I knew I loved Parks and Recreation’s Tammy and Ron Swanson from the moment they had ravenous angry-sex in the middle of a diner. As Tammy puts it, “[Ron’s her] man, and [they] have something twisted… and beautiful.” As talented as Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally are, that kind of chemistry cannot be manufactured, and as it turns out, the pair is married in real life.
And that marriage must be pretty special. Mullally, known for her role as Karen Walker on Will & Grace, often takes roles that represent a comic version of stereotypical femininity: she is sexy, sassy, and she has quite a high-pitched voice. Offerman, on the other hand, represents the opposite in his role as Ron Swanson, a buff, hairy he-man of sorts. When these two get together on stage and on screen, it’s a riotous yet insightful and tender exploration of gender roles turned upside down. Tammy and Ron break all the rules of traditional romance, and Megan and Nick break all the rules of Hollywood coupling.
In a sort of parody of Brangelina, the pair thought up this photo for a 2010 New York Magazine story; Megan tells the magazine, “Neither of us are paragons of physical perfection. That’s why I pitched that nude-photo idea.” They honestly don’t feed into the pressure to be red-carpet eye candy. Megan tells New York, “before we met with you, Nick told me how beautiful I looked in my pajamas in the hotel.” The couple avoids all the superficially and opts for down time with their poodles Willa and Elmo, or they go out to dinner with couple bffs Amy Poehler and Will Arnett (now divorced). Their quiet lifestyle also includes some pretty passionate love-making. Offermen explains of their “first time” thusly: “We were in tune with Gaia; the forces of lust and nature were flowing strong in us.” This inspirational couple is truly in love, and they never cease to impress one another; as Offerman puts it, “When your wife is a legend of comedy, you have to be a huge jackass not to assume the student role.”
Thanks to New York Magazine
Image via New York Magazine/Peter Hapak
