Rainn Wilson is a prominent Hollywood actor, comedian, writer, and producer. Perhaps best known as Dwight Schrute on the NBC sitcom The Office, for which he won three consecutive Emmy Award nominations. Wilson has also appeared in numerous films, including Galaxy Quest, House of 1000 Corpses, The Meg, and Weird: The Al Yankovic Story.
In this podcast Rainn with discus his religion, the Baha’i Faith, the skepticism about religion in Hollywood, and why he thinks the country is due for a spiritual reawakening.
Listen to the Podcast here.
Wilson was born in Seattle, Washington, on January 20, 1966. He studied at Tufts University and the University of Washington before attending the New York University Tisch School of the Arts, where he received a Master of Fine Arts in Acting.
After graduating from NYU, Wilson began his career in theater, appearing in both on and off-Broadway productions. He also toured with The Acting Company and performed in regional theater productions.
Wilson’s breakthrough role came in 2005 when he was cast as Dwight Schrute on the NBC sitcom The Office. The show was a critical and commercial success, and Wilson’s performance as Dwight was widely praised.
After The Office ended in 2013, Wilson continued to work in film and television. He has appeared in the films The Meg, Weird: The Al Yankovic Story, and Utopia, and has had recurring roles on the television shows Fargo and Blackbird.
In addition to his acting work, Wilson is also a writer and producer. He is the co-founder of the digital media company SoulPancake, which created thousands of pieces of content and over a billion video views, including viral hits like Kid President, My Last Days, and The Idiots Guide to Climate Change.
As a Baha’i, Wilson has spoken openly about his faith. He has said that his Baha’i faith has helped him to become a more compassionate and understanding person.
Wilson is married to fiction writer Holiday Reinhorn. They have one son together.
