Conversations with John Krasinski (2018)

Career Conversations with John Krasinski. Moderated by Jenelle Riley, Variety.

John Krasinski has established himself as one of the most exciting talents as an actor, writer and director, engaging audiences on the big and small screen. He directed, co-wrote and stars in A Quiet Place. 

On the small screen, Krasinski can be seen as the title character in Amazon’s adaptation, Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, inspired by the novelist’s impressive franchise.

Krasinski last directed and starred in The Hollars alongside Anna Kendrick, Richard Jenkins, Margo Martindale and Sharlto Copley, which premiered to great acclaim at Sundance 2016 and was released by Sony Pictures Classics. Krasinski also starred as a Navy SEAL in Michael Bay’s Benghazi thriller 13 Hours.

Through his own Sunday Night banner, Krasinski executive produces Lip Sync Battle on Spike TV alongside Jimmy Fallon and Stephen Merchant, based on the popular segment on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon which he created with Merchant and Fallon in 2013. The hit show is in its fourth season. Sunday Night recently made an overall producing deal with Paramount TV. Krasinski notably starred on NBC’s Emmy®-winning smash hit The Office for nine seasons, where he portrayed the charming boy-next-door Jim Halpert. 

His recent film credits include the Gus Van Sant directed Promised Land, which he also wrote with Matt Damon; Disney Pixar’s Monster’s University in which he lent his voice; legendary Japanese filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki’s latest animated film The Wind Rises; and Cameron Crowe’s Aloha. His additional film roles include performances in the uplifting family film Big Miracle; Something Borrowed; Nancy Meyers' It's Complicated; Sam Mendes’ Away We Go; the animated smash hits Monsters vs. Aliens and Shrek the Third; George Clooney's Leatherheads; Ken Kwapis' License to Wed; Christopher Guest's For Your Consideration and Bill Condon's Kinsey. 

Krasinski previously adapted and directed the David Foster Wallace book Brief Interviews with Hideous Men. The independently financed film screened at Sundance in 2009, and was released by IFC later that year. He also co-wrote an untitled action-adventure script with Oren Uziel, which was sold to Warner Bros. in 2013 that he will produce alongside Uziel.

He won a Theatre World Award for his stage debut in DRY POWDER, which he starred in alongside Claire Danes and Hank Azaria at the Public Theater in New York. 

Krasinski graduated from Brown University as an honors playwright and later studied at the National Theater Institute.