Rainn Wilson says his early acting career was a tough period (Picture: WireImage)
Rainn Wilson has admitted that he often felt ‘unhappy’ while filming episodes of the classic US sitcom The Office alongside Steve Carrell.
The American actor, 57, became a household name for his performance as Dwight Schrute, salesman and assistant at the fictional paper supplier Dunder Mifflin.
Alongside Carrell’s Michael Scott, John Krasinki’s Jim Halpert, and Jenna Fischer’s Pam Beesly, Wilson became one of the most famous faces on US television.
The Office ran for nine seasons and won numerous awards, as well as receiving international acclaim for being a successful US remake of a British comedy.
However, in the past, despite the success, Wilson has admitted to being ‘unhappy’ while filming the show, saying he ‘wanted millions of dollars’ from his work.
And in a recent interview with Diary of a CEO host Steven Bartlett, he went into further detail, saying that he struggled with ‘anxiety attacks’ while filming.
The Office was one of the most successful sitcoms of its time (Picture: Getty)
After saying that ’22 years of therapy’ has given him some ‘insight’ into the state of his mental health, he went into detail about the beginning of his acting career.
‘I started getting hit with really crippling anxiety attacks – they would leave me literally shaking on the floor and sweating. It felt like I was dying.’
He continued: ‘In the 90s, we didn’t really have words for mental health crises and people didn’t really go to therapy. I was pretty depressed and frustrated.’
Dwight was one of the most popular characters from the show (Picture: Getty)
Reflecting on his time on The Office, which began in 2005 and ran for 188 episodes before its finale in 2013, he said he wished he’d appreciate it more.
‘There were times where I really struggled. Here I was on the greatest job I could ever imagine but I was [angry] that I couldn’t get more movies, and [more] deals.’
He added: ‘I spent a lot of unnecessary time in angst and anguish and discontent at a time when I should have just been enjoying it and drinking it in.’
In a recent interview with Metro.co.uk, Wilson discussed his views on climate change and detailed a recent trick he took to Greenland to highlight the issue.
Watch The Office on Netflix.
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It wasn’t always plain sailing.