Nick Offerman earned widespread praise for his portrayal of Bill in HBO’s “The Last of Us,” delivering an emotional performance that explored love and loss in a post-apocalyptic world. The role earned him an Emmy, but the character also drew criticism from some viewers, including conservative political commentator Ben Shapiro.
Three years after Shapiro’s rant about the role, Offerman finally saw the clip and shared his reaction.
Nick Offerman is widely known for playing Ron Swanson in “Parks and Recreation,” the hyper-masculine libertarian who headed the city parks department.
In 2023, the actor played Bill in HBO’s adaptation of the video game “The Last of Us.” Season 1, Episode 3, titled “Long, Long Time,” takes a break from the main storyline to focus on Bill and Frank (Murray Bartlett) and their 20-year love story while surviving an apocalypse.
In February 2023, political commentator Ben Shapiro reacted to the episode, calling Offerman’s Bill a version of “Ron Swanson who likes to nail dudes.” He continued to say that the entire episode focused on “two gay dudes who meet and have a relationship,” with both ending up dying at the end, saying it was like “Romeo and Romeo.”
In the podcast “Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso,” Offerman saw the clip for the first time. “Holy sh-t… that’s crazy,” the actor said, adding that there’s a very good reason why that’s the “most Ben Shapiro” he’s ever seen.
The Actor Calls Out Ben Shapiro’s ‘Rampant Homophobia’
Offerman continued, “I don’t know what to say. I’m embarrassed for his reading comprehension. I think he got eight things wrong in his recap, besides his rampant homophobia.”
The actor said the clip was “insane,” “dumb,” and “so wrong.” He knew that Shapiro had been vocal about the episode and read about it online, but it was the first time he’d seen the actual clip.
Offerman said that what’s upsetting about the clip was its power to reach many people. “They’d be like, ‘Oh no, not Ron Swanson,’ or whatever agreement they would have.”
Nick Offerman Earned His First Emmy For ‘The Last of Us’ Role
Offerman’s “The Last of Us” episode received overwhelming praise from critics and viewers, but it also drew backlash for dedicating an entire episode to a standalone romance between two men.
In 2024, Offerman took home his first Emmy for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series. He also won Best Supporting Performance in a New Scripted Series at the 2024 Film Independent Spirit Awards. During his acceptance speech, he thanked HBO “for having the guts to participate in this storytelling tradition that is truly independent.”
The actor also addressed the hate and homophobic remarks about the episode and said, “Stories with guts that when homophobic hate comes my way and says, ‘Why did you have to make it a gay story?’ We say, ‘Because you ask questions like that. It’s not a gay story it’s a love story, you a–hole.”
The Actor Talks About Masculinity And Ron Swanson
Offerman said people have talked about his masculinity because of his portrayal of Ron Swanson in “Parks and Recreation.” However, he noted that many viewers had the wrong idea about Swanson.
“Ron is a smart and avid hunter, so they assumed he must be a misogynist. They made a lot of incorrect assumptions, hoping to find an avatar for their ideologies,” the actor told Variety. He said that if viewers looked closely, Swanson was actually a feminist and a “true libertarian,” mentioning that he served as the best man at his gay hairdresser’s wedding.
Nick Offerman Is More Selective With His Roles
Offerman played Swanson for seven seasons of “Parks and Recreation” spanning six years. When the series wrapped in 2015, the actor became more selective with his roles because he didn’t want to be typecast.
Offerman has portrayed a single father and widow in “Hearts Beat Loud,” an eccentric professor in “Me and Earl and the Dying Girl,” and the president of the United States in “Civil War.”
He currently stars as Jinx Millet, a former pro wrestler and recovering addict, in the series “Margo’s Got Money Troubles.”
