Actor Rainn Wilson is coming to Milwaukee on Aug. 15 for a celebration of his beloved character Dwight Schrute from The Office. The show at the Riverside Theater will include a screening of an Office episode, a Dwight Schrute look-alike contest and a conversation with the man himself.
Ahead of that, Wilson talks about his relationship with The Office, his faith and his love of Dungeons & Dragons.
Since The Office, Wilson says he's struggled to live down his forever-association with Dwight Schrute in the minds of fans. But he doesn't blame them, and says it's partly because fans relate to movie and TV stars differently.
"If you saw Leonardo DiCaprio, you're not gonna go up and high-five him — you're gonna kind of stand back a little bit," he says. "But TV stars have been in your living room, and so you feel like they're a member of the family."
In fact, Wilson enjoys doing events for The Office fans, and he marvels at the unique bond people have formed with the show's characters over the years.
"There's something about The Office that people feel like they're part of the Dunder Mifflin family, and the show has gotten people through some really tough times," he says. "They're connected on a heart level to our show in a really unique way."
Wilson is nothing but grateful for all the doors Dwight Schrute has opened for him, but he's also worn many different hats throughout his career.
"I hope that people get to know Rainn Wilson a little bit more [for] what I'm doing as an actor, as a writer, as a podcaster," he says.
On his podcast Soul Boom, for example, guest conversations often explore spirituality. Wilson was raised in the Bahá'í faith, left it for a time and returned as an adult.
"[My faith has] helped me through a lot of mental health struggles. It helps me kind of focus who I am and why I'm alive ... and it helps me also focus on service to others and trying to make the world a better place and create unity," he says.
Wilson's sees profound spiritual insight in even something as mundane as Dungeons & Dragons, which he sees as an "answer to the modern mental health epidemic."
"You're together with people in a room; you have a common sense of purpose; you're helping each other out," he says. "You're using your imagination, and all of those things together kind of create this incredible social milieu that people thrive in."
Wilson explores his spiritual journey in The Bassoon King, which saw him visit Milwaukee on a book tour in 2015. And he's excited to be back.
"I love Milwaukee. It's kind of one of the few last just great mid-American, great American cities," he says. "I've always loved it, and the spirit of the people in Wisconsin. These are my people, as evidenced by my mom, Patricia Whitman, from Weyauwega."
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