Star of TV & Movies Bringing His Brand of Offbeat Stand-Up to Charleston Music Hall

Jeff Walker,  Entertainment Writer

Comic actor Nick Swardson has come a long way since he first decided to do standup comedy back in 1995. Known for his roles in films such as 'Grandma's Boy' (2006), 'You Don't Mess with the Zohan' (2008), 'Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star', '30 Minutes or Less' (both 2011), 'A Haunted House' (2013), 'Grown Ups 2' (2013), and 'Buddy Games' (2019), Swardson has become a sought after screenwriter and producer in Hollywood circles. 

A native of the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Swardson sensed his calling in his teenage years. "I started taking acting classes in high school for an easy grade. My teacher said I had something special about me, so she moved me up to the next level. She sensed I was very comfortable on stage." He attributes that to, "I'm very OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder). So I threw myself into acting and comedy from the get go."

Upon graduation only one option presented itself. "After high school, there wasn't any money for me to go to college and that wasn't really on my radar, so I tried stand-up. I did what most comics do, open mic night (Acme Comedy Club). The owner encouraged me to perform again and I got booked on regular occasion."

Swardson would go on to be named 'Funniest Person in the Twin Cities'. "It clicked almost immediately. I became the house emcee at Knuckleheads in the Mall of America, doing my act for housewives that were tired of shopping and needed a glass of chardonay."

While Swardson's goal was far reaching even at 19, he admits to following a set game plan. "I took some sound advice from others comics when I first started out. They all said, don't keep your comedy local because it won't register in other markets. So I did stories and bits, on topics such as family and cats. Stuff people can relate to. I let my mind go wild."

What really gave Swardson a career boost was his appearance at the 'US Comedy Arts Festival' in Aspen Colorado. The former annual comedy event co-hosted by HBO was designed as a launching pad for networks to discover new comedians and comedy writers. Industry types took notice of Swardson. "I made an impression."

His comic gurus further advised one thing in particular. "Most of them said 'don't move to Hollywood'. So I moved to New York to cut my teeth." While his act was more tame back then, Swardson wanted to make audiences think. "It may have been more PG initially, but it was cerebral."

Just in his early 20's Swardson finally made his way to Los Angeles, finding work in commercials, including gigs on Al Franken's sitcom 'LateLine' (1999) as well as portraying a crazed David Bowie fan in the 2000 film 'Almost Famous'. "I had my foot in the door." 

His star continued to rise as co-writer for the 2003 film 'Malibu's Most Wanted', the same year he became immortalized as the recurring character and flamboyant gigolo Terry Bernadino on the Comedy Central series 'Reno 911!'. "I loved playing that role. What's great about the show is it was all improvised. Nothing was written. We had no dialog." A mockumentary-style parody of law enforcement, Swardson appeared in 28 episodes over the five year run of 'Reno 911!, appearing in the 2006 film version as well.

Regular appearances on Comedy Central further cemented Swardson's name in Hollywood. "I did several half hour specials for them. I was the youngest at the time to have the highest rated comedy special for them. I was just 23 at the time."

One particular special caught the attention of Saturday Night Live alum Adam Sandler, with the two forming an immediate and ongoing working relationship. "It's mind-blowing. Just another level of life changing events all happening around the same time." Swardson's adds. "Adam was in bed and he saw my performance on TV and he immediately wrote my name down. And he got a hold of me the next day." 

Not long after Swardson would begin co-writing his first venture for Sandler's 'Happy Madison Productions'. 'Grandma's Boy' was released to theaters in 2006. Although it was panned by so-called movie critics, the DVD version would gross over $35 million, with Swardson recalling in a 2022 interview with the Stiff Socks podcast, how he and Sandler met then-CEO of Blockbuster in the late 2010, who told them that Grandma's Boy was 'one of their most stolen movies of all time, because nobody ... returned the movie, EVER!'. Apparently it has a cult following.

A diehard comedian, Swardson respects many of the greats that have come before him, reaching back to the early days of comedy. "I love people who are just genuinely funny. I appreciate comic actors that can do physical comedy. So my influences range."

He explains in detail. "I grew up in that really good SNL time period with guys like Martin Short, Eddie Murphy, David Spade, and of course Adam. As far as standup I'm a fan of Richard Pryor, Steve Martin, I've come to appreciate earlier works of Woody Allen and Charlie Chaplin." Adding, "I'm a huge fan of Monty Python."

Since his small role in 'Almost Famous' in 2000 Swardson has appeared in over 30 films including 'Just Go With It' in 2011 starring Sandler and Jennifer Aniston. In 2020 he starred along with David Spade in 'The Wrong Missy'. The film was released on Netflix on May 13, 2020. Although critics weren't nice, according to the streaming service the film was watched by 59 million households over its first four weeks of release, among the most-ever for one of their original films.

In 2023 Swardson lent his voice to the widely popular animated feature film 'Leo', another Happy Madison production. Swardson is sure to gain a bigger following when Sandler's sequel to 'Happy Gilmore' gets released in the spring of 2025, with Swardson portraying one of the title characters in 'Happy Gilmore 2'. "It's just fun to work with Adam. He surrounds himself with awesome talent, and he knows what he's doing." Sandler, Christopher McDonald, and Julie Bowen are reprising their roles from the original 1996 blockbuster movie.

Whether reviews are flattering or cynical, Swardson who's been nominated for several 'Razzie Awards' follows the advice Sandler offered up years ago. "He said there's always going to be positive reviews and negative reviews. It's best not to acknowledge it. Don't concern yourself either way. Should I give a shit? No. When you span across all media, you're going to get mixed reviews." Swardson's remedy. "Critics can be mean, you just have to put on blinders and keep moving forward."

Swardson is currently out on on the road bringing his 'Toilet Head' comedy tour to venues all across America. As far as his stand-up, how does he come up with his comedic material. "I have a lot of improv background. I like to tell stories. Usually I can find something in my life that is funny and makes people laugh."

Admittedly he's not a cookie cutter comic. "I try to stay away from what a lot of my fellow comedians are talking about. Many of them are drawing from the same comedy well. The jokes are different but the topics are the same. I want to be different. I like being more personal."

In this age of political correctness (PC) does Swardson concern himself with what he might or might not say on stage. "Not really. I'm not PG at this stage in my career, but I don't push the envelope too far. My comedy is organic. I'm not out there trying to offend anyone, but for those who are they are welcome to leave. If you've bought a ticket to my show than you no doubt know my brand of comedy."

Swardson goes on to say, "I don't believe comedians should be censored. As for me, I don't cater to any genre. I'm very accessible. I want to have a good time and for the audience to have a good time. Plain and simple."

One thing is for certain, Swardson likes to keep plugging away. "For sure. Whether I'm writing or co-writing it seems I'm always working on something. It could be something for TV, a movie, a comedy special, or just my own stand-up. I like to keep busy."

Understandably there is a difference between developing solo work or being a contributor. "When I'm writing and it's just for me, I know what I'm doing. I get to create the characters and have complete control." On the opposite side of the coin. "When I do get hired and brought in on a project it's because of what I do, and whoever it is appreciates what I can add to the project."

25 years in Hollywood, with 30 films and 20 plus TV appearances including 'Trip Tank' and 'Pretend Time' (both on Comedy Central), Swardson admits he's gained a deeper admiration for the art form. "Back in the day when I was young I was critical of the industry. But once I experienced it from the inside, as a writer, producer, and actor I've come to understand how hard it is. There are so many variables. People put in a lot of hard work to put out movies and TV."

Swardson will be bringing his 'Toilet Head' comedy tour to the lowcountry, making a stop at the Charleston Music Hall on Saturday Nov 9th. Although his style of comedy may be somewhere between PG13 and R-rated, he has a strong following. "Fans know what to expect from me. I throw in the occasional expletive, but it's not overkill. I like to tell stories and find comedy in things we can all relate too." 

The music hall show is not his first visit to the Holy City. "Not by any means. Been there on several occasions. I'm good friends with Danny McBride who lives in Charleston. In fact I almost moved to Charleston during COVID. I had a real estate person looking for homes for me. I opted for spending a little while in Key West. But I love Charleston. I could see living there or at least having a second home there."

Fans of Swardson can catch him at the Charleston Music Hall. Their website describes it best. 'Join Nick Swardson, Americas Comedy Sweetheart, as he tackles the hard issues of diarrhea, edibles and Norm MacDonald. Sounds like topics many of us have in common'.

Swardson's opening act is Nick Youssef, a LA/NY based comedian, writer, actor and the host of 'The According To Nick Youssef' podcast. Nick’s comedy has featured on Hulu, NBCs Last Call, @Midnight, Viceland’s ‘Funny How?’ and podcasts such as The Joe Rogan Experience and WTF with Marc Maron. So if you're going to the show you'll get 'two Nicks' for the price of one.

For more on the show visit https://www.charlestonmusichall.com/event/nick-swardson/  For more on his tour dates that extend well into December before the holidays, and extend into 2025, or to discover the new shit he's in (TV & movies) visit his website at http://nickswardson.net/