Though it’ll be difficult, if not impossible, for John Krasinski to shake off the public perception of him as Jim from The Office (plus he’ll have to get used to not mugging for a camera), Krasinski is certainly giving it a try as The Office wraps up its final season. He not only stars with Matt Damon in the movie Promised Land, but he co-wrote the script with Damon. He talks about how that project came together with USA Today and also touches on what the end of The Office means to him.
Krasinski explains that the pairing between him and Damon happened after the two met while Krasinski’s wife, Emily Blunt, was starring with Damon in The Adjustment Bureau. He says, “Matt was working on The Adjustment Bureau with Emily. We got to know each other and quickly became good friends. We did a whole lot of double-dating with Matt and (his wife) Lucy and we got along really well. Matt had mentioned that he wanted to direct and asked me if I was working on anything. I told him about this. And we started writing pretty much right away.”
Though Promised Land shot during a break Krasinski had from The Office, soon he will not have that issue because the long-running NBC series will end this coming spring. Naturally, Krasinski is reflecting on the effect the show has had on his career but also looking forward. He says, “The majority of my adult life and the entirety of my career is coming to an end, in one respect. It feels like a daunting precipice. So I’m just really glad we got a chance to do [Promised Land]. I hope to just be working on quality stuff. My time on The Office has been everything. I was a waiter before. This is the show that’s given me everything. To me, it’s about continuing the level of quality and taking some chances.”
