Nick Offerman embraces ‘the happy’ as a Smurf

Nick Offerman — actor, author, woodworker — is on his own version of the Eras tour.

His 50s? So far, so great.

His rules on aging: No whining. No lamenting. No “I wish I was 22 again.”

For Offerman, the secret is simple.

“My wife Megan and I focus on our youth because we still feel young. How you feel is what matters. It’s everything,” the 55-year-old says. “We keep it light. Even when our bodies become achy and we’re taking the stairs slower, we’re not moaning about it. We’re looking for the win.

“So what if we take the stairs in twos and not threes anymore. Twos is pretty damn good,” he adds. “I’ll take two any day.”

Offerman is certainly exudes a youthful energy as he takes to Zoom to talk about his second big summer movie. Not everyone follows up a blockbuster like “Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning” with the main voice role in a much-anticipated family film, “Smurfs,” out this weekend.

“We’re delivering happiness and medicinal mirth through the arts,” the actor says of his new animated adventure. “It just feels so good to see these Smurf characters back on the big screen. My biggest hope is that the film will give people fun and joy.”

Get a little blue

Offerman lives in Los Angeles with his wife of 22 years, actor Megan Mullally. His good life advice:

In other words, find your inner Smurf. “I was over the moon when I was offered a Smurf role,” Offerman shares. “It was one of those times when you say, ‘Oh, my God, I’m so happy!’ And you have to stop. Consider. You have to embrace those times when you find the happy. … What I loved about ‘Smurfs’ is that Rihanna, who plays Smurfette, brings so much goodness and positivity.”

Of his character Ken, Offerman adds: “He’s a super badass secret agent holding down the forces of evil. I’d love to think I’m the guy you call when you have that situation. OK, maybe I’m the seventh guy you call, but it’s still good.”

Small-town trouble

Offerman grew up in Minooka, Illinois, a small town in the Midwest. “We had a family farm, so it was a wonderful childhood of riding bikes, building tree hours and playing outside in the woods,” he says. “I was a normal country kid, which brings a certain toughness, resilience and self-sufficiency. We’d get in the kind of trouble you could get yourself out of by the end of the day.”

Look around

Offerman says that his rural childhood taught him a huge lesson. “You learn how people pitch in during good times and bad,” he says. “That’s actually the message of the ‘Smurfs’ movie. We’re trying to tell young people: ‘Don’t look at your phone; look up at your community.’ ”

‘Mission’ statement

Yes, Offerman told Jimmy Kimmel a few months ago that he was in love with Tom Cruise after filming “Mission: Impossible” with him. Does that still hold true today? “Unless, you’ve been involved in a complicated romantic relationship with him, he never goes away, which is wonderful,” Offerman says. “You even get a special coconut cake for Christmas, if you’re on the list. It’s a damn good cake.”

And what does Mullally think about her husband professing his love for Cruise on late night TV? “She said, ‘Get in line. I love Tom Cruise, too,’ ” he says. “We have a very philosophical, open household.”

Take chances

Offerman has another summer film called “Sovereign,” an action crime thriller based on a true story. Due to hit theaters this month, it was a hit at Tribeca, where critics embraced Offerman’s unhinged performance. The plot revolves around a father and son (Offerman and Jacob Tremblay) who join a citizen movement and clash with a police chief (Dennis Quaid). “If a script is undeniable, I will say, ‘God, I’m here. Lucky to be here. I want to help,’ ” Offerman says of the film.

Reframe aging

Offerman says it’s easy to shift your thinking about getting older. “Focus on how you feel good versus that your knee hurts. Focus on what you love to do. Wake up and say, ‘I still want to have fun.’ Aging doesn’t have to set in and consume you in a bad way.” His other big tip: “Eat right and get your sleep. It’s pretty simple, really.”

‘A hero to me’

Offerman met Mullally while working on a play in 2000. They married three years later. She is 11 years older, which is why he insists, “I’ve happily considered myself her student with good reason. She is a hero to me.”

Looking for a good piece of marital advice? Listen to your wife, he says. Take decorating the house, for example. “If it was up to me, it would be all wood and dogs,” Offerman admits. “My wife sees it another way, which is for the better.”

More than a hobby

His newest book, “Little Woodchucks: Offerman Woodshop’s Guide to Tools and Tomfoolery,” is due out Oct. 14. It includes projects for kids as young as 5. He says sharing his woodworking passion with instructions on how to create your own projects is a life mission. “Our consumer world tells us to just jump on our phones and press buttons when we need something,” he says. “A drone will deliver it, which drives me insane. I love to be that human who makes things with his hands. I tell kids, ‘If you want a table, you’re not just limited to just the three tables on a website. You can make your own table, be a good citizen and self-sustain. Learn how things are put together, so you are resourceful.”

‘A good day’

What is Offerman currently working on in his workshop at home? “I’m creating 12 ukuleles out of just gorgeous varieties of wood,” he shares. “I tour as a comedian and play songs on the instruments I have created.”

Offerman says the joy from completing project can’t be beat. “I built a canoe and paddles. When you paddle across a river holding the wood that you shaped into your transport, you feel like a superhero,” he says. “My house is behind me, and from the river, I can see a Taco Bell in the distance. That’s a good day.”