Wilson: Activism competes with fantasy football
By: Jeff Dufour
Editor at Large/Columnist, "Yeas & Nays"
09/29/08 12:05 AM EDT
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photo: Carrie Devorah
When it Rainns...
"Why am I here?" asked Rainn Wilson of "The Office" when he took the stage at George Washington University's Lisner Auditorium on Sunday. "It's simple. Steve Carrell was unavailable this weekend."
Well, not exactly. Notwithstanding his more famous co-star's whereabouts, Wilson was on hand to benefit the Tahirih Justice Center, which provides free legal representation to women victimized by abuse and slavery around the world.
Still, he realizes that with fame comes some influence. "You guys wouldn't have paid $35 to see Screech from 'Saved by the Bell,'" he joked.
And he came prepared, taking the stage in jeans, a white shirt, black vest ... and a notebook computer, the reason for which he quickly explained. "I have two fantasy football teams and I have to keep track of the scores," he said. "[One] team is called 'The Dwight Stuff' [a reference to his character, Dwight Schrute]. This is how I spend my Sundays. ... If you have any questions about fantasy football, I'll be taking those as well."
He then launched into the meat of his talk, about his own journey of faith and philanthropy, which he called "the turkey loaf before the créme brulee." What was the créme brulee, you ask? A preview of "ten breathtakingly amazing minutes" from the next episode of "The Office," which "no one has seen yet except the editing and writing staff."
On Saturday at the Crystal Gateway Marriott, Wilson headlined a fundraiser for whom he called "the rich people."
So which candidate would the humorless, survivalist, kiss-up salesman he plays on television – who is “trained in the art of surveillance” -- vote for in the upcoming election? That’s an easy one. “Early on in the campaign, John McCain picked Dwight Schrute as his running mate,” Wilson said. “He didn’t actually follow through.” Still, “Dwight for V.P.” t-shirts were up for grabs at the event's silent auction.
As for the real-life Wilson, he balked at the question. "The political system is so broken on so many levels," he said. "It's about raising your view above the political process. Even if you had the perfect candidate, the system is so corrupt."
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