As the bright, but beleaguered Jim Halpert on NBC’s hit comedy “The Office” (2004- ), actor John Krasinski struck the fancy of both viewers and critics alike with his boyish antics and one-of-a-kind facial expressions – usually directed straight at the camera. As one of the few sane employees in the workplace asylum known as Dunder-Mifflin, Krasinski’s Halpert was often forced to deal with such day-to-day challenges as the boredom of his hum-drum existence, the demands of an annoyingly needy boss (Steve Carell) and lastly, an unrequited crush he harbored for his co-worker, Pam (Jenna Fisher). Luckily for his colleagues – instead of going homicidally postal, the good-natured Halpert usually just channeled all his pent-up negative energy into the tormenting of his arch-nemesis, Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson) – an especially obnoxious office mate who more than had it coming. Krasinski brought such an everyman charm to the role that, like his onscreen boss, Carell, he was able to branch out onto the big screen in a series of high profile features, including “License to Wed” (2007) and “Leatherheads” (2007).
Born Oct. 20, 1979, Krasinski hailed from Newton, MA. His first experience in performing came in high school in a play written by a classmate, B.J. Novak – who would eventually go on to become a writer and co-star on “The Office,” as well. After graduating from Newton High School in 1997, Krasinski cultivated his interest in the dramatic arts, enrolling at Brown University in Providence, RI. There, he graduated as an honors playwright in 2002, before going on to study at the National Theater Institute.
Krasinski’s first foray into television was as an intern on “Late Night with Conan O’Brien” (NBC, 1993- ). From there, he went on to a handful of entry-level acting gigs, landing guest parts on “CSI” (CBS, 2000- ), “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” (NBC, 2001- ), as well as the fondly remembered dramedy, “Ed” (NBC, 2000-04). Around the same period, Krasinski also landed a few small roles in such movies as “Kinsey” (2004) and the Queen Latifah comedy vehicle, “Taxi” (2004). The next year, Krasinski landed a memorable role opposite Jake Gyllenhaal, as the wayward young grunt, Cpl. Harrigan, in director Sam Mendes' Gulf War drama, “Jarhead” (2005).
But it was as Jim Halpert on “The Office” that Krasinski shone brightest. Much like Tim Canterbury (Martin Freeman) – Jim’s counterpart from the original BBC series – Krasinski’s character served as the show’s voice of reason. Taking another cue from the original Ricky Gervais/Stephen Merchant classic, the show was set in the drearily mundane world of photocopiers, spreadsheets and endless meetings. As seen through Jim’s ever-objective point of view, however, the frustrating absurdities of the workplace at least became tolerable – and often hysterical. What’s more, audiences were encouraged to be in on the joke, thanks to Jim’s subversive pranks and frequent attempts to enliven a soul-deadening environment. Last, but certainly not least, the matter of Jim’s not-so-secret infatuation with co-worker Pam Beasley provided the show with much of its heart.
In early 2006, Krasinski branched out from the Dunder-Mifflin world of TV to land a small role in the Oscar-buzzed film version of Broadway's "Dreamgirls" (2006), starring Beyonce Knowles, Eddie Murphy and Jamie Foxx. Coupled with the successful fall premiere of the third season of "The Office," Krasinski's wrapped up the year 2006 on a high note.
Krasinski’s good fortune would continue well into the next year. Riding high atop the crest of his sitcom success, the year 2007 proved to be an extremely busy one for the actor. Cast in no less than six separate features released that year, Krasinski kicked off his prolific run with the reefer-themed comedy “Smiley Face” (2007) before following up with “A New Wave” – a romantic comedy he originally filmed in 2004, but which was never released. Krasinski also scored roles in two of the summer’s most highly anticipated blockbusters – “Shrek the Third,” the second sequel to the runaway animated hit of 2002, as well as “License to Wed,” a romantic comedy starring Robin Williams and Mandy Moore.
Later that year, Krasinski turned up in a starring role in the wickedly dark satire, “Interviews with Hideous Men,” an adaptation of David Foster Wallace’s award-winning 1997 collection of short stories. A project of obvious personal importance to the actor, Krasinski not only co-wrote the screenplay for “Interview,” the movie also marked his feature directorial debut. Closing the year strong, Krasinski scored a touchdown with a supporting role in “Leatherheads” – a comedy starring George Clooney and Renee Zellweger set in the world of 1920’s football.