| Ron Swanson | |
|---|---|
| Parks and Recreation character | |
 Nick Offerman as Ron Swanson | |
| First appearance |
|
| Last appearance |
|
| Created by | |
| Portrayed by | Nick Offerman |
| In-universe information | |
| Alias |
|
| Occupation |
|
| Affiliation | Libertarian[1] |
| Spouse |
|
| Children |
|
| Nationality | American |
| This article is part of a series on |
| Libertarianism in the United States |
|---|
 |
Ronald Ulysses Swanson is a fictional character portrayed by Nick Offerman in the political satire sitcom Parks and Recreation. The character was created by Michael Schur and Greg Daniels with inspiration from a real-life Libertarian elected official. Offerman provided creative input, and aspects of his own personality were folded into the character. Despite the creators' intentions, NBC was initially reluctant to cast Offerman in the role, until the network finally agreed five months later.
Swanson is the director of the Parks and Recreation Department of Pawnee, Indiana, and the immediate superior of the deputy director Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler). He has a deadpan personality and actively works to make the government less effective. He despises interacting with the public and claims to not be interested in the lives of those around him, but he is shown to care for his colleagues and has particularly strong respect for Knope. He secretly performs as a saxophonist named Duke Silver and fronts a band called the Duke Silver Trio.
Offerman's portrayal of Swanson has received widespread critical acclaim. The character developed a cult following and is widely considered the breakout character of the series. He was described by some critics as one of the best characters in a comedy television series in decades, and his platonic relationship with Knope has been compared to that of Mary Richards and Lou Grant in The Mary Tyler Moore Show. For his performance as Swanson, Offerman won the TCA Award for Individual Achievement in Comedy.