Rainn Wilson enjoys day out of 'The Office'
By Mallory Simon
CNN.com[/align]
Rainn Wilson had a good day. On Thursday morning, the actor learned that he had earned an Emmy nomination for his performance as Dwight Schrute, the toadying sidekick on NBC's "The Office." Thursday afternoon, he fulfilled what he characterized as "my fantasy come true" -- doing the weather on CNN.
Wilson was at CNN Center to promote his new film, "The Rocker," which will be released August 20. (Doing the weather apparently was a bonus.) In the film, he plays a former heavy metal drummer who joins his nephew's high school rock band.
CNN.com's Mallory Simon talked with Wilson about "The Office," the value of improvisation and what it's like being strapped to the roof of a van for a movie. The following is an edited version of that interview. Video Watch Wilson answer questions from iReport users »
CNN: First of all, let me congratulate you on receiving an Emmy nomination for your role as Dwight Schrute on "The Office." What was your reaction?
Rainn Wilson: Thank you. Just, "Woooohooooo."
CNN: Dwight's such an extremely popular character that the bobblehead doll of your character is in cubicles all over the country. What do you think of the bobble craze?
Wilson: I think outrageous. It's the best-selling thing in the history of the NBC Universal store, and I have no idea why anyone would want to get my big weird bobbling head on a doll.
CNN: How much of what you do is improv? Video Watch Wilson do the weather on CNN »
Wilson: Well, we have the best of both worlds on "The Office." Because we have brilliant scripts, we usually don't need to do that much improv. Usually, when they ask actors to do improv it's because the scripts suck and they want to make it better. ...
I'd say what ends up in the final edit is about 75 percent scripted, so if we improv stuff it'll be like little stuff thrown in. It's very hard, because improvisation adds time and doesn't move a story forward -- it's always a side tangent. And when you are doing a show that has to be 21 minutes and 45 seconds long, you have to stay on story, and sticking to the script is the best way to stay on story.
CNN: "The Rocker" [is] your first time as a lead in a movie. What has the transition from TV to film and now being a lead in a film been like for you?
Wilson: I've been doing films for a long time, since before "The Office." I've done "Sahara" and "Baadasssss," but doing a lead role was quite challenging because I'm usually in reaction to the lead character and part of the ensemble. Being the guy who drives the story forward and kind of is the center of the action -- my character's needs and wants have to be the motor of the story -- that took some getting used to.
CNN: In the movie, you play a failed drummer nicknamed "Fish" who gets another shot at fame. What about "Fish" drew you to play the role?
Wilson: Well, there's so much. I love rock 'n' roll movies, I love physical comedy but above all, the fact that there was a lot of heart and great, real characterizations, and it really was a story with a character with an arc. That really sealed the deal for me. The fact that it has all those things together makes it the awesomest movie ever made.
CNN: It's also got a lot of nudity. After your skin-showing appearance on the MTV Movie Awards and now in the movie, I have to ask, do you enjoy being filmed nude?
Wilson: I do, I do, very much. I couldn't get my porn career going and so I have to settle for international superstardom on television and film.
CNN: There's a scene in the movie where you are strapped to the car. What was filming that like?
Wilson: It was an outrageous stunt where I really was strapped to the roof of a van that was speeding around the downtown streets of Toronto. ... It was pretty cool. I mean I really felt like a stuntman in a big movie, flying down the road. It was a hoot, but I did get nauseous after a little while.
CNN: So how much musical experience did you have before filming this movie?
advertisement
Wilson: I've played a lot of musical instruments. I've played the guitar and I played the bassoon in high school, but this was the first time I've played the drums. I had about two or three weeks of intensive heavy metal drum lessons. ...
I [also] spent a lot of time on YouTube revisiting the '80s, which is awesome, just going back and looking at all those music videos from Whitesnake and Ratt and Twisted Sister.
