John Krasinski offered some humorous and heartfelt advice to graduates at Brown University during his baccalaureate address on Saturday. The actor-writer-director was back on campus 18 years after graduating from the university. As you may have heard, he’s had a rather successful run since then, starring in “The Office,’’ marrying Emily Blunt, and writing, directing, and starring in 2018’s “A Quiet Place,’’ which made about $340 million worldwide.

“The future does indeed belong to you, but the abstract weighted responsibility to change it overnight very much does not,’’ Krasinski told the approximately 1,700 students. “Real change is organic. The only responsibility you all have is to hold fast to everything you have lived, right here. To not conform, to realize that when you’re out there, you’ve done all this before.’’


“Remember fondly the discomfort you felt when you were asked to push yourself farther than you were ever sure you could go,’’ Krasinski added, “And the elation when you finally got there.’’

Krasinski, along with documentary filmmaker Ken Burns and five others, received honorary doctorates from Brown University during the commencement ceremony.