This Nick Offerman quote perfectly sums up what it means to be a 'real man'

If Nick Offerman were British, he’d be fast approaching ‘national treasure’ status alongside naturalist Sir David Attenborough, actor Dame Judi Dench and politician Liam Gallagher.

But, of course, and alas, Offerman is very much American, most famous for playing the role of the none-more-American Ron Swanson in Parks and Recreation, which is a shame as he is clearly a man who would benefit these isles, given his consistently excellent views on basically everything.

And he’s come up with yet another pearl of wisdom during a new interview with Men’s Health, in which he was asked about the last time he’d cried. As well as answering this question, he managed to come up with a treatise on what it truly means to be a man.

Just take a look at this and commit it to memory.

When asked: “You’re synonymous with being a man’s man. What was the last thing that made you cry?” he replied:

“I went to theatre school. I took two semesters of ballet. I’m the sissy in my family. I cry with pretty great regularity. It’s not entirely accurate to equate me with manliness. I stand for my principals and I work hard and I have good manners but machismo is a double-sided coin. A lot of people think it requires behavior that can quickly veer into misogyny and things I consider indecent. We’ve been sold this weird John Wayne mentality that fistfights and violence are vital to being a man. I’d rather hug than punch. Crying at something that moves you to joy or sadness is just as manly as chopping down a tree or punching out a bad guy. To answer your question, I recently saw Alicia Keys perform live. I’d never seen her before and the sheer golden, heavenly talent issuing from her and her singing instrument had both my wife and me in tears. What a gorgeous gift she has. Her voice is so great. And I had no shame [about crying] If you live your life openly with your emotions, that’s a more manly stance than burying them.”

What a guy.

And, while we’re here, it’s worth remembering another great answer he gave during an interview with us earlier this year. Offerman, a keep carpenter, who founded the Offerman Woodshop, was asked: “Would you recommend carpentry to men as a way of looking more attractive?”

He replied:

“I would break it down and make it less gender-specific because half the woodworkers in my shop are really badass women. Sure, there’s an element of virility that goes along with that, but I think, much more importantly, when you figure out what it is that you love to do, when you engage in that activity you are then your most attractive self. That, I think, is much more alluring than any perfume or flashy haircut. I would argue that a woman seeing a man do the dishes or bake an incredible tray of scones is equally sexy.”

As if this wasn’t enough (and it should be), Offerman has recently begun a project called ‘Would Works’, which is a non-profit charity that helps Americans in need get back on their feet via the making of handmade wood goods, with proceeds helping to fund the woodshop and the programme. Offerman is also matching donations to Would Works dollar-by-dollar up to the value of $20,000.

You ever want to become a Brit Nick, you just give us a call and we’ll sort it out.

(Image: Rex)