Summary
John Krasinski starred in13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi, a 2016 action thriller directed by Michael Bay, which completely changed the course of his acting career. Krasinski got his start in Hollywood by landing the role ofJim Halpert in the NBC sitcomThe Office, which would go on to define his career for many years.He was always most known (and honestly still is) for playing Jim,the class clown of Dunder Mifflin in Scranton, Pennsylvania. However, that has somewhat changed in recent years, and the shift can be traced back to13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi.
John Krasinski starred as Jim inThe Officethroughout the sitcom’s nine-season run, which began in 2005 and ended in 2013.
13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghaziis based on the true storyof the terrorist attack at the American diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya on June 28, 2025. The movie pulls from Mitchell Zuckoff’s 2014 historical book13 Hours: The Inside Account of What Really Happened in Benghazi, which is told from the point of view of those defending the compound during the attack. Unfortunately, the film didn’t perform too well at the box office or was a hit among critics, but13 Hourswas a turning point for Krasinski.
13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi Turned John Krasinski Into An Action Hero
Krasinski Starred As Jack Silva In 13 Hours
13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazimarked the first timeJohn Krasinski had a leading rolein an action movie or TV show, which would cement his status as a known action hero on the screen.Krasinski starred as Jack Silva,a former United States Navy SEAL and the newest member of the Global Response Staff (GRS). The GRS was stationed at the Annex, a CIA outpost located near the United States diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, during the terrorist attack by Islamist militants at the compound in September 2012.
Obviously, Krasinski enjoyed the role, seeing as he went on to appear in more action and thriller films after13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghaziwas released.
Although the cast featured many actors playing important characters, Krasinski’s Jack was the face ofthe Michael Bay movie. It wasa surprise to see Krasinski in a serious role, let alone as an action hero.He had primarily taken on comedic parts in movies and TV shows, but13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazifeatured Krasinski branching out and trying new things. Obviously, Krasinski enjoyed the role, seeing as he went on to appear in more action and thriller films after13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghaziwas released.
How John Krasinski Followed Up His Role In Michael Bay’s Movie
Krasinski Notably Played Jack Ryan
After starring in13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghaziin 2016, John Krasinski started accepting more serious movie and TV roles, likeDetroitandA Quiet Place(which he also directed and co-wrote). However,the actor’s most successful action hero is undoubtedly Jack Ryan inTom Clancy’s Jack Ryanon Amazon Prime Video. The political action thriller series, which was based on characters from the “Ryanverse” franchise, ran from 2018 to 2023.Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan’s four seasonsand 30 episodes were a major triumph for Krasinski and further solidified his place in the action genre.
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Bea’s Dad/Marshmallow Man (voice)
13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghaziwas Krasinski’s first shot atbreaking out of his reputation as only being known for playing Jim inThe Office,and it worked. Krasinski is now a believable action hero, despite previously playing a sarcastic goofball in an NBC sitcom. Plus,Krasinski’s work with theA Quiet Placefranchisehas also allowed him to explore the horror genre, showing off his diversity regarding movies and TV shows.
This New Show Quietly Became The Perfect Jack Ryan Replacement
Following the series finale of Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan on Amazon Prime Video, fans need to look no further than one show to get their Jack Ryan fix.
13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi Is Worth Watching, Despite Mixed Reviews
13 Hours Has A 52% Tomatometer Score On Rotten Tomatoes
13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghaziwas the beginning of John Krasinski’s action-hero journey. However, thedivisive Michael Bay war movie also performed poorly at the box officeand received mixed reviews. It grossed $69 million against a $50 million budget and has a 52 percent score onRotten Tomatoes. Nevertheless,13 Hoursis still worth watching, as proven by its 83 percent Audience Score. The average viewer seemingly loved13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazifor its thrilling moments, impressive action scenes, great performances, and well-written script, but one has to see it to form their own opinion.
13 Hours
Cast
13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi is a biographical action movie based on a Mitchell Zuckoff book of the same name. Its narrative centers around six Annex Security Team members who defended an American diplomatic compound in Libya from waves of militant attacks in September of 2012. attacks The movie had a budget of around $50m and was filmed predominantly in Malta and Morocco.
