Rainn Wilson spent nine seasons playing the mustard-colored shirt clad, overly ambitious, oftentimes bizarre Dwight Schrute on NBC’s The Office. Now, you can join him on March 27 at DC’s Warner Theatre for a conversation, screening of an episode of the show, and Dwight Schrute lookalike contest.
He talks with Northern Virginia Magazine about his upcoming event and connections to the DC area.
Tell us a bit more about your appearance at the Warner. And can you drop any hints about what episode you’ll be screening?
I’ve done a couple of these before and they’ve been really fun. There will be a VIP experience with photos and handshakes. And there will be a deep dive into the episode, which I will not name. Because honestly, between you and me, I haven’t decided on the episode yet!
It will be a chance for me to connect more intimately with the greatest fans on Earth, which are Office fans.
Do you have favorite places to visit in the DC area?
I haven’t done one of these types of events in the DC area before. And I’m excited, because one of the ways I learned acting was through working at Arena Stage. I did three plays there, and every play I did there I was nominated for a Helen Hayes Award. I have a real affinity for DC, especially its amazing theater scene like the Folger and Woolly Mammoth. DC has always been so cutting edge for theater.
I love that you can be in DC, but in just an hour or so, be in the beautiful Appalachian Mountains in Virginia. I often tell young theater actors I talk to to consider moving to the DC area. There are so many theaters in the area.
It’s been 20 years since The Office first premiered. Have you reflected on the impact it made on entertainment and pop culture?
There’s a lot to reflect on. When we made it, we just wanted to make a good show. We wanted to be on for a few years and be able to pay off our student loans. When I speak to the fans and connect with them, I’m blown away. And I really couldn’t mean this more — my heart is so moved by how important this show has been to so many people. It’s gotten them through anxiety attacks, divorces, and illnesses. It’s gotten them through the rigors of daily life. It’s kind of this big dysfunctional Dunder Mifflin family that people are so captivated by.
It’s so hard to get on a TV show. Then it’s hard for that show to go for nine seasons and have a big audience, and a lasting cultural impact. We just thought we were going to be this weird little show, kind of like Arrested Development. We figured we’d do two or three seasons, kind of be a cult favorite. The fact that we were able to stay on is a miracle.
Tell us about the concept for a Dwight lookalike contest. Do you have any advice for those interested in entering?
You know, I’ve always thought about going out on Halloween dressed exactly as Dwight. And no one would ever think, ‘Oh, it’s the actor who played Dwight.’ They’d just be like, ‘Wow that’s crazy how much that guy looks like Dwight,’ or ‘He looks like old Dwight.’
Some people put a lot of work into their costumes, while others just put on a yellow shirt and a pair of glasses from Amazon. It’s funny seeing 9-year-olds and 90-year-olds dressed as Dwight, and the crowd loving it.
What have you been up to post-Office?
I wrote a book about a year-and-a-half ago called Soul Boom, about spirituality. I also started a podcast by the same name. I did a play in Los Angeles, Waiting for Godot, which is one of my favorite plays of all time. I also did musical theater — a remount of Urinetown — in New York. I hadn’t done a musical since high school. I also have a movie coming out in the next few months called Code Three with Lil Rel Howery and Rob Riggle about down-and-out paramedics. I’m excited for folks to see a kind of different side of my acting. I’m filled with gratitude at the various projects I get to do.
This story has been edited for length and clarity.
Feature image by Kwaku Alston
