# Nick Swardson
**Nick Swardson** (Nicholas Roger Swardson; born 1976 in [Minneapolis](https://www.edgepedia.org/minneapolis), Minnesota) is an American stand-up comedian, actor, and writer best known for the roller-skating character Terry Bernadino on [Comedy Central](https://www.edgepedia.org/comedy-central)'s *Reno 911!*, his sketch series *Nick Swardson's Pretend Time*, and a long writing and acting partnership with [Adam Sandler](https://www.edgepedia.org/adam-sandler)'s Happy Madison Productions.[1](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/nick-swardson/bio/3030434872/) • [2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0841910/) • [3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/nick_swardson)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | Nicholas Roger Swardson, 1976, Minneapolis, Minnesota[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0841910/) |
| Stand-up start | February 12, 1996, doing one-nighters in biker bars for about a hundred dollars[4](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2024-05-29/nick-swardson-toilet-head-tour-cant-even-comedy-show) |
| Signature character | Terry Bernadino, a fast-talking, roller-skating gay prostitute on *Reno 911!* (2003–2009)[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/nick_swardson) • [5](https://improv.com/comic/nick+swardson/) |
| Stand-up releases | *Party* (2007, certified Platinum), *Seriously, Who Farted?* (premiered October 11, 2009), *Taste It* (2015), *Make Joke From Face* (YouTube, July 18, 2024)[5](https://improv.com/comic/nick+swardson/) • [6](https://ir.paramount.com/news-releases/news-release-details/omg-whats-smell-world-television-premiere-nick-swardson) • [4](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2024-05-29/nick-swardson-toilet-head-tour-cant-even-comedy-show) |
| Sketch series | *Nick Swardson's Pretend Time* (Comedy Central, 2010–11), two seasons[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/nick_swardson) • [5](https://improv.com/comic/nick+swardson/) |
| Happy Madison films | Wrote or co-wrote *Grandma's Boy* (2006), *The Benchwarmers* (2006), and *Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star*[7](https://www.laughfactory.com/comedians/bio/NickSwardson) |
| Recent work | Voiced a character in *Leo* (2023); Toilet Head Tour and *Make Joke From Face* (2024); set to appear in *Happy Gilmore 2*[8](https://charleston.com/charleston-insider/arts-culture/nick-swardson-offering-up-organic-comedy) |
## Early life and background
Swardson was born in Minneapolis in 1976; his father is Roger Eric Swardson.[2](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0841910/) He has described a difficult adolescence: his parents divorced when he was 13, he was arrested after smoking marijuana in high school and received court-ordered rehab, and he was expelled from high school four times for offenses ranging from smoking marijuana at school to fighting.[9](https://screenrant.com/wrong-missy-nick-swardson-interview/) • [1](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/nick-swardson/bio/3030434872/) After high school he could not afford college and turned to theater and improv, then to open-mic nights at Minneapolis's Acme Comedy Club, where the owner encouraged him to perform again and booked him regularly.[9](https://screenrant.com/wrong-missy-nick-swardson-interview/) • [8](https://charleston.com/charleston-insider/arts-culture/nick-swardson-offering-up-organic-comedy)
He dates the start of his stand-up career precisely: February 12, 1996, when he was playing one-nighters in biker bars for about a hundred dollars, in a period when, he recalls, people kept saying comedy was dead.[4](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2024-05-29/nick-swardson-toilet-head-tour-cant-even-comedy-show) By age 20 he was a local standout on the Minneapolis scene, and the Acme club honored him with its Funniest Person in the Twin Cities award; he was also invited to the U.S. Comedy and Arts Festival in [Aspen, Colorado](https://www.edgepedia.org/aspen-colorado).[10](https://www.startribune.com/minnesota-comic-nick-swardson-adjusts-to-middle-age-you-re-not-a-superhero/566461602) • [1](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/nick-swardson/bio/3030434872/)
## Stand-up career
From Minneapolis he moved through St. Paul and New York before settling in Los Angeles, where his first feature success came as a writer on *Malibu's Most Wanted*, starring [Jamie Kennedy](https://www.edgepedia.org/jamie-kennedy), for Warner Bros.[6](https://ir.paramount.com/news-releases/news-release-details/omg-whats-smell-world-television-premiere-nick-swardson) On television, his half-hour *Comedy Central Presents* special aired in 2006; [TV Guide](https://www.edgepedia.org/tv-guide) reports he was the youngest comedian ever to have his own *Comedy Central Presents* special.[5](https://improv.com/comic/nick+swardson/) • [1](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/nick-swardson/bio/3030434872/)
His first album, *Party* (2007), on Comedy Central Records and produced by Happy Madison, was certified Platinum.[5](https://improv.com/comic/nick+swardson/) • [6](https://ir.paramount.com/news-releases/news-release-details/omg-whats-smell-world-television-premiere-nick-swardson) His first one-hour special, *Seriously, Who Farted?*, premiered on Comedy Central on Sunday, October 11, 2009, at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.[6](https://ir.paramount.com/news-releases/news-release-details/omg-whats-smell-world-television-premiere-nick-swardson) A second one-hour special, *Taste It*, followed in 2015.[5](https://improv.com/comic/nick+swardson/) He was also one of four comedians selected to represent the United States in Netflix's *Comedians of the World* collection.[5](https://improv.com/comic/nick+swardson/)
## Television and film
**Reno 911! and Terry Bernadino.** Swardson's breakout role was Terry Bernadino on Comedy Central's law-enforcement parody *Reno 911!* (2003–2009), a fast-talking, roller-skating gay prostitute.[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/nick_swardson) • [5](https://improv.com/comic/nick+swardson/) He appeared in 28 episodes during the show's run plus the 2006 film version, and the series was fully improvised.[8](https://charleston.com/charleston-insider/arts-culture/nick-swardson-offering-up-organic-comedy) He did not return as Terry in the 2020 Quibi revival, citing touring scheduling conflicts and saying he is "not a big fan of revisiting characters."[11](https://www.comingsoon.net/movies/features/1134750-exclusive-nick-swardsons-ten-favorite-characters-of-his-career)
**Happy Madison.** The partnership with Adam Sandler began, by Swardson's account, with Sandler being a fan of his standup; their managers were in the same company and arranged a meeting.[9](https://screenrant.com/wrong-missy-nick-swardson-interview/) Sandler and [Allen Covert](https://www.edgepedia.org/allen-covert) then had him rewrite *Grandma's Boy* from a PG-13 romantic comedy into what Sandler asked him to make "insane and rated R."[9](https://screenrant.com/wrong-missy-nick-swardson-interview/) Swardson became a fixture at Happy Madison: he wrote, co-wrote, or produced *Grandma's Boy* (2006) and *The Benchwarmers* (2006), co-produced *I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry* with Sandler and [Kevin James](https://www.edgepedia.org/kevin-james), and wrote, acted in, and produced *Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star*.[7](https://www.laughfactory.com/comedians/bio/NickSwardson) • [6](https://ir.paramount.com/news-releases/news-release-details/omg-whats-smell-world-television-premiere-nick-swardson) He also acted in *Click* and joined *Chuck and Larry* as writer, producer, and actor, and completed his first starring role in the [Columbia Pictures](https://www.edgepedia.org/columbia-pictures) feature *Born to Be a Star*, which he co-wrote and produced with Sandler and Covert.[9](https://screenrant.com/wrong-missy-nick-swardson-interview/) • [6](https://ir.paramount.com/news-releases/news-release-details/omg-whats-smell-world-television-premiere-nick-swardson) Later Happy Madison credits include executive producing *The Ridiculous Six* (2015) and *The Do Over* (2016) and co-producing and appearing in *Sandy Wexler* (2017).[5](https://improv.com/comic/nick+swardson/)
At his busiest he averaged seven TV or film projects a year while maintaining a steady touring presence, and he became the youngest member of Sandler's circle of collaborators.[10](https://www.startribune.com/minnesota-comic-nick-swardson-adjusts-to-middle-age-you-re-not-a-superhero/566461602) His acting credits beyond the Sandler films include *Blades of Glory*, *Art School Confidential*, *You Don't Mess with the Zohan*, *[30 Minutes or Less](https://www.edgepedia.org/30-minutes-or-less)* (as a goofball kidnapper), and *That's My Boy*.[7](https://www.laughfactory.com/comedians/bio/NickSwardson) • [3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/nick_swardson)
## Pretend Time and other projects
In October 2009, Comedy Central signed the 33-year-old Swardson to create and star in his own sketch series, with Adam Sandler's Happy Madison Productions among the producers.[12](https://archive.nytimes.com/artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/30/nick-swardson-talks-about-his-new-comedy-central-series/) *Nick Swardson's Pretend Time* ran two seasons (2010–11).[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/nick_swardson) • [5](https://improv.com/comic/nick+swardson/) He described its mix as mirroring his standup: "There's long sketches, there's parodies, there's quick one-offs."[12](https://archive.nytimes.com/artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/30/nick-swardson-talks-about-his-new-comedy-central-series/)
He was co-creator, co-executive producer, co-writer, and star of the Comedy Central web series *Typical Rick*, which also ran two seasons, and he voiced the character of Troy in the FX animated series *Chozen* (2014).[5](https://improv.com/comic/nick+swardson/)
## By the numbers
- *Just Go with It* and *Grown Ups 2*, in which he had scene-stealing supporting roles, each earned more than $200 million at the box office.[10](https://www.startribune.com/minnesota-comic-nick-swardson-adjusts-to-middle-age-you-re-not-a-superhero/566461602)
- *Grandma's Boy* was panned by critics, but its DVD grossed over $35 million and the film became a cult favorite.[8](https://charleston.com/charleston-insider/arts-culture/nick-swardson-offering-up-organic-comedy)
- *The Wrong Missy*, released on Netflix on May 13, 2020, was watched by 59 million households in its first four weeks.[8](https://charleston.com/charleston-insider/arts-culture/nick-swardson-offering-up-organic-comedy)
- His *Party* album was certified Platinum, and his *Too Many Smells 2018 Tour* visited theaters in 40 cities from April through June.[5](https://improv.com/comic/nick+swardson/)
## Comedy style and reception
Swardson's screen persona is built on juvenile-minded, off-kilter characters, from the confident video-game-playing stoner in *Grandma's Boy* to Terry Bernadino, with supporting turns in Sandler features such as *I Now Pronounce You Chuck & Larry* and *Just Go with It*.[3](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/nick_swardson) • [11](https://www.comingsoon.net/movies/features/1134750-exclusive-nick-swardsons-ten-favorite-characters-of-his-career) His standup is story-based, and he built *Pretend Time* around the same structure of long sketches, parodies, and quick one-offs.[12](https://archive.nytimes.com/artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/30/nick-swardson-talks-about-his-new-comedy-central-series/) In a 2019 film role he played a character struggling with dark demons in *Buddy Games*, written and directed by [Josh Duhamel](https://www.edgepedia.org/josh-duhamel); director [Todd Phillips](https://www.edgepedia.org/todd-phillips) called it his most impressive work to date.[10](https://www.startribune.com/minnesota-comic-nick-swardson-adjusts-to-middle-age-you-re-not-a-superhero/566461602)
## What has changed since 2023
In 2023 Swardson voiced a character in the animated feature film *Leo*.[8](https://charleston.com/charleston-insider/arts-culture/nick-swardson-offering-up-organic-comedy) In summer 2024 he launched a national Toilet Head Tour ahead of his new special *Make Joke From Face*, which premiered on YouTube on July 18, 2024; he previewed the material at the Roosevelt Hotel in a show presented by Can't Even Comedy, marking nearly three decades of performing comedy.[4](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2024-05-29/nick-swardson-toilet-head-tour-cant-even-comedy-show) He was reported as set to appear in *Happy Gilmore 2* in spring 2025.[8](https://charleston.com/charleston-insider/arts-culture/nick-swardson-offering-up-organic-comedy) He continues to tour regularly, historically on a bill with Adam Sandler, David Spade, and [Rob Schneider](https://www.edgepedia.org/rob-schneider).[5](https://improv.com/comic/nick+swardson/)
## References
1. [Nick Swardson Biography, Celebrity Facts and Awards, TV Guide](https://www.tvguide.com/celebrities/nick-swardson/bio/3030434872/)
2. [Nick Swardson, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0841910/)
3. [Nick Swardson, Rotten Tomatoes celebrity profile](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/celebrity/nick_swardson)
4. [Nick Swardson flushes out new jokes ahead of his Toilet Head Tour, Los Angeles Times](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/story/2024-05-29/nick-swardson-toilet-head-tour-cant-even-comedy-show)
5. [Nick Swardson at Improv](https://improv.com/comic/nick+swardson/)
6. [OMG, What's That Smell? The World Television Premiere of 'Nick Swardson: Seriously, Who Farted?' (Paramount press release)](https://ir.paramount.com/news-releases/news-release-details/omg-whats-smell-world-television-premiere-nick-swardson)
7. [Nick Swardson, Laugh Factory comedian bio](https://www.laughfactory.com/comedians/bio/NickSwardson)
8. [Nick Swardson Offering Up Organic Comedy, Charleston](https://charleston.com/charleston-insider/arts-culture/nick-swardson-offering-up-organic-comedy)
9. [Nick Swardson Interview: The Wrong Missy, Screen Rant](https://screenrant.com/wrong-missy-nick-swardson-interview/)
10. [Minnesota comic Nick Swardson adjusts to middle age: 'You're not a superhero', Star Tribune](https://www.startribune.com/minnesota-comic-nick-swardson-adjusts-to-middle-age-you-re-not-a-superhero/566461602)
11. [Exclusive: Nick Swardson's Ten Favorite Characters of His Career, ComingSoon.net](https://www.comingsoon.net/movies/features/1134750-exclusive-nick-swardsons-ten-favorite-characters-of-his-career)
12. [Nick Swardson Talks About His New Comedy Central Series, The New York Times (ArtsBeat)](https://archive.nytimes.com/artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/30/nick-swardson-talks-about-his-new-comedy-central-series/)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Theater and dance › Stand-up comedy and comedians › American stand-up comedians, contemporary › Stand-up comedians born 1970–1979*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license