7 Ways Nick Offerman IS Ron Swanson in Real Life

Some actors were born to play certain roles, but Nick Offerman wasn’t just born to play Ron Swanson, he is Ron Swanson.

1. He’s a Professional Woodworker

Nick Offerman actually got his start in the theatre world by building sets at the University of Illinois. Early on, Offerman was able to sustain his acting career by building props and scenery for theaters throughout Chicago and after moving to LA, Offerman opened his own woodworking shop, Offerman Woodshop.

2. He’s Married to Tammy II

In real life, Offerman is married to Megan Mullally who plays Swanson’s ex-wife Tammy II on Parks and Rec. The part was written specifically for Mullally and their hate-sex scene was entirely improvised and very real. “We basically destroyed the diner. We ran the gamut of wild, crazy, exhibitionist sex acts and screaming at the other patrons, throwing things, berating the manager,” Mullally admitted in an interview with NY Magazine. “We actually tore the table off the wall,” Offerman added, describing the whole thing as “really good therapy”.

3. He Loves Scotch

Nick Offerman loves scotch (which he refers to as “mother’s milk”) so much he even made a music video for Diageo, the distillers responsible for some of his favorite single malt whiskies, like Lagavulin and Oban.

4. And Red Meat

Despite his family’s history with cholesterol problems, Offerman loves red meat. He told Bloomberg, “There’s nothing more delicious than red meat—I enjoy it greatly,” adding “I’m still on my feet and as long as I am, I intend to eat a huge, juicy steak.”

5. And Breakfast Foods

Ron Swanson once proclaimed, “There has never been a sadness that can’t be cured by breakfast food,” and Nick Offerman would agree. “Speaking for both Ron and myself, the key to a breakfast buffet is to have, first of all, have a very light dinner the night before, so you roll in with an appetite,” Offerman told the Huffington Post, “And then, I would have to get two or three plates on my tray. You’ve got the simple basics: you’ve got bacon as well as pork sausage, corn beef hash, a couple, maybe three eggs over easy and two scrambled. Then half a loaf of rye toast, buttered. On a side plate, two pancakes and I like to make pancakes with pieces of bacon in them. I do two versions. One has bacon, or bacon blueberry pancakes. You’d be surprised. And plenty of piping hot coffee, a ham of meat and well done hash browns.”

6. He’s an Outdoorsman

Like Swanson, Offerman is man of quiet seclusion. When Emmy nominations are announced, Offerman usually goes fishing with his family in Minnesota.

7. And a Jazz Virtuoso

On Parks and Rec, one of Ron Swanson’s dirty little secrets is his alter-ego, Jazz saxophonist Duke Silver. In real life, actor Nick Offerman is an amazing saxophone player, but the Parks and Rec staff didn’t know this when they wrote the Duke Silver plot line. According to Offerman, “I’ve played saxophone my whole life, and they didn’t know that when they wrote the story about Duke Silver. And they turned in that script and I said, “Well, did you guys know that I actually play saxophone?” And they didn’t”

RELATED: The 20 Best Episodes of ‘Parks and Recreation’