Dwight Kurt Schrute III () is a character on the American television series The Office, portrayed by American actor Rainn Wilson. Dwight is a salesman and assistant to the regional manager, Michael Scott,The Office Season Three (US/NBC Version), 2007, Los Angeles, CA: Universal Studios. at the fictional paper distribution company Dunder Mifflin, before his promotions in later seasons of the show. He also runs a bed and breakfast at Schrute Farms, is a beet plantation owner, and in Season 7, becomes the owner of the business park in which Dunder Mifflin is located.
Throughout the series, Dwight repeatedly attempts to become regional manager of the Scranton branch of Dunder Mifflin by serving dutifully under the regional manager character Michael Scott.
The character is based on Gareth Keenan from the original British version of the show, who was played by actor Mackenzie Crook. Notably, Dwight is the only character who has both appeared and had dialogue in every episode of the series.
Actor Rainn Wilson received three nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for his portrayal of the character.
Casting
Dwight Schrute is portrayed by American actor Rainn Wilson. Other actors that auditioned for the part were Seth Rogen, Matt Besser, Judah Friedlander and Patton Oswalt.
All original series characters from the British version of The Office were adapted for the American version of the show. Wilson watched every episode of the original British series and was a fan before he auditioned for the American version.Wilson, Rainn (Actor). 2005. "Pilot" [Commentary track], The Office Season One (American/NBC version) [DVD], Los Angeles, CA: Universal Studios. Wilson had originally auditioned for Michael Scott, a performance he described as a "terrible Gervais impersonation". However, the casting directors liked his audition as Dwight much better and hired him for the role. Wilson based Dwight's hairstyle on the style he himself had when at the age of sixteen. In an interview, he said that he went to a barber to get "the worst haircut possible".
Character information When the series begins, Dwight Schrute is a competent salesman at the Scranton branch of Dunder Mifflin. Dwight formally holds the title of "Assistant to the Regional Manager""Pilot" because of his admiration for his boss, Michael Scott, The Office Season One (US/NBC Version), 2005, Los Angeles, CA: Universal Studios. but constantly refers to himself as "Assistant Regional Manager", attempting to elevate himself to second-in-command to branch manager Michael Scott. Dwight craves authority over his co-workers and relishes any minor task that Michael or anyone else will give him.
Although Dwight acts superior to many individuals and is often good in crisis, he is shown to actually be quite gullible, ignorant, and naive. For this reason, he is easily tricked and pranked by his coworker Jim Halpert. Dwight often speaks in a halting, intense manner, even in casual conversations. At the office, his most recurring business wear is a mustard-colored, short-sleeved shirt with a dark necktie and a brown suit jacket. He often uses one-upmanship to better himself over his peers, such as boasting about how he trains specific parts of his body. Dwight will sometimes engage in jokes and games in attempts to please Michael, but often fails to do so because of Michael's perception of himself as the jokester of the workplace.
Dwight is a former volunteer sheriff deputy, but had had to step down after breaking his pledge to help his boss, Michael, illegally pass a drug test by giving him his urine in the episode "Drug Testing." He is also a notary public; this creates difficulties when Angela desires to send him a notarized letter regarding their break-up. He lives on his family's beet farm alongside his cousin Mose (played by producer/writer Michael Schur). Dwight has affinities for paintball, ping pong, survivalism, Gōjū-ryū karate"The Fight", The Office Season Two (US/NBC Version), 2006, Los Angeles, CA: Universal Studios. and weapons.
Dwight also shows affinity for various science fiction and fantasy works; notably Battlestar Galactica, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter.
In an episode commentary on the season 1 DVD, Wilson refers to Dwight as a "fascist nerd." In a feature on the season 3 DVD, Wilson describes Dwight as "someone who does not hate the system but has a deep and abiding love for it"."The Office season 3", (DVD) (US/NBC Version), 2007, Los Angeles, CA: Universal Studios.
Family and childhood In "Lecture Circuit", Dwight claims to remember his own birth, and his father delivering him from the womb, and his mother biting off her umbilical cord."Lecture Circuit", The Office Season Five (US/NBC Version), 2009, Los Angeles, CA: Universal Studios. In "Grief Counseling", Dwight states that he was born a twin, but he "resorbed" his twin while still in his mother's womb (this occurrence is called twin embolization syndrome), causing him to believe that he now has "the strength of a grown man and a little baby". He also claims to have been born weighing , rendering his mother incapable of walking for three months and two days,"Grief Counseling", The Office Season Three (US/NBC Version), 2007, Los Angeles, CA: Universal Studios. and in "Baby Shower", he claims to have performed his own circumcision.
Little is known about Dwight's parents, except that his father used to take him hunting, cheated in games, made his siblings and him biscuits for breakfast every morning, and that he battled obesity, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. It is known that his father is named Dwight Schrute II and his mother is named Hedda Schrute.
In regards to aspects of his upbringing, Dwight mentions that he was not introduced to the concept of monotheism until he began a relationship with Angela, he believed that his mother was his father for the first five years of his life (he thought his wet nurse was his mother), and that in the Schrute family "the youngest child raises the others".
Dwight lives in a nine-bedroom, one-bathroom farmhouse (with the single bathroom located under the porch), as revealed in "Office Olympics" on his family's beet farm with his cousin Mose. The cousins sell beets to local stores, restaurants, and roadside beet stands."Product Recall", The Office Season Three (US/NBC Version), 2007, Los Angeles, CA: Universal Studios. Dwight uses part of his farm to grow hemp."Launch Party", The Office Season Four (US/NBC Version), 2008, Los Angeles, CA: Universal Studios. Dwight and Mose have also turned Schrute Farms into a ramshackle bed and breakfast.
Dwight is established as being Pennsylvania Dutch along with having more recent German heritage and family (meaning Dwight has German relatives who were not Pennsylvania Dutch, a North American ethnic group that mainly descend from German settlers), such as a German uncle named Gunther. According to one of Dwight's web logs on NBC.com's "Schrute-Space", Gunther, a goat farmer, fled the Allied invasion of Germany and married a Finnish woman, with whom he had 17 children. He also had an Uncle Girt, who revealed that the Schrute family has an ongoing hatred of Harry S. Truman, because they were staunch supporters of Thomas Dewey.
In another blog post, he mentions a cousin named Heindl, who has received numerous injuries and infections from an attack by a small dog.
In a series of running gags, both sides of Dwight's family have been stated to be connected to the Nazi Party and other Nazi-adjacent groups. One of his grandfathers, "Grandpa Manheim", is stated by Dwight in a floating head interview to have been a former member of the Nazi Party who moved to Argentina after World War II. In the talking head, Dwight states this grandfather is 103 years old and mentions that when he attempted to visit his grandfather in Argentina, his travelling visa was protested by the Shoah Foundation, hinting at Grandpa Manheim's involvement in the Holocaust. Dwight's other grandfather is explained by Dwight to have been a member of the German American Bund in the Season 9 episode "Andy's Ancestry", where Dwight and the rest of Dunder Mifflin are pranked by Nellie about their ancestry.
Dwight has two younger siblings named Jeb and Fannie and a nephew named Cameron, who is Fannie's son. Dwight has also mentioned having 65 (likely first) cousins. Aside from Mose, the only other one of Dwight's cousins to physically appear in the show is Zeke, who is Mose's brother.
Interests Dwight is trained in the art of surveillance and served as a volunteer [sheriff]'s deputy in Lackawanna County."Drug Testing", The Office Season Two (US/NBC Version), 2006, Los Angeles, CA: Universal Studios. He has a black belt in Gōjū-ryū karate, and is the senpai at his dojo. Dwight is a pop culture and sci-fi enthusiast. In the episode "The Fire", he mentioned the movie The Crow as being his favorite film. He hints at belief in fictional creatures such as androids, zombies and vampires. He enjoys playing table tennis, and states that many of his heroes are table tennis players."The Deposition", The Office Season Four (US/NBC Version), 2008, Los Angeles, CA: Universal Studios. His musical tastes vary, but heavy metal seems to be recurring."Traveling Salesman", The Office Season Three (US/NBC Version), 2007, Los Angeles, CA: Universal Studios.
He plays guitar and recorder, and sings."Take Your Daughter to Work Day", The Office Season Two (US/NBC Version), 2006, Los Angeles, CA: Universal Studios. He is fascinated with cars; he usually checks a car's suspension, especially muscle cars. His technological talents are limited, but he shows a passion for the online role-playing game Second Life. He also shows an interest in trains. In "Todd Packer", it is revealed that Dwight does not know who Justin Bieber is, asking Jim "Who is Justice Beaver?", leaving Jim to answer "A crime-fighting beaver."
Dwight owns an impressive array of weaponry. In addition to Laser Tag and paintball equipment, he has a crossbow range at his farm ("Office Olympics") and, when he was named official Security Supervisor of the Scranton branch, hinted that he might bring a bo staff to work. He maintained a hidden arsenal of weapons around the office, including pepper spray, nunchucks, throwing stars, a stun gun, a boomerang, handcuffs, a nightstick, a pair of brass knuckles and a Chinese sword, all of which were confiscated by Toby.
Dwight is vocal about his views on justice, which is reflected in his television viewing habits, as he enjoys watching and has great admiration for Judge Judy, as well as Vic Mackey on The Shield. In "The Negotiation", Roy Anderson attacks Jim, because he kissed Roy's fiancee, Pam, but Dwight intercepts the attack with pepper spray."The Negotiation", The Office Season Two (US/NBC Version), 2006, Los Angeles, CA: Universal Studios. Throughout the episode, Jim attempts to show his appreciation, but Dwight refuses to accept his gifts, simply stating "Citizens do not accept prizes for being citizens".
In "Drug Testing", Dwight finds half of a joint in the parking lot, which incites him to carry out a severe, and thorough, investigation. When he discovers that Michael might have been exposed to illegal drugs at a concert, he substitutes his own urine during the mandatory drug test. Dwight then resigns from his volunteer position at the Sheriff's Department, because he feels that he is no longer worthy of working there.
In "Frame Toby", Dwight states that he is skilled at framing people, as well as animals, revealing that he once framed a raccoon for opening a Christmas gift, and a bear for eating out of the garbage, although he had made it obvious to the police that he wanted Toby to be imprisoned. In the episode "Women's Appreciation", he is quoted as saying "Better a thousand innocent men are locked up than one guilty man roam free."