John Krasinski in NBC's The Office - writing & directing film

June 16, 9:20 PMActing ExaminerDeborah Smith Ford

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John Krasinski                           (Photo/Wiki)

John Burke Krasinski is an American actor, film director, and writer. He has acted in several films, including Shrek the Third,  A New Wave, but is most widely known for playing Jim Halpert on NBC's The Office.  It looks like Krasinski is working on a film career too.

I think one of the coolest things about the job is the level of trust we have for each other. The actors fully trust that the writers will write amazing episodes, and the writers trust that the actors will follow their instincts with the characters. So we're often asked our opinions on what we think of a joke or a moment. Is it funny? Is it believable? What do we think should happen? That's a very rare environment for actors to be in. It's great!" - John Krasinski

Krasinski's first stage experience was starring in a satirical play written and cast by B. J. Novak for Newton South High School. He decided to continue acting after doing a reading of David Foster Wallace's Brief Interviews with Hideous Men.

Before entering college, he took a semester off to teach English in Costa Rica and from there, he went to Brown University, studying theater arts with Lowry Marshall and John Emigh and graduating in 2001 as a playwright with an honors thesis titled "Contents Under Pressure".

During his time at Brown University, Krasinski helped coach youth basketball at The Gordon School in East Providence, Rhode Island. He then attended the National Theater Institute in Waterford, Connecticut.

In addition to training at the National Theatre Institute, Krasinski studied at The Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon and The Actor's Center in New York City.

After graduating from Brown University, Krasinski went to New York City to pursue acting, appearing in commercials and guest spots on television shows, as well as doing readings of off-Broadway plays and working as a waiter.  He starred in the play What the Eunuch Saw.

In 2000, Krasinski was a script intern on Late Night with Conan O'Brien.  The Office is one of Krasinski's television credits, plus he has had appearances on Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Without A Trace, Ed, American Dad! and an episode of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.

Krasinski wrote and directed film Brief Interviews with Hideous Men (2009), (sounds familiar from play in high school which is an adaptation of David Foster Wallace's work of the same name).  This film will make its world premiere at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival.  Also in 2009 are Monsters vs. Aliens, Away We Go, by screenwriter Dave Eggers, and Untitled Nancy Meyers project.

On the Jim/Pam relationship on "The Office":

I think the relationship in the office has been an interesting story to follow from the beginning. I can't give the writers enough credit for how incredibly realistic they have been with this storyline. It's an incredibly difficult thing to balance and they have dealt with it with such care and subtlety it's been amazing. And I think the reason for seeing more and more of the relationship on screen is that the documentary film crew in the show are now aware of the love interest and therefore paying more attention with the cameras." - John Krasinski