Rainn Wilson, best known as Dwight Schrute on ‘The Office’, has revealed he “may put acting behind [him]” to pursue a very different path.
Speaking on Late Night With Seth Meyers, Wilson admitted his “celebrity star is fading” before describing the “beautiful occupation called death doula.” He explained that the role is similar to a pregnancy doula, but instead helps guide someone through the end of life.
“It’s a different kind of birth, right?” Wilson said. “It’s a birth into the next phase of our existence, because I fully believe in the continuation and journey of the human soul beyond the material realm. And most world faiths agree.”
He continued, “To be there to usher someone with beauty and respect and dignity from this life to the next, to help the family transition, to understand what kind of legacy you want to have, how you want to celebrate what is kind of a painful transition that is often ignored in Western society.”
After Meyers noted that a death doula helps “take the fear out” of dying and turn it into a “calming experience,” Wilson said the job also offers “a lot of hope to give people.”
“There’s a lot of meditation you can bring – contemplation is the word I was looking for – that you can bring to the process,” he added. “Celebratory is kind of the wrong word, but how you can create a healing space for you and your family to mourn, to grieve, to celebrate, and to ponder this next mysterious step?”
