Nick Offerman grew up in a "cultural vacuum".
The 52-year-old star was born and raised in Illinois, and his parents were initially baffled by his acting ambitions.
Nick told the Guardian newspaper: "It was bizarre to them. I grew up in the 70s and 80s in a cultural vacuum. Nobody in our town had ever gone into the arts. So when I said: ‘I think I want to be an actor’, everybody kind of shook their head and said, ‘I don’t think you can get there from here.'"
Nick eventually moved to Los Angeles and was "willing to live in poverty" until he fulfilled his ambitions.
The actor landed small parts in shows such as 'ER', 'The West Wing' and 'Gilmore Girls' - but his role in 'Parks and Recreation' proved to be the true turning point in his career.
Nick - who starred on the sitcom between 2009 and 2015 - shared: "We were on the cusp of being cancelled every year and we were very grateful to be able to survive for 125 episodes.
"Then when streaming came on the scene, it became one of these comfort shows, and the popularity grew exponentially."
Despite this, Nick insists that he still has to work hard for his success.
Asked if casting directors are beating down his door, Nick joked: "I’m not choosing from a raft of scripts and saying: ‘Should I play this Marvel hero? Should I be the next Bond?’ Or should I do this character role?’"
Nick revealed that he ultimately listens to his "gut" before he accepts a role.
He said: "I just keep listening to my gut. The worst-case scenario? I’ll have some time off and get to build another canoe."
