Rainn Wilson's Secret Struggle on The Office Revealed: "I Wanted Millions"
It appears that Wilson was unhappy about his role for a long time.
NBC's The Office was one of the most popular sitcoms of its time, revitalising the stagnant television genre and paving the way for dozens of well-received workplace comedies released over the past decade. The show also catapulted Steve Carell, John Krasinski, Ed Helms, Craig Robinson, and Mindy Kaling to stardom: Hollywood producers took note of their comedic chops and offers of new roles in movies and TV series followed.
However, it seems that at least one actor from The Office was somewhat dissatisfied with his career trajectory - Rainn Wilson.
Rainn woke up famous after the show's first episode aired, as his character Dwight Schrute stole every scene he was in. However, that was apparently not enough for the comedy actor. He aspired to be the top dog among The Office cast and planned to launch a successful Hollywood career while still starring as Dwight.
According to the actor, it was a genuine struggle for him to come to terms with his position, and even the perks the show brought him didn't improve his spirits, as he evidently felt he deserved much more career-wise.
'When I was in The Office, I spent several years really mostly unhappy because it wasn't enough. I was making hundreds of thousands. I wanted millions, and I was a TV star, but I wanted to be a movie star. It was never enough. I was thinking about, "Why am I not a movie star? Why am I not the next Jack Black or the next Will Ferrell? How come I can't have a movie career?",' Wilson said.
Indeed, it would appear that Wilson was rather disgruntled during his time on the hit show. However, thankfully, his inner thoughts didn't impact his performance, as Dwight is still remembered as one of the most hysterically funny characters on The Office.
Moreover, Wilson has clearly overcome his ambition issues, seeing how he now enjoys a reasonably successful TV and film career. While he is still not on the same level as Will Ferrell, he has loyal fans who love and respect him.
Source: Club Random with Bill Maher.