‘The Office’: Have You Ever Noticed the Way Dwight Schrute Stands? Rainn Wilson Says a Lot Went Into the Character’s Stance
Each and every character on The Office was completely unique in their own little way. Some characters, though, like Dwight Schrute, were larger than life. Dwight has “an adolescent love of hierarchies.” He’s militant in nature, and just generally intense.
Dwight Schrute stands with his pelvis pushed out
When Jenna Fischer was interviewed by NPR in 2008, she spoke about how Rainn Wilson’s posture as Dwight always cracked her up.
“You know what happens is, I seem to every year get tickled by a new actor in a way where I just, I cannot do a scene with them. And the first year it was Rainn Wilson. You know, Pam and Dwight did not have a lot of interaction so anytime we did have a scene one-on-one, I just couldn’t get through it. Rainn Wilson – he has this weird way that he stands, where he pushes his pelvis and his gut sort of out,” she said.
Wilson was later interviewed by the same interviewer (Terry Gross), and asked about Dwight’s peculiar posture.
Rainn Wilson created Dwight’s look and posture
Wilson was very involved in the entire creation of Dwight. Not only did he pick his posture, but he also designed his haircut and decided Dwight should carry a beeper.
“You know, it’s just like you do – that’s just what we do as actors, I think, you know. My haircut for Dwight was very important. It was very important to me that I have the least flattering haircut possible to my head – which I designed specifically, thank you very much. And also the fact that he still wears a beeper, which is about eight years after beepers have been completely discontinued, because he probably has some number that someone might still have,” he said.
Wilson continued: “But all of these things put together, and then it kind of comes into your body. And I think your job as the actor is to let these impulses flow through you, and not stifle them. So if you have – you know, again, he has this love of hierarchies, and this love of power. Well, he’s going to assert his power with his pelvis. You know?”
Wilson also said that Dwight is always concerned with being the “alpha male,” and that standing with his pelvis first might make him feel large and in charge.
Gross also pointed out that Dwight often stands “a little too close to the person he’s talking to.”
Wilson had to agree.
“Yes, he’s not so good at interpersonal boundaries,” he said.
