“Rainn Supreme”

Story: Samantha Adams

Trademark glasses, monotone voice, and a propensity for Battlestar Galactica actor Rainn Wilson and his character on The Office, Dwight Schrute, display some eerie similarities. Fortunately for Emmy-nominated Wilson, he may be a little smoother with the ladies—millions of them. As the spokesperson for the Mona Foundation, he recently spoke at a fundraiser at St. Edward’s University in Austin to benefit the educations of countless underprivileged women in third world nations. Brilliant was on the scene to discuss with Wilson his charitable side, political aspirations, and more.

In a tiny room in one of the university buildings Rainn Wilson materializes. Fresh off the plane, he sports heavy stubble, dark glasses, a sharp but wrinkled suit, and an aloof half-smile. His appearance suggests that perhaps his previous event had been some sort of shadowy conspirators meeting. But, when he asks one of the event coordinators for a Diet Coke—emphasis on the Diet—it becomes a little clearer that indeed, he has just fl own in from L.A.

While Wilson’s television character is known for his uncomfortably dry remarks, Office viewers would be surprised to learn that Wilson is the spokesperson for The Mona Foundation—an organization that seeks to bring greater educational opportunities to impoverished women in third world countries. As the quintessential freethinker, Wilson had motives for selecting Mona as his cause of choice that proved less about the goal and more about the structure of the organization. While the board members of charities typically determine what those receiving help need, The Mona Foundation asks what the people require, listen, and work to grant their requests. “For example, I’m hosting a fundraiser with the head of the Barli Institute in India, so we did a benefit to build a science lab at this school in the Amazon in Brazil,” he explains. “The case in point is what they wanted was a science lab and the people at Mona [Foundation] were like, ‘Are you sure? A science lab? Don’t you want to teach them more things about agriculture and the Amazon?’ And they were like ‘No, no, no. We want a science lab. You know, beakers and all that stuff.’ So, that’s what we raised the money for.”

While such sarcasm may not be deemed work-appropriate, ironically, it’s this kind of wit that propelled Wilson into a serious career as an actor in an office. Growing up in Seattle, Washington, and Wilmette, Illinois, he migrated to Tinseltown with his sketch comedy troupe. When he landed the role of Dwight Schrute in the American version of British TV sensation The Office, pushing paper, lamenting over staplers lost in Jell-O molds, and tackling bats in air ducts became everyday fodder. Though such hijinks sound like a departure from typical office protocol, in some ways it’s just like any other job. “We usually are there five days a week, 12 hours a day, and, we get there at 6:15 in the morning,” Wilson reveals. “With that being said, it’s the most fun job ever.”

Wilson’s portrayal as Dwight has popularized a common persona: the quirky co-worker in the cubicle next-door, and his staunchest supporters reside in the real Office small town setting of Scranton, Pennsylvania. “I went to Scranton a couple years back,” he recalls. “They brought me in to do a [photo] signing at the mall and it was a mob scene. I was driven in an actual motorcade—they thought that I was that important. They had a stretch Hummer limo with six police escorts… I promised them that when the show was done, I would come back and run for mayor.”

At the moment, Wilson is content playing amidst the politics of Hollywood. From The Office to the box office, his comedic touch has proved golden to a number of hit films including The Rocker and Juno. His upcoming performance in the summer Blockbuster Transformers sequel already promises more acclaim and a wider audience. “The only thing I can tell you about the Transformers sequel is that [director] Michael Bay likes to use models as background actors,” Wilson divulges. “So they are the hottest background actors you’ve ever seen in a movie. That’s my only spoiler.”

Models aside, only two lucky ladies occupy a space in Wilson’s life: Mona—the foundation— and wife, writer Holiday Reinhorn. Always one to balance work and play, Wilson constantly travels with Reinhorn to exotic locales such as Morocco, Israel, and Scotland with upcoming spring trips slated in Prague and Rome. However, back in The Office for the show’s fifth season, it seems pretty safe to say Wilson will remain a permanent fixture in Scranton. Yet even with accolades constantly pouring in, Wilson has a different interpretation of his grandest achievement. “I reached the top level in [video game] Call of Duty 4,” he says, never wavering from the wryness that has earned him his fame. “That’s pretty much my greatest accomplishment of all time.” For more information on The Mona Foundation, visit monafoundation.org.

PHOTO CREDITS:

PHOTOS BY PAUL DRINKWATER © NBC

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