Rainn Wilson’s New Movie Helped Him Overcome Claustrophobia

Rainn Wilson, who stars in Don’t Tell a Soul, says the movie helped him face his claustrophobia. Written and directed by Alex McAulay in his directorial debut, Don’t Tell a Soul follows two teenage brothers (played by Jack Dylan Grazer and Fionn Whitehead) as they decide to steal cash from an abandoned home in order to help pay for the hospital bills of their sick mother Carol (Mena Suvari). The brothers are quickly caught by Mr. Hamby (Wilson), a security guard who falls into a deep well in an attempt to catch the teenagers.

The thriller, which is currently available on VOD, was not an easy gig for Wilson. The plot kicks into high gear fairly quickly, with Wilson’s security guard spending a fair amount of time in a dark hole. The scenes that follow, which veer between psychological warfare and dark humor, are deeply uncomfortable for Hamby as he tries to think of a way to escape his predicament. Wilson, who is known to many fans for his portrayal of Dwight Schrute on The Office, admits that Don’t Tell a Soul was uniquely difficult for him as well.

Wilson’s remarks came as part of an interview with Yahoo! Entertainment. The actor noted that he was claustrophobic, explaining how the thriller helped him to put his fears in perspective. It does sound as though Wilson was grateful for the experience, but it understandably took him a little time to get to that point. You can read his quote below.

“You know how it is when you have those kind of fears. Like you look around and you’re really truly at the bottom of a 40-foot hole and you’re, like, ‘I’m in a hole. I’m in a hole. I’m in a ho— Oh, there’s a hatch. Right, I’m fine, whew.’ So I kind of hit that freak-out threshold and then I would be reminded of my real physical circumstances.”

The actor also elaborated on how the magic of Don’t Tell a Soul worked, revealing that there was a door in the hole that was concealed partly by mud. The film was a departure for Wilson in ways that went beyond the narrative’s physical constraints. For fans who are used to seeing the actor as Dwight, or in other comedic performances, Mr. Hamby shows a different side to Wilson. Initially amiable, especially given his circumstances, there’s always a sense that something about Mr. Hamby that doesn’t quite add up. The trailer for Don’t Tell a Soul reinforces this as well, teasing that the character may not actually be an innocent victim.

Wilson has earned praise for his complex portrayal. Although critics have been split about the overall success of Don’t Tell a Soul, they have largely agreed that Wilson adds a lot to the film in his lead role. While it couldn’t have been fun to act out the dramatic moments while also experiencing an acute level of discomfort, the positive response to his work hopefully helps. And, as a bonus, Wilson’s role as Mr. Hamby led the actor to successfully face down his lingering claustrophobia.

Source: Yahoo! Entertainment

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Abdullah Al-Ghamdi
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Abdullah Al-Ghamdi joined Screen Rant in August 2019, focusing on movie and television news. In January of the same year, he wrote a 3500+ word piece on why Primo Colón is underrated. He considers it his finest work. When he’s not arguing for the merits of his favorite wrestler, he can be reached at: [email protected].

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