Rainn Wilson, best known for portraying Dwight Schrute on “The Office,” spoke at the Orpheum Theatre Tuesday promoting his memoir, “The Bassoon King,” as part of the Arts & Letters Speaker Series.
“The Bassoon King” chronicles Wilson’s journey from a self-proclaimed drama geek to a successful actor, as well as his journey to reconnecting to the Baha’i faith in which he was raised.
Changing Hands Bookstore and Downtown Phoenix, Inc. partnered with the City of Phoenix Office of Arts & Culture to host the talk, Q&A and book signing.
The speaker series, kicking off with Wilson’s appearance, is the largest literary event to take place in downtown Phoenix.
“We noticed we weren’t doing a lot of literary events in downtown Phoenix, but the culture was really growing in leaps and bounds,” said Cindy Dach, co-owner of Changing Hands. “The arts and culture scene downtown includes many aspects such as music and art galleries, but what we want to add is speaking and thought and literature. It’s adding to what’s already happening.”
Wilson’s “The Bassoon King” reflects on his childhood as the son of Bohemian parents, his nerdy high school days, to his success on The Office and in subsequent films.
As Wilson paged through the memoir, he recalled memories of growing up in the Dominican Republic, including anecdotes of a pet sloth, neighboring monkey and his experience with intestinal worms.
“He’s ridiculous,” said 20-year-old Hannah Rodriguez, who attended the talk. “Rainn Wilson kept it blunt and straight up, but never forgot to keep you laughing”
A self-proclaimed nerd, Wilson spoke of his time in high school as a member of the chess team and playing the bassoon — what he calls his “nerd crucifix” — to becoming a professional actor after viewing “A Chorus Line” in theaters.
“I knew I had to become an actor,” Wilson said. “There was no turning back. It was my calling and my vocation. My entire life changed outside the multiplex after viewing one of the worst movies of the 1980s.”
Wilson is also the co-founder of SoulPancake, a media and production company formed in 2009 that aims to bring positive, shareable content to millennials. It was recently ranked #114 on the Inc. 5000 2015, a list of the fastest-growing private companies in America, as well as one of Fast Company’s Top 10 Most Innovative Companies of 2015 in Video.
In 2010, following the success of the website, Wilson published his first book, “SoulPancake: Chew on Life’s Big Questions.” The New York Times Bestseller encourages readers to take an introspective, explorative look at philosophical questions, similar to the content on the SoulPancake website.
After his speech, Wilson hosted a Q&A with audience members, where he spoke fondly of his time on The Office, the success of SoulPancake and his favorite role as Crimson Bolt in the 2011 movie “Super.”
The event concluded with a book signing of “The Bassoon King.”
For the next event in the Arts & Letters Speaker Series, Isabel Allende, a New York Times-bestselling author and winner of the 2014 U.S. Presidential Medal of Freedom, will speak Friday at the Orpheum Theatre.
Contact the reporter at jeanne.gallagher@asu.edu
