Before The Office finished turning Dwight Schrute into one of television’s most recognizable comedy characters, Rainn Wilson spent an evening sharing some of his favorite classic movies with Turner Classic Movies viewers.
Wilson joined longtime TCM host Robert Osborne as the network’s Guest Programmer on October 14, 2008, selecting four films connected by a common theme: music.
Rainn Wilson’s TCM Guest Programmer Picks
And turn that giant movie paragraph into four clean H3s:
High School Confidential (1958) — 8 p.m.
Original description/cast.
The Gene Krupa Story (1959) — 9:30 p.m.
Original description/cast.
Singin’ in the Rain (1952) — 11:15 p.m.
Original description/cast.
The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T. (1953) — 1:30 a.m.
Original description/cast.
Two-time Emmy nominee and three-time Screen Actors Guild Award winner Rainn Wilson, then starring as Dwight Schrute on The Office, joined Turner Classic Movies (TCM) as the network’s Guest Programmer in October 2008.
As part of TCM’s Guest Programmer series, the network invited celebrities to step into the role of classic movie fan, selecting favorite films and discussing what made each one special. Wilson joined longtime TCM host Robert Osborne on Tuesday, October 14, beginning at 8 p.m. ET, to present four memorable films connected by a common theme: music.
Wilson’s selections began with High School Confidential (1958) at 8 p.m., starring Russ Tamblyn, Jan Sterling, John Drew Barrymore, Mamie Van Doren, Jerry Lee Lewis, Jackie Coogan and Michael Landon in the cult classic about teenage drug culture.
At 9:30 p.m., Wilson selected The Gene Krupa Story (1959), starring Sal Mineo as the legendary jazz drummer whose career is threatened by his struggles with drugs.
His third selection was Singin’ in the Rain (1952) at 11:15 p.m. The celebrated musical stars Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds, Donald O’Connor and Jean Hagen in a story set during Hollywood’s transition from silent films to talking pictures.
Wilson concluded his Guest Programmer lineup at 1:30 a.m. with The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T. (1953), starring Hans Conried in the Dr. Seuss fantasy about a boy who dreams of a world ruled by his tyrannical piano teacher.
At the time of his TCM appearance, Wilson was best known to television audiences for playing the eccentric and egotistical Dwight Schrute on NBC’s The Office, a performance that had earned him two Emmy nominations and two Screen Actors Guild ensemble awards. His previous television work included a recurring role as Arthur Martin on HBO’s Six Feet Under, which also earned him a SAG ensemble award.
Wilson’s film credits at the time included The Rocker, Juno, My Super Ex-Girlfriend, Sahara, Baadasssss!, Almost Famous, America’s Sweethearts, Galaxy Quest and House of 1000 Corpses.
His stage credits included Broadway productions of London Assurance and The Tempest, along with off-Broadway productions including The New Bozena, Plunge, Venus, Titus Andronicus and Twelfth Night. Wilson also performed regionally at the Guthrie Theater, Arena Stage and Dallas Theater Center.
Thomas Miller is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Seat42F, covering television, movies and streaming entertainment. He launched Seat42F in 2007 and has spent nearly two decades covering the entertainment industry.
