Rainn Wilson filmed a funny video of him sitting next to a flight passenger enjoying an episode of The Office and being totally unaware that he was sitting next to the actor from the very show he was watching.
Wilson earned three consecutive Emmy nominations for playing Dwight Schrute in the popular NBC mockumentary series.
The actor posted the situation on his Instagram story, writing:
“When the person sitting next to you has no idea who you are."
Wilson was incognito on a Delta flight Monday wearing a mask, hat, headphones and without Dwight's trademark spectacles.
So, it was unsurprising the guy next to him preoccupied with his in-flight meal and onboard entertainment would not have recognized the actor.
Here is the clip shared by Twitter user @AKBrews.
\u201cThis video that Rainn Wilson posted is hilarious.\u201d— QENNY living rent free (@QENNY living rent free) 1681220985
Amused fans weighed in with their two cents about the low-profile actor.
\u201c@AKBrews Hilarious!!\u201d— QENNY living rent free (@QENNY living rent free) 1681220985
\u201c@AKBrews \ud83e\udd23\ud83e\udd23 That right there is soooo Dwight-ish! Rainn is the best! \ud83d\ude01\u201d— QENNY living rent free (@QENNY living rent free) 1681220985
\u201c@AKBrews\u201d— QENNY living rent free (@QENNY living rent free) 1681220985
That's the thing about celebrity sightings.
They seldom appear in public the way they look in front of the camera in their respective roles on TV and film.
Nowadays, wearing masks makes it more challenging to spot high-profile people.
\u201c@AKBrews One more reason why masks are great\u201d— QENNY living rent free (@QENNY living rent free) 1681220985
\u201c@AKBrews So many celebs I\u2019ve probably passed by and didn\u2019t even know it. Only met a few that I did recognize.\u201d— QENNY living rent free (@QENNY living rent free) 1681220985
\u201c@AKBrews I would've lost it!! He's my favorite character from that sitcom \ud83d\ude09\u201d— QENNY living rent free (@QENNY living rent free) 1681220985
\u201c@AKBrews Wearing a mask probably saves a lot of celebrities from being harassed in public.\u201d— QENNY living rent free (@QENNY living rent free) 1681220985
Fans imagined a casual interaction would have been nice.
\u201c@AKBrews @rainnwilson shoulda jotted down a note for after the flight: Thanks for a quiet flight & the royalty check!\nSincerely, Rain Wilson!\u201d— QENNY living rent free (@QENNY living rent free) 1681220985
\u201c@AKBrews Oh, wow ... that would be a real treat. Not to pester him through the whole flight, but just shake his hand and thank him for his comedic work.\u201d— QENNY living rent free (@QENNY living rent free) 1681220985
\u201c@AKBrews He should\u2019ve asked him to put closed captions on & see if the guy recognized his voice.\u201d— QENNY living rent free (@QENNY living rent free) 1681220985
\u201c@AKBrews @rainnwilson it would have been great if you just leaned over and said \u201cyou know I thought this scene was gonna be cut\u201d or something \ud83d\ude02\u201d— QENNY living rent free (@QENNY living rent free) 1681220985
In 2005, Wilson was cast in The Office to play Dwight Schrute–the neurotic salesman and the assistant to the regional manager Michael Scott–played by Steve Carrell–at the fictional paper distribution company, Dunder Mifflin.
Wilson was nominated for a Primetime Emmy for Best Supporting Actor in 2007, 2008 and 2009.
He won two SAG awards for best comedy ensemble on the series.
The show was based on the UK series on BBC Two of the same name, which Wilson was apparently a huge fan of and has watched every single episode of the show written and directed by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant.
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