John Krasinski

John Krasinski (birthname: John Burke Krasinski) has had one of the most notable transitions from TV comedy (especially as Jim in the long-running The Office (2005-2013) to globe-trotting action hero (as Jack Ryan in Amazon Prime’s Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan (2018-2023) to big-budget feature filmmaker and actor, in a dynamic and diverse career which started humbly with a few uncredited or bit parts in features and shorts, until a supporting role in the Oscar-nominated drama, Kinsey (2004), starring Liam Neeson, Laura Linney, Chris O’Donnell, Peter Sarsgaard, Timothy Hutton, John Lithgow, Tim Curry, Oliver Platt, and Dylan Baker, and released by Fox Searchlight Pictures for a $17 million return.

Krasinski was cast in a small role in the American remake of Luc Besson’s Taxi (2004), and then landed a supporting role with David Schwimmer, Janeane Garofalo, Judah Friedlander, and Steve Schirippa in writer-director Matt Mulhern’s comedy-drama, Duane Hopwood (2005), released by IFC Films after its Sundance film festival premiere.

Krasinski joined director Sam Mendes and his ensemble of Jake Gyllenhaal, Peter Sarsgaard, Lucas Black, Jamie Foxx, Chris Cooper, and Dennis Haysbert for the military drama, Jarhead (2005), adapted from Anthony Swofford’s book, which earned a disappointing $97 million against a $72 million budget. Krasinski then had a string of small supporting roles in director/writer/producer Jason Carvey’s indie, A New Wave (2006); in Christopher Guest’s comedy, For Your Consideration (2006); in director/writer/producer Nancy Meyers’ The Holiday (2006); in director-writer Bill Condon’s screen version of the musical, Dreamgirls (2006); and Gregg Araki’s stoner comedy Smiley Face (2007).

John Krasinski did his first significant voice performance in an animated movie (as Sir Lancelot) in DreamWorks Animation’s/Paramount’s sequel, Shrek the Third (2007), starring Mike Myers, Justin Timberlake, Eddie Murphy, Antonio Banderas, Eric Idle, and Cameron Diaz, and grossing a commanding $813.4 million global gross, despite mixed reviews. Krasinski landed his first above-the-title co-starring role in the Village Roadshow Pictures/Phoenix Pictures/Robert Simonds Productions/Warner Bros. rom-com, License to Wed (2007), co-starring Robin Williams, Mandy Moore, and Christine Taylor under Ken Kwapis’s direction, and earning $70 million against $35 million costs.

Krasinski was cast in a co-starring role by director/producer/star George Clooney in the period football comedy, Leatherheads (2008), with Renée Zellweger and Jonathan Pryce, but which failed at the box office with a poor $41 million global gross against $58 million expenses. Krasinski began to expand his work in feature as a director, writer, and producer as well as actor with his debut, Brief Interviews with Hideous Men (2009), adapted from David Foster Wallace’s book of short stories and co-starring Julianne Nicholson, Josh Charles, Christopher Meloni, Will Arnett, Chris Messina, Lou Taylor Pucci, Max Minghella, Timothy Hutton, Bobby Cannavale, Frankie Faison, Corey Stoll, Will Forte, and Rashida Jones, and released by IFC Films after a Sundance film festival premiere.

John Krasinski, after performing a voice role in DreamWorks Animations/Paramount Pictures’ sci-fi animated movie, Monsters vs. Aliens (2009), reunited with director Sam Mendes as star of the road comedy-drama, Away We Go (2009), co-written by Dave Eggers and Vendela Vida and co-starring Maya Rudolph, with Jeff Daniels, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Allison Janney, Messina, Catherine O’Hara, and Paul Schneider, and which was released by Focus Features to a disappointing $15 million return (on a $17 million budget). Krasinski then joined Meryl Streep, Steve Martin, and Alec Baldwin in director/writer/producer Nancy Meyers’ hit comedy, It’s Complicated (2009), grossing a terrific $224.6 million global gross for Universal Pictures.

Krasinski co-starred in another rom-com Something Borrowed (2011), with Kate Hudson, Ginnifer Goodwin, Colin Egglesfield, and Steve Howey under Luke Greenfield’s direction, earning a fair $60 million gross. Krasinski appeared as himself in Disney’s The Muppets (2011), and then turned again to indie cinema as the lead in filmmaker Ry Russo-Young’s drama, Nobody Walks (2012), co-written by Lena Dunham, co-starring Olivia Thirlby, Rosemarie DeWitt, and Jane Levy, and released by Magnolia Pictures after a Sundance film festival premiere.

John Krasinski reunited with director Ken Kwapis for the US/UK ocean whale co-production, Big Miracle (2012), starring Drew Barrymore, Kristen Bell, Dermot Mulroney, Tim Blake Nelson, Vinessa Shaw, and Ted Danson, released by Universal Pictures to a poor $24.7 million gross. Krasinski was writer/producer/co-star of the Gus Van Sant-directed drama based on a Dave Eggers story, Promised Land (2012), starring Matt Damon, Frances McDormand, Rosemarie DeWitt, and Hal Holbrook, premiering at the Berlin Film Festival and then released by Focus Features.

Krasinski, after three consecutive voice performances in the Disney/Pixar sequel, Monsters University (2013); in the English dub version of Hayao Miyazaki’s superb animated fantasy-adventure, The Wind Rises (2013); and in the animated version of Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet (2014), played a supporting role in director/writer/producer Cameron Crowe’s comedy, Aloha (2015), starring Bradley Cooper, Emma Stone, Rachel McAdams, Bill Murray, Danny McBride, and Alec Baldwin, which was trounced by critics and audiences, with a poor $26 million global gross. Krasinski co-starred with James Badge Dale, Max Martini, and Pablo Schreiber in director-producer Michael Bay’s military thriller about the Benghazi diplomatic incident, 13 Hours (2016), and released by Paramount Pictures to a weak $69.4 million theatrical return.

John Krasinski’s second movie as director/producer (as well as co-star) was The Hollars (2016), written by Jim Strouse, and featuring the fine ensemble of Sharlto Copley, Charlie Day, Richard Jenkins, Anna Kendrick, and Margo Martindale, and premiering at the Sundance film festival before a release by Sony Pictures Classics. Krasinski lent his voice as narrator to Disney’s nature documentary, Born in China (2016), and then delivered a sizzling performance in Kathryn Bigelow’s charged drama written by Mark Boal, Detroit (2017), starring John Boyega, Will Poulter, Algee Smith, Jason Mitchell, Anthony Mackie, and grossing a poor $24 million (against $34 million costs) for distributor/producer Annapurna Pictures.

Krasinski’s breakthrough as a filmmaker arrived with his intense sci-fi thriller, A Quiet Place (2018), with Krasinski co-starring with Emily Blunt, Millicent Simmonds, and Noah Jupe, and returning a sizzling $341 million global gross for Paramount Pictures after a South by Southwest film festival premiere, and which was followed by the outstanding sequel which Krasinski directed, wrote and produced (and briefly appeared in), A Quiet Place Part II (2020), with new cast member Djimon Hounsou, and earning a strong $297.4 million, thus solidifying a Quiet Place franchise.

John Krasinski made his first appearance in a Marvel Universe movie as Mister Fantastic in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022), starring Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Benedict Wong, Xochitl Gomez, Michael Stuhlbarg, and Rachel McAdams, under Sam Raimi’s direction, and grossing a blockbuster $955.8 million globally for Disney/Marvel Studios. Krasinski demonstrated his diversity once again as a voice actor in an animated movie in the DC Universe as the voice of Superman/Clark Kent/Kai-El in DC League of Super-Pets (2022), starring Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Kate McKinnon, Vanessa Bayer, Natasha Lyonne, Diego Luna, and Keanu Reeves, and grossing an excellent $208 million for Warner Bros./Warner Animation Group/DC Entertainment.

Krasinski was director/writer/producer/voice actor of the live-action/animated fantasy comedy released by Paramount Pictures, IF (2024)—short for Imaginary Friends—and featuring Cailey Fleming, Ryan Reynolds, and Fiona Shaw in live-action roles, and a sprawling ensemble of voice actors including Steve Carell, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Louis Gossett Jr., Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Maya Rudolph, Jon Stewart, Sam Rockwell, Christopher Meloni, Richard Jenkins, Awkwafina, Blake Lively, George Clooney, Matthew Rhys, Bradley Cooper, Amy Schumer, Keegan-Michael Key, and Vince Vaughn. Krasinski then switched back to an acting assignment by starring in the heist adventure, Fountain of Youth (date to be announced), directed and produced by Guy Ritchie and co-starring Natalie Portman, Domhnall Gleeson, Eiza Gonzalez, Laz Alonso, Arian Moayed, and Carmen Ejogo.