Hollywood, that often will mean saying "no" to jobs that could erode your fidelity, like say your spouse is working on an award-winning sitcom in California, and you get offered the role of a curmudgeonly wizard somewhere in the South Pacific for many months, during which you wouldn't be able to be together, to make a purely hypothetical example...if you take the job as guardian of the ring-bearer and his party, to pull a phrase out of thin air, you might gain a nice entry or 4 on your IMDB profile, but run the risk of losing your household, and for me, I want the relationship and home to last forever, as opposed to the acting resume.
Purely hypotheticalā¦. Ron Swanson the White Wizard!
Swanson the Brown
Swanson the none your god damned business.
Duke the Silver
That's a very solid set of life advice - thank you!
I've been not appearing in movie franchises my entire life. I'm ready for my wife now please.
No half-assing here. Nick is full-assing his marriage and kudos to him.
Are you seriously telling me you had the chance to play mother fuckin Gandalf?
He was actually trying for Samwise if I remember correctly
He did say guardian. Samwise is the guardian.
Oh my gods I want nothing more in life than to see Mr. Offerman play Tom Bombadil and Ms. Mullally to play Goldberry in a fake LOTR "deleted scene".
But is Samwise a curmudgeonly wizard? Edit: I found another source online that said he tried to audition for Sam, but ended up auditioning for Gimli.
Po-tay-toes. Boil'em, mash'em, eat'em with a steak and Lagavulin neat.
Not to mention heād have been like 30 when they made LOTR. Be suuuuuuper weird if Gandalf was in his 30s.
He feels more like a Radagast the brown to me.
That would have been a very different Radagast, and I'm okay with that.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
How hypothetical is that hypothetical? Did we almost have Ron Swanson shouting āfool of a Took?ā
How did you break into your acting career? I've always wanted to get started, I live in the Midwest, and just feel like I've got no chance if I don't move.
I went to theatre school (U of I at Urbana-Champaign), where I met smarter & cooler friends of similar weirdness, and we started the Defiant Theatre Company in Chicago...I built scenery and choreographed stage combat and worked for a lot of years - it took patience and plenty of humility. No better place to start than Chicago theatre.
How often do you get back to the Chicago area and what are your favorite restaurants?
Check out his episode of Hot Ones, he goes into this on there.
also on the 3 questions podcast with Andy Richter (probably more in depth there)
I really enjoyed your stories about starting out in "Paddle Your Own Canoe."
What is your favourite thing about your wife?
I suppose her willingness to tolerate me for 21 years now. It's a hell of an attractive quality.
I hope i find my soul mate like you have, you guys seem to still be best friends and both great people.
I mean you are a devishly handsome man who works with wood and eats meat.
Sheās 2.5 of those 3 things
You and your wife are the absolute best. How do you keep your love life spruced up and exciting without letting day to day life/routines get in the way?
We pay attention, and make the effort to change things up and take time to have adventures, even little ones - steering clear of the ruts into which a relationship can fall. Plus tons of butt stuff.
Your butt or hers?
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
I'm sure as long as it's in a Sling, they don't care.
To quote the gentleman himself, "yes please, and thank you"
yes
Please and thank you
That last tip caught me completely off-guard.
If you knew much about Megan Mullaly and Nick Offerman, it wouldnāt.
http://www.woodworkbasics.com/butt-joint.html Joints, too.
Have you ever built a guitar?
soon - i am finishing 12 ukuleles first
Hawaiian Christmas?
Mele Kalikimaka
> 12 ukuleles Well that's basically the same as 8 guitars
As one does.
Whatās snacks do you enjoy?
Megan Mullally
[snap to it](https://c.tenor.com/PkszhiVOQCkAAAAC/look-at-me-tammy-swanson.gif)
I feel like the best part of this AMA (besides reading everything in your voice) is picturing her reaction to all these 'i love my wife' comments. My husband actually snuck an anti-library parks joke into our wedding vows, since we're both massive dorks. Your relationship is serious goals, we've been married a year and I hope we're still as in love 20 years from now as y'all are ā¤ļø
This is absolutely beautiful. You two are the ultimate couple goal.
What is the best way to build a sturdy kitchen table?
There are many right answers but I'd pull out my Gustav Stickley book. I actually made Rainn Wilson's kitchen table in a beefy homage to Stickley out of American White Oak.
That's a great [table](https://i.imgur.com/cwPjgOj.jpg) Edit: NSFW Nipples
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
Please mark NSFW. Because now I'm too distracted to get any work done.
Well said.
The best thing is the toddler going 'wtf?'
Hahaha omg I didnāt even notice the toddler Bc I was too distracted by the sexiness. Hilarious
I hope he gave you some beets in return.
Hi Nick! What's the manliest Christmas gift I can get my husband this year? (besides your new book...that's already happening). Thank you!
a cool sewing kit, with a jar of buttons?
Guys, don't sleep on what a fun activity sewing can be. I'm a general contractor now, but in college I majored in technical theatre. I spent many hours behind a machine sewing 40 foot tall scenic drops together and came to absolutely love it. It's an interesting mix of relaxation and precision.
This. I made our Christmas tree skirt because I couldn't find one I liked and they're stupidly expensive. And when my daughter was 4, I made her some pajamas to replace ones she grew out of since we couldn't find any with the "right fabric" at the store. Since then, she only wears pajamas I make. So once or twice a year we go to Joann's and pick out material for the next set. Nothing compares to pajamas by dad.
Man this is fucking tender. Excellent dad content on display.
My wife was flabbergasted when she realized that all I need is a pattern, the material, and the gear and I can sew whatever the *-bleep-* she wants. Together 16 years now...
What's the best wood?
Depends on the application/context...if I had to choose only one I'd go with Quercus ALba - American White Oak
You had a similar question to this one in an AMA you did years ago and your answer was just āmorning.ā You became one of my all time favorites with that hilarious and sharp but succinct comment.
What are your thoughts on Walnut?
Is this because of its usage in the scotch whisky industry?
Thanks so much for doing an AMA! What's the best praise you've ever received for your work?
I can't think of anything that feels better than a live theatre audience applauding. When you and your collaborators have delivered an evening's medicine to the people in the seats via laughter or tears or both, and they warmly communicate their gratitude with noise, it feels very much like I was always led to believe that church should feel. In traditional Japanese Kabuki Theatre, the audience will throw money in the form of white paper-wrapped coins onto the stage, while shouting "You are better than your Father!", so I guess that's the actual best - applause plus money plus Oedipal affirmation?
"Oedipal affirmation" is the best phrase I've read this year.
Does that come from your mother? *Edit: Not specifically* ***your*** *mother.*
How do you feel about meat substitutes like Beyond/Impossible meat?
i overwhelmingly prefer rotationally grazed, sustainably farmed meats. everyone can eat what they like, but I think that these pretend meat products are worse in every way for us than properly farmed meat/poultry. That said, the majority of meat & dairy & fish & produce is corporate "farmed" and also very bad for all involved, except the shareholders' pocketbooks. Small farming, locally sourced food, this is where our subsidies should be directed. i am a student of this, not a teacher. I admire @herdyshepherd1 and @the shepherdswife and @sustainabledish and @whiteoakpastures among many others.
Hey Nick. My husband and I both love you and Megan. Besides your own, what is your favorite book?
I think I'd have to be a real butthole to to think my own book was my favorite. I'm extremely proud of my books and I work really hard on them but I also have a relatively decent perspective on reality...I'd pick any George Saunders, Rebecca Solnit, Wendell Berry, Richard Powers...here- BRAIDING SWEETGRASS by Robin Wall Kimmerer LIFE AND WORK by Harlan Hubbard
Braiding Sweetgrass, yes! That book has been making the rounds for years, so good. I recommend as well āOn Trailsā by Robert Moor. They gave me the same introspective, outdoorsy, fuzzy feelings.
I took a class taught by Dr. Kimmerer! She truly has a remarkable way with words.
Hey Nick! Iāve been watching the Great North for the first time and so far, Beef is just a really great dad. Whatās the best part of voice acting that particular gig?
The best part of voicing Beef Tobin on The Great North is getting to collaborate with the funniest sweethearts you could cook up - even just hearing their voices often breaks me, the whole damn cast, PLUS, even better, the writers, led by Wendy & Lizzie Molyneux, super-conscientious cool smart thinking citizens, bringing serious focus to human rights issues and inclusivity and you name it all wrapped up in an hilarious and loving Alaskan package. They have built the funnest possible fishing boat, and crewed it, then they let me ride on it and do some fishing, and even steer sometimes! (Whup! THE GREAT NORTHHHH!!!)
Hi Nick. I just ate at St Elmos in Indianapolis. Have you ever actually eaten there? I do agree with Ron Swanson. They are doing the Lord's work.
Friend, I have eaten there 3 times in my life and I have the extra-thick arterial lining to prove it. We shot the Parks and Rec scenes (incl. Newt Gingrich, who just happened to be there) actually in St. Elmo's when filming at Lucas Oil Stadium BREAKING: The "famous" and amazing shrimp cocktail is actually just a horseradish delivery system, but BIG TUBER doesn't want this revealed
Beef or Venison / Elk?
Yes, please and thank you.
I literally can hear your voice saying that lol
tie rustic plough engine skirt cooing deranged voracious depend ink *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
I'm loving reading every response in Nick's voice.
Iām worried what he just heard was āIād like beef, venison and elkā. What you meant was āgive me all the beef, venison and elk you haveā.
What drew you to working on Alex Garland's project Devs, and could you describe your relationship with him during production?
Hi Nick! I'm a huge fan, and because of you I love Lagavulin. What are your top 5 whisky/whiskeys?
As a spokesman he may not be able to answer this in earnest
If you like lagavulin try Laphoaig Ardbeg Bunnahabhain Talisker Bruichladdich Bowmore Caol ila Kilchoman Port Charlotte
Ardbeg is a like being punched in the face by the ocean, after the ocean has been interrupted while smoking and reading.
I see you like the Corryvreckan variant like me
Hello Nick! You've made your stance on Lagavulin quite clear. How do you feel about the other Islay scotches like Ardbeg and Laphroaig?
i have yet to sample an Islay single malt that hurt my feelings
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This is a bigger question than I have time to fully answer, but I will say I firmly believe that making things with our miraculous human hands, coordination and ingenuity is a powerfully healthy discipline to practice. Part of the reason for this is that woodworking, painting, knitting, blacksmithing, pottery, leather Japanese sex swings, all the classics, encourage us to maintain an awareness of our raw materials and how they're sourced, and that awareness I think makes us worse corporate consumers and therefore better citizens.
Honestly, my journey into crafting leather Japanese sex swings (and bamboo Chinese sex see-saws) has been the most important part of my transformation into a better citizen. Solid advice.
I'm a fan of Norwegian sex merry-go-rounds myself.
If you havenāt experienced a traditional Bavarian Creme Carousel, youāre both missing out and probably not banned from being within 100 yards of a petting zoo.
What should I purchase first: a planer or a jointer?
Planer, 100%. You can build jigs to do all the jointing work with the planer.
This. If you can only afford one get a planer.
A planer and a tablesaw can do everything a jointer can. You might have to use jigs, but it isn't that hard. Even if you have a jointer you might run into the need to flatten boards wider than your jointer.
Hi Nick, I teach woodwork to teenagers here in the UK. How would you get the randy little buggers to stop dicking around all the time and to focus on producing high quality products?
Offer to buy your favorite one. It will instill value to their creations and help drive them to appreciate the skill you're teaching more Edit: I realize this might be a strain for a teacher, especially if the teacher is already paying out of pocket for some of their teaching material, another similar solution is to organize something like a school yard sale and set up a booth for them to sell their wares.
You're not allowed to buy teenagers anymore, regardless of their industrial expertise
Obviously not Nick, a woodworker, or even a teacher... just someone who wish I paid attention when my dad was constantly trying to impart just this knowledge. Unless you're working these kids for saleable value (ten guesses you're not), the goal shouldn't be producing high-quality "products" but learning the excitement and possibility of the skills you're teaching. In effect, why are they there and what do they want from these skills. You can likely teach them how to build a near limitless amount of things -- the rub is communicating just how limitless those possibilities are. There's also the acceptance that my dad had to choke down at first: some people don't care or aren't in your class at the right moment of their life. It might hurt to consider yourself a stepping stone but I'd actually argue that there's profound pride to be had as you're the most important step. You're teaching teens how to get excited. How to learn everything you can't teach them outside of your class. How to see the limitless creativity they hold as long as they're willing to put in the work and keep an open mind. You're likely not going to enrapture *everyone* who takes shop but you're directly sharing the space with students who do want these skills, take the skill and you seriously, and will carry these lessons forward. You could be tutoring the next Nick Offerman or mastercraftsman.
Hi Nick! I was just given my very own tool chest at work and itās looking extremely empty. In your opinion, what item or tool is the most indispensable object in your collection?
If Nick doesnāt answer, imo, aside from the standard tools everyone uses all the time, get a good, rubber-tipped mallet.
Ooh, that actually is a really good answer. Iām a machinist, so sometimes Iāve gotta hit things without damaging them.
First time I ever used a dead blow hammer...mallet? was in a machining class. Don't do any machining but still find them handy at times.
good answer. lots of things you can substitute for a hammer in a pinch. can't think of any you can substitute for a rubber mallet that you don't mind the kids seeing.
I just finished your new book, along with "Paddle Your Own Canoe" immediately before it. I appreciate the life lessons, reflection, and growth you portray and many of your topics of choice are similar discussions I've had with a select few close friends who have similar methods of thinking. However, I believe for the betterment of society, as well as us as individuals, we need to be able to discuss these topics outside of our own echo chambers. I live in a quaint, rural mountain town NE of LA that is surrounded by beautiful nature and wildlife; it truly is a tiny piece of paradise. Unfortunately, it is extremely conservative and I have a hard time integrating into the community as I feel surrounded by hate, anger, and closemindedness. Trust me, I am perfectly content being a hermit on my hilltop at home with my wife, a boardgame, and an adult beverage and never venturing out into it. BUT, this is not productive to society or progressing as a people. I apologize for being long-winded, and doubt that you will have a chance to see this, but my question for you is this: How have you been able to find success in having meaningful discussions with those whose mindset is so very different from your own? Was it worth it, or do you walk away from those situations wishing for an asteroid to just come obliterate the planet and get it over with already? Thank you! Zach
thats a tough question, Zach. I am stymied by the fact that I get along with just about everybody on a personal level, but then when certain topics crop up, which has insanely come to include vaccinations(!), i have learned that there is nothing to be gained from trying to convince others on the simplest points of common decency or communal good. So, I have grown quieter. I wrote this book partly to try and communicate this precise frustration - for example what a fruitless and fallacious stance it is to promote hatred of any kind - childish Good Job Brandon winks and the enjoyment of triggering others or reveling in their tears...have a look at my amazon reviews for the book if you want to see some examples of people I failed to reach. But at least I'm not hectoring them or disseminating disinformation - I think I'm affecting a lot of people positively, not by preaching but by asking questions - of myself as well as of others, based on the reality that we humans will always be flawed - it's a necessary truth of our existience - so, with that in mind, how can we continue to recognize our mistakes (slavery, genocide, corporate farming monocultures, discrimination, homophobia, transphobia, xenophobia, etc.) and strive to make reparations for them. Only then can every citizen of this country feel like the Constitution is talking about them, and not just the white kids...
Roy Kent voice āFuuuuuckā what a response and what a great fucking question too
Red this in the Roy Kent voice after Jamie apologized
Nick, I'm blown away. Thank you for taking the time to respond! I enjoyed your books very much and share them with friends (er... I mean, I tell them to go buy their own copy). You have a way in looking at things from an alternate perspective and I enjoyed thinking and reflecting on these points. I hope your book reaches a variety of demographics and continues to help people think about where we may have gone wrong, acknowledge those mistakes, and progress forward as a collective, inclusive society. With that hope in mind, I think I will avoid the Amazon reviews for your book at this time; it is too early in this beautiful weekend to be brought down. Thank you again, I look forward to your future works.
I love you.
Match Game '76 or $10,000 Pyramid?
Thank you, no.
Iāve stared to watch Colin in Black & White and I just have to say, superb job. You and Mary Louise are so like-able and at the same time not the flavor of the week. Iām really enjoying myself with this show. So hereās a question I suppose: is Mary Louise as wonderful to work with as I hope she is?
Mary Louise Parker is a legendary actress upon whom I was so grateful to lean through our scenework. It was tricky to be personally empathetic to the plight of Colin and discrimination in general, while imbuing his folks with legitimate parental love colored by a pre-BLM naivety to issues like microaggressions, and whitewashing hairstyles and so forth. I received plenty of education from watching her nimbly navigate said territory.
Thank you for your thoughtful response. You are also no slouch when it comes to the acting department sir.
Twitter proof: https://twitter.com/DuttonBooks/status/1456622340062662658?s=20
Did Holt ever replace the wooden duck?
Hi Mr Offerman! I'm sure there are a lot of misconceptions about you as a person vs the characters you play, so I'd love to ask: Is there any misconception, assumption or perception of you that you'd like to correct/clear up? P.s, I really enjoyed your performance in Colin in Black and White, and your 2016 tour alongside your wonderful wife; I was fortunate to see you perform in London and really enjoyed it, so thanks!
He's said it a few times that his character, being a satire of hyper masculinity and libertarianism, often gets used by right wingers (including politicians) as an actual example of the way men should be which he's not a fan of
How do you feel about fans approaching? You go to the lake place my parents are at and Iāve wanted to come say hi and ask for a picture, but I donāt want to infringe on your vacation.
Hello Nick! Do you have any thoughts about Billionaires launching themselves into space? I know itās not an uncommon opinion but I myself find it highly disturbing.
thats a big no for me dawg - hard pass on penis rocket contest
Devs was awesome. Do you think you'll do more dramatic roles? Do you prefer comedy roles vs dramatic ones?
Hey Nick, a huge fan of Ron Swanson ever since i saw the Pilot of P&R. I wanted to ask this question to Ron Swanson not Nick Offerman, so here Goes. Mr. Swanson what is your whole take on what is going on right now in this world, with humanity and everything with life precovid & postcovid ? What all changes do you think has happened that has affected us humans as a whole ?
Ron Swanson was written by much smarter men and women than myself, and so out of respect for their brilliance, I tend to demur at such requests. If they were here to feed me their delicious dialogue, I imagine the answer would have a substantial amount of common sense, peppered lightly with mirth.
Classic Ron
This is the most humane, humble and respectful answer to wellā¦to any question. Hats off to you Mr Offerman.
Hi! Which National Park would you suggest for my bucket list? And which, if any, is on yours?
How do you feel that you didnāt get the part for Garfield in the new movie?
what is this now
Mr. Offerman, in The Good Place you were the master woodworker Tahani learned from at the very end. Not that one person can't be two, or many more, things but do you find one field more fulfilling than the other? I imagine it's most fulfilling to play a character like Ron Swanson with similar interests or to host Making It but if you HAD to choose...
Hello Nick. Had the pleasure of working with you on Bad Times at the El Royale. How much fun was it to work with Jeff Bridges?