Rainn Wilson Weighs in on Why 'The Office' Fans Resonate With Dwight Schrute So Much

Even though The Office has been off the air since 2013, the workplace comedy is still making people laugh. One of the characters who incites those laugh-out-loud moments is Dwight Schrute, Dunder Mifflin's wackiest sales representative. Mental Floss recently caught up with Rainn Wilson, the actor who brings Dwight's hilarious and off-putting mannerisms to life, and talked about the show and his character's lasting popularity.

When asked why he thinks Dwight resonates with fans of The Office despite his general lack of people skills, Wilson admitted he didn't have a clear answer. "You know, I don't know. I don't know," he began. "People ask me that question all the time and I don't really have an answer. I think he was very well written and conceived. And I think, as much of an a**hole as Dwight was, you always cared for him. There are always moments of vulnerability; you'd see his feelings getting hurt, you'd see his pain, his struggle, his ambition, his goals and you wanted him to succeed."

Dwight is definitely one of the show's most memorable characters, with Wilson's wide-eyed glare and body language being able to make viewers laugh without a word.

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"So somehow I think between the writing, the acting, and the directing, we always kind of humanized Dwight," Wilson continued. "Just when you're about ready to write him off as just a straight-up sidekick comedic weirdo, he shows some flashes of real humanity. And that’s what they tried to bring into the show all the time." At the end of the day, no matter what strange scheme Dwight got himself into, he always made you laugh while he was doing it.

If you feel like having the beloved character join your happy hour, check out these The Office-themed shot glasses!