Though it may come as a surprise to those under the reasonable impression that Ron Swanson is a kind of lumberjack god, as old as the universe itself and sent from above to teach a desperate Earth's struggling inhabitants the values of stoicism, mustaches and smooth jazz, the head of the Pawnee Parks Department does indeed have a mother. Who she is, exactly, still remains to be seen.
Speaking to TVGuide.com, "Parks & Recreation" exec Mike Schur said that Swanson's mom would be revealed in the upcoming fourth season, helping to flesh out a character who has largely retained an air of mystery through the first few years of the show. According to a casting breakdown, Swanson's mom, is, "a no-nonsense, patriotic, salt-of-the-earth farm woman; not easily impressed, and not a fan of big cities. She has an inner strength that commands respect."
So at least we now know where the wood carving libertarian, played by Nick Offerman, gets it from.
The search for Swanson's mom follows a casting saga earlier this summer meant to finally reveal the identity of Ron's scary first ex-wife named Tammy. Teased for two years as a sort of monster that scares both Ron and his second ex-wife Tammy, it was announced that this upcoming season will feature Patricia Clarkson in the role, a suggestion that Offerman himself submitted.
"I'm lucky enough to be pals with [Patricia], and I was involved in trying to woo her to the show," Offerman recently told TVLine. "So Megan [Mullally, his real-life wife and Tammy 2] and I were just over the moon."
Whoever Ron's mother ends up being will have reason to be proud: Offerman shared the Television Critics Association Award for Outstanding Achievement in Comedy with Ty Burrell on Saturday night.
For more, click over to TV Guide.