Here's Why John Krasinski Full-On Slapped Rainn Wilson During A Scene

The employees of Dunder Mifflin might not always see eye-to-eye during the tedious 9 to 5 work day, but the actors behind these beloved "The Office" characters are like family in real life.

A prime example is Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey, who portray receptionist Pam Beesly and accountant Angela Martin, respectively. On "The Office," the frenemies are constantly insulting one another in a passive aggressive way. But off screen, the actresses couldn't be closer. Not only do they host the "Office Ladies" podcast together, they also wrote the book "The Office BFFs." "Jenna is my life anchor because it's like, the world doesn't make sense until I can bounce it off her, whatever happens," Kinsey told People in 2021. 

Another friendship that couldn't be more different from what's shown on screen is between John Krasinski and Rainn Wilson, who play combative salesmen Jim Halpert and Dwight Schrute, respectively. Nearly every episode of "The Office" features their rivalry, whether it's Jim pulling a clever prank on his colleague, or Dwight trying to get Jim fired.

Yet, the actors had much respect for the other's craft behind-the-scenes, especially during an unforgettable moment that sees Jim slap Dwight across the face.

In Season 3, Episode 13 ("Traveling Salesmen"), Jim and Dwight are forced to go on sales calls together. As Dwight explains his reasoning behind not entering a building first — most attacks happen from the rear — Jim slaps him in the face, proving that attacks can happen from any direction. For Krasinski, who was usually the one hurt during the pair's physical scenes, it was a thrill to get some brotherly revenge. 

Krasinski told NPR, "After years and years and years of him doing all these things to me ... I had in my head, 'This is my payback for all these years.'" Though Wilson was clearly taken aback by the slap, he'd urged Krasinski to not hold back in the scene. This showcases the strong working relationship between Krasinski and Wilson, who regularly helped each other up the ante on set. 

In an interview with Krasinski as part of his "Hey There, Human" YouTube series, Wilson said, "[Krasinski] would give me these notes and they helped make Dwight so much better. The notes I got from John Krasinski made Dwight at least 14% better and funnier through the years." Krasinski said in turn, "You are a wonderfully beautiful human, and I'm sorry that Dwight didn't show that to people more often because the truth is, I love you."

Their on-screen rivalry transformed into a cherished real world friendship, which is largely why they also agreed that no future project by either one will ever top "The Office."