1 00:00:12,400 --> 00:00:17,680 Speaker 1: Hello everyone, and welcome back to the Office Deep Dive. 2 00:00:18,200 --> 00:00:22,360 Speaker 1: I am your host, as always, Brian Baumgartner. So as 3 00:00:22,400 --> 00:00:25,800 Speaker 1: this podcast begins to take on well a new look, 4 00:00:26,000 --> 00:00:29,160 Speaker 1: to take new wings and launch into version two point oh, 5 00:00:29,200 --> 00:00:30,960 Speaker 1: which I can't wait to share with you, I have 6 00:00:31,040 --> 00:00:36,600 Speaker 1: to admit I've been thinking a lot about how extraordinarily 7 00:00:36,720 --> 00:00:39,639 Speaker 1: lucky I have been to to get to create all 8 00:00:39,680 --> 00:00:42,600 Speaker 1: of this and to have so many of you respond 9 00:00:42,720 --> 00:00:45,520 Speaker 1: so well to it. You guys, it means so much 10 00:00:45,560 --> 00:00:49,840 Speaker 1: to me. So for a special treat, I am compiling 11 00:00:50,200 --> 00:00:53,160 Speaker 1: the best of the best from the Office Deep Dive 12 00:00:53,320 --> 00:00:58,680 Speaker 1: into a two part episode release. I couldn't include everyone, 13 00:00:58,920 --> 00:01:02,160 Speaker 1: of course, and I truly do love my entire office family, 14 00:01:02,240 --> 00:01:04,679 Speaker 1: So go back and listen to any of the episodes 15 00:01:04,800 --> 00:01:08,800 Speaker 1: you might have missed. But today we're gonna start where 16 00:01:08,840 --> 00:01:14,240 Speaker 1: it all started, across the pond in jolly old England. 17 00:01:14,880 --> 00:01:18,559 Speaker 1: In actually in the land that made the very dish 18 00:01:18,680 --> 00:01:21,720 Speaker 1: that inspired our own Creed Bratton to write this podcast 19 00:01:21,800 --> 00:01:25,559 Speaker 1: theme song, Bubble and Squeak. That is, we are going 20 00:01:25,600 --> 00:01:35,080 Speaker 1: to begin inside the beautiful mind of Ricky Gervais Bubble 21 00:01:35,120 --> 00:01:42,200 Speaker 1: and Squeak. I love it. Bubble and Squeak on bubble 22 00:01:42,240 --> 00:01:46,080 Speaker 1: and Squeaker cooking it every month, left over from the 23 00:01:46,240 --> 00:02:00,360 Speaker 1: night before. Do you remember the first time you met 24 00:02:00,360 --> 00:02:05,920 Speaker 1: Ben Silverman? Yes, I do. I was walking down the 25 00:02:05,960 --> 00:02:09,480 Speaker 1: street in London. I think I was going to see 26 00:02:09,520 --> 00:02:14,640 Speaker 1: my agent, and the phone rang um and he said, Hi, 27 00:02:15,040 --> 00:02:18,360 Speaker 1: it's Ben Silverman. You don't know me. I wanna I 28 00:02:18,440 --> 00:02:23,440 Speaker 1: want to remake the Office for America. And I went, okay, 29 00:02:23,600 --> 00:02:25,239 Speaker 1: all right. He said, can we meet up? He said, 30 00:02:25,280 --> 00:02:28,000 Speaker 1: I'm in town. I went right. He said, where are you. 31 00:02:28,040 --> 00:02:30,600 Speaker 1: I'll come to you. I've gone the cab. I went okay, 32 00:02:30,600 --> 00:02:33,399 Speaker 1: and I looked up and I said right, I'm right 33 00:02:33,440 --> 00:02:37,959 Speaker 1: outside Starbucks in ward Or Street and he went, wait there, 34 00:02:38,280 --> 00:02:40,840 Speaker 1: I'll be down fifteen minutes, and he jumped in a cab. 35 00:02:41,360 --> 00:02:44,280 Speaker 1: He got I've never met anyone like him. He came 36 00:02:44,320 --> 00:02:46,240 Speaker 1: and found me because obviously he knew what he looked 37 00:02:46,240 --> 00:02:49,600 Speaker 1: like because he'd watched the office. And he talked to 38 00:02:49,680 --> 00:02:52,440 Speaker 1: me and I said, well, listen, let me introduce you 39 00:02:52,840 --> 00:02:55,200 Speaker 1: to my agent to get the ball rolling. And I 40 00:02:55,240 --> 00:02:58,799 Speaker 1: took him in to see Duncan Hayes as my UK 41 00:02:58,960 --> 00:03:03,320 Speaker 1: still is my UK agent, and that's and that was 42 00:03:03,400 --> 00:03:07,120 Speaker 1: the beginning of it, and then I can't remember all 43 00:03:07,160 --> 00:03:09,280 Speaker 1: the details or all the phone calls, but I think 44 00:03:09,320 --> 00:03:16,200 Speaker 1: the next big step was we sort of auditions show 45 00:03:16,320 --> 00:03:21,320 Speaker 1: runners and we saw some amazing ones from my favorite 46 00:03:21,320 --> 00:03:25,160 Speaker 1: programs of all time. We we chose Greg, and I 47 00:03:25,200 --> 00:03:28,760 Speaker 1: think we chose Greg not just because of his body's work, 48 00:03:28,800 --> 00:03:30,359 Speaker 1: which was as good as anyone's and he was a 49 00:03:30,440 --> 00:03:35,200 Speaker 1: nice chat but I think I think it was because 50 00:03:35,240 --> 00:03:37,240 Speaker 1: he was the only one that brought up that he 51 00:03:37,320 --> 00:03:40,480 Speaker 1: thought it was a love story that was very important 52 00:03:41,040 --> 00:03:45,080 Speaker 1: for me, that the love story. So you know, I 53 00:03:45,360 --> 00:03:47,400 Speaker 1: didn't want to I never thought of it was, you know, 54 00:03:47,520 --> 00:03:51,600 Speaker 1: just the sitcom. You know, you traditionally sitcoms were, as 55 00:03:51,640 --> 00:03:54,280 Speaker 1: I say, an ordinary guy getting into capers and ending 56 00:03:54,360 --> 00:03:57,120 Speaker 1: num back at square one, and there wasn't there wasn't 57 00:03:57,160 --> 00:04:01,280 Speaker 1: really romance. But you know, we stole that from America 58 00:04:01,720 --> 00:04:04,680 Speaker 1: because you know, and movies, because you know, there was 59 00:04:04,720 --> 00:04:07,000 Speaker 1: always a love interest in movies and a lot of 60 00:04:07,040 --> 00:04:11,480 Speaker 1: Americans shows have had more romance and love interests than 61 00:04:11,880 --> 00:04:15,360 Speaker 1: than ours. That was usually about a grumpy, middle aged man, 62 00:04:15,840 --> 00:04:19,040 Speaker 1: so we we like that. And then I can't remember 63 00:04:19,040 --> 00:04:22,159 Speaker 1: what all of this this was in, but I think 64 00:04:22,200 --> 00:04:24,880 Speaker 1: it was the Golden Globes where we won for the 65 00:04:24,920 --> 00:04:30,000 Speaker 1: Office and I won Best Comedy Actor. I think that 66 00:04:30,120 --> 00:04:35,279 Speaker 1: was the same week. So we went to Ben Silverman's 67 00:04:35,320 --> 00:04:38,560 Speaker 1: office and I don't know it before and after, but 68 00:04:38,680 --> 00:04:42,800 Speaker 1: then then and Gregg came to London and that I 69 00:04:42,800 --> 00:04:44,640 Speaker 1: think that was nearer the time when we were very 70 00:04:44,680 --> 00:04:49,080 Speaker 1: getting very close to actually start in production. And we 71 00:04:49,160 --> 00:04:54,680 Speaker 1: worked out the translation what was slow in America? You know, 72 00:04:54,800 --> 00:04:57,120 Speaker 1: what was the equivalent of this, and what was the 73 00:04:57,120 --> 00:04:59,440 Speaker 1: equivalent of that? And do we have this? And what 74 00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:06,440 Speaker 1: almost did like a blueprint to you know, just americanizing stuff, 75 00:05:08,320 --> 00:05:11,599 Speaker 1: and then we started. Then we started auditions and and 76 00:05:11,760 --> 00:05:15,080 Speaker 1: that was it. I do remember at one point, I 77 00:05:15,160 --> 00:05:19,560 Speaker 1: think before or auditions, or when we were thinking of 78 00:05:19,640 --> 00:05:23,159 Speaker 1: looking for you know, that David Brent and I think 79 00:05:23,240 --> 00:05:25,760 Speaker 1: Ben Silverman called me and said why don't you plane? 80 00:05:26,520 --> 00:05:28,919 Speaker 1: And I said, well, what were the point of that? 81 00:05:29,880 --> 00:05:32,440 Speaker 1: I did my best? Now I want to rest. Now 82 00:05:32,520 --> 00:05:34,839 Speaker 1: I want some I want some other Schmack to do 83 00:05:35,240 --> 00:05:40,800 Speaker 1: a two D episodes. But mainly my really, apart from 84 00:05:41,120 --> 00:05:43,160 Speaker 1: the fact that I was lazy and I was terrified 85 00:05:43,200 --> 00:05:46,279 Speaker 1: of being working hard for seven years, I said no 86 00:05:46,400 --> 00:05:50,520 Speaker 1: this should be this should be made by Americans for Americans, 87 00:05:50,600 --> 00:05:53,640 Speaker 1: and I was flattered that they even let us being 88 00:05:53,760 --> 00:05:57,240 Speaker 1: involved as we were. But you know, it really took 89 00:05:57,279 --> 00:06:01,240 Speaker 1: off when they started making their own show. Is the 90 00:06:01,320 --> 00:06:06,080 Speaker 1: first episode was basically a remake, but then it just 91 00:06:06,160 --> 00:06:09,120 Speaker 1: got further and further away, and you know, by the end, 92 00:06:09,200 --> 00:06:11,320 Speaker 1: it yeah, it was it was his own show. And 93 00:06:12,000 --> 00:06:14,960 Speaker 1: I remember that people were scared because The Office was 94 00:06:15,040 --> 00:06:18,880 Speaker 1: such a media darling, you know, to a few Americans, 95 00:06:19,080 --> 00:06:24,080 Speaker 1: even its peak. I remember the Office in America, the 96 00:06:24,839 --> 00:06:28,480 Speaker 1: our version. I remember it was the biggest show on 97 00:06:29,240 --> 00:06:34,160 Speaker 1: BBC America and it had something like one point one million, right, 98 00:06:34,880 --> 00:06:38,200 Speaker 1: and Ben Dield was saying, listen, there's a lot of 99 00:06:38,240 --> 00:06:41,560 Speaker 1: people that haven't seen this that won't be prejudiced. But 100 00:06:41,600 --> 00:06:45,880 Speaker 1: of course, I remember he was worried about the press 101 00:06:45,920 --> 00:06:50,120 Speaker 1: saying this is a you know this, we love the original, um, 102 00:06:50,160 --> 00:06:52,880 Speaker 1: and he came up with a really good thing. When 103 00:06:52,920 --> 00:06:54,760 Speaker 1: they were saying, why would you do a remake for 104 00:06:54,839 --> 00:06:58,720 Speaker 1: this that the original was perfect, he said, well, why 105 00:06:58,920 --> 00:07:02,080 Speaker 1: I wouldn't. I wouldn't make the film of a shitty novel. 106 00:07:02,920 --> 00:07:05,360 Speaker 1: I'd make a film of the best novel I could 107 00:07:05,400 --> 00:07:09,400 Speaker 1: find and I thought that was such a clever counter 108 00:07:10,240 --> 00:07:12,280 Speaker 1: But of course we want to remake of something that's 109 00:07:12,320 --> 00:07:14,480 Speaker 1: really good. At wine, we do a remake of something 110 00:07:14,560 --> 00:07:20,480 Speaker 1: that looks terrible, and then soon you know, people forgot 111 00:07:21,360 --> 00:07:24,840 Speaker 1: that there was original. Some people don't even know there's 112 00:07:24,840 --> 00:07:29,200 Speaker 1: an original. To most Americans that they have no idea 113 00:07:29,480 --> 00:07:32,680 Speaker 1: that this is a remake, and they don't care. And 114 00:07:33,080 --> 00:07:36,200 Speaker 1: you know, and I imagine most people who love the 115 00:07:36,200 --> 00:07:40,240 Speaker 1: American Office, they prefer it to the British version. So 116 00:07:40,760 --> 00:07:43,080 Speaker 1: and which is a great position to be in for me. 117 00:07:43,560 --> 00:07:48,160 Speaker 1: I remember once it was after syndication and someone, someone 118 00:07:48,240 --> 00:07:52,160 Speaker 1: on Twitter sent me a tweet that said, the American 119 00:07:52,320 --> 00:07:55,520 Speaker 1: version of the Office is so much bigger and better 120 00:07:55,560 --> 00:07:58,240 Speaker 1: than yours. How does that make you feel? And I 121 00:07:58,280 --> 00:08:11,080 Speaker 1: sent back, fucking rich, Well, there are certainly worse things 122 00:08:11,120 --> 00:08:15,360 Speaker 1: to feel. So Ricky was in England more than happy 123 00:08:15,440 --> 00:08:19,440 Speaker 1: to let the Office take off in a brand new direction. Meanwhile, 124 00:08:19,920 --> 00:08:23,080 Speaker 1: back in the States, some of our cast was still 125 00:08:23,280 --> 00:08:27,560 Speaker 1: keeping a close eye on Ricky's work. Rain Wilson in 126 00:08:27,600 --> 00:08:31,640 Speaker 1: particular had his eye on the prize. Were you aware 127 00:08:31,680 --> 00:08:33,880 Speaker 1: of the British version of the Office? I was, I 128 00:08:33,960 --> 00:08:36,920 Speaker 1: was so my friend Sam Catlin, he had heard about 129 00:08:36,960 --> 00:08:39,480 Speaker 1: it and he had seen a couple episodes and somehow 130 00:08:39,520 --> 00:08:42,040 Speaker 1: gotten some like British DVD or something like that, and 131 00:08:42,120 --> 00:08:45,160 Speaker 1: had like even like an English DVD player or something 132 00:08:45,480 --> 00:08:50,199 Speaker 1: somehow had advanced copies, and like, you've got to see it. Groundbreaking, amazing, 133 00:08:50,760 --> 00:08:53,400 Speaker 1: And so we went over like on a special occasionally 134 00:08:53,360 --> 00:08:57,680 Speaker 1: We've got to watch the Office, and we were blown away. 135 00:08:57,720 --> 00:09:01,080 Speaker 1: So I was really truly one of the first people 136 00:09:01,200 --> 00:09:03,000 Speaker 1: to see it in the United States. It might have 137 00:09:03,040 --> 00:09:04,800 Speaker 1: been one of the first couple of thousand people to 138 00:09:04,840 --> 00:09:07,719 Speaker 1: see it in the United States, and just we loved it. 139 00:09:07,760 --> 00:09:09,160 Speaker 1: And then he would get his hands on a couple 140 00:09:09,240 --> 00:09:11,160 Speaker 1: more episodes and we'd go back and have dinner and 141 00:09:11,200 --> 00:09:14,719 Speaker 1: watched like two or three more episodes. So I loved it. 142 00:09:15,000 --> 00:09:18,160 Speaker 1: And what happened was I got cast in a pilot 143 00:09:18,200 --> 00:09:22,560 Speaker 1: with Jeanine Garoffalo for ABC. Mark Marin was in it 144 00:09:22,679 --> 00:09:26,560 Speaker 1: and Bob oden Kirk was in it. And this was 145 00:09:26,600 --> 00:09:29,760 Speaker 1: this infamous pilot that we did the table read and 146 00:09:29,800 --> 00:09:32,959 Speaker 1: they pulled the plug after the table read. So they 147 00:09:32,960 --> 00:09:36,480 Speaker 1: had sets built, we had locations, we had cast, we 148 00:09:36,520 --> 00:09:39,360 Speaker 1: had plane tickets. We were flying out the next day, 149 00:09:39,440 --> 00:09:42,200 Speaker 1: literally the next morning after the table read starts shooting, 150 00:09:42,800 --> 00:09:45,520 Speaker 1: and uh did the table read? It went terribly, but 151 00:09:45,760 --> 00:09:48,080 Speaker 1: I guess what, I still got paid. And that was 152 00:09:48,160 --> 00:09:51,040 Speaker 1: the same pilot season as The Office, kind of the 153 00:09:51,080 --> 00:09:53,240 Speaker 1: Office didn't really follow a pilot season when it was 154 00:09:53,280 --> 00:09:59,280 Speaker 1: first casting, right. So what happened was Vernon Sanders, who's 155 00:09:59,400 --> 00:10:03,040 Speaker 1: one of the UM executives and NBC executives, right, And 156 00:10:03,200 --> 00:10:04,720 Speaker 1: I ran into him in the parking lot on the 157 00:10:04,720 --> 00:10:07,480 Speaker 1: way to this infamous table read, and he's like, hey, 158 00:10:07,559 --> 00:10:09,320 Speaker 1: we got good news, and I was like, what's that is? Like, 159 00:10:09,440 --> 00:10:11,440 Speaker 1: we got the rights to make the American version of 160 00:10:11,440 --> 00:10:14,000 Speaker 1: the Office, and I was like, outside, I was like, 161 00:10:14,080 --> 00:10:17,679 Speaker 1: oh great, and inside I was like, motherfucker, goddamn it. 162 00:10:17,800 --> 00:10:21,960 Speaker 1: That's fucking sucks. Because I love the British Office so much. 163 00:10:22,000 --> 00:10:25,320 Speaker 1: I didn't have an idea of like even what the 164 00:10:25,360 --> 00:10:27,760 Speaker 1: American Office would be, or what role I would play 165 00:10:27,880 --> 00:10:30,480 Speaker 1: or anything like that. But I was just like inside, 166 00:10:30,520 --> 00:10:34,560 Speaker 1: I was just kicking myself. And then the plug gets 167 00:10:34,559 --> 00:10:36,520 Speaker 1: pulled on that, and then I called my people and 168 00:10:36,520 --> 00:10:39,360 Speaker 1: I'm like, hey, I hear about this Office and they're like, yeah, Well. 169 00:10:39,360 --> 00:10:41,520 Speaker 1: It was a few months to go on that. So 170 00:10:41,720 --> 00:10:45,440 Speaker 1: fortunately that the space was opened and the door was opened. 171 00:10:45,559 --> 00:10:49,240 Speaker 1: The universe works in mysterious ways. Brian, That's right, it does, 172 00:10:49,559 --> 00:10:53,000 Speaker 1: and so you eventually get a call to go in 173 00:10:53,120 --> 00:10:57,600 Speaker 1: and meet correct. I was the first audition for the office. 174 00:10:57,840 --> 00:11:02,679 Speaker 1: I have in my office us at home, framed the 175 00:11:02,720 --> 00:11:06,800 Speaker 1: audition sheet of Alison Jones the first day of the 176 00:11:06,840 --> 00:11:10,560 Speaker 1: auditions for the office. And I was number one on 177 00:11:10,640 --> 00:11:15,120 Speaker 1: that list. So other people on the list, or Jenna Fisher, 178 00:11:15,120 --> 00:11:17,480 Speaker 1: you can find. It's on my Instagram somewhere. It might 179 00:11:17,520 --> 00:11:19,920 Speaker 1: even be in my book in the in the photos 180 00:11:20,000 --> 00:11:22,760 Speaker 1: included in my books, you guys can find it. But uh, 181 00:11:22,840 --> 00:11:26,520 Speaker 1: I think Adam Scott audition. I think there were, um 182 00:11:26,880 --> 00:11:29,520 Speaker 1: there was a lot of great talent that auditioned. My 183 00:11:29,600 --> 00:11:31,680 Speaker 1: story about that I'll share with you really quick was 184 00:11:31,720 --> 00:11:34,960 Speaker 1: when Steve left, Alison Jones came to me where he 185 00:11:35,000 --> 00:11:37,320 Speaker 1: had a little party, a little reception. She came and 186 00:11:37,400 --> 00:11:39,520 Speaker 1: she goes, I was looking for stuff for Steve that 187 00:11:39,720 --> 00:11:42,120 Speaker 1: I thought might be cool. She probably gave that to you, 188 00:11:42,200 --> 00:11:45,000 Speaker 1: like when she was searching around and she hands me 189 00:11:45,040 --> 00:11:48,800 Speaker 1: a sheet and it says Kevin, and it says Brian 190 00:11:48,800 --> 00:11:54,600 Speaker 1: baum Gartner Eric stone Street and Jorge Garcia no kidding. 191 00:11:54,720 --> 00:11:58,160 Speaker 1: So that was like the final three but oh fantastic. 192 00:11:59,320 --> 00:12:02,760 Speaker 1: So you although Eric stone Street is way richer than you, 193 00:12:04,000 --> 00:12:09,000 Speaker 1: he is now he sorry shoot sorry. So yeah. So 194 00:12:09,040 --> 00:12:12,520 Speaker 1: on that first audition, I auditioned for both Michael and Dwight, 195 00:12:13,200 --> 00:12:16,200 Speaker 1: and my Michael was just terrible. It was just simply 196 00:12:16,240 --> 00:12:18,800 Speaker 1: a Ricky Gervais impersonation. And I knew that I had 197 00:12:18,840 --> 00:12:21,320 Speaker 1: more of an affinity for the Dwight role. Uh, And 198 00:12:21,720 --> 00:12:24,360 Speaker 1: I knew that I could really deliver on that. I 199 00:12:24,440 --> 00:12:26,240 Speaker 1: just felt it in my bones. I'm like, oh, this 200 00:12:26,280 --> 00:12:29,720 Speaker 1: is me, this is that is exactly my kind of weird. Yeah, 201 00:12:29,760 --> 00:12:33,280 Speaker 1: well that I mean, you're but you were so different 202 00:12:33,720 --> 00:12:36,360 Speaker 1: also than Gareth in a British version. I mean he 203 00:12:36,440 --> 00:12:41,880 Speaker 1: was much crook, yeah, weasily and and Dwight way more 204 00:12:41,920 --> 00:12:48,880 Speaker 1: authoritarian and trying to derive power, whereas Gareth seemed more backstabby. Yeah, 205 00:12:48,920 --> 00:12:51,600 Speaker 1: we're different in a lot of ways and similar in 206 00:12:51,600 --> 00:12:55,840 Speaker 1: a lot of ways. And it was this incredible luxury 207 00:12:55,840 --> 00:13:00,720 Speaker 1: to go, Okay, here's Mackenzie Crook, brilliant actor, really strange 208 00:13:00,720 --> 00:13:04,920 Speaker 1: looking dude, and he killed as Gareth and was so 209 00:13:05,080 --> 00:13:09,040 Speaker 1: interesting and I get to steal all of his best stuff, 210 00:13:09,559 --> 00:13:12,360 Speaker 1: and then there's maybe stuff that I can add that's 211 00:13:12,400 --> 00:13:14,840 Speaker 1: more of my own, so it's win win all around. 212 00:13:14,920 --> 00:13:18,120 Speaker 1: So one of the things that Dwight is most known 213 00:13:18,160 --> 00:13:24,480 Speaker 1: for is saying absolutely ludicrous, preposterous stuff with a total 214 00:13:24,679 --> 00:13:27,079 Speaker 1: straight face and a dead pan, without any knowledge that 215 00:13:27,200 --> 00:13:31,120 Speaker 1: what he's saying is ridiculous. And really, Mackenzie did that 216 00:13:31,520 --> 00:13:35,640 Speaker 1: so beautifully and I really just frankly stole that from him. 217 00:13:35,760 --> 00:13:38,720 Speaker 1: Another thing I stole from him was the haircut um. 218 00:13:38,760 --> 00:13:40,400 Speaker 1: I read an interview with him where he said he 219 00:13:40,440 --> 00:13:43,400 Speaker 1: went to like just a local barber shop out in 220 00:13:43,480 --> 00:13:47,040 Speaker 1: like Slough or some you know, suburb of London, and 221 00:13:47,120 --> 00:13:49,480 Speaker 1: he kind of got the haircut that would be the 222 00:13:49,559 --> 00:13:52,760 Speaker 1: least flattering for his head and the most ridiculous haircut. 223 00:13:53,120 --> 00:13:54,680 Speaker 1: And I read that I was like, oh, I want 224 00:13:54,679 --> 00:13:57,079 Speaker 1: to do that. So I spent time in the mirror 225 00:13:57,200 --> 00:14:00,200 Speaker 1: figuring out what's the haircut that is going to make 226 00:14:00,240 --> 00:14:03,440 Speaker 1: me look the most ridiculous. I have a huge forehead, 227 00:14:03,679 --> 00:14:06,480 Speaker 1: and I was like, I'm going to frame my forehead 228 00:14:06,840 --> 00:14:10,920 Speaker 1: perfectly with these little draperies of hair that will highlight 229 00:14:11,000 --> 00:14:14,280 Speaker 1: the enormity of my carapace. Is that a word? I 230 00:14:14,320 --> 00:14:18,000 Speaker 1: think it is a word. They aren't even listening. Um, 231 00:14:18,040 --> 00:14:19,920 Speaker 1: and then like really short on the sides, and then 232 00:14:19,960 --> 00:14:23,680 Speaker 1: in intense, and then it evolved over time. Yes, the 233 00:14:23,840 --> 00:14:28,120 Speaker 1: office did have some pretty bad haircuts. Glad to know 234 00:14:28,200 --> 00:14:32,120 Speaker 1: that dwite style was on purpose. I wonder what Jim's 235 00:14:32,160 --> 00:14:37,840 Speaker 1: excuse was. Anyways, now reins on board the office crew. 236 00:14:37,960 --> 00:14:40,840 Speaker 1: But what about the rest of the team. Ken Kapas, 237 00:14:40,880 --> 00:14:45,400 Speaker 1: one of our amazing directors, told us about how another 238 00:14:45,640 --> 00:14:49,040 Speaker 1: very important saleswoman came to be a part of the show. 239 00:14:49,760 --> 00:14:53,640 Speaker 1: Tell me about what's true and what's what's lore or 240 00:14:53,760 --> 00:14:57,840 Speaker 1: fairy tale? How did Phillis get cast in the show? 241 00:14:58,360 --> 00:15:04,760 Speaker 1: I well, I will tell you what happened. So, um, 242 00:15:05,240 --> 00:15:07,640 Speaker 1: we were doing uh probably you know, kind of more 243 00:15:07,680 --> 00:15:13,600 Speaker 1: traditional auditions, and in the room Greg, myself, Phyllis Allison, 244 00:15:14,160 --> 00:15:16,440 Speaker 1: and the setup was is that I sat next to 245 00:15:16,480 --> 00:15:18,640 Speaker 1: a video camera and on the other side of the 246 00:15:18,720 --> 00:15:22,120 Speaker 1: video camera, Phillis was sitting and Phillis was reading off 247 00:15:22,320 --> 00:15:26,880 Speaker 1: and Phillis was her casting associate. And I hadn't met Phyllis. 248 00:15:26,920 --> 00:15:29,320 Speaker 1: All I knew is I was sitting next to her 249 00:15:29,360 --> 00:15:32,560 Speaker 1: and there was a camera between us and the actors 250 00:15:32,600 --> 00:15:35,840 Speaker 1: who were auditioning were some of them were kind of 251 00:15:35,880 --> 00:15:38,120 Speaker 1: playing it to the hilt and kind of working a 252 00:15:38,160 --> 00:15:42,400 Speaker 1: little too hard. Phillis, meanwhile, was reading her lines in 253 00:15:42,400 --> 00:15:46,360 Speaker 1: in this very kind of monotonal way, sometimes not even 254 00:15:46,400 --> 00:15:49,200 Speaker 1: looking up at the actors, just looking down at the 255 00:15:49,240 --> 00:15:52,640 Speaker 1: sheet of paper. And I just became fascinated with her 256 00:15:53,120 --> 00:15:55,280 Speaker 1: and started looking at her. And there was a couple 257 00:15:55,320 --> 00:15:58,160 Speaker 1: of actors whose auditions I kind of missed because I 258 00:15:58,280 --> 00:16:03,480 Speaker 1: kept throwing Phillis these glances. And I finally, during a break, 259 00:16:03,520 --> 00:16:06,240 Speaker 1: I took Greg aside and I said, this woman really 260 00:16:06,280 --> 00:16:10,240 Speaker 1: belongs in a paper company. And so we Greg thought 261 00:16:10,240 --> 00:16:14,520 Speaker 1: about it and he said sure, And now there's a 262 00:16:14,640 --> 00:16:19,840 Speaker 1: there is there is one additional detail that's so wonderful, 263 00:16:20,360 --> 00:16:23,840 Speaker 1: and that is that after Greg said sure, let's ask 264 00:16:23,880 --> 00:16:26,640 Speaker 1: her to be in the bullpen, and she agreed to 265 00:16:26,640 --> 00:16:28,640 Speaker 1: do it. That Greg and I had a discussion and 266 00:16:28,720 --> 00:16:32,520 Speaker 1: Greg said, do you know if she can act? And 267 00:16:32,640 --> 00:16:35,320 Speaker 1: I took Phyllis aside and I said, do you have 268 00:16:35,480 --> 00:16:40,000 Speaker 1: a lot of acting experience? And she said not, not really, 269 00:16:40,040 --> 00:16:43,520 Speaker 1: but she said that some years earlier that she had, 270 00:16:44,320 --> 00:16:49,080 Speaker 1: you know, worked in burlesque in Branson, Missouri, and I 271 00:16:49,120 --> 00:16:53,880 Speaker 1: said stop it. And she then later that week brought 272 00:16:53,960 --> 00:16:56,640 Speaker 1: in a photo of herself into like a very you know, 273 00:16:56,760 --> 00:17:01,880 Speaker 1: wonderfully old fashioned burlescout was on her desk for ten years, 274 00:17:02,080 --> 00:17:05,679 Speaker 1: nine seasons and the So that is the Phillis story 275 00:17:05,920 --> 00:17:10,200 Speaker 1: and and I couldn't be happier that she became such 276 00:17:10,240 --> 00:17:32,439 Speaker 1: a beloved member of the ensemble. So now the crew 277 00:17:32,840 --> 00:17:35,800 Speaker 1: had come together and the office was starting to air, 278 00:17:36,720 --> 00:17:40,639 Speaker 1: but we were still very uncertain about what our future 279 00:17:40,640 --> 00:17:43,320 Speaker 1: would be. Every day I felt like we were on 280 00:17:43,480 --> 00:17:50,040 Speaker 1: borrowed time. And then lightning struck. Steve landed a massive role. 281 00:17:50,560 --> 00:17:53,920 Speaker 1: Here's Angela Kenzie to tell us all about it. Forty 282 00:17:53,960 --> 00:17:57,240 Speaker 1: year old virgin, right year old virgin. That was the 283 00:17:57,320 --> 00:18:00,680 Speaker 1: game changer for Steve and Jenna. I have talked about 284 00:18:00,680 --> 00:18:02,400 Speaker 1: this where we had this moment where we're like, oh 285 00:18:02,440 --> 00:18:05,720 Speaker 1: my god, our friends Steve is gonna be like real famous, 286 00:18:05,720 --> 00:18:09,359 Speaker 1: like real deal famous. I really felt like they were 287 00:18:09,400 --> 00:18:12,240 Speaker 1: banking on Steve, and I was like, Okay, I will 288 00:18:12,280 --> 00:18:15,560 Speaker 1: attach myself to the Steve wagon. I'm banking on him too. 289 00:18:15,920 --> 00:18:18,359 Speaker 1: I thought that that was a really good sign, but 290 00:18:18,400 --> 00:18:21,199 Speaker 1: I still wasn't confident. I mean I still was like 291 00:18:21,440 --> 00:18:24,520 Speaker 1: when we finished those first six because season one was 292 00:18:24,560 --> 00:18:27,560 Speaker 1: just six, they printed our names on pieces of paper 293 00:18:27,600 --> 00:18:30,840 Speaker 1: and then laminated them and put a piece of velcrow 294 00:18:30,920 --> 00:18:32,760 Speaker 1: on the back and that's what stuck to your door 295 00:18:32,840 --> 00:18:36,080 Speaker 1: of your trailer. And I went up to my ripped that, 296 00:18:36,240 --> 00:18:38,760 Speaker 1: ripped it off and said, I'm gonna save that. That 297 00:18:38,920 --> 00:18:41,959 Speaker 1: was fun because you were sure it was done. I 298 00:18:42,000 --> 00:18:44,200 Speaker 1: just didn't know. I mean, they were putting so much 299 00:18:44,200 --> 00:18:46,639 Speaker 1: at the time. NBC had the show that was like 300 00:18:46,680 --> 00:18:49,960 Speaker 1: our rival sort of show that was this couple, and 301 00:18:50,000 --> 00:18:53,440 Speaker 1: they were on every bus everywhere. We weren't on any 302 00:18:53,520 --> 00:18:56,200 Speaker 1: buses if we weren't anywhere, And I was like, wow, 303 00:18:56,200 --> 00:18:59,600 Speaker 1: I've put a lot of money on those guys. Yes, 304 00:19:00,080 --> 00:19:02,800 Speaker 1: was not a whole lot of confidence. But Kevin Riley, 305 00:19:03,119 --> 00:19:05,000 Speaker 1: I was about to say, I knew Kevin Riley was 306 00:19:05,000 --> 00:19:07,080 Speaker 1: fighting for us, and I know that's why when we 307 00:19:07,160 --> 00:19:09,520 Speaker 1: ultimately won an Emmy, all you guys lifted him in 308 00:19:09,520 --> 00:19:11,520 Speaker 1: the air and that's the photo that made the l 309 00:19:11,560 --> 00:19:14,359 Speaker 1: a times because we all knew as a cast, we 310 00:19:14,400 --> 00:19:16,840 Speaker 1: stayed on the air because Kevin Riley put his neck 311 00:19:16,880 --> 00:19:19,920 Speaker 1: on the line for us. Right when did you feel 312 00:19:19,960 --> 00:19:25,520 Speaker 1: like we actually had security? I know, distinctly. Ahead Well, 313 00:19:25,760 --> 00:19:29,800 Speaker 1: I remember getting an email that our first Christmas episode 314 00:19:30,080 --> 00:19:33,119 Speaker 1: had become the number one download on iTunes, and I 315 00:19:33,160 --> 00:19:36,280 Speaker 1: was like what, and I said, oh, that's it. Mom 316 00:19:36,359 --> 00:19:39,600 Speaker 1: was getting rid of for Chevy Blazer. And then I 317 00:19:39,600 --> 00:19:45,879 Speaker 1: got a Honda. Um yeah, that that That was a 318 00:19:45,920 --> 00:19:50,240 Speaker 1: huge moment. And it's funny. Before that aired, there was 319 00:19:50,280 --> 00:19:52,199 Speaker 1: a moment that was very significant for you and I, 320 00:19:52,280 --> 00:19:56,840 Speaker 1: which was boost crews when we finally became series regulars. Yep, 321 00:19:57,000 --> 00:19:58,719 Speaker 1: I found out I was going to be a series regular. 322 00:19:58,880 --> 00:20:01,200 Speaker 1: And there's a photo that, um, I think Oscar took 323 00:20:01,200 --> 00:20:03,000 Speaker 1: of Jenna and I when I found out. We're jumping 324 00:20:03,040 --> 00:20:05,280 Speaker 1: up in the air holding hands. And I mean up 325 00:20:05,359 --> 00:20:07,600 Speaker 1: until then, we were basically like week to week. Like 326 00:20:07,640 --> 00:20:10,040 Speaker 1: I remember in Halloween episode when they were like, yeah, 327 00:20:10,040 --> 00:20:14,080 Speaker 1: we're gonna actually fire one person, We're all like, okay, Hi, 328 00:20:14,200 --> 00:20:18,520 Speaker 1: how's it going. I petitioned for it to be you. 329 00:20:19,359 --> 00:20:22,560 Speaker 1: I want you to know. I remember saying to my mom, 330 00:20:22,600 --> 00:20:25,000 Speaker 1: I'm like, Mom, you know pretty much anyone can go 331 00:20:25,359 --> 00:20:28,800 Speaker 1: really And she was like, well, every office needs a bitch, 332 00:20:30,200 --> 00:20:32,240 Speaker 1: That's what she said to you. Yeah, She's like, every 333 00:20:32,280 --> 00:20:35,680 Speaker 1: office needs the bitch. I'm like, your mom was confident 334 00:20:35,720 --> 00:20:38,359 Speaker 1: that it wouldn't be you. My mom was you haven't 335 00:20:38,520 --> 00:20:41,960 Speaker 1: you know Bertie Kinzie. She's like, don't speak it, don't 336 00:20:42,000 --> 00:20:48,600 Speaker 1: speak it put out the positive. Oh man, So at 337 00:20:48,640 --> 00:20:52,399 Speaker 1: this time, so this happens, Um, we shoot Booze cruise 338 00:20:52,560 --> 00:20:57,040 Speaker 1: in airs. After Christmas. Christmas episode happens on TV. It's 339 00:20:57,040 --> 00:21:02,359 Speaker 1: our largest audience ever ever. Then iTunes streaming. We become 340 00:21:02,520 --> 00:21:06,240 Speaker 1: number one in that and then Steve wins the Golden Globes. 341 00:21:06,720 --> 00:21:08,760 Speaker 1: What do you remember about that night of us at 342 00:21:08,760 --> 00:21:12,200 Speaker 1: the Golden Globes? Um? I remember I got a spray 343 00:21:12,240 --> 00:21:14,640 Speaker 1: tan because I thought I was really white, like too 344 00:21:14,640 --> 00:21:17,440 Speaker 1: white in my dress, and so people were like, get 345 00:21:17,440 --> 00:21:19,040 Speaker 1: a spray tan. And then Rain made fun of me 346 00:21:19,119 --> 00:21:21,080 Speaker 1: so much. He was like how what what? So one 347 00:21:21,119 --> 00:21:23,520 Speaker 1: day on the office, Angela Martin is like pale, and 348 00:21:23,560 --> 00:21:27,240 Speaker 1: the next day you look like orange. He was like, Angela, 349 00:21:27,359 --> 00:21:30,400 Speaker 1: I was like, I don't know me. And then um, 350 00:21:30,440 --> 00:21:33,480 Speaker 1: we weren't allowed to sit in the main room. Only 351 00:21:33,520 --> 00:21:35,720 Speaker 1: Steve got invited into the main room where the fancy 352 00:21:35,760 --> 00:21:38,760 Speaker 1: people were. We were in the annex and we watched 353 00:21:38,840 --> 00:21:43,080 Speaker 1: him win like on TV, and we were we we 354 00:21:43,280 --> 00:21:46,640 Speaker 1: about like fell out of our chairs, literally we fell 355 00:21:46,680 --> 00:21:48,280 Speaker 1: out of the stuff. But we made such a scene 356 00:21:48,280 --> 00:21:51,520 Speaker 1: that other fancy people were like those guys we were screaming, 357 00:21:51,560 --> 00:21:54,439 Speaker 1: were so excited. And when the party lets out, it 358 00:21:54,480 --> 00:21:56,280 Speaker 1: lets out into the room we were in, and we 359 00:21:56,440 --> 00:21:59,800 Speaker 1: like we tackled Steve. We're so excited. We were all 360 00:22:00,160 --> 00:22:04,000 Speaker 1: so excited. It's hard to put into words how special 361 00:22:04,040 --> 00:22:07,439 Speaker 1: it was for our little show to finally start taking 362 00:22:07,440 --> 00:22:12,000 Speaker 1: off and for Steve, our our show dad, to start 363 00:22:12,040 --> 00:22:17,399 Speaker 1: turning into such a massive star. You know, these days, 364 00:22:17,920 --> 00:22:21,520 Speaker 1: with how popular the Office has become, it almost feels 365 00:22:21,600 --> 00:22:25,920 Speaker 1: like it's always been that way, but it hasn't. And 366 00:22:26,240 --> 00:22:29,000 Speaker 1: I think having our own special way of doing things 367 00:22:29,160 --> 00:22:32,000 Speaker 1: really helped to make that happen. A big part of 368 00:22:32,040 --> 00:22:35,840 Speaker 1: that was having so many of our writers double as 369 00:22:35,840 --> 00:22:42,359 Speaker 1: our ensemble cast. So here's mos, Mike. Sure, when was 370 00:22:42,400 --> 00:22:45,639 Speaker 1: the decision made for writers to start acting in the 371 00:22:45,640 --> 00:22:48,520 Speaker 1: show from the before the before the pilot? I mean 372 00:22:48,680 --> 00:22:53,000 Speaker 1: Greg coming from SNL, Greg wanted SNL is very um. 373 00:22:53,200 --> 00:22:56,239 Speaker 1: The membrane between writers and actors is very thin, and 374 00:22:56,920 --> 00:22:59,040 Speaker 1: all the actors right stuff and a lot of the 375 00:22:59,080 --> 00:23:01,879 Speaker 1: writers are in sketch is and stuff, and almost everyone 376 00:23:01,920 --> 00:23:04,040 Speaker 1: there's a writer performer, even if he or she is 377 00:23:04,119 --> 00:23:07,439 Speaker 1: only on staff as a writer or something. And he 378 00:23:07,560 --> 00:23:09,879 Speaker 1: liked that, and he wanted to get rid of the 379 00:23:10,520 --> 00:23:13,320 Speaker 1: false dichotomy of writers and actors. So he hired Mindy 380 00:23:13,400 --> 00:23:16,000 Speaker 1: specifically because she was a performer. She was in a 381 00:23:16,119 --> 00:23:18,520 Speaker 1: play called Mattin Band that she had written in New York. 382 00:23:18,920 --> 00:23:20,919 Speaker 1: He hired b J because BJ was a stand up 383 00:23:20,920 --> 00:23:24,719 Speaker 1: and a writer. He and then like we made Paul 384 00:23:25,000 --> 00:23:28,399 Speaker 1: against his will play Toby in the first season, like 385 00:23:28,440 --> 00:23:30,479 Speaker 1: we forced it. He did not want to do it. 386 00:23:30,640 --> 00:23:33,879 Speaker 1: He hated it, he hated acting, but we forced him 387 00:23:33,920 --> 00:23:35,560 Speaker 1: to do it because it was so funny to have 388 00:23:35,640 --> 00:23:38,639 Speaker 1: him be the guy that Michael Scott hates more than anybody. 389 00:23:38,720 --> 00:23:40,480 Speaker 1: But it was that was always the design. I think 390 00:23:40,520 --> 00:23:44,400 Speaker 1: he wanted everybody to to write and perform, ideally except 391 00:23:44,440 --> 00:23:48,919 Speaker 1: for me, because he made me a freak. Most famously 392 00:23:49,000 --> 00:23:53,359 Speaker 1: and most annoyingly to me, played the character most shrewd. 393 00:23:53,560 --> 00:23:58,719 Speaker 1: Oh my god. We never talked about most Oh my god. 394 00:23:59,600 --> 00:24:01,639 Speaker 1: I I assumed it was gonna be your first question. 395 00:24:01,680 --> 00:24:03,639 Speaker 1: I I know I have a whole section on it. 396 00:24:03,680 --> 00:24:08,280 Speaker 1: But you were so great. Um, all right, well then 397 00:24:08,359 --> 00:24:11,560 Speaker 1: just very quickly, sure you were cast as most I was, 398 00:24:12,080 --> 00:24:14,800 Speaker 1: and you're happy about that. Now. I hated it. I 399 00:24:14,840 --> 00:24:16,520 Speaker 1: hated every second of it. Why did you hate it? 400 00:24:16,560 --> 00:24:19,560 Speaker 1: Because I was wearing wool clothes and had a neck 401 00:24:19,600 --> 00:24:22,320 Speaker 1: beard and it was always really hot and I didn't 402 00:24:22,320 --> 00:24:26,280 Speaker 1: The joke was I didn't talk, and that's not a 403 00:24:26,320 --> 00:24:30,440 Speaker 1: funny joke. And it was always like I had to 404 00:24:30,480 --> 00:24:32,280 Speaker 1: get up at four thirty in the morning and drive 405 00:24:32,320 --> 00:24:35,040 Speaker 1: to the middle of nowhere and wear wool clothes, and 406 00:24:35,080 --> 00:24:36,879 Speaker 1: it was. And then the joke became with the writers 407 00:24:36,920 --> 00:24:38,800 Speaker 1: because they knew how much I hated it. They loved 408 00:24:38,880 --> 00:24:40,800 Speaker 1: like what if your shirtless, what if you're on a 409 00:24:40,800 --> 00:24:42,679 Speaker 1: see saw? What if you're on a trampoline, What if 410 00:24:42,680 --> 00:24:45,720 Speaker 1: you're running as fast as you can alongside a car 411 00:24:45,840 --> 00:24:48,320 Speaker 1: like a dog. I was at parks and wreck and 412 00:24:48,359 --> 00:24:50,000 Speaker 1: they would call me and they like, we need most 413 00:24:50,040 --> 00:24:52,080 Speaker 1: and I was like, I have a job, I have 414 00:24:52,160 --> 00:24:54,399 Speaker 1: a life, I have young children, and they would just 415 00:24:54,480 --> 00:24:57,120 Speaker 1: make me do it. They would compete with each other 416 00:24:57,160 --> 00:24:59,240 Speaker 1: to see what was the most humiliating possible thing they 417 00:24:59,240 --> 00:25:02,080 Speaker 1: could have me do. But that that episode Paul. So 418 00:25:02,200 --> 00:25:04,920 Speaker 1: Paul wrote that episode where they where Jim and Pam 419 00:25:04,960 --> 00:25:07,239 Speaker 1: go to shoot farms, and he wrote in the in 420 00:25:07,280 --> 00:25:09,919 Speaker 1: the script, it literally says, Mose appears out of nowhere 421 00:25:09,920 --> 00:25:11,880 Speaker 1: and runs along the side of the car like a dog. 422 00:25:12,320 --> 00:25:15,440 Speaker 1: That's what it says. That's I'm a human being. And 423 00:25:15,840 --> 00:25:17,879 Speaker 1: so we did that scene. It was a hundred and 424 00:25:17,880 --> 00:25:20,760 Speaker 1: forty degrees. I was in woolf clothes and and old 425 00:25:20,840 --> 00:25:24,240 Speaker 1: work boots that like didn't fit properly, and that sprint 426 00:25:25,040 --> 00:25:28,240 Speaker 1: is probably a hundred and fifty yards down that dirt 427 00:25:28,320 --> 00:25:30,120 Speaker 1: road from the time I come out to the time 428 00:25:30,200 --> 00:25:32,520 Speaker 1: I had to run all the way up into Shrewt farms. 429 00:25:32,560 --> 00:25:35,560 Speaker 1: It of course cuts off long before I ever get there, 430 00:25:35,960 --> 00:25:37,479 Speaker 1: but they were like, you got it. Paul was directing, 431 00:25:37,520 --> 00:25:39,800 Speaker 1: was like, you gotta run all the way there. So 432 00:25:39,880 --> 00:25:43,639 Speaker 1: I did over and over and over again, probably twelve 433 00:25:43,720 --> 00:25:46,160 Speaker 1: or fourteen takes because Paul delighted in it so much. 434 00:25:46,200 --> 00:25:48,720 Speaker 1: And then later in that episode, I'm in Jurassic Park 435 00:25:48,760 --> 00:25:52,159 Speaker 1: pajamas that don't fit me properly. And then Greg pitched 436 00:25:52,160 --> 00:25:53,520 Speaker 1: the thing where he was like, what if there's a 437 00:25:53,520 --> 00:25:55,880 Speaker 1: loud noise and Pam goes to the window and looks 438 00:25:55,880 --> 00:25:58,600 Speaker 1: at it, and Moses in the outhouse with his pants 439 00:25:58,640 --> 00:26:00,800 Speaker 1: down and the doors flapping clothes. I mean it was 440 00:26:00,880 --> 00:26:03,960 Speaker 1: like it was aggressive. It was. They knew I never 441 00:26:03,960 --> 00:26:05,560 Speaker 1: should have been. If I had said, like, I love 442 00:26:05,640 --> 00:26:07,159 Speaker 1: doing this, they never would have put me in the 443 00:26:07,200 --> 00:26:09,159 Speaker 1: show again. But because I hated it so much and 444 00:26:09,240 --> 00:26:13,120 Speaker 1: was so vocal about hating it, Well, you have confirmed something. 445 00:26:13,480 --> 00:26:16,760 Speaker 1: Moses a is a fan favorite. You hear about people 446 00:26:16,800 --> 00:26:20,119 Speaker 1: loving most. Okay, let me tell you something. What I 447 00:26:20,160 --> 00:26:25,240 Speaker 1: have always said is I think Moses a writer's room joke. Oh, 448 00:26:25,680 --> 00:26:29,719 Speaker 1: you have now confirmed without a doubt. Then it was 449 00:26:29,920 --> 00:26:33,320 Speaker 1: literally a writer's room jo meant to torture, you meant 450 00:26:33,359 --> 00:26:36,439 Speaker 1: specifically to make me miserable. Yes, yes, I was in 451 00:26:36,440 --> 00:26:40,600 Speaker 1: a coffin. I was like hanging upside down somewhere like. 452 00:26:40,680 --> 00:26:42,359 Speaker 1: There were a bunch of things that we did that 453 00:26:42,440 --> 00:26:45,199 Speaker 1: were then just cut out of the show. I was 454 00:26:45,280 --> 00:26:48,840 Speaker 1: riding a moped over like trying to jump a bunch 455 00:26:48,880 --> 00:26:51,880 Speaker 1: of cars. They made me do that moped thing. I 456 00:26:51,920 --> 00:26:53,679 Speaker 1: don't know how to drive a moped. I don't know 457 00:26:53,680 --> 00:26:55,359 Speaker 1: how to drive a moped. No one taught me how 458 00:26:55,359 --> 00:26:56,919 Speaker 1: to drive. They were like just get on and just 459 00:26:56,960 --> 00:26:59,800 Speaker 1: rev the thing, because the point was if I wipe out, 460 00:26:59,840 --> 00:27:02,800 Speaker 1: it will be really funny now, and then run across 461 00:27:02,840 --> 00:27:05,800 Speaker 1: the roofs of these cars again. If you slip and 462 00:27:05,840 --> 00:27:08,600 Speaker 1: fall and break your pelvis, it'll be really funny. Like 463 00:27:08,640 --> 00:27:12,000 Speaker 1: there was the subtext was always the worst this goes 464 00:27:12,160 --> 00:27:14,840 Speaker 1: the fun year it will be when it happens. Well, 465 00:27:14,880 --> 00:27:17,679 Speaker 1: I this was after you left. I mean sort of 466 00:27:17,680 --> 00:27:21,160 Speaker 1: from the beginning, but then more and more Kevin started 467 00:27:21,359 --> 00:27:25,040 Speaker 1: having a lot of physical comedy type stuff, and there 468 00:27:25,040 --> 00:27:29,240 Speaker 1: would be times where I would go to the writer's 469 00:27:29,480 --> 00:27:31,840 Speaker 1: room and say, I don't remember if you were ever there, 470 00:27:31,840 --> 00:27:34,639 Speaker 1: but I would say, you guys are writing for Homer 471 00:27:34,680 --> 00:27:39,199 Speaker 1: Simpson right now and a cartoon you can force to 472 00:27:39,240 --> 00:27:43,160 Speaker 1: do whatever you'd like him to do. He can do whatever, right, 473 00:27:43,560 --> 00:27:47,040 Speaker 1: but I can't. My body doesn't work that way. No 474 00:27:47,080 --> 00:27:50,399 Speaker 1: one's does, right. Like the most painful, I feel like 475 00:27:50,440 --> 00:27:53,639 Speaker 1: I still have pain from it. Is the most innocuous. 476 00:27:53,640 --> 00:27:56,840 Speaker 1: You would never ever ever know. The office workers have 477 00:27:56,880 --> 00:27:59,520 Speaker 1: to go to the warehouse and move boxes, so they 478 00:27:59,560 --> 00:28:02,359 Speaker 1: decide are gonna put remember that episode yeah boiled down? 479 00:28:02,600 --> 00:28:04,640 Speaker 1: So they could move boxes to get to the troll 480 00:28:06,720 --> 00:28:10,320 Speaker 1: and everyone thought the big guy falling is really funny. 481 00:28:10,359 --> 00:28:14,960 Speaker 1: So I just kept falling slipping and which means on 482 00:28:15,000 --> 00:28:19,800 Speaker 1: a concrete surface with oil kneecap on concrete over and 483 00:28:20,040 --> 00:28:25,720 Speaker 1: it's like, guys, I can't keep You've gotta liked Yeah, 484 00:28:25,960 --> 00:28:28,439 Speaker 1: there has to be some other um. We had a 485 00:28:28,920 --> 00:28:31,120 Speaker 1: we had a similar thing on Parson Wreck where Nick 486 00:28:31,160 --> 00:28:34,040 Speaker 1: Offerman's character Ron Swanson was a sort of he was 487 00:28:34,080 --> 00:28:37,000 Speaker 1: a little cartoonish in his abilities to do various things, 488 00:28:37,080 --> 00:28:39,600 Speaker 1: and we wrote this joke where he wanted to get 489 00:28:39,640 --> 00:28:42,000 Speaker 1: he was eating a he got lunch and he was 490 00:28:42,040 --> 00:28:45,080 Speaker 1: eating his hamburger and and the joke was he wanted 491 00:28:45,080 --> 00:28:46,840 Speaker 1: to get out of the lunch as quickly as possible. 492 00:28:46,840 --> 00:28:49,120 Speaker 1: So in the script, he shoved the entire hamburger into 493 00:28:49,120 --> 00:28:51,320 Speaker 1: his mouth and ate it in one bite. So they 494 00:28:51,440 --> 00:28:53,720 Speaker 1: Dean Holland was directing it, and he was like, okay 495 00:28:53,720 --> 00:28:56,880 Speaker 1: action and Nick did his best, but then Dean was like, 496 00:28:56,920 --> 00:28:59,000 Speaker 1: you you really need to eat the whole thing in 497 00:28:59,000 --> 00:29:01,280 Speaker 1: one bite, and he was like, this is a like 498 00:29:01,320 --> 00:29:04,800 Speaker 1: a half pound hamburger. Okay, Like I maybe the character 499 00:29:04,920 --> 00:29:09,680 Speaker 1: can do this, but a human can. Yeah all right, 500 00:29:09,720 --> 00:29:13,200 Speaker 1: yeah right, sorry, yeah, you're not your character, Right, Okay, 501 00:29:14,720 --> 00:29:17,280 Speaker 1: I I almost wiped out super hard on that moped. 502 00:29:17,440 --> 00:29:19,760 Speaker 1: Like well, first of all, the joke was someone pulls 503 00:29:19,840 --> 00:29:21,720 Speaker 1: up in the car. It was the Garden Party episode. 504 00:29:21,920 --> 00:29:23,840 Speaker 1: Someone pulls up in the car and I'm the valve 505 00:29:23,960 --> 00:29:25,720 Speaker 1: Mos the Valet, and I get in and they're like, 506 00:29:25,760 --> 00:29:27,840 Speaker 1: just get in and tear off down this road, right, 507 00:29:28,480 --> 00:29:30,440 Speaker 1: And the joke at the time is why is most 508 00:29:30,560 --> 00:29:34,040 Speaker 1: driving so fast and so insistent? And so I did, 509 00:29:34,200 --> 00:29:36,960 Speaker 1: and like, I tore off down the road and I'm 510 00:29:37,000 --> 00:29:39,200 Speaker 1: not a stunt driver. I don't know, like and suddenly 511 00:29:39,240 --> 00:29:42,240 Speaker 1: I'm going sixty five on a dirt road and on 512 00:29:42,320 --> 00:29:45,280 Speaker 1: a set and the back tires fish tail because it's 513 00:29:45,280 --> 00:29:49,560 Speaker 1: a dirt road, and I like slow down and was like, 514 00:29:49,560 --> 00:29:52,520 Speaker 1: oh right, I'm not This isn't a no one's gonna 515 00:29:52,520 --> 00:29:54,840 Speaker 1: like save me. If I crashed this car, I'll die. 516 00:29:55,400 --> 00:29:57,720 Speaker 1: Because I also got in and didn't put my seatbelt 517 00:29:57,760 --> 00:29:59,720 Speaker 1: on because the joke was you get in and take 518 00:29:59,760 --> 00:30:01,520 Speaker 1: off off, and I was like, oh my god, I 519 00:30:01,600 --> 00:30:03,960 Speaker 1: just I forgot for a second that I'm not fictional. 520 00:30:04,280 --> 00:30:09,320 Speaker 1: I'm sure I'm not fictional. I'm a human could suffer 521 00:30:09,400 --> 00:30:12,920 Speaker 1: consequences mine very similar to that was. I think it 522 00:30:13,000 --> 00:30:16,800 Speaker 1: was when there's the storyline of Dwight telling Holly that 523 00:30:16,800 --> 00:30:19,840 Speaker 1: that Kevin is slow, and there was a scene we 524 00:30:19,960 --> 00:30:22,520 Speaker 1: did a number of different ways. This didn't end up 525 00:30:22,560 --> 00:30:27,280 Speaker 1: in but where I'm driving and she's like you're driving. 526 00:30:27,360 --> 00:30:29,840 Speaker 1: You have a car, and I'm like, yeah, I have 527 00:30:29,880 --> 00:30:34,080 Speaker 1: a car. And at one point they were like, okay, 528 00:30:34,280 --> 00:30:37,560 Speaker 1: so do that, but then get out of the car, 529 00:30:38,360 --> 00:30:42,479 Speaker 1: but leave it running, like leave it, leave it like, 530 00:30:42,600 --> 00:30:45,479 Speaker 1: leave it, leave it in gear. So like as you 531 00:30:45,480 --> 00:30:47,520 Speaker 1: step out, the car is gonna move forward and then 532 00:30:47,560 --> 00:30:50,720 Speaker 1: we'll have somebody else who can jump in and stop it. Yeah, 533 00:30:50,920 --> 00:30:57,760 Speaker 1: I did, like profound Meanwhile, it's vedas car, right, like 534 00:30:57,800 --> 00:31:02,600 Speaker 1: her real car. I uh. That joke that they did 535 00:31:02,600 --> 00:31:04,520 Speaker 1: with Kevin in the later years where he didn't know 536 00:31:04,600 --> 00:31:10,120 Speaker 1: the alphabet elemento. Paul pitched that in season two and 537 00:31:10,160 --> 00:31:13,280 Speaker 1: we were like, Paul, that's insane, Like you can't say 538 00:31:13,320 --> 00:31:15,520 Speaker 1: that he doesn't know that he's an accountant. He's a 539 00:31:15,560 --> 00:31:18,200 Speaker 1: working accountant. Like he might not be the best accountant, 540 00:31:18,520 --> 00:31:21,680 Speaker 1: he's an accountant. It made Paul laugh so hard, and 541 00:31:21,720 --> 00:31:24,840 Speaker 1: the second that Paul took over the show, that joke 542 00:31:24,960 --> 00:31:27,480 Speaker 1: aired and I was like well that's he got what 543 00:31:27,520 --> 00:31:32,320 Speaker 1: he wanted six years later. Well, at least someone was 544 00:31:32,400 --> 00:31:37,480 Speaker 1: having fun. But look, we all have a part to play, 545 00:31:37,600 --> 00:31:41,040 Speaker 1: am I right, even if our parts happened to be 546 00:31:41,120 --> 00:31:45,280 Speaker 1: more dangerous than others like Oscar. I don't remember Oscar 547 00:31:45,600 --> 00:31:50,280 Speaker 1: doing any crazy stunts or being turned into an indestructible 548 00:31:50,400 --> 00:31:54,920 Speaker 1: office cartoon. Right, he had the honor of being the 549 00:31:54,960 --> 00:31:59,719 Speaker 1: one who always got to keep his composure. You, and 550 00:32:00,000 --> 00:32:04,760 Speaker 1: certainly over in accounting, you were really the straight man, 551 00:32:05,720 --> 00:32:09,280 Speaker 1: like you had your idiosyncrasies, yes, I think so, but 552 00:32:09,360 --> 00:32:12,720 Speaker 1: in the office you were you were the barometer of 553 00:32:12,840 --> 00:32:18,200 Speaker 1: reason very often Jim and myself. Yes, which is what 554 00:32:18,280 --> 00:32:21,000 Speaker 1: they're talking about in the coalition of reason. Yeah, that's it. 555 00:32:22,320 --> 00:32:25,840 Speaker 1: Are you you know, if you're if you're looking at 556 00:32:25,840 --> 00:32:29,560 Speaker 1: sort of the history of comedy in a way, how 557 00:32:29,600 --> 00:32:34,800 Speaker 1: does what is it? Oh? Come on, you can do it, Brian, 558 00:32:34,880 --> 00:32:37,400 Speaker 1: I believe. And you ask you a question, the archetype 559 00:32:37,440 --> 00:32:39,800 Speaker 1: of the straight man sort of in the history of comedy. 560 00:32:39,800 --> 00:32:42,880 Speaker 1: Can you talk about that a little bit? Is that 561 00:32:43,280 --> 00:32:46,960 Speaker 1: is that easier for you to do or is that harder? Oh? 562 00:32:47,000 --> 00:32:50,520 Speaker 1: They're both good. It's apples and oranges. It's lovely. It 563 00:32:50,600 --> 00:32:55,120 Speaker 1: was a lovely character because he's he's a straight man, 564 00:32:55,280 --> 00:32:57,960 Speaker 1: but he still has a little bit delusions of grandeur, 565 00:32:58,080 --> 00:33:01,840 Speaker 1: which you need because that you need that, right right, 566 00:33:02,000 --> 00:33:07,160 Speaker 1: that well, nobody's perfect or nobody totally straight exactly, Yeah, 567 00:33:07,200 --> 00:33:09,880 Speaker 1: because Angela was a little off too. She was almost there, 568 00:33:09,880 --> 00:33:11,840 Speaker 1: but then she was a little off. Everybody was a 569 00:33:11,880 --> 00:33:15,680 Speaker 1: little off, right, Toby, every single even Jim. He was 570 00:33:15,760 --> 00:33:18,240 Speaker 1: too much of a prankster. He didn't take the job seriously. 571 00:33:18,880 --> 00:33:23,800 Speaker 1: He was a little too right, juvenile. But you you know, 572 00:33:23,840 --> 00:33:27,120 Speaker 1: I think so many of the scenes between you and 573 00:33:27,200 --> 00:33:31,200 Speaker 1: Steve were so special because you know you had to 574 00:33:31,200 --> 00:33:34,440 Speaker 1: be at Yeah, yeah, did you just sit there and 575 00:33:34,480 --> 00:33:37,240 Speaker 1: stare at him, just stare at him? Well, and you 576 00:33:37,240 --> 00:33:39,240 Speaker 1: would do that, well he said things. You would get 577 00:33:39,240 --> 00:33:41,320 Speaker 1: the laugh because you did that. Yeah, that's all you 578 00:33:41,360 --> 00:33:45,160 Speaker 1: had to do, stare at him. And people at home go, 579 00:33:45,240 --> 00:33:48,320 Speaker 1: what is he thinking? He can't say anything, it's his job, 580 00:33:48,720 --> 00:33:51,200 Speaker 1: he's being good, and now he's excusing themself, thank you 581 00:33:51,360 --> 00:33:55,320 Speaker 1: and just get up and leave, right because he's like Oscar, 582 00:33:56,040 --> 00:33:58,920 Speaker 1: and it's the build up, the fucking Correll build up. Oscar, 583 00:33:58,960 --> 00:34:02,720 Speaker 1: can I see you from moments? It down, Um, I 584 00:34:02,760 --> 00:34:05,960 Speaker 1: ask you something, Um, I'm going to go in for 585 00:34:06,000 --> 00:34:09,400 Speaker 1: a colonoscope, And I was, what can I do to 586 00:34:09,960 --> 00:34:12,880 Speaker 1: make it more comfortable for him or me? And he 587 00:34:13,000 --> 00:34:15,280 Speaker 1: just trails it off and just leaves it like it's 588 00:34:15,280 --> 00:34:19,439 Speaker 1: like it's a solid, like a reasonable question to ask me. 589 00:34:19,880 --> 00:34:21,759 Speaker 1: And I'm supposed what am I supposed to tell him? 590 00:34:21,800 --> 00:34:25,600 Speaker 1: I think, I think I just excuse myself. I'm like, okay, Mike, 591 00:34:25,920 --> 00:34:48,560 Speaker 1: I just got up and left. So we're making the 592 00:34:48,640 --> 00:34:52,560 Speaker 1: office right, and we're starting to get some fans, but 593 00:34:52,560 --> 00:34:55,720 Speaker 1: then it turns out that some of our fans will 594 00:34:55,800 --> 00:35:01,840 Speaker 1: actually be joining our Motley crew, like the wonderful Ellie Kemper. 595 00:35:02,360 --> 00:35:07,040 Speaker 1: Did you watch The Office, Brian? Did I watch The Office? 596 00:35:06,480 --> 00:35:09,799 Speaker 1: I devoured The Office. I was an enormous Office fan. 597 00:35:09,960 --> 00:35:11,960 Speaker 1: You don't know what this is like, because obviously you 598 00:35:11,960 --> 00:35:15,680 Speaker 1: were on it from the start. But I loved The Office. 599 00:35:15,880 --> 00:35:19,160 Speaker 1: I watched it every week. It's very strange to go 600 00:35:19,640 --> 00:35:22,239 Speaker 1: from watching a television show that you happen to love 601 00:35:22,400 --> 00:35:25,520 Speaker 1: and then being in the room with everybody. I actually 602 00:35:26,840 --> 00:35:28,920 Speaker 1: the first day, of course, felt surreal for many reasons, 603 00:35:28,960 --> 00:35:32,080 Speaker 1: but it's it's weird when you I think maybe anyone 604 00:35:32,080 --> 00:35:34,279 Speaker 1: has had this experience. If you watch someone on a 605 00:35:34,320 --> 00:35:37,640 Speaker 1: screen and then you see them in person, it feels otherworldly. 606 00:35:38,120 --> 00:35:40,799 Speaker 1: And particularly because I already loved everyone on it and 607 00:35:40,840 --> 00:35:44,280 Speaker 1: admired them so much, it felt even stranger because yeah, 608 00:35:44,320 --> 00:35:46,560 Speaker 1: I was a huge fan. It's very weird. I really 609 00:35:46,560 --> 00:35:49,560 Speaker 1: tried to play it cool. Well, So, wait, literally, you 610 00:35:49,600 --> 00:35:53,400 Speaker 1: watched it Thursday nights. Yes, yes, I did. I lived 611 00:35:53,440 --> 00:35:56,839 Speaker 1: in New York at the time, and we always my 612 00:35:56,840 --> 00:35:59,640 Speaker 1: my whole family was a fan of the Office. Have 613 00:35:59,760 --> 00:36:03,160 Speaker 1: I believe Mose Mike Sure reminded us of my older 614 00:36:03,160 --> 00:36:05,799 Speaker 1: brother John college, like when John was in college, so 615 00:36:05,840 --> 00:36:07,560 Speaker 1: we had like a big joke about that. But yeah, No, 616 00:36:07,680 --> 00:36:09,280 Speaker 1: I lived in New York and I watched The Office 617 00:36:09,280 --> 00:36:13,960 Speaker 1: every Thursday. And had you met Alison Jones before? No, 618 00:36:14,680 --> 00:36:21,040 Speaker 1: So I met with Greg and Mike. Greg Daniels and 619 00:36:21,120 --> 00:36:23,319 Speaker 1: Mike Sure. I think I was meeting with them for 620 00:36:23,360 --> 00:36:26,080 Speaker 1: Parks and Recreation. This was before Parks and Recreation was 621 00:36:26,400 --> 00:36:29,000 Speaker 1: had aired, and I think that's what it was about. 622 00:36:29,040 --> 00:36:31,080 Speaker 1: I really don't know. It was sort of just a 623 00:36:31,120 --> 00:36:34,600 Speaker 1: general hello. And after that I met Alison when I 624 00:36:34,600 --> 00:36:37,919 Speaker 1: actually read for Parks and Recreation, which it wasn't called 625 00:36:37,960 --> 00:36:40,560 Speaker 1: Parks and Recreation. It was like untitled make Sure Project. 626 00:36:41,040 --> 00:36:43,560 Speaker 1: And then I didn't get a part on Parks and Recreation. 627 00:36:43,600 --> 00:36:46,600 Speaker 1: But then they called me back later for the office 628 00:36:47,000 --> 00:36:50,279 Speaker 1: and your first day on set? Were you nervous? I 629 00:36:50,400 --> 00:36:54,680 Speaker 1: was so nervous. I first, Okay, I can't remember the 630 00:36:54,719 --> 00:36:58,440 Speaker 1: actual very first person I met. I remember telling John Krasinski, 631 00:36:58,560 --> 00:37:01,319 Speaker 1: who I had read was a turn at Conan and 632 00:37:01,400 --> 00:37:04,320 Speaker 1: I had been an Internet Conan because my first scene, 633 00:37:04,640 --> 00:37:07,399 Speaker 1: John is making a Jim Jim, excuse me, it's making 634 00:37:07,440 --> 00:37:10,080 Speaker 1: a copy at the copy machine, and I'm like sitting 635 00:37:10,120 --> 00:37:13,160 Speaker 1: there and I was like, like, in between takes, I 636 00:37:13,239 --> 00:37:17,359 Speaker 1: was like, so, um, yeah, um, you'ven turned to Conan, right? 637 00:37:19,360 --> 00:37:22,360 Speaker 1: Why did I feel the need to strike up conversation. 638 00:37:22,640 --> 00:37:24,719 Speaker 1: I am the new person. I think I should stay 639 00:37:24,800 --> 00:37:27,879 Speaker 1: quiet until've spoken to But I was unusually bold and 640 00:37:27,920 --> 00:37:30,479 Speaker 1: he said, oh, yeah, you know Conan, and I said 641 00:37:30,560 --> 00:37:35,359 Speaker 1: I had turned there too. That was it. I don't 642 00:37:35,360 --> 00:37:37,440 Speaker 1: know if somebody walked away, somebody saved me, because I 643 00:37:37,440 --> 00:37:40,320 Speaker 1: wouldn't have. I wouldn't have kept that conversation going very well. 644 00:37:41,000 --> 00:37:42,799 Speaker 1: And then and then the big news Brian I had 645 00:37:42,840 --> 00:37:44,879 Speaker 1: to dye my hair that day. I have red hair, 646 00:37:45,719 --> 00:37:47,319 Speaker 1: and as soon as I got there, they were like, 647 00:37:47,440 --> 00:37:50,000 Speaker 1: you have to dye your hair brown. And I remember, Mindy, 648 00:37:50,080 --> 00:37:52,000 Speaker 1: I saw in the morning and I started in the afternoon, 649 00:37:52,560 --> 00:37:54,879 Speaker 1: and I had brown hair in the afternoon, and she said, 650 00:37:55,200 --> 00:37:56,640 Speaker 1: why did you let them do that? I would never 651 00:37:56,680 --> 00:38:01,080 Speaker 1: let anyone dye my hair like us because in my 652 00:38:01,120 --> 00:38:05,800 Speaker 1: first jobs ever, they can do whatever they want. Anyway, 653 00:38:05,800 --> 00:38:08,520 Speaker 1: why did they dye your hair? Well, you know, I 654 00:38:08,520 --> 00:38:11,080 Speaker 1: still don't know. I think the reason was they said 655 00:38:11,080 --> 00:38:13,439 Speaker 1: it looked that this new character's hair looked too close 656 00:38:13,480 --> 00:38:17,759 Speaker 1: to Pam's color. But I PAMs never Jenna. But I 657 00:38:17,760 --> 00:38:20,120 Speaker 1: mean the character Pam. Pam didn't have red hair, did 658 00:38:20,160 --> 00:38:25,160 Speaker 1: she like? Was it chest study? Yeah, I guess I'm 659 00:38:25,200 --> 00:38:27,960 Speaker 1: not real good at hair. I'll be honest with you, honestly. 660 00:38:27,960 --> 00:38:32,040 Speaker 1: Apparently neither of mind. But anyway, Yeah, first day memories 661 00:38:32,080 --> 00:38:35,759 Speaker 1: are sort of blurry because I was so I don't know, 662 00:38:35,920 --> 00:38:37,760 Speaker 1: I don't think you can relate to this feeling, because, 663 00:38:37,800 --> 00:38:39,200 Speaker 1: like I said, you were there from the start, but 664 00:38:39,239 --> 00:38:41,880 Speaker 1: it was just so it was first day of school, 665 00:38:41,920 --> 00:38:44,960 Speaker 1: but to the millions of degree because it was like 666 00:38:45,080 --> 00:38:47,880 Speaker 1: I already I'm like in awe of all these people, 667 00:38:47,920 --> 00:38:51,799 Speaker 1: and I'm the new girl, don't mess anything up, And 668 00:38:52,680 --> 00:38:57,120 Speaker 1: of course she didn't. But there was another new girl, 669 00:38:57,480 --> 00:39:01,240 Speaker 1: well woman, who came into the office family a little 670 00:39:01,320 --> 00:39:06,160 Speaker 1: later on Amy Ryan and you our fans welcomed her 671 00:39:06,320 --> 00:39:09,880 Speaker 1: with such open arms. I think maybe that was because 672 00:39:09,920 --> 00:39:13,319 Speaker 1: she did the one thing no one thought could be done. 673 00:39:14,280 --> 00:39:18,879 Speaker 1: She completed Michael. But come on, don't we all kind 674 00:39:18,880 --> 00:39:25,440 Speaker 1: of wish she'd completed Kevin instead. You came in ultimately 675 00:39:25,560 --> 00:39:28,040 Speaker 1: to be a love interest for Michael. But I have 676 00:39:28,200 --> 00:39:32,880 Speaker 1: to tell you the storyline between you and I on 677 00:39:33,000 --> 00:39:36,640 Speaker 1: the show. Um gets talked about a lot, and I 678 00:39:36,680 --> 00:39:40,960 Speaker 1: think in the history of table reads that we had 679 00:39:40,960 --> 00:39:45,319 Speaker 1: on the show, it was never more laughed because of 680 00:39:45,360 --> 00:39:48,640 Speaker 1: the how long that joke and maybe he used to 681 00:39:48,680 --> 00:39:51,560 Speaker 1: set up. And you know when I get asked now 682 00:39:51,600 --> 00:39:56,640 Speaker 1: about moments in the entire show where I could not 683 00:39:57,200 --> 00:40:01,680 Speaker 1: stop laughing, was Hugh and the but it is literally 684 00:40:02,320 --> 00:40:06,640 Speaker 1: if you with the change, this is the nickel, this 685 00:40:06,680 --> 00:40:09,800 Speaker 1: is this is a button. And there was something about 686 00:40:09,840 --> 00:40:13,799 Speaker 1: the sweetness on your face and you just very genuinely 687 00:40:13,920 --> 00:40:16,880 Speaker 1: explaining to Kevin that this was a button made me 688 00:40:16,960 --> 00:40:20,520 Speaker 1: smile every single time, and I was like, I can't 689 00:40:20,680 --> 00:40:23,480 Speaker 1: do it, and they're right there with the Cam'm like, 690 00:40:23,560 --> 00:40:26,279 Speaker 1: I can't do it, and basically then just turned it 691 00:40:26,280 --> 00:40:30,120 Speaker 1: into a grin to say I'm gonna I'm gonna bang you. 692 00:40:30,520 --> 00:40:35,200 Speaker 1: But that Yeah, do you think that story could play now? 693 00:40:36,719 --> 00:40:38,960 Speaker 1: I mean, there's so much of The Office that I 694 00:40:38,960 --> 00:40:42,200 Speaker 1: don't know if it could play now. Um, it's interesting. 695 00:40:42,320 --> 00:40:45,719 Speaker 1: So I just happen to watch that episode because my 696 00:40:45,800 --> 00:40:48,400 Speaker 1: ten year old daughter and all her friends at school 697 00:40:48,520 --> 00:40:51,160 Speaker 1: are really into the Office. And my daughter is a 698 00:40:51,200 --> 00:40:52,879 Speaker 1: little behind the rest of her friends because I think 699 00:40:52,920 --> 00:40:58,320 Speaker 1: it's weird for her. But but anyway, so my husband 700 00:40:58,400 --> 00:41:00,960 Speaker 1: Eric and I like we're just out of her eyeline. 701 00:41:01,040 --> 00:41:03,560 Speaker 1: But here comes your line like I'm totally going to 702 00:41:03,680 --> 00:41:06,600 Speaker 1: bang her, and you know, I'm like, we look at 703 00:41:06,600 --> 00:41:08,480 Speaker 1: each other, like and then you look over at her 704 00:41:08,480 --> 00:41:11,640 Speaker 1: face as she registered that, you know, no, because somehow 705 00:41:11,640 --> 00:41:14,759 Speaker 1: it's going right over their head, I think, or she 706 00:41:14,920 --> 00:41:20,719 Speaker 1: maybe shouldn't you know. Um, I mean, I don't know. 707 00:41:20,800 --> 00:41:24,280 Speaker 1: I think I hope a lot of it still plays 708 00:41:24,320 --> 00:41:27,040 Speaker 1: because I think it's well intentioned. I don't think we 709 00:41:27,040 --> 00:41:31,440 Speaker 1: were cruel statistic people on this show. I mean, but 710 00:41:31,560 --> 00:41:36,600 Speaker 1: the stuff that doesn't play. It's interesting to think about 711 00:41:36,719 --> 00:41:39,920 Speaker 1: as we all think we're like well intentioned, liberal minded, 712 00:41:40,200 --> 00:41:44,960 Speaker 1: caring people, and the stuff that we didn't pay attention to. 713 00:41:45,080 --> 00:41:48,600 Speaker 1: And so you know, you're asking me, is it okay 714 00:41:48,640 --> 00:41:51,799 Speaker 1: to make fun of a person who we think is 715 00:41:51,840 --> 00:41:57,600 Speaker 1: mentally handicapped? Probably not, but it was really funny then 716 00:41:57,800 --> 00:41:59,799 Speaker 1: so what do we do with it? Like, you know, 717 00:42:00,800 --> 00:42:04,440 Speaker 1: I don't know where that lives. Um, I certainly don't 718 00:42:04,440 --> 00:42:07,600 Speaker 1: want to offend anybody. I mean, I think the joke 719 00:42:07,719 --> 00:42:10,680 Speaker 1: is upon the person who made the mistake, you know 720 00:42:10,719 --> 00:42:13,200 Speaker 1: what I mean, Like it's how could Holly be that 721 00:42:13,520 --> 00:42:17,880 Speaker 1: thick head or or that well, you know white? Really, 722 00:42:17,920 --> 00:42:22,160 Speaker 1: I mean that it's really that it's Dwight who But 723 00:42:22,239 --> 00:42:25,000 Speaker 1: I'm I'm in the middle there of not using my 724 00:42:25,040 --> 00:42:27,960 Speaker 1: own good judgment or maybe asking for a second opinion 725 00:42:28,239 --> 00:42:32,239 Speaker 1: or you know, I mean, we all we're all judgmental. 726 00:42:32,680 --> 00:42:35,080 Speaker 1: We say we don't, but we judge everybody that walks 727 00:42:35,080 --> 00:42:37,600 Speaker 1: down the block, you know, in our heads, in a 728 00:42:37,640 --> 00:42:43,200 Speaker 1: little private tapes, in our Okay, she's right, of course, 729 00:42:43,920 --> 00:42:47,960 Speaker 1: we judge people. We try not to, right, I mean, 730 00:42:48,000 --> 00:42:51,520 Speaker 1: what we try to do is something very different. We 731 00:42:51,600 --> 00:42:55,600 Speaker 1: try to find truth and beauty in every single part 732 00:42:55,680 --> 00:42:59,200 Speaker 1: of our lives. And why well, that goes back to 733 00:42:59,320 --> 00:43:02,919 Speaker 1: the captain of our ship, the man we put all 734 00:43:02,920 --> 00:43:07,960 Speaker 1: our faith in. Our showrunner and creator, Greg Daniels. A 735 00:43:07,960 --> 00:43:11,919 Speaker 1: few people talked to me about one of your core ideas, 736 00:43:12,320 --> 00:43:15,480 Speaker 1: which is the idea of truth and beauty. Yeah, that 737 00:43:15,600 --> 00:43:18,200 Speaker 1: was my thing with Randall, the truth and beauty, Truth 738 00:43:18,239 --> 00:43:20,480 Speaker 1: and beauty, yea. And what does that? What does that 739 00:43:20,520 --> 00:43:25,520 Speaker 1: mean to you? Um? Well, you know to me, that 740 00:43:25,600 --> 00:43:28,560 Speaker 1: was I think that's some romantic poet. I'm not sure 741 00:43:28,560 --> 00:43:30,960 Speaker 1: where that came from, somebody like John Keats or something. 742 00:43:31,000 --> 00:43:33,239 Speaker 1: I don't know, and I don't even know what he 743 00:43:33,239 --> 00:43:34,920 Speaker 1: meant by it. But the way I used to use 744 00:43:34,960 --> 00:43:38,120 Speaker 1: it with Randall was that's what we're going for in 745 00:43:38,160 --> 00:43:41,759 Speaker 1: the camera, right, Let the camera seek out truth. That's 746 00:43:41,800 --> 00:43:44,239 Speaker 1: what it's trying to find. That's the point of a documentary. 747 00:43:44,719 --> 00:43:49,200 Speaker 1: What's the truth? And also not like a cynical negative 748 00:43:49,239 --> 00:43:53,240 Speaker 1: truth like also where's the beauty? It's like another principle 749 00:43:53,280 --> 00:43:56,640 Speaker 1: of photography of like a good photograph is, you know, 750 00:43:56,719 --> 00:44:01,000 Speaker 1: a little sprig of weed coming through the cracked concrete 751 00:44:01,080 --> 00:44:03,239 Speaker 1: or whatever, you know what I mean? It's like, where 752 00:44:03,239 --> 00:44:05,440 Speaker 1: are you gonna do something that's a little bit inspiring 753 00:44:05,480 --> 00:44:08,000 Speaker 1: but find it in a truthful way out in the 754 00:44:08,080 --> 00:44:11,759 Speaker 1: real world. Right Well, Mike sure talked about it, and 755 00:44:11,960 --> 00:44:15,000 Speaker 1: you told a story about um a parking lot, an 756 00:44:15,040 --> 00:44:19,719 Speaker 1: endless parking lot with lines and parking spaces, and in 757 00:44:19,960 --> 00:44:24,000 Speaker 1: one crack there's a little flower, a little dandelion. He 758 00:44:24,040 --> 00:44:27,120 Speaker 1: said that it's funny. I just made the same. Yes, 759 00:44:27,200 --> 00:44:31,280 Speaker 1: I think that that, you know. I like the notion 760 00:44:31,320 --> 00:44:34,719 Speaker 1: of aesthetic, like what do you searching for in art? 761 00:44:35,120 --> 00:44:43,000 Speaker 1: And the Japanese have interesting aesthetics with a cracked pot? 762 00:44:43,520 --> 00:44:46,439 Speaker 1: Did you mention that to use that a lot? So? 763 00:44:46,680 --> 00:44:50,480 Speaker 1: I think it's called woo. I'm not sure, but it's 764 00:44:50,520 --> 00:44:56,799 Speaker 1: the notion of a perfect pot is okay? You know, 765 00:44:57,080 --> 00:45:00,520 Speaker 1: and we in the West probably value a per pot, 766 00:45:01,239 --> 00:45:07,160 Speaker 1: but a cracked pot where the crack suddenly makes you 767 00:45:07,239 --> 00:45:10,000 Speaker 1: feel the history of the pot and the people who 768 00:45:10,000 --> 00:45:12,120 Speaker 1: have used it in their family and have treasured it 769 00:45:12,280 --> 00:45:14,480 Speaker 1: and kept it even with the crack in it, like 770 00:45:14,560 --> 00:45:18,080 Speaker 1: it suddenly cracks through you know it, suddenly we'll we'll 771 00:45:18,120 --> 00:45:22,399 Speaker 1: touch you. It's those little details often of imperfections, that's 772 00:45:22,440 --> 00:45:26,359 Speaker 1: like a it's just a cool sort of philosophy. Yes, yeah, 773 00:45:26,680 --> 00:45:30,400 Speaker 1: I have this so far off topic, but a number 774 00:45:30,400 --> 00:45:33,000 Speaker 1: of years ago, my parents were moving out of their 775 00:45:33,040 --> 00:45:35,080 Speaker 1: house and I went for a week and I was 776 00:45:35,080 --> 00:45:37,400 Speaker 1: like helping them and throwing out all of this trash. 777 00:45:37,440 --> 00:45:40,200 Speaker 1: And we go into like the corner of the closet 778 00:45:40,239 --> 00:45:42,200 Speaker 1: and a guest room that no one ever slept in, 779 00:45:42,680 --> 00:45:44,800 Speaker 1: And in the closet there was a big piece of 780 00:45:44,800 --> 00:45:47,560 Speaker 1: paper that was folded up and I I unfolded it 781 00:45:48,000 --> 00:45:52,080 Speaker 1: and it was a Kennedy poster that my dad had 782 00:45:52,120 --> 00:45:56,520 Speaker 1: like handed out or seen or collected or whatever. And 783 00:45:56,840 --> 00:46:00,480 Speaker 1: I remember saying to him, can I have this? And 784 00:46:00,520 --> 00:46:04,360 Speaker 1: he's like, yeah, it's like all torn or whatever. And 785 00:46:04,440 --> 00:46:08,200 Speaker 1: I took it and I framed it and I took 786 00:46:08,239 --> 00:46:09,319 Speaker 1: it to this place and they were like, oh, we 787 00:46:09,400 --> 00:46:11,040 Speaker 1: can you know, do this or that, and I was 788 00:46:11,080 --> 00:46:13,239 Speaker 1: like no, no, no, the crack has to stay there 789 00:46:13,480 --> 00:46:17,040 Speaker 1: and the wrinkle, the folded marks just as lightly as 790 00:46:17,080 --> 00:46:20,200 Speaker 1: you can matt this on something and enclose it, because 791 00:46:20,239 --> 00:46:22,120 Speaker 1: I want that history of it. I don't know that 792 00:46:22,200 --> 00:46:25,680 Speaker 1: idea well. Also, like I mean, you know, I don't 793 00:46:25,719 --> 00:46:28,120 Speaker 1: get too psychological, but you know, when you think about 794 00:46:28,160 --> 00:46:32,200 Speaker 1: your dad right, you're so the relationship that you have 795 00:46:32,320 --> 00:46:35,600 Speaker 1: with your father, the fact how old that they are, 796 00:46:36,000 --> 00:46:39,279 Speaker 1: and just the sense of like passage of time being 797 00:46:39,320 --> 00:46:43,360 Speaker 1: important to that relationship and fragility of it and knowing 798 00:46:43,440 --> 00:46:46,400 Speaker 1: that it may not be around forever, and that I 799 00:46:46,440 --> 00:46:50,120 Speaker 1: can completely see why a tear in your dad's poster 800 00:46:50,640 --> 00:46:56,120 Speaker 1: adds to the emotion of it. Yeah, right, yeah, totally. Um, well, 801 00:46:56,160 --> 00:47:00,440 Speaker 1: there's a lot about writing that isn't necessary really only 802 00:47:00,480 --> 00:47:03,799 Speaker 1: about the office, but you know, like when you have 803 00:47:03,920 --> 00:47:07,319 Speaker 1: a set of principles that you're trying to do for 804 00:47:07,360 --> 00:47:09,440 Speaker 1: the show, right, if you're going to say, all right, 805 00:47:09,640 --> 00:47:12,440 Speaker 1: I want to be realistic, I want to be relatable. 806 00:47:13,400 --> 00:47:16,040 Speaker 1: Uh you know, I want to be observational. If you're 807 00:47:16,040 --> 00:47:18,800 Speaker 1: going to follow those principles, you're gonna end up commenting 808 00:47:18,840 --> 00:47:23,359 Speaker 1: on what's around you. And this to me goes back 809 00:47:23,360 --> 00:47:25,520 Speaker 1: a long way. It isn't unique to the show necessarily, 810 00:47:25,600 --> 00:47:28,000 Speaker 1: but like when I was on The Simpsons, which is 811 00:47:28,040 --> 00:47:30,839 Speaker 1: this is you know, complete cartoon, but the way that 812 00:47:31,760 --> 00:47:35,160 Speaker 1: one Simpsons writer one respect from another Simpsons writer when 813 00:47:35,200 --> 00:47:39,799 Speaker 1: I was there, was you did something super real. You 814 00:47:40,160 --> 00:47:42,839 Speaker 1: had a line that just found like it just came 815 00:47:42,840 --> 00:47:46,440 Speaker 1: out of a teenager and it was just perfectly you know, 816 00:47:46,560 --> 00:47:49,719 Speaker 1: real to the situation and somehow, in contrast to the 817 00:47:49,760 --> 00:47:51,920 Speaker 1: cartooning nois of it, that always seemed to be like 818 00:47:52,800 --> 00:47:55,399 Speaker 1: a cool thing. And then when I got to King 819 00:47:55,440 --> 00:47:57,840 Speaker 1: of the Hell, we used to do a lot of research. 820 00:47:57,920 --> 00:47:59,880 Speaker 1: We would go to Texas. I'd take the writers to 821 00:48:00,040 --> 00:48:04,160 Speaker 1: Texas every season and we'd fan out with our reporters notebooks, 822 00:48:04,160 --> 00:48:06,560 Speaker 1: and we you know, we'd try and dig up unique 823 00:48:06,600 --> 00:48:10,040 Speaker 1: stories because I always felt like the shows that I 824 00:48:10,080 --> 00:48:14,000 Speaker 1: really liked, the stories were original, like something had happened 825 00:48:14,040 --> 00:48:17,360 Speaker 1: to one of the writers or you know, they weren't 826 00:48:17,400 --> 00:48:20,000 Speaker 1: just going like, well what did what did Cheers do? 827 00:48:20,239 --> 00:48:22,200 Speaker 1: Let's do a version of that or something. You had 828 00:48:22,239 --> 00:48:23,719 Speaker 1: to go out and do your own work and dig 829 00:48:23,760 --> 00:48:39,120 Speaker 1: up your own stories. Well, Greg, I, for one, I 830 00:48:39,160 --> 00:48:42,839 Speaker 1: am so grateful for the stories you dug up, and 831 00:48:42,880 --> 00:48:46,400 Speaker 1: I know that I'm not alone. Thank you to everyone 832 00:48:46,560 --> 00:48:48,439 Speaker 1: who was a part of this episode, and to all 833 00:48:48,480 --> 00:48:51,680 Speaker 1: of you out there listening. Join us next week for 834 00:48:51,760 --> 00:48:55,279 Speaker 1: another stroll down memory Lane with some more of our 835 00:48:55,360 --> 00:49:00,080 Speaker 1: favorite episodes and guests. In the meantime, all of you 836 00:49:00,160 --> 00:49:10,760 Speaker 1: have a fantastic week. The Office Deep Dive is hosted 837 00:49:10,760 --> 00:49:15,239 Speaker 1: and executive produced by me Brian Baumgartner alongside our executive 838 00:49:15,280 --> 00:49:20,080 Speaker 1: producer Langley. Our senior producer is Tessa Kramer. Our producers 839 00:49:20,120 --> 00:49:23,440 Speaker 1: are Liz Hayes and Diego Topi. My main man in 840 00:49:23,480 --> 00:49:27,760 Speaker 1: the booth is Alec Moore. Our theme song Bubble and Squeak, 841 00:49:27,840 --> 00:49:31,239 Speaker 1: performed by my great friend Creed Bratton, and the episode 842 00:49:31,320 --> 00:49:49,840 Speaker 1: was mixed by Seth Olandsky