John Krasinski - 'I'll Always Love The Office'

He’s Married To The Beautiful Emily Blunt And Has Two Gorgeous Daughters. But While He’s A Family Man Offscreen, In Front Of The Camera He’s Tough As Nails

He rose to fame in the hit sitcom The Office, and got his big break in this year’s thriller A Quiet Place. Now Hollywood leading man John Krasinski, 39, has taken on the role of action hero in Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan.

To most people, you’re mild-mannered paper salesman Jim Halpert from The Office – one of the best TV characters of recent years. But you’re now starring as former US Marine Jack Ryan. While it may seem like a leap, they’re actually a little similar…

They both work at a desk, so that’s something! But they’re also similar in that Jack is sort of an every man like Jim is. That’s always something I found interesting. One of the things I love about Jack is that he’s a regular guy. He doesn’t have a cape, he’s not a superhero and he can’t fly. He gets by on his instincts and his brain, which is kind of inspiring at a time like this, when we have so many superheroes. It’s nice to be playing a regular guy.

Especially in a world that feels like it’s dominated by Marvel men…

Jack is so far from that. I wanted him to be a fish out of water in the first season. He’s a guy who works at the CIA, but at a desk he has a low-drama gig. And he’s brought into a world and a situation that’s beyond him. The other thing I love is that during the first season there are genuine moments where he tries to back out – he knows it’s too much. But he perseveres. I think people will connect to that, because here’s a guy who chooses to be more, who chooses to go on. There’s a little part in all of us that would want to take bigger risks.

This is your first long-form TV role since The Office. Had other roles come up that you turned down?