London, Aug 22 : As the #MeToo movement has taken the world by a storm, bringing the spotlight on the issues of sexual harassment, especially at workplaces, Hollywood actor John Krasinski hopes it's not just a temporary phenomenon but helps in bringing permanent change.
"I think the fear in any movement like this is that it would be just temporary.
And I think (it's) really exciting to see that we're really trying -- certainly in our industry, but I hope in every industry -- to really bear down on how to make permanent change and not just make it something that we're talking about for a period of time," Krasinski told IANS in an interview here.
The #MeToo movement has gone viral since last year as a hashtag on social media used to demonstrate the widespread prevalence of sexual assault and harassment, especially in the workplace.
Many Hollywood and Bollywood celebrities have supported the movement.
Krasinki, who is married to actress Emily Blunt, a strong advocate of women empowerment and gender equality, said that while a lot has been said about sexual harassment, it's important to find the important pieces of the whole conversation in order to move forward.
"It's a vital, important movement for sure.
There has been so much that has been said about the movement; and for me, the important thing is sifting through all that has been said and finding out the really important pieces to move forward and actually bring great change," said the actor whose series "Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan" goes live on August 31 on Amazon Prime.
Krasinski is all set to redefine the famous Tom Clancy character Jack Ryan.
He was intimidated by the fact that the character was earlier played on the big-screen by Hollywood veterans like Alec Baldwin and Harrison Ford.
"It was definitely intimidating.
I mean those are not just any actors, those are huge movie stars. It was intimidating (but) the way I saw it was that it was a bit of a free pass because we were changing the format so dramatically," Krasinski told IANS in a round-table interview.
"That really was one of the key reasons why I decided to do the part..because of this idea that 'maybe movies is not the best format' for Jack Ryan, because it's only two hours whereas Clancy books are really thick, very rich and very deep with details and specifics," he said.
He added that the longer format helped him to explore the character in a way that the other actors couldn't.
"So, because they were changing the idea of how to do it so drastically, I feel like I am already lucky enough to be doing something different than them," said the actor who directed and starred in the critically-acclaimed "A Quiet Place".
The Jack Ryan books, authored by Tom Clancy, were bestsellers in the 1980s and 1990s.
Ryan's sharp mind and problem-solving skills made him one of the most loved heroes of his time.
Apart from Baldwin and Ford, Hollywood superstars like Ben Affleck and Chris Pine have also donned the avatar of the legendary CIA agent.
In the most recent adaptation in the Amazon Prime Original series, the producers of the show have recreated the political thriller while retaining the original characteristics of the franchise.
Even before the first season of the series has aired, the show has been renewed for a second season which, Krasinski says, helped the creators and the cast relax.
"The second season is a whole different experience that everybody is looking forward to having.
So the fact that they have already given us that is huge because you can get really excited about where this character can go and where the stories can go."
Before starring in "Jack Ryan" and "A Quiet Place", Krasinski was known as the affable Jim Halpert of American sitcom "The Office".
The character loved playing pranks. For him, both the shows have been fun in very different ways.
"'The Office' was more fun... We were always laughing and having a great time. It was a comedy and it was the most fun we've ever had. And 'Jack Ryan' is really fun as well as things are blowing up around you. You are running through different sets and action pieces," he added.
(Vishav was recently in London at the invitation of Amazon Prime.
He can be contacted at vishav@ians.in)
-IANS
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Source: IANS
