Rainn Dietrich Wilson (pronounced "Rain") (born January 20, 1966) is a two-time Screen Actors Guild Award winning American actor. He is known for his roles as the neurotic Dwight Schrute on the American television comedy The Office, and Arthur Martin, assistant to the mortician in HBO's Six Feet Under.
Wilson was born in Seattle, Washington, the son of Robert G. Wilson, writer and business consultant, and Shay Cooper, yoga teacher and actress. He attended Kellogg Middle School and Shorecrest High School in Shoreline, Washington. He transferred to and graduated from New Trier High School after his family moved to Wilmette, Illinois to work at the Baha'i National Center. Wilson has a theatre background from Tufts University and the University of Washington and has taught acting classes. He holds an MFA from New York University, Tisch School of the Arts and was a member of The Acting Company. While acting in theatrical productions in New York, he drove a moving van to make ends meet.
Along with his role on The Office, Wilson has appeared as the eccentric Arthur Martin, the androgynous intern at Fisher & Diaz Funeral Home on HBO's Six Feet Under. He appeared in the hit shows NUMB3RS and Entourage in 2005 as a sleazy entertainment journalist. Rainn also guest-starred in the episode of Monk entitled "Mr. Monk Goes To The Ballgame" as a murderous baseball fan. He hosted Saturday Night Live on February 24, 2007. His film credits include Almost Famous, America's Sweethearts, BAADASSSSS!, Galaxy Quest, House of 1000 Corpses, and Sahara. He also appeared alongside Luke Wilson and Uma Thurman in the film My Super Ex-Girlfriend and appeared in The Last Mimzy. He also appeared in the Charmed TV Series as "Kierkan", the Alchemist, in the episode "Coyote Piper". He is currently (6/07/07) filming the feature movie The Rocker co-starring musician Teddy Geiger.
Wilson has his own blog on NBC's website called Schrute-Space, where he writes in character (as his The Office character, Dwight). Time Magazine's Joel Stein calls Wilson's portrayal of Dwight "hipster alternative cluelessness," seen both in the show and on his blog.
Wilson is married to author Holiday Reinhorn. They met in an acting class in college and married on the Clackamas River near Mount Hood. The couple have a son, Walter Mckenzie, born in 2004; they currently reside in Agoura Hills, California. He and his family are members of the Bahá'í Faith.
Wilson auditioned for the part of GOB (George Oscar "G.O.B." Bluth II) on the critically acclaimed Arrested Development. Casting for the part was narrowed down between Wilson and Will Arnett. Arnett was eventually cast.
