John Krasinski Reveals How His 'Office' Co-Star Rainn Wilson Helped Him Get Into Directing

While audiences will forever recognize him from his time playing Jim Halpert, John Krasinski has come a long way since his career on The Office ended. The actor is now two years removed from making the dystopian horror flick A Quiet Place, and while the sequel's release has been delayed as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic, it is one of the most anticipated sequels of 2020.

It is an exciting time in Krasinski's career, with directorial success of potential epic proportions looming, and it is even more wonderful to learn that part of his inspiration for getting into directing came from one of his Office co-stars. As reported by CinemaBlend, Esquire sat down for a feature with Krasinski prior to the postponement of A Quiet Place: Part II, where he revealed that Rainn Wilson, who played Dwight Schrute in the workplace comedy, was an important voice that motivated him to move behind the camera.

Speaking about his directorial debut, an adaptation of David Foster Wallace's Brief Interviews With Horrible Men, Krasinski noted that he bought the rights to the book with the very first paycheck he got from The Office, but struggled to make the movie because he couldn't find someone to take the reins. Then, Wilson offered a suggestion: Krasinski could just do it himself.

"I thought, ‘Wow, I don't know. I can't direct.' And he was like, ‘Why not? Just do it.’ So I did," Krasinski said of the experience. Brief Interviews With Horrible Men wasn't exactly a massive success, but it gave Krasinski the confidence he needed to continue experimenting behind the camera. It seems that horror fans everywhere owe Wilson a thank you for helping to get A Quiet Place to the big screen! While we wait for the sequel to hit theaters, check out these awesome deals here for Sling TV to catch up on all your favorite shows and movies.