An actor considers it the greatest achievement if he manages to have his viewers hate him for his anti-hero role. While there are many fan-favorite villains across films and TV shows, Dwight from ‘The Office‘ stands out as a classic one both tremendously hated and loved by his fans even today.
Played by Rainn Wilson, the character of Dwight Schrute on ‘The Office’ resonates even today with many, as the show continues to be one of the most iconic sitcoms. However, the actor’s journey to becoming the iconic villain of the show was not without its bumps. Wilson has opened up about what helped him reach there and retain his fame in the industry.
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“F— That. I’m Never Going To Do That Again”: Rainn Wilson Recalls His Failures In The Initial Days Of Career On Broadway
Rainn Wilson’s journey to becoming the iconic Dwight Schrute on ‘The Office’ wasn’t easy, as the actor recently revealed in an exclusive interview with People. Now 58-years-old, Wilson is still widely recognized as his character on the show.
Speaking about the same character that has now become a vital part of his identity, Wilson reflected on the early days of his career as a theatre artist when he felt like he did not fit in.
“I got my first Broadway show and I was trying to do that and I was trying to please other people and to fit in and be this idea of like, what a New York theater actor was,” he said while speaking on ‘Good Trouble’ with Nick Kyrgios.
“And I sucked and I was bad in the play, had a miserable experience, bombed and coming out of that, I was like, ‘F— that. I’m never going to do that again,'” he added.
He said he eventually realized that he “needed to be myself.”. “I’m an ungainly, weird and wonderful guy and I wear glasses and I get my clothes at thrift stores and I need to be true to who Rainn Wilson is,” he joked.
Wilson credited this “really miserable experience” on Broadway for helping him find himself. “It helped me find my authentic voice, which is, you know, a little, little left of center,” he said. “It is different.”
Drawing parllels with his character Dwight, he said “Dwight and Rainn, both are kind of socially awkward and don’t fit in and have kind of a skewed way of seeing the world. Which is good trouble, but beyond that, there’s not really that many similarities.”
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“I’m So Blessed”: Rainn Wilson Is Thankful For His Career As An Actor On ‘The Office’
A decade later since ‘The Office’ concluded its run, Rainn Wilson said he feels grateful for the career he’s built. He’s had the opportunity to play a variety of characters on screen and stage.
“People may not be watching the stuff that I’m doing, but I don’t really care as much. You know?” he said. “Unlike being a professional athlete, we have a very narrow shelf life and I want to die on stage doing King Lear. I want to keel over in a heart attack at age 89. But that’s the cool thing about acting. You don’t retire. You just keep going,” he added.
“The thing I love about the theater is you get trained in the theater to just play characters. I played dozens of characters before I played Dwight. Dwight, who was the one that really took off,” he later added.
“I’ve played dozens of characters since I played Dwight, and that’s where I get off the most, like a get a script. And there’s some kind of offbeat dude and like, how am how am I Rainn in a suit who I am and portray that offbeat dude. And I’m so lucky. I’m so blessed that I get to make a career of doing that for a dorky kid from suburban Seattle with the weird family in that and the pimples and the giant head. It’s beyond a dream come true,” the actor asserted.
The full episode of Good Trouble with Nick Kyrgios featuring Rainn Wilson will be available on Wednesday, March 20, offering fans further insights into the actor’s journey and experiences.
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