Actor-Musician Rainn Wilson Changes Name to Raise Climate Change Awareness

Many know Rainn Wilson from his work on the popular NBC television show, The Office. He played the surly employee Dwight Schrute.

But the actor-comedian is also a musician—a guitar player and a bassoon player. In fact, his acclaimed memoir is titled, The Bassoon King: My Life in Art, Faith, and Idiocy. He also came out on Stephen Colbert’s late-night show to play his favorite instrument.

But the entertainer made headlines this week for changing his name, not for any notes or jokes.

Wilson recently “changed” his name from Rainn to Rainnfall Heat Wave Rising Sea Levels Wilson on social media this week (November 9).

“As a cheap little stunt to help save planet Earth, I’ve changed my name on Twitter, Instagram, and even on my fancy writing paper,” Wilson said in a video he posted on his social media accounts.

While the change isn’t official or legal, the name is changed on his Wikipedia page. The name couldn’t be changed on Twitter, Wilson noted, “because Elon,” a reference to Elon Musk, the new owner of Twitter.

The entertainer did urge his fans to check out the environmental advocacy group Arctic Basecamp’s “Arctic Name Changer” to gain more awareness about climate change. Wilson said he wants to get the attention of world leaders assembling in Egypt for the COP27 international climate change conference.

“With the help of my scientist friends at Arctic Basecamp, I’ve changed my name to Rainnfall Heat Wave Extreme Winter Wilson. This is not a joke, I’m as serious as the melting Arctic, which amplifies global risks including extreme weather events around the globe,” said Wilson to The Hollywood Reporter.

Wilson continued, “I’m hoping this name change brings attention to this growing…er, melting issue. We need world leaders at COP27 to take notice and take action. The Arctic is melting at millions of liters per second, yet this problem can’t seem to make a name for itself, so it’s up to us to make a name for it.”

He added on Twitter, “And if enough of us do this, then maybe @cop27_egypt will be where our world leaders sit up and notice Arctic risks and introduce a solution. Make Arctic Name Changer a Game Changer!”

Photo by Dominik Bindl/WireImage