In a new profile promoting his FX-on-Hulu series Devs, Nick Offerman reveals that Hollywood studio aren’t exactly champing at the bit to put him in blockbuster franchises, and frankly, he’s not exactly looking to be in one either. While talking to Men’s Health, the highly meme-able Parks and Recreation actor spoke candidly about what it would take to get him to join the Marvel and/or Star Wars universes, and his reluctance to do so — unless, of course, a certain director were involved. In which case, Offerman would leap at the chance.
Offerman doesn’t hold back. “I think there are those big franchises—Marvel or Star Wars or whatever—I think those all hold within them examples of wonderful, great creativity, and also examples of less good material,” he says. “Depending on what they brought to me, and where I was, and what I had available? If Taika Waititi’s name is involved, then I will come running.”
Considering Waititi not only creatively reshaped the Thor films but also has an uncanny talent for deadpan comedies like What We Do In The Shadows, it makes perfect sense that Offerman would be drawn to the JoJo Rabbit director. Unfortunately, the actor doesn’t see much in the way of blockbuster scripts. “People are often surprised to hear, the business is not not banging my door down,” Offerman tells Men’s Health. “I don’t ever see studio films — they have no interest in me. Most genres of entertainment are not interested in me.”
Of course, that’s not entirely true. Sci-fi master Alex Garland (Ex Machina, Annihilation) cast Offerman as the both menacing and aloof tech genius Forest in Devs. But in an interesting twist, Offerman reveals that Garland was barely aware of the craze around Parks and Rec and had genuinely no clue about its rabid Ron Swanson fanbase. Turns out, Offerman landed the Devs role just by being himself.
“There’s something really soulful about him,” Garland revealed to Men’s Health. “It’s in the kinds of jokes he makes that there’s a kind of rueful quality behind them sometimes—it’s like a keen sense of what’s ridiculous, which I personally like. Because so many things are f*cking ridiculous.”
(Via Men’s Health)
