Rainn Wilson says ‘The Office’ Walked a line with Offensive Humor, Reveals NBC Passed on ‘Dwight‘ Spinoff
LOS ANGELES, CA – Rainn Wilson, best known for his iconic portrayal of Dwight Schrute on the hit NBC comedy the Office, recently discussed the show’s often-questionable humor and revealed NBC passed on a planned spinoff centered around his character. In a recent interview on “The Last Laugh” podcast, Wilson acknowledged the show’s problematic elements, stating the humor stemmed from “clueless, insensitive, racist, sexist people” and “definitely goes pretty far if you dig deep.”
Wilson specifically cited a scene involving Andy Bernard drawing on an Asian woman at a Christmas party as “jaw droppingly kind of horrific.” He explained the show navigated a delicate balance, aiming to “skewer a particular American sensibility” while acknowledging the potential for crossing lines. “You wont to encourage it, as it’s funny as hell,” Wilson said, “but it definitely goes pretty far if you dig deep.” He believes the show woudl be “very, very different” if made in today’s climate.
The conversation surrounding The Office‘s humor comes as the franchise attempts to expand with the Peacock spinoff series The Paper, which debuted it’s 10-episode season on September 4. Wilson was previously attached to a Dwight spinoff titled The Farm, which even filmed a backdoor pilot during The Office‘s final season.
However, NBC ultimately declined to move forward with The Farm due to a shift in programming priorities. According to Wilson, a new regime at the network favored “big, bright, flashy, splashy shows that were multi-cams and going back to ‘Friends’ kind of thing.” he believes NBC missed a significant financial opportunity, stating, “Had they taken ‘The Farm,’ they’d probably have another billion dollars in the bank.” While acknowledging The Farm wouldn’t have reached the heights of The Office, Wilson asserted it would have been “a good solid comedy.”
wilson also expressed frustration with NBC’s initial perception of The Office, stating the network “never really got the show” until after its conclusion, when streaming numbers on Netflix surged, revealing its enduring popularity and potential as a “cash cow.”
