Rainn Wilson returns to Seattle

Rainn Wilson, one of the breakout stars of the hit TV show The Office, returns home to Seattle for a benefit concert this weekend.

“I was born under your radio antenna. My mom gave birth under the KIRO antenna.

That’s Rainn Wilson, joking about his early days in Seattle. He grew up on a houseboat not too far away from our KIRO radio station. He said he still visits the area pretty regularly for fundraisers and to support the Mona Foundation. His mother lives in West Seattle.

“I’m really psyched to go to the Seahawks game on Sunday, I’m a really big Seahawks fan,” Wilson said. He added, “I still cry after the Seahawks games.”

The man who plays Dwight Schrute recently offered, on Twitter, to coach the team.

Wilson is especially busy these days because he’s been directing episodes of The Office, in addition to starring in them.

“I just finished directing a double episode of The Office, the big Christmas episode called Classy Chrristmas. Michael decides to throw the classiest Christmas party ever.”

Wilson is justifiably proud of The Office.

“The best Office episodes have a mix of heart and absurdity. And I like to really highlight those things. I like to, when it’s silly, make it as silly and as fun as possible and then to really mind the heartbreak underneath the characters.”

The Shorecrest high school grad hosted a benefit performance at the Paramount Theatre Saturday night.

“There’s a local Seattle charity that’s based out of Kirkland. They do their work all over the world. It’s mostly education, especially for women and girls. They find the great grassroots educational initiatives and then they provide the economic support for them,” he explained of the Mona Foundation.

Wilson also has a book out next week called Soul Pancake, based on his website that deals with issues of creativity and spirituality.

And finally, I had to ask how he got that distinctIve first name, R-A-I-N-N?

“My parents were like Bohemian living in the late 1960’s and my dad wanted to name me Rainier after the poet, Rainer Maria Rilke. And then everyone thought “Oh everyone will think it’s after Mount Rainier” and then my mom wanted to name Thucydides. No joke, no joke, it’s pathetic actually. and then finally they went with Rain, but then Rain was too hippy-ish for them so they arted it up with an extra N.”