Why THE OFFICE Star Chooses Joy In Uncertain Times
By Movieguide® Contributor
Rainn Wilson might be best known for his role as eccentric killjoy Dwight Schrute on the hit TV show THE OFFICE, but the actor wants people to find joy in real life during uncertain times.
“It’s really easy to get pessimistic and cynical. Just read the newspaper. This sucks. We’ll never get out of this. Nothing will ever change. I find myself falling into that position a great deal,” Wilson admitted on The Relevant Podcast.
Despite issues including the divisive political climate, the mental health crisis and materialism, Wilson believes that every person can decide how they will approach life’s challenges.
“You could make a decision. Not only am I going to attempt to feel joy and connect with joy, but I’m going to spread joy. I’m going to give joy to someone else as a service,” the three-time Emmy nominee stated.
He added, “Believe it or not, when you give joy to someone else, you actually feel you get like a 10% dividend on the joy that you give to someone else. It actually makes you feel more joyful.”
He believes that “fostering joy” allows negative emotions to become “valuable teachers” that encourage action.
“There’s people working to make a better world, to help nature, to raise awareness, to connect. This is everywhere and it’s easier said than done, but focus on the integration and start to let the disintegration go,” Wilson said.
The actor has also discussed spirituality and his Baha’i faith.
“We’ve thrown the spiritual baby out with the religious bathwater, collectively rejecting religion and getting our spirituality sometimes in quite superficial ways,” Wilson told Lee Camp on the NO SMALL ENDEAVOR podcast.
[S]piritual ideas helped transform my life and made my life better, and helped with a lot of mental health issues,” Wilson said. “The stakes have never been higher. So theology aside, spiritual concepts that can heal and unite couldn’t be more important.”
Movieguide® previously reported on Wilson’s viral tweet that criticized the representation of Christians in the show THE LAST OF US:
I do think there is an anti-Christian bias in Hollywood,” Wilson said. “As soon as the David character in THE LAST OF US started reading from the Bible, I knew that he was going to be a horrific villain.”
“Could there be a Bible-reading preacher on a show who is actually loving and kind?” the actor asked.
Faithwire reports, “The scene in question deals with a group of cannibals led by an individual who appeared to be a preacher. These people-eaters were purportedly portrayed as justifying horrific actions by appealing to Scripture. The preacher is also later depicted attempting to rape a woman.”
The comedic actor has also stated that topics of God and spirituality among the Tinseltown elite are often frowned upon.
“Here’s the catch: In comedy circles in Hollywood, the cool kids all pretend they’re nerds and losers and alienated outcasts. But really, that’s just an act. And there’s no greater way to estrange yourself even further from the apex of the comedy industry as when you discuss God, the soul and spirituality,” he said.
Pray that Wilson will have a life-changing encounter with Jesus, with whom true joy and peace are found.
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