John Krasinski: From ‘Office’ Goofball to Film Auteur

Star opens up about his wild journey, from not landing Captain America to directing "The Quiet Place."

John Krasinski
Actor John Krasinski attends the Paramount Pictures New York Premiere of "A Quiet Place" at AMC Lincoln Square theater on April 2, 2018 in New York, New York. (Nicholas Hunt/Getty Images for Paramount Pictures)
Getty Images for Paramount Pictures

For a long time, John Krasinski was best known as lovable goofball Jim Halpert from The Office. But he also almost became Captain America: Krasinski was in the final running for the iconic role of Steve Rogers, making it all the way to the costumed audition. But he got “cold feet” and it fell through. However, that experience has allowed the 38-year-old to make his mark on the other side of the camera, where he is a “formidable creative force,” Daily Beast writes. Krasinski was executive producer on the Oscar winning Manchester By the Sea and on April 6, the exciting new thriller he directed, A Quiet Place, will hit theaters. The movie follows a family—Krasinski, as Lee, his real-life wife Emily Blunt, as pregnant mom Evelyn, deaf daughter, Regan, played by Millicent Simmonds (who is deaf), and son Marcus, played by Noah Jupe—who live in silence while being hunted by sound-sensitive aliens. It is his finest work yet, and he clearly wants it to go over well. Daily Beast notes that the nice-guy actor, who is just as charming in real life, calls the movie his ode to parenthood.

“For me, the film is an allegory for parenthood. And the other thing is the idea of creatures and darkness,” he told the Daily Beast. “I’m sure other parents feel the same way, but the darkness and creatures represent the world that you’re going to have to let your kids into at some point. There are pitfalls and threats, and you hope that they get to navigate it, but at some point you’re going to have to let them go.”

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