Nick Offerman thinks the Edwin Forrest statue in Walnut Street Theatre looks way too much like him

The first time Nick Offerman traveled to Philadelphia in 1991, the farm kid from Minooka, Ill., felt like it was a journey to Oz. At 21, he and a group of friends boarded the Amtrak from Chicago to Philadelphia for a six-month theater gig in Malvern as one of their earliest professional acting experiences.

The actor picked up funny stories, fond memories, and a deep admiration for Philadelphia, a city he loves for its “traditional sandwiches of peppers and cheese-meat.”

He later went on to star in Parks and Recreation as the prickly and beloved Ron Swanson opposite Amy Poehler and has since been a frequent favorite for roles both serious and silly — from president (Civil War), to animated fisherman dad (The Great North), to loving partner amid the apocalypse (The Last of Us), to a wacky and tender ex-pro wrestler (Margo’s Got Money Troubles, out April 15 on Apple TV+).

Off screen, the comedian has also written several books about nature, history, love, and his passion for woodworking. His latest, Little Woodchucks: Offerman Woodshop’s Guide to Tools and Tomfoolery, is a family-friendly book aimed at teaching people of all ages the rewards of crafting self-made projects from scratch.

Offerman returns to Philadelphia this month, stopping at The Met on April 12 to showcase woodworking and comedy with his co-author Lee Buchanan. We caught up with him to talk about the Philly Justice, — the fake courtroom comedy created by Parks and Rec cast members and writers — his time at People’s Light, and why this region is still special to him.

It was a very formative time. We did this kabuki theater show [an adaptation of Achilles] at the University of Illinois, and some producers wanted to make it professional. We got hired for six months at the People’s Light Theatre Company. We spent a lot of time rehearsing, and [also] performed it in Philadelphia at Festival Mythos.

I actually had a job at a local art school in a barn posing naked for drawing classes. It was quite chilly, I’ll remind people, in case anyone has kept any of their sketches.

It was just a hedonist dream. It’s so beautiful up there in that country, the woods are so gorgeous, and then we could run into the city to take in the history, museums, and music. We would purchase marijuana and eat all of the delightful, affordable treats, like the cheesesteak.

I learned all about the Wawa and I got deep into my research of the Yuengling Brewing Company. We were broke theater kids, so we found some outlet with discounts on different flavors like a stout, porter, and dark ale and I was in theater actor heaven. There was a Pepperidge Farms outlet store where you could buy the packages that had gone past their [expiration] date for like $1, so we were literally living on mint Milanos and Yuengling Porter. We couldn’t be happier.

It hadn’t occurred to me that Philly herself would have a positive reaction and identify with Philly Justice; that’s thrilling. It was bittersweet for me, because I was not included in the original cast of good-looking young Phillies that look good in a suit.

I get it, I own a mirror and I’m in show business, so it was not a big surprise.

At the last minute, they said, ‘Nick, will you come in and play the judge?’ There are certain teams that I have captained or I’ve been chosen for — but teams of good-looking sexy TV people, I am not. So when they said, ‘Hey, will you come be guy number eight on our show?’ I was excited.

It was just such a great example of how much unadulterated fun we were always having [on set]. We spent our spare time making more shows for no one — for ourselves — just because we thought it was really funny. Working with Amy, Rashida [Jones], Kathryn Hahn, Paul Rudd, Adam Scott — and Dylan McDermott showed up, an actor who none of us had even met. Like Parks and Rec was so fun, strangers came to work for free.

» READ MORE: Amy Poehler finally drops the real trailer for ‘Philly Justice,’ the fake legal drama from the ‘Parks and Rec’ team

I need to go visit the Walnut Street Theatre, because in the lobby, there’s a statue of America’s leading man from the late 19th century, Edwin Forrest. He looks exactly like me. I always like to swing through and measure the crack in the Liberty Bell. I’m supposed to get together with Bryce Harper for a tickle fight — oh, actually he asked me not to tell anybody about that, but it’s a thing, there’s a few of us. Kyle Schwarber is the referee.

I’ll never be an expert in the cheesesteak, but I will be a very happy researcher. So I love getting back to Philadelphia to do some more homework.

My co-author, Lee Buchanan, she’s just one of the greatest heroes in my life. She performs live woodworking on stage while I attempt to distract her with funny songs about dumb things. The show encourages audiences not only to get together and laugh at dumb TV actors, but also to remember to curate your life and make things for yourself. Don’t become so soft that you’re allowing corporations to make all your choices for you.

I hate that so many people are losing crafting skills...laying around, scrolling on phones. This is to remind me, and all of us, to put your technology down and look each other in the eye. You know what’s really fun? People. Get together with people. Get some wood, build a boat, get it out on the Schuylkill. Catch some fish, but don’t eat them. You probably don’t want to eat the Schuylkill fish. Wrap them up and give them to your enemies.

This interview has been edited and condensed.

‘Nick Offerman: Big Woodchuck,’ Sunday, April 12 at 7 p.m., The Met, 858 N. Broad St., Philadelphia, 800-653-8000 or themetphilly.com.