Rainn Wilson

Wilson first appeared onscreen in 1997 in an episode of the soap opera One Life to Live, followed by a supporting role in the television film The Expendables (1999).[11] Wilson made his feature film debut in Galaxy Quest (1999), followed by a minor supporting role in Cameron Crowe's Almost Famous (2000). In 2001, he was cast as Dennis Van De Meer in When Billie Beat Bobby[12] In 2002, he was cast in a lead role in Rob Zombie's horror film House of 1000 Corpses (2003).[13] Beginning in 2003, Wilson played Arthur Martin, an intern at Fisher & Diaz Funeral Home in HBO's Six Feet Under, earning a Screen Actors Guild award for best drama ensemble for the series. He also had minor roles in America's Sweethearts (2001) and the Melvin van Peebles biopic Baadasssss! (2003). Wilson guest-starred in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Entourage,[14] Monk, Numbers, Charmed, Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job, and Reno 911!.

In 2005, Wilson appeared in the comedy film Sahara[15] and in the independent mockumentary film The Life Coach.

Wilson in 2008

The same year, Wilson was cast as Dwight Schrute, a neurotic office worker in the network series The Office.[16] He was nominated for an Emmy for Best Supporting Actor in 2007, 2008, and 2009. He won two SAG awards for best comedy ensemble on the series. In addition to acting on the series, Wilson also directed three episodes: season 6's "The Cover-Up", season 7's "Classy Christmas", and season 8's "Get the Girl".

On February 24, 2007, Wilson hosted Saturday Night Live, becoming the second cast member from The Office to host (after Steve Carell). During the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup, Wilson appeared in ads for the 2007 United States women's national soccer team as public relations manager "Jim Mike." In August 2010, Wilson appeared in the music video for Ferraby Lionheart's "Harry and Bess" and Andy Grammer's "Keep Your Head Up" as the "creepy elevator guy."

Wilson starred in the Fox Atomic comedy The Rocker, released on August 20, 2008.[17] In 2009 he lent his voice to DreamWorks Animation film Monsters vs. Aliens, as the villainous alien overlord Gallaxhar, and was featured in Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, in which he played a university professor. In 2010, he played the lead role as the unhinged protagonist in Super. In his review of the film, critic Roger Ebert praised Wilson's performance, writing: "[Wilson] never seems to be trying to be funny, and that's a strength," though he faulted the script's material.[18]

For his role of Paul, the bereft father, in Hesher (2011), Roger Ebert said of Rainn in his review: “He has that rare quality in an actor, an uncanny presence. There are a few like him (Jack Nicholson, Christopher Walken, Bill Murray) who need only to look at something to establish an attitude toward it. Yes, they can get worked up, they can operate on high, but their passive essence is the point: dubious, wise, sadly knowledgable[sic], at an angle to the throughline. Other actors could sit on a sofa and watch TV, but Rainn Wilson makes it a statement. A statement of … nothing, which is the point."[19]

In 2014, Wilson had roles in the independent horror comedy Cooties and the thriller The Boy (2015).[20] In the Fox crime-drama Backstrom, Wilson played Everett Backstrom, an offensive, self-destructive detective who is part of a team of eccentric criminologists. The series is based on Leif G. W. Persson's Swedish book series of the same name.[21] Wilson also served as the show's producer. It was cancelled by Fox after 13 episodes.[22] In 2016, he appeared in television as a guest star on Roadies.

Wilson in 2016

In 2017, Wilson voiced the character of Gargamel in the 2017 animated reboot of The Smurfs: The Lost Village for Sony Pictures Animation.[23] He also starred in the independent comedy film Permanent as loving and funny father Jim Dickson alongside Patricia Arquette and Kira McLean. The film was directed by Colette Burson and produced by 2929 Entertainment.[24] Wilson starred in Shimmer Lake (2017) for Netflix and The Meg (2018) for Warner Brothers.[25]

Wilson was cast to play Harry Mudd in Star Trek: Discovery and directed the Star Trek: Short Treks The Escape Artist.[26] Wilson has voiced Lex Luthor in the most recent animated Superman movies from DC, including The Death of Superman, Reign of the Supermen, and Batman: Hush.

In 2019, Wilson appeared in the independent drama Blackbird opposite Susan Sarandon and Kate Winslet, and in 2020 starred in the independent thriller Don't Tell a Soul, opposite Jack Dylan Grazer and Fionn Whitehead.[27] Also that year, he was a series regular opposite John Cusack and Sasha Lane in the new Amazon Original Series Utopia, as virologist Dr. Michael Sterns. On October 10, 2019 he was featured in a 30 minute YouTube documentary created by SoulPancake in collaboration with Funny or Die wherein a variety of comedians discuss mental health called Laughing Matters.[28] He was cast as the villain in the upcoming animated film Hitpig.[29] In 2020, Wilson was an executive producer and narrator for the Netflix documentary series We Are the Champions.