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The Office character guide

Who is Dwight Schrute in The Office?

The intense, rule-loving top salesman at Dunder Mifflin Scranton, a beet farmer and self-styled survivalist who would do almost anything to become regional manager, and the favorite target of Jim's pranks.

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Show
The Office
Debut
2005
Network
NBC
Role
Main
Gender
Male

Dwight Schrute has not been a daily answer yet. Play today's Sitcomdle or play the The Office Wordle.

Show
The Office
Played by
Rainn Wilson
First episode
“Pilot”Season 1, Episode 1, aired March 24, 2005
Role
Main cast
Network
NBC
Occupation
Salesman and beet farmer, later regional manager
Show run
2005 to 2013
Also known as
Dwight Kurt Schrute III, Dwight K. Schrute, Schrute

Dwight Schrute is the Scranton branch's most devoted salesman, a Pennsylvania Dutch beet farmer who treats office life like a military campaign. Played by Rainn Wilson, he is Michael's fiercely loyal sidekick, Jim's favorite prank target, and one of the most quoted characters in The Office.

On The Office, Dwight Schrute's story runs through Michael Scott (Boss), Angela Martin (Wife), Jim Halpert (Rival), Pam Beesly (Friend), and Andy Bernard (Love Rival).

Dwight Schrute from The Office: Sitcomdle character card

Who is Dwight Schrute?

Dwight is a salesman at Dunder Mifflin's Scranton branch, and a very good one. His official title is "Assistant to the Regional Manager," a position Michael invented for him, but Dwight keeps introducing himself as the Assistant Regional Manager, as if repeating it often enough might make it true. Being second in command matters to him more than almost anything.

Outside the office he runs Schrute Farms, his family's beet farm, with his silent cousin Mose. The farmhouse doubles as a ramshackle bed and breakfast, and Dwight's Pennsylvania Dutch traditions, odd family history, and deep suspicion of modern life give the show an endless supply of strange details.

Personality and comedy

Dwight's comedy comes from total, unblinking seriousness. He trains in karate, hides weapons around the office, quizzes coworkers on bear facts, and approaches every minor task as a test of honor. He also loves science fiction and fantasy, and he will happily explain why. Because he takes everything literally, he is the perfect mark for Jim, who puts his stapler in Jell-O, moves his desk into the men's room, and convinces him of all sorts of nonsense.

The writers also give him a surprising soft side. A concussion in "The Injury" turns him into the sweetest man in Scranton for an afternoon, and when Pam goes into labor in "The Delivery," Dwight is sent to fetch something from the Halperts' house and ends up rebuilding their moldy kitchen instead. Over nine seasons he becomes a strange but genuine friend to the very people who prank him.

Key storylines

Dwight's great romance is with Angela Martin, which begins in secret during season two. It survives a lot: Dwight putting down her sick cat Sprinkles in "Fun Run," her engagement to Andy, a duel in the parking lot, a contract to have a baby together, and her marriage to a state senator. When Angela's son Phillip is born, Dwight is sure he is the father. In "A.A.R.M." he proposes, Angela finally admits Phillip is his, and they marry in the finale with Michael back as his best man.

His career is a long climb toward the manager's chair. He quits after a misunderstanding in "Traveling Salesmen" and comes back an episode later, briefly runs the office in season seven until a gun goes off by accident, and spends season eight chasing a special project in Tallahassee. In "Livin' the Dream," David Wallace finally promotes him to regional manager on Jim's recommendation, and Dwight names Jim his assistant to the regional manager.

Behind the scenes and legacy

Rainn Wilson first auditioned to play Michael, but the casting team liked his take on Dwight much better. He was a big fan of the British original and based Dwight's famously bad haircut on the one he had as a teenager. Wilson earned three Emmy nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for the role, and Dwight is the only character who appears and speaks in every episode of the series.

In 2012 NBC developed a spin-off called The Farm, built around Dwight and Schrute Farms, but the network passed on it, and material from the planned pilot became the season nine episode "The Farm." Dwight remains one of the show's breakout characters, a fixture of memes, Halloween costumes, and TV Guide's list of the greatest television characters.

Key Dwight Schrute episodes

  1. “The Injury”Season 2, Episode 12A concussion from a car crash makes Dwight unusually kind and helpful for one strange afternoon.
  2. “The Coup”Season 3, Episode 3Dwight secretly goes to Jan to take Michael's job, and Michael turns the tables on him.
  3. “Money”Season 4, Episode 7Jim and Pam book a night at the Schrute Farms bed and breakfast while Dwight mourns his breakup with Angela.
  4. “Stress Relief”Season 5, Episode 14Dwight stages a fire drill so chaotic that Stanley has a heart attack.
  5. “Livin' the Dream”Season 9, Episode 21Dwight earns his black belt and is finally promoted to regional manager.
  6. “Finale”Season 9, Episode 24Dwight marries Angela at Schrute Farms, with Michael returning as his best man.

Season and episode numbers follow the original broadcast order.

Famous sitcom couple

Dwight Schrute: frequently asked questions

Who plays Dwight Schrute in The Office?

Rainn Wilson plays Dwight in all nine seasons, from 2005 to 2013. He received three Emmy nominations for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for the role.

Does Dwight become regional manager?

Yes. In "Livin' the Dream," the 21st episode of season nine (aired May 2, 2013), David Wallace promotes Dwight to regional manager after Jim recommends him. Dwight then makes Jim his assistant to the regional manager.

Who does Dwight marry?

Dwight marries Angela Martin in the series finale. He proposes in "A.A.R.M.," where Angela confirms that he is the father of her son, Phillip.

What is Schrute Farms?

Schrute Farms is the family beet farm Dwight runs with his cousin Mose. It doubles as a bed and breakfast, and Jim and Pam spend a memorable night there in the season four episode "Money."

Is Dwight in every episode of The Office?

Yes. Dwight is the only character who both appears and has dialogue in every episode of the series.

Test yourself: Dwight Schrute quiz

5 questions about Dwight Schrute. Think of your answer, then open the reveal to check it.

  1. Question 1

    What crop does Dwight Schrute grow on his family farm?

    1. Potatoes
    2. Corn
    3. Turnips
    4. Beets
    Show the answer

    Answer: D. Beets

    Dwight runs Schrute Farms, a beet farm that also doubles as a bed and breakfast, and he shares it with his cousin Mose.

    See question 3 in the full quiz

  2. Question 2

    In the Pilot, what does Jim encase Dwight's stapler in?

    1. Concrete
    2. Jell-O
    3. A block of ice
    4. Bubble wrap
    Show the answer

    Answer: B. Jell-O

    The stapler gag was borrowed directly from the original British version of the show, and Dwight's outrage sets the tone for years of pranks to come.

    See question 4 in the full quiz

  3. Question 3

    What is the name of Angela's cat that Dwight puts down in "Fun Run"?

    1. Comstock
    2. Princess Lady
    3. Garbage
    4. Sprinkles
    Show the answer

    Answer: D. Sprinkles

    Dwight's decision to end Sprinkles' suffering without asking Angela leads her to break off their secret relationship.

    See question 22 in the full quiz

  4. Question 4

    In "Stress Relief," what does Dwight stage that gives Stanley a heart attack?

    1. A fake robbery
    2. A fake earthquake drill
    3. A fake fire drill
    4. A fake bomb threat
    Show the answer

    Answer: C. A fake fire drill

    Dwight's twisted fire safety test sends the whole office into a panic, and Stanley suffers a heart attack in the chaos.

    See question 24 in the full quiz

  5. Question 5

    Who returns in the series finale to serve as Dwight's best man?

    1. Mose Schrute
    2. Rolf Ahl
    3. Michael Scott
    4. Andy Bernard
    Show the answer

    Answer: C. Michael Scott

    Michael's surprise return for Dwight and Angela's wedding is one of the finale's biggest emotional payoffs, while Jim gets his own honorary title in the wedding party.

    See question 30 in the full quiz

Take the full The Office quiz (30 questions)

Sources and corrections

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