What Rainn Wilson has said about The Office (American TV series)

Wilson argued that the label 'character actor' has become limiting in contemporary Hollywood compared with earlier eras.

“back in the day, you could be a character actor that was playing incredible lead, juicy, amazing roles. And now character actor, you're relegated to like the sixth lead”

Mayim Bialik's Breakdown: Re-Air: Embrace Your Eccentricities & A Petri Dish of Creativity | Rainn Wilson (Sep 25, 2026) · Listen from 7:42

Wilson said he decided early in his career to embrace playing alienated misfits rather than pretend to be something else.

“I'm not gonna pretend to be something that I'm not. And I'm just, I'm gonna play misfits. That's who I am. I'm gonna play alienated misfits and I'm gonna be damn good at it”

Mayim Bialik's Breakdown: Re-Air: Embrace Your Eccentricities & A Petri Dish of Creativity | Rainn Wilson (Sep 25, 2026) · Listen from 26:18

Wilson said audiences expect him to behave like Dwight Schrute and unfollow him when he tweets about vaccines or climate change.

“People want me to be Dwight. That's what I mean. They want me to act like Dwight”

Mayim Bialik's Breakdown: Re-Air: Embrace Your Eccentricities & A Petri Dish of Creativity | Rainn Wilson (Sep 25, 2026) · Listen from 49:16