Nick Offerman pairs two Emmy nods with Ron Swanson rules
Nick Offerman talked to Deadline about his 2026 Emmy nominations, Parks and Recreation memories, Margo’s Got Money Troubles and the film that makes him cry.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
4 min read
Nick Offerman has two Emmy nominations on the table, a sold-out musical in Chicago and, by his own account, one sacred rule from the set of Parks and Recreation: no jerks.
In an interview with Deadline, Offerman discussed being recognized for two very different roles. He is nominated for playing Vice President Chester A. Arthur in Netflix’s limited series Death by Lightning and for his turn as Jinx in Apple TV’s comedy Margo’s Got Money Troubles.
Offerman spoke from the Goodman Theater in Chicago, where he is appearing with his wife, Megan Mullally, in the musical Iceboy! Or The Completely Untrue Story of How Eugene O’Neill Came to Write The Iceman Cometh. He told Deadline the show is sold out for the rest of the summer and said sharing the stage with Mullally lets him watch his “favorite performer” work every night.
History, wrestling and one complicated dad
Death by Lightning is based on Candice Millard’s 2011 nonfiction book about the assassination of President James A. Garfield. Offerman told Deadline he was excited by the chance to feed his interest in history, and said he prepared for Chester A. Arthur by reading Scott Greenberger’s The Unexpected President.
He also praised Mike Makowsky, who adapted the material, and said Netflix allowed the production to look unusually rich. Offerman told Deadline he thought the cinematography, costumes and art direction deserved awards attention, even though the project is a limited series rather than a film.
On Margo’s Got Money Troubles, Offerman plays Jinx, a wrestler dealing with addiction issues while trying to repair his relationship with his daughter. Elle Fanning plays Margo, while Michelle Pfeiffer plays Shyanne, Jinx’s former wife.
Offerman told Deadline that working opposite Fanning and Pfeiffer still left him emotional. He said he connected with parts of Jinx’s life, especially the way public attention and success can be confused with personal worth. He said he had learned through his own career that good fortune should not make anyone feel superior or excuse bad behavior.
The wrestling scenes gave him another kind of workout. Offerman said his early theater background included fight choreography, and that professional wrestler Chavo Guerrero and stunt coordinator Jon Epstein helped him perform physical ring work, including climbing to the top rope.
Parks memories still loom large
Asked by Deadline about the best advice he ever received, Offerman pointed back to Parks and Recreation. His lesson: “no a–holes.” He said the sitcom taught him that a team can choose not to work with difficult people, even if someone seems useful for money, looks or access.
He also called Parks and Recreation the most fun he has had on a set, citing seven years and 125 episodes with a cast, writers and crew who made each other laugh. He added that filming the wrestling material on Margo’s Got Money Troubles gave him two especially fun days with director Dearbhla Walsh.
Offerman said the character most like him is Beef Tobin from Fox’s animated series The Great North, created by Wendy Molyneux and Lizzie Molyneux. He told Deadline the show ran for five seasons before Fox canceled it.
His first on-set lesson was practical: use manners, learn names when possible and respect the work of the costume department. Offerman told Deadline performers should hang up their costumes because someone made them with care.
What gets Offerman weepy
Offerman said sports stories and emotional endings can bring him to tears. He singled out The Full Monty, especially its ending, and said work by Parks and Recreation creator Mike Schur also hits him hard, particularly scenes involving Ron and Leslie, played by Offerman and Amy Poehler.
He named British detective audiobooks as a guilty pleasure, saying he and Mullally listen to Peter Grainger’s DC Smith series while doing jigsaw puzzles. Offerman also mentioned new audio productions of the Harry Potter books.
Next, Offerman is set to appear in Elden Ring, a live-action adaptation of the fantasy video game. The project reunites him with Devs creator Alex Garland, whom Offerman told Deadline he loves working with and considers highly inventive.
This story draws on original reporting from Deadline.