For nine seasons, Rainn Wilson brought everyone's favorite Assistant To The Regional Manager to life as Dwight Schrute on "The Office." On Friday, Milwaukee gets the chance to embrace all things Dwight, when he'll make a visit to the Riverside Theater for a screening of an episode, as well as a Dwight Schrute lookalike contest, a conversation, and more. Ahead of the live appearance, Wilson sat down with OnMilwaukee to talk about the character that made him famous, the fandom surrounding "The Office," and his upcoming movie roll in "Code 3" as well.
OMC: You’re coming to Milwaukee to essentially celebrate all things Dwight Schrute. Did you ever think when you were reading for this character that you would be doing live shows to celebrate him?
Wilson: Absolutely not. I mean, that's a great perspective. My son is almost 21, and he was born when we were shooting the “Hot Girl” episode with Amy Adams in Season one. So I was cast, maybe a good year before that. So we're talking 21–22 years ago, and I had no idea playing this weirdo would have given me a career in so many different ways, including visiting the great city of Milwaukee.
OMC: You’re also doing a lookalike contest as part of the event. How spot on have some of the Dwights been in the past?
Wilson: The amount of work that some of the people put into the Dwight lookalike contest is incredible. The thing that always amazes me about the Dwight lookalike contest is how some people enter it without much effort. They'll put on a Dwight t-shirt and comb their hair funny, and they'll walk up on stage like they're going to win it. But some of them go all out. There have been people dressed as beets and Dwights from certain episodes. It's a lot of fun to see all the different Dwights that come out—all the inner Schrutes.
OMC: The inner Schrutes is a good way to put it. While the show was still running, was there ever a point where you thought, “oh, I’m going to be Dwight Schrute to some people for the rest of their lives?”
Wilson: Yeah, I mean, it was pretty clear early on. I mean, it was season two or three when this thing took off, and especially when all the Dwight paraphernalia started selling—the bobbleheads and the mugs. You’d go into a Target and see my face on a doormat or a bath towel, and that’s okay for me. I struggled for 14 years as an actor before I got cast as Dwight. I became famous at 40, and I’m just super grateful for the role and all the opportunities it’s presented.
I’ve done a ton of other movies—some people have seen, some people haven’t. I’ve got a movie coming out in September called “Code 3” that I star in with Lil Rel Howery about ambulance drivers. Playing Dwight has opened so many other doors and opportunities for me. But yeah, it’ll probably be on my tombstone: “The guy who played Dwight.”
OMC: Everybody has their fan favorites, but what was your favorite thing that you did as Dwight? Maybe something that you got to add to the character?
Wilson: Well, I had a bunch of photos—which I’ve subsequently lost—of my farmer ancestors from Thief River Falls, Minnesota. Not far from Milwaukee, actually. In fact, my mom is from Weyauwega, Wisconsin. I’ve got farmers going way back on all sides of my family. Then there was an improvisation where I brought up the Amish connection. I just improvised that Dwight had Amish roots. That whole “farmer with Amish roots” side of Dwight came from me, and I’m really excited about that.
OMC: It ended up being such a big part of the character, too, at one point, bringing in Mose and all of those sorts of things with it, too.
Wilson: Yeah, it did.
OMC: I also wanted to touch on “The Paper.” The trailer just came out, and we see that it’s a spin-off of “The Office,” and we see that Oscar is in it, so we’re in the same universe. Is there any chance, by some weird way, Dwight Schrute makes a cameo?
Wilson: I highly doubt it. The idea is that the crew started to re-up their documentary, but they swiftly decide to go follow a newspaper in Ohio. Unless Dwight Schrute happened to be driving through Ohio and visiting this particular newspaper, I don’t think he’s going to be in it. But never say never—who knows? I wish them the best. It’s supposed to be really good, and I can’t wait to see it.
OMC: Finally, I know you had the music website SoulPancake for a while, and that you’re a big music fan. What have you been listening to lately?
Wilson: Well, I want to say Milwaukee is the home of Violent Femmes, right?
OMC: Yep, it is.
Wilson: Yeah. I'm a big music guy from way back. My son gets me into all kinds of bands. Big Thief has kind of taken over my turntable over the last several years—I’m waiting for a new album from them. Tyler Childers is a big favorite of mine, and I also like the new Bon Iver a lot—it’s kind of a nice return for him.
OMC: And another Wisconsin connection. So there you go—perfect.
Wilson: There you go! We’ll bring it all around.
You can join Rainn Wilson for a special screening of "The Office" on Friday night at the Riverside Theater. Tickets are available via the Pabst Theater Group website.
