Nick Swardson | |
|---|---|
 Swardson at the 2025GalaxyCon Raleigh | |
| Born | Nicholas Roger Swardson (1976-10-09)October 9, 1976 (age 49) Minneapolis,Minnesota, U.S. |
| Occupations | Stand-up comedian,actor,screenwriter,producer |
| Years active | 1995–present |
Nicholas Roger Swardson[1] (born October 9, 1976)[2][3] is an American actor,stand-up comedian,screenwriter, andproducer. He is best known for his recurring role as Terry Bernadino in the comedy seriesReno 911! (2003–2009), for his work withAdam Sandler'sHappy Madison Productions, and for his own personalsketch comedy seriesNick Swardson's Pretend Time (2010–2011).[4][5][6]
He starred as the title character inBucky Larson: Born to Be a Star (2011), and has appeared in the filmsGrandma's Boy (2006),I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry (2007),The House Bunny, (2008),30 Minutes or Less (2011),Grown Ups 2 (2013),The Ridiculous 6 (2015),Sandy Wexler (2017),Airplane Mode (2019), andHappy Gilmore 2 (2025).
A native of theMinneapolis–Saint Paul area, Swardson was born to Pamela and Roger Eric Swardson, and is the youngest of three siblings; he has a sister, Rachel, and a brother, John.[7][8][9] His father was an editor and journalist—having written for publications such as theCincinnati Enquirer andCity Pages, as well as founding theGrand Gazette, a former Saint Paul community newspaper.[7] Roger Swardson also invested in land development in Saint Paul, revitalizing Grand Avenue, an area now known as Victoria Crossing.[7] Swardson's parents divorced when he was about 12 or 13.[7] Swardson has Swedish ancestry.[10][11]
He attendedSt. Paul Central High School[4][9] and started acting and performingimprov comedy at age 16.[12][13] A mischievous student who struggled with alcohol and drugs, Swardson was expelled from school on four occasions for pulling fire alarms in order to go outside and smoke cigarettes, fighting, posting a lewd sign in class, and for smokingmarijuana;[4] he was enrolled in arehab program while still in school.[4]
After graduating in 1996, Swardson decided to pursue stand-up comedy rather than attend college.[14] Although Swardson was a fan of sketch comedy, he saw stand-up comedy as a stepping stone to a career in film, more so than he would working within a comedy troupe.[5][12][15]
Swardson is an avidMinnesota Vikings fan. He is also good friends with fellow Minnesota residentJosh Duhamel.
Swardson started performing stand-up at the age of 18, attendingopen mic nights at the Minneapolis comedy club Acme Comedy Co.[4][15][16] Swardson stated in a 2007 interview withThe Portland Mercury[17] that he did his first open mic "as a goof" but he was encouraged by the club owner to perform again and he went on to win the comedy club's award for the "Funniest Person in theTwin Cities".[2][4][17] He also went on to perform regularly at Knuckleheads, a defunct comedy club which was located in theMall of America.[4] Swardson was also an occasional performer atBalls Cabaret.[18]
After garnering some attention within comedy circles, Swardson was selected to perform stand-up at theU.S. Comedy Arts Festival at 20 years of age.[4][12] The festival, which up to 2007 was held inAspen, Colorado, was a yearly festival attended by entertainment insiders and was a place for comics and comedic actors to get exposure to the industry.[4][12][19] It was once the largest comedy convention of its kind in the US and became the launch pad for many comedians and comedy writers.[12][20][21] After Swardson's first performance at the festival comedian Tony Camin, acting as the night'sMC, was quoted as saying: "There's a deal waiting to happen. I can see the TV show now: 'An Aspen Kid With Altitude.'"[12]
Swardson eventually left the Minneapolis–Saint Paul area forNew York City where he would appear in such venues as theLuna Lounge, then on toLos Angeles where he headlined at many nightclubs.[3][4][13][22] In addition to his stand-up, Swardson began to get work in commercials and in small roles in both TV and film, such as an appearance in an episode of theAl Franken sitcomLateLine in 1999, and playing the role of a crazedDavid Bowie fan in the 2000 filmAlmost Famous.[23]
In 2001, Swardson's stand-up act was featured in a half-hourComedy Central Presents special.[4][13] He appeared on the show a second time in 2006 — a performance that was featured on the DVD compilationThe Best of Comedy Central Presents: Uncensored II released in 2008.
In 2003, Swardson co-wrote the screenplay forMalibu's Most Wanted along with the film's starJamie Kennedy and Adam Small.[3][16][22] That same year he took on the role of Terry Bernadino on the Comedy Central seriesReno 911!.[4] A recurring character throughout the series' run from 2003 to 2009 — in addition to appearing in the filmReno 911!: Miami — Swardson played the role of a flamboyantgigolo who was often seen wearingroller skates.[2][4][17][22] 2003 also marked the beginning of a longtime working relationship and friendship with Adam Sandler.[4][15][24] After having seen Swardson's Comedy Central special, Sandler contacted Swardson to ask if he would be interested in collaborating;[4][13] Swardson's first project with Sandler was co-writing the screenplay forGrandma's Boy — Swardson also co-produced and had an acting role in the film which was released in 2006.[4][23]
In 2004, Swardson wrote, produced and starred in a TV show pilot for Comedy Central calledGay Robot, which was based ona comedy bit by the same name that appeared on Adam Sandler's fifth album,Shh...Don't Tell; Comedy Central, however, decided to pass on the TV project.[13] Swardson then had intentions on making it an animated show, but the show never came to fruition.[13] A copy of the live-action pilot was however made available onMySpace in January 2007.[25] Swardson also resurrected the Gay Robot character on his Comedy Central SeriesNick Swardson's Pretend Time.
Swardson's sketch comedy showNick Swardson's Pretend Time, premiered on Comedy Central on October 12, 2010, and ran for two seasons. The show was produced in conjunction with Adam Sandler'sHappy Madison Productions.[5][26] On February 6, 2012, Swardson announced via hisFacebook page that there would not be a third season; in his post Swardson stated that "the ratings were solid but it was too expensive for the network and tough creatively," and added that he was "developing a new show where I play a ninja."[27]
In 2011, Swardson starred in, co-wrote and co-produced the filmBucky Larson: Born to Be a Star, also produced by Happy Madison Productions.[15][24] That same year he starred alongsideJesse Eisenberg,Danny McBride andAziz Ansari in the film30 Minutes or Less.[24][28]
In 2014, Swardson performed the voice of the character Troy on the animated seriesChozen.[29][30]
In 2024, Swardson was performing stand-up when he was repeatedly booed and the crowd became restless with his performance. Swardson's mic was eventually cut, spotlight turned off, and was escorted off the stage by staff. In response to the performance Swardson posted onX, "Just casually woke up onTMZ. Travel tip: don't drink and take edibles in high altitude. Fucking brain diarrhea."[31][32]
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Almost Famous | Insane Bowie Fan | |
| 2001 | Pretty When You Cry | Shaun | |
| 2003 | Malibu's Most Wanted | Mocha | Also writer |
| 2006 | Grandma's Boy | Jeff | Also writer |
| Art School Confidential | Matthew | ||
| The Benchwarmers | Howie Goodman | Also writer | |
| Click | Bed Bath & Beyond Guy | ||
| 2007 | Reno 911!: Miami | Terry Bernadino | |
| Blades of Glory | Hector | ||
| I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry | Kevin McDonough | ||
| 2008 | You Don't Mess with the Zohan | Michael | |
| The House Bunny | Photographer | ||
| Bolt | Blake | Voice only | |
| Bedtime Stories | Engineer | ||
| 2011 | Just Go with It | Eddie | |
| Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star | Bucky Larson | Also writer | |
| 30 Minutes or Less | Travis | ||
| Jack and Jill | Todd | ||
| 2012 | That's My Boy | Kenny | |
| 2013 | A Haunted House | Chip the Psychic | |
| Grown Ups 2 | Nick | ||
| 2014 | Back in the Day | Ron Freeman | |
| 2015 | Pixels | Pac-Man Victim | Uncredited |
| Hotel Transylvania 2 | Kelsey | Voice only | |
| Hell and Back | Remy | Voice only | |
| The Ridiculous 6 | Nelly Patch | ||
| 2016 | The Do-Over | Bob | |
| 2017 | Sandy Wexler | Gary Rodgers | |
| 2019 | Buddy Games | Bender | |
| Airplane Mode | Esteban | ||
| 2020 | The Wrong Missy | Nate | |
| 2023 | Leo | Bunny | Voice only[33] |
| 2025 | Happy Gilmore 2 | Ben Daggett |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | LateLine | Justin | Episode: "Karp's Night Out" |
| 2002 | Watching Ellie | Young Guy | Episode: "Cheetos" |
| 2003–2009 | Reno 911! | Terry Bernadino | 28 episodes |
| 2004 | Cheap Seats | Nicholas Jenner | Episode: "1978 Superstars" |
| 2006 | Gay Robot | Rick / Gay Robot | Also writer Television film |
| 2007 | Human Giant | Rob's Agent | Episode: "Lil 9-11" |
| Cavemen | Ray | 2 episodes | |
| 2008 | According to Jim | Waiter | Uncredited Episode: "The Chaperone" |
| 2010–2011 | Nick Swardson's Pretend Time | Various | Also writer 15 episodes |
| 2012 | The High Fructose Adventures of Annoying Orange | Jittery Guy / Jason Jr. (voices) | 2 episodes |
| 2014 | Chozen | Troy | 10 episodes |
| Portlandia | Nick | Episode: "Late in Life Drug Use" | |
| 2014–2016 | TripTank | Beth / Massage Guy / Killer Bee 1 | 9 episodes |
| 2015 | The Goldbergs | Rick Lancer | Episode: "Happy Mom, Happy Life" |
| Comedy Bang! Bang! | Billy | Episode: "Michelle Monaghan Wears a Burnt Orange Dress and White Heels" | |
| 2015–17, 2019 | Star vs. the Forces of Evil | Sensei Brantley | 10 episodes |
| 2016–2017 | Typical Rick | Gary | Also creator |
| 2017 | Lip Sync Battle | Himself | Episode: "Nick Swardson vs.Theresa Caputo" |
| International | |
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| National | |
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| Other | |
