“It’s not about the talent”: Rainn Wilson Was Left Humiliated After Being Rejected Without an Audition Despite His Comedic Talents
Rainn Wilson saw a lot of success after his role as Dwight Shrute on the American version of The Office. Even though there was a lot of apprehension about it when the show was made, it ended up being globally known and loved, launching the careers of all its actors. Wilson was no exception.
Even though his popularity had not grown as much before doing The Office, he had already made a name for himself in the entertainment industry with previous gigs. However, before taking on Dwight’s duties at Dunder Mifflin Paper Company, Wilson was very close to having associations with The Bluth Family. Alas! He did not succeed and what happened was in a way humiliating for him.
Rainn Wilson Auditioned for Arrested Development
Before reaching the heights of success with The Office, Wilson had done a couple of gigs which had been good and he was always auditioning for some role or another. In the early days of his career, he went to audition for G.O.B on Mitchell Hurwitz‘s Arrested Development.
It is hard to imagine that an actor as skilled as Rainn Wilson, with his impeccable comedic timing, would not get a part. And even though one gets used to it, the trial and error of Hollywood can get extremely taxing from time to time. Wilson’s audition experience was awkward, to say the least, but it is weird to imagine anyone but Will Arnett as G.O.B. And it feels downright criminal for anyone but Wilson to be Dwight.
However, the possibility is certainly mind-blowing.
Mitchell Hurwitz Explains Why Rainn Wilson Didn’t Get the Part
Losing a talent like Wilson must not have been easy for a filmmaker like Mitchell Hurwitz. And the director wasn’t happy about it either. But he recently recounted what had actually happened during the casting process for Arrested Development. Hurwitz was a guest at a recent episode of the Smartless podcast hosted by Sean Hayes, Jason Bateman, and Will Arnett, The last two being a part of the show, it was natural that some discussions occurred on the same.
Recounting the story of how Arnett landed the part and Wilson did not even audition, Hurwitz said:
“[Arnett] came out [of the audition] and I loved him immediately, just like I loved Jason [Bateman] … Arnett came out, and then I stepped out of the room. I grabbed [Arnett] and I said, ‘You got it! You got it! They loved you! And then I looked over to the left and there were two more guys waiting.”
Read More: The Office: 10 Funniest Phone Calls by Dwight Schrute
An already awkward situation gets worse when the director realizes who the guys waiting were.
“One of them was Rainn Wilson. He’s a great actor, and he ended up doing OK.”
The part was cast even before Wilson got a chance to audition for the role, which is a bit unfair to him. But defending himself, Hurwitz said that sometimes a casting director doesn’t even have to hear an actor speak to know if they’re fit for the part or not.
“People come in and you immediately know that they’re right or they’re not right for that particular role [before they even deliver a line]. It’s not about the talent.”
From the filmmaker’s point of view, this too is fair play.
The Office can be streamed on Peacock and Arrested Development is available on Netflix.
Source: Uproxx
