He’s famous for his recurring character as Terry Bernadino in the comedy show “Reno 911!”, for his work with Adam Sandler’s Happy Madison Productions, as well as for his personal sketch comedy show “Nick Swardson’s Pretend Time”.
Swardson began performing stand up in the age of 18, attending open mic nights in the Minneapolis comedy club Acme Comedy Co.. He also went to perform consistently at Knuckleheads, a defunct comedy club that was found in the Mall of America. After garnering some interest within humor groups, Swardson was chosen to execute standup at the U.S. Comedy Arts Festival at 20 years of age. The festival, which up to 2007 was held in Aspen, Colorado, was a annual festival attended by amusement insiders and was a spot for comedians and comedic performers to get exposure to the sector. It was once the biggest humor tradition of its own type in america and became the launch pad for a lot of comics and comedy writers. After Swardson’s first performance in the festival comic Tony Camin, acting as the night’s MC, was quoted as saying: “There Is a bargain waiting to take place. I am able to view the TV show now: ‘An Aspen Child With Elevation.'” Along with his standup, Swardson started to get work in advertisements and in small parts in both TV in picture, this kind of appearance in a episode of the Al Franken situation comedy LateLine in 1999, and playing the part of a crazed David Bowie fanatic in the 2000 film Almost Famous.
Most sketch aficionados have an enormous amount of respect for 'Mr. Show.' I didn't have HBO back then, so I was always trying to find episodes. Bob Odenkirk and David Cross became celebrities, and Jay Johnston - who's lesser known, but brilliant - deserves a lot of credit, too.
2
When you live the life of a comedian, it's such a state of arrested development. I can't deal with anything very maturely. I'm still really bad at paying bills or doing anything that would be considered semi-adult. I'm really bad at it. It's weird I can create and run a TV show, but I can't pay my phone bill.
3
I always thought that the fastest way for me to get ahead and get noticed and to do well was to make my act very accessible. When I first started, I talked about family stuff, my dog, my cat. It was all I knew back then; I wasn't forcing anything, but I wasn't like, 'Hey, don't you hate doing homework?'
4
I started in the club route. I did the alternative scene later on. When I lived in New York, I did the Luna Lounge and stuff, where Janeane Garofalo and David Cross and all those guys worked out of, but I came from a comedy club background. I'm proud of that background. I'm one of the people that really crossed over and did both.
5
I'm developing more stuff in my voice, more Nick Swardson. It's me as myself in a sense and kind of in my voice, no accent no affectation. I'm growing into my own persona.
6
I'm kind of a clothes freak, so I'll switch my wardrobe every year or twice a year; I'll kind of move stuff in and out. Some t-shirts will stay, obviously, but some, I'll make a shift and give it to Goodwill. I'll leave clothes in my back alley, because I live by the beach, so literally you'll see a homeless guy with a three hundred dollar jacket.
7
Improv plays such a huge role in finding great lines - you'll be surprised at what comes out of your mind inadvertently. A lot of times it's better than a script you've worked out ahead of time.
8
Comedy is so subjective, you know what I mean? To sit there and technically pick it apart is so stupid.
9
If you want to be a comedian, go out. Do a week in Des Moines, Iowa. Try to make those people laugh.
10
Improv kind of goes hand in hand with what I do. I was on 'Reno 911!' for six years, and that was a completely improvised show.
11
No one will ever be as good as Phil Hartman. He was such an amazing genius, and may be the best sketch performer of all time.
12
For me, honestly, one of the first movies I did I was always pounding coffee, and I crashed so horribly. So I've kind of weaned myself off. You keep getting second and third winds. But for me, I've stopped doing energy drinks or any kind of stimulant. I just kind of go natural.
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Fact
1
At The Paramount Theatre in Austin, Texas. He's recording a new Stand-up Comedy Special for Comedy Central. [April 2009]
2
filming Nana's Boy. [April 2005]
3
Filming Benchwarmers. [May 2005]
4
He has Swedish, Scottish, Norwegian, and German ancestry. His surname originates in Sweden.
The problem with this guy is that he just isn’t funny. The marginal success he has had is through other players in the industry with more talent. Look at the shows and movies he’s done. They are all D list on a good day. I recently met the guy and he is a total d ick as well. You’d think he’d work on being a nice guy considering people have been very generous in paying to see his “work”. Perhaps he’s become jaded as he has never really been able to break out on his own. Ah well. Interesting that he got kicked out of high school several times. Hmmm the people there must not have liked him at all. haha…
$5 Million
The problem with this guy is that he just isn’t funny. The marginal success he has had is through other players in the industry with more talent. Look at the shows and movies he’s done. They are all D list on a good day. I recently met the guy and he is a total d ick as well. You’d think he’d work on being a nice guy considering people have been very generous in paying to see his “work”. Perhaps he’s become jaded as he has never really been able to break out on his own. Ah well. Interesting that he got kicked out of high school several times. Hmmm the people there must not have liked him at all. haha…