‘RS Interview: Special Edition’ With Nick Offerman

Ahead of Thursday’s Parks and Recreation reunion special, Nick Offerman — who played Pawnee, Indiana’s resident curmudgeon Ron Swanson on the popular sitcom — sat down via video with Rolling Stone senior writer Stephen Rodrick for the latest Rolling Stone Interview: Special Edition.

During the in-depth conversation, Offerman discusses the much-anticipated Parks and Rec special and the show’s lasting impact, his role on acclaimed limited series Devs, the Second Amendment, and how he’s spending his self-isolation.

“We’re ridiculously excited because it was something that was rumored to never have any possible reunion or comeback, and I think it was the brainchild of our main creator Michael Schur,” Offerman said of A Parks and Recreation Special, which will benefit Feeding America’s COVID-19 Response Fund.

During the conversation, Rodrick also brings up Offerman’s audition tape for the role of Michael Scott in The Office. “That audition was exactly the seed that became Ron Swanson,” Offerman admitted. “Spoiler alert: I did not get the role of Michael Scott, but [the casting director] brought me in for this other part.”

This is the latest installment of Rolling Stone’s latest new video series, RS Interview: Special Edition, featuring in-depth conversations with notable figures in music, entertainment, and politics, such as Roger Waters and Sen. Kamala Harris. New episodes premiere every Thursday afternoon on Rolling Stone’s YouTube channel.