Nick Offerman names his five favourite movies of all time
While most will recognise Nick Offerman from Parks and Recreation, thanks to his role as Ron Swanson, it would be a mistake to see the actor as a mere sitcom humourist. Appearing in a range of celebrated TV shows, such as HBO’s The Last of Us and Alex Garland’s Devs, as well as the award-winning films The Founder, In a World and the Grant Heslov comedy The Men Who Stare at Goats.
Rising to success in the mid-1990s, Offerman thrived in a number of middling TV roles before finding success well into the 21st century thanks to the beloved Parks and Recreation. Appearing alongside the likes of Chris Pratt, Amy Poehler, Aziz Ansari and Aubrey Plaza, Offerman helped to create one of the best sitcoms of the modern era, becoming a fan favourite in the process.
Back in 2013, when Parks and Recreation was at the height of its power, Offerman sat down with Rotten Tomatoes to give his fans some insight into his movie tastes, naming his five favourite films of all time.
First on his list is a comedy classic that often reaches the top of many actors’ favourites list, the Coen brothers’ Big Lebowski, starring the likes of John Goodman, Jeff Bridges and Julianne Moore. “If I had to pick just one movie, I’d say, ‘Give me The Big Lebowski,’” he stated, “I can watch that thing 20 times in a row. I’m such a fan, and really, no one’s busted me on it yet, but all I really want to do is be John Goodman when I grow up”.
From one genre classic to another, Offerman next picks the Mel Brooks spoof flick that pokes fun at western movies, 1974’s Blazing Saddles. A favourite of his youth, Offerman recalled in regards to the film, “If you’re 12, all you care about is Mongo farting and punching out a horse. Literature does not become any more refined than that of the great Mel Brooks”.
“One of the finest Goddamn movies I’ve ever seen,” Offerman said of his third choice, the Martin Brest action flick Midnight Run. Also something of a comedy, Brest’s film tells the story of a bounty hunter who sets out to catch a former Mafia accountant in a wild goose chase, “If there’s a better buddy comedy, show it to me, and I’ll shake your hand. It’s so funny”.
“Taking a slight turn,” Offerman admits, introducing his fourth choice, “I love the John Wayne film The Quiet Man”. Released in 1952, the classic John Ford and John Wayne collaboration is “quite something”, according to the Parks and Recreation star, and the Academy agreed at the time, too, awarding the film two Oscars for ‘Best Director’ and ‘Best Cinematography’.
The final movie on his list is the iconic Akira Kurosawa samurai flick Rashomon from 1951, which would go on to inspire countless other Hollywood movies. “I mean, any Kurosawa blows my mind out my ass,” Offerman says of the film, which follows a brutal murder seen from three wildly different perspectives, “You know, one time the samurai is brave, one time he’s a coward. It’s really delicious for the actors”.
Nick Offerman’s favourite movies:
- The Big Lebowski (Joel Coen, 1998)
- Blazing Saddles (Mel Brooks, 1974)
- Midnight Run (Martin Brest, 1988)
- The Quiet Man (John Ford, 1952)
- Rashomon (Akira Kurosawa, 1951)
