WEBVTT - Kate Flannery 0:00:05.480 --> 0:00:08.360 Hi, I'm Kate Flannery and I played Meredith Palmer on 0:00:08.480 --> 0:00:19.919 the Office. Hello everyone, and welcome to the Office. Deep 0:00:20.000 --> 0:00:24.439 dive with me. That's right, your host Brian Baumgartner. On 0:00:24.600 --> 0:00:30.920 today's show, we have the incredible Kate Flannery. As you 0:00:31.040 --> 0:00:35.240 just heard now. I have always felt a special bond 0:00:36.000 --> 0:00:40.640 with Kate because I think more than anyone else in 0:00:40.680 --> 0:00:45.239 the cast, Kate and I we put our bodies on 0:00:45.320 --> 0:00:48.360 the line for the show. I mean just in terms 0:00:48.440 --> 0:00:55.480 of pure physical comedy and like shameless personal humiliation. I 0:00:55.520 --> 0:01:00.920 think Kate and I deserve medals for bravery and and 0:01:01.240 --> 0:01:05.640 maybe Kate most of all, she was just completely fearless 0:01:06.000 --> 0:01:10.160 and she was always up for anything she was asked 0:01:10.200 --> 0:01:14.080 to do. In fact, the last time I saw Kate 0:01:14.240 --> 0:01:17.760 before we sat down for this conversation, I went to 0:01:17.800 --> 0:01:22.240 see Kate uh in a taping for Dancing with the 0:01:22.280 --> 0:01:26.000 Stars that Kate was a contestant on, and she asked 0:01:26.000 --> 0:01:30.039 me to come see her perform, and I went. And 0:01:31.240 --> 0:01:34.360 let me be honest, it's kind of a weird experience. 0:01:34.680 --> 0:01:39.880 You're in this giant warehouse, there are assistants moving around everywhere, 0:01:39.920 --> 0:01:42.759 There's applause signs telling you when to laugh, and went 0:01:42.800 --> 0:01:45.480 to clap, and went to stand and went to sit 0:01:45.600 --> 0:01:48.840 and and then all of a sudden, the music starts 0:01:49.280 --> 0:01:54.880 and Kate literally descends from the ceiling because she's doing 0:01:54.920 --> 0:01:59.520 this Mary Poppins number. She's Mary Poppins. And I see 0:01:59.560 --> 0:02:05.480 her descending and I immediately start crying. I'm I am 0:02:05.520 --> 0:02:11.720 overcome with emotion because the fearlessness, and let's be honest, 0:02:12.560 --> 0:02:17.840 I'm not We're not spring chickens. And she had total 0:02:17.919 --> 0:02:22.760 commitment and she was dancing her heart out. But that's 0:02:22.840 --> 0:02:27.000 Kate anyway. I did not cry in this interview, but 0:02:27.080 --> 0:02:29.360 we did talk about how Kate had to flash her 0:02:29.400 --> 0:02:32.760 boobs a lot on the show, so that was the 0:02:32.800 --> 0:02:35.480 thing we didn't We didn't cry, but we talked about boobs. 0:02:35.919 --> 0:02:40.880 How's that for a setup? Without any more blabbering from me, 0:02:40.960 --> 0:02:45.119 here is the woman who bared it all for your entertainment, 0:02:46.000 --> 0:02:54.920 Kate Flannery. Bubble and Squeak. I love it, Bubble and 0:02:54.960 --> 0:03:15.080 squeak on Bubble and Squeaker cooking ever from the nut, Well, 0:03:15.080 --> 0:03:20.600 well are good? How are you good? How's it going? 0:03:20.960 --> 0:03:25.560 Oh my gosh, awesome? They becked in a box. They 0:03:25.600 --> 0:03:27.600 have been locked in a box. This is not our 0:03:27.600 --> 0:03:34.120 regular studio. Yes, this I thought was construction, but apparently 0:03:34.120 --> 0:03:36.880 it's a folly. Are you gonna make folly sounds? I'm 0:03:36.880 --> 0:03:39.920 going to just start running on the grass. You can 0:03:39.960 --> 0:03:45.760 recreate the fire drill step right exactly. Um. You can 0:03:45.800 --> 0:03:48.800 throw your coat on the thing unless you're cold. What's 0:03:48.840 --> 0:03:51.760 up to you? Is she fine? Here on the mic? 0:03:51.960 --> 0:03:53.960 Can I talk about people behind their back on this? 0:03:55.520 --> 0:04:00.720 You can say whatever you want. UM, So now I 0:04:00.800 --> 0:04:05.720 know some of this, but two thousand four, yes, what? Well? 0:04:05.760 --> 0:04:08.240 First of all, what was your training exactly? Like? What 0:04:08.280 --> 0:04:12.360 were you doing work wise before the office? Well? He 0:04:12.960 --> 0:04:16.080 was in Chicago. Right after college. I studied theater UH 0:04:16.440 --> 0:04:18.760 in Philadelphia and in Virginia for a couple of years, 0:04:18.880 --> 0:04:21.560 and then I UM graduated from the University AUNTS in 0:04:21.560 --> 0:04:23.400 phillip And then my aunt sent me a ticket to 0:04:23.480 --> 0:04:25.320 check out Chicago and Second City because she thought it 0:04:25.320 --> 0:04:27.080 would be a good fit. So I studied a Second 0:04:27.080 --> 0:04:29.160 city and then I got hired by the touring company, 0:04:29.200 --> 0:04:32.280 so I knew Steve. Steve was in one of the 0:04:32.360 --> 0:04:35.240 resident companies when I was touring UM. But then I 0:04:35.320 --> 0:04:38.159 moved to New York. I did the year long tour 0:04:38.200 --> 0:04:40.280 of the real life Brady Bunch a few years later, 0:04:40.400 --> 0:04:42.719 and then moved to New York for six months, and 0:04:42.720 --> 0:04:45.279 then got asked to do the show Valley the Dolls 0:04:45.320 --> 0:04:47.920 in l a uh. And then I was here for 0:04:47.960 --> 0:04:50.040 about a year and then came close to a few 0:04:50.040 --> 0:04:51.960 different shows. I was like up for the Data Carvey Show, 0:04:52.040 --> 0:04:54.680 which obviously Steve, Steve Coral and Steve Colbert got I 0:04:54.760 --> 0:04:58.599 tested for it to get came close, um, and then um, 0:04:58.800 --> 0:05:00.840 the show I was doing when off Broadway. So I 0:05:00.839 --> 0:05:02.040 went to New York. So I was in New York 0:05:02.080 --> 0:05:07.000 for three years. Okay, I'm old five years. So you 0:05:07.040 --> 0:05:10.159 were in Chicago in and around Second City for five years, 0:05:10.480 --> 0:05:12.760 then went back to New York, then l a then 0:05:12.839 --> 0:05:15.960 back to New York for three years. And then when 0:05:15.960 --> 0:05:19.200 did you come back to l a uh. I moved 0:05:19.200 --> 0:05:21.479 back because I got a new manager, and I was 0:05:21.480 --> 0:05:23.320 basically like waiting tables, and then started to do my 0:05:23.400 --> 0:05:26.520 comedy act, the Lampshades, and was, you know, just like 0:05:27.440 --> 0:05:29.320 doing some guest star stuff. I did Bernie Mac. I 0:05:29.320 --> 0:05:31.240 guess Creed was in the same episode that I did 0:05:31.240 --> 0:05:33.800 a Bernie Mack. Yeah, he didn't have any lines he 0:05:33.920 --> 0:05:35.760 was just like a doctor in the background or something. 0:05:35.880 --> 0:05:37.960 I was so funny. And then um, I booked a 0:05:37.960 --> 0:05:42.120 recurring gig on Boomtown and my second episode we were 0:05:42.160 --> 0:05:44.080 about to shoot and they said that the show got canceled. 0:05:44.839 --> 0:05:47.600 So that was that, and then I was I had 0:05:47.640 --> 0:05:50.080 auditioned for the pilot of the Office. I was up 0:05:50.080 --> 0:05:51.960 for the part of Jan. I read for the part 0:05:51.960 --> 0:05:53.599 of Jan, did not get it. Obviously they want a 0:05:53.600 --> 0:05:55.920 completely different way. But Allison Jones said that I think 0:05:55.920 --> 0:05:58.719 the show was good for you, which was awesome. And 0:05:58.760 --> 0:06:01.920 then I just remember like doing my comedy act like Lampshades, 0:06:01.920 --> 0:06:04.040 that we were We were supposed to do so many 0:06:04.080 --> 0:06:06.040 things and like kind of fell through. We were supposed 0:06:06.080 --> 0:06:08.080 to be on Mad TV for four episodes, and I'm 0:06:08.120 --> 0:06:10.440 like they canceled when it was a whole lot of 0:06:11.839 --> 0:06:14.400 almost And then I remember getting a call that they 0:06:14.440 --> 0:06:16.400 were trying to fill a spot after they shot the 0:06:16.440 --> 0:06:19.880 pilot in August. You guys shot in February, and in 0:06:19.920 --> 0:06:22.480 August I got the call to go in and read 0:06:22.520 --> 0:06:24.480 for Allison Jones. And then by the time I got 0:06:24.480 --> 0:06:26.320 home from that I found out I got the job. 0:06:26.320 --> 0:06:27.680 Because I didn't have a cell phone side away for 0:06:27.760 --> 0:06:30.720 my landline to get to message. Okay, so wait, so 0:06:30.880 --> 0:06:33.520 you read for jan I do not know? Yeah, yeah 0:06:34.279 --> 0:06:36.480 I did, but there would be too much sexual chemistry 0:06:36.480 --> 0:06:40.440 between me and Steve if I got that part. She 0:06:40.480 --> 0:06:42.000 said she thought she still thought it would be a 0:06:42.040 --> 0:06:43.599 good like I love. That's why I love about Allison. 0:06:43.600 --> 0:06:47.000 It's like she remembers things. So I somehow registered, you know, 0:06:47.120 --> 0:06:50.159 And I remember going to the next audition for what 0:06:50.360 --> 0:06:53.360 became Meredith. I don't she was called Meredith at the audition, 0:06:53.400 --> 0:06:55.640 but I remember they said no makeup, and like, really, 0:06:55.640 --> 0:06:57.599 no makeup. Usually when they say no makeup, it's like 0:06:57.760 --> 0:07:03.320 lip gloss and semescara. And also was like really no, no, no, no, 0:07:03.680 --> 0:07:05.440 take it off, take it off, take off the lashes. No. 0:07:05.520 --> 0:07:09.880 I wasn't very much but yeah interesting. Yeah, so then 0:07:10.240 --> 0:07:13.840 you so you came back and at the time, you're 0:07:15.280 --> 0:07:17.720 do you remember what the what the description was of 0:07:17.720 --> 0:07:20.600 the character just said she was lactose, intolerant, divorced and 0:07:20.600 --> 0:07:27.320 had his directed me go light chill, right, Yeah, and 0:07:27.560 --> 0:07:30.920 you knew who? Did you know? I knew Angela because 0:07:30.960 --> 0:07:33.240 we were in an improv group in All chickenprov group 0:07:33.360 --> 0:07:37.800 called Bitch Planet in two thousand in l A. And 0:07:37.880 --> 0:07:40.760 I knew Steve because I knew him from from Second 0:07:40.760 --> 0:07:42.520 City and also he did the first few months of 0:07:42.520 --> 0:07:44.400 the Really Brady Bunch. He was the first Greg Brady 0:07:44.400 --> 0:07:48.720 when we used to do that crazy show. Yeah, yeah, crazy, 0:07:49.080 --> 0:07:51.640 but there was so much sexual chemistry between me and 0:07:51.640 --> 0:07:54.600 see what we could. I'm just kidding, sorry, I mean 0:07:54.800 --> 0:07:59.880 he you definitely showed your boobs to him a lot. Yeah. 0:08:00.200 --> 0:08:02.560 The first time we shot that Christmas episode, he said, 0:08:02.880 --> 0:08:05.120 I'm not looking at them, I'm just gonna stay at 0:08:05.120 --> 0:08:09.320 your clavical. I was like, I think, I mean, should 0:08:09.320 --> 0:08:12.320 I be insulted by? Might should I feel? But I 0:08:12.320 --> 0:08:14.240 don't know what to do. He was such a gentleman 0:08:14.240 --> 0:08:16.200 though really I knew he was my best interest at 0:08:16.200 --> 0:08:19.960 heart to the end. I um. I have said many 0:08:20.000 --> 0:08:24.080 times in terms of just pure comedy and the direction 0:08:24.200 --> 0:08:28.880 with McDougall and like everything, that moment with you at 0:08:28.920 --> 0:08:31.880 the end might be one of my favorite moments, Oh 0:08:31.960 --> 0:08:34.360 my god of no of the of the whole series, 0:08:34.559 --> 0:08:36.760 because he's so well directed to and it's so like 0:08:36.880 --> 0:08:39.199 just the way that it played. It was such a subtle, 0:08:39.480 --> 0:08:45.840 unexpected crazy, so unexpected and you have that like that 0:08:45.960 --> 0:08:48.840 like gas band of like oh my gosh. And then 0:08:49.040 --> 0:08:51.959 him just the look on his face and picking up 0:08:51.960 --> 0:08:56.800 that camera and taking a picture just is so perfect. 0:08:57.360 --> 0:08:59.640 And even the moment after we were like he's you know, 0:08:59.720 --> 0:09:02.560 he's not going to do anything, Like he's like he's done. 0:09:02.640 --> 0:09:04.320 That was it. That's all he wanted was a picture, 0:09:04.320 --> 0:09:06.440 which is so fantastic because I feel like so many 0:09:06.480 --> 0:09:09.640 other actors would have played that differently, and Steve had 0:09:09.760 --> 0:09:13.360 such economy and such brilliant I I mean, I'm sure 0:09:13.400 --> 0:09:15.440 you remember this, but I feel like every every you 0:09:15.559 --> 0:09:17.440 never knew exactly what he was going to do, and 0:09:17.440 --> 0:09:20.480 he could do five different, six different things in different takes, 0:09:20.600 --> 0:09:23.120 like completely different with the same words, with the same dialect, 0:09:23.120 --> 0:09:27.800 and just be like, make these really amazing, subtle, strong choices, 0:09:28.200 --> 0:09:33.080 crazy great. I felt like I was watching someone who thought, 0:09:33.559 --> 0:09:36.560 I have to make the people in here laugh, Like 0:09:36.679 --> 0:09:38.960 that's what I'm gonna do. And if we rehearse it 0:09:38.960 --> 0:09:40.520 and we do this and we do that, like then 0:09:40.559 --> 0:09:45.200 everyone's gonna expect exactly. Yes, so great at that. Yeah, 0:09:45.240 --> 0:09:48.160 that's that's so well put. Yeah, he definitely had a plan. 0:09:48.400 --> 0:09:53.400 He definitely had many many ideas all the time. Oh 0:09:53.440 --> 0:09:55.400 my god, I'm such a deadbeat as an actor when 0:09:55.440 --> 0:09:58.400 I think. But I think he's really one of those 0:09:58.480 --> 0:10:01.440 rare gems. And it's just shocking that he didn't want 0:10:01.440 --> 0:10:06.200 an Emmy for that role. Yeah, it's a travesty, but 0:10:06.200 --> 0:10:09.320 he's he's not a politician, he's never been, never been so, 0:10:09.679 --> 0:10:15.559 and I think some of its politics, which is um, 0:10:15.600 --> 0:10:18.880 so you come back in and you are now reading 0:10:18.920 --> 0:10:25.560 for Meredith or unnamed misdirected me character and um, did 0:10:25.559 --> 0:10:27.679 they show you the pilot? Did you see the pilot? 0:10:28.000 --> 0:10:31.000 I saw the pilot later I saw the pilot. Uh yeah, 0:10:31.240 --> 0:10:34.440 after you were cast. Yes, okay, did you have any 0:10:34.480 --> 0:10:37.280 specific thoughts about it? Well? I was nervous that it 0:10:37.320 --> 0:10:40.720 was exactly like the British pilot. I think everybody was nervous. 0:10:41.480 --> 0:10:43.600 But I still thought it was funny, and I thought 0:10:43.920 --> 0:10:46.080 what they added that was American was really funny. What's 0:10:46.200 --> 0:10:50.480 a what's you know? And I thought everyone was much 0:10:50.480 --> 0:10:52.559 more understandable than the British fruition. I'm one of those 0:10:52.559 --> 0:10:55.560 people that watch Is the British Office with subtitles because 0:10:55.559 --> 0:10:57.719 I want to get it all. Is that terrible? No? 0:10:57.840 --> 0:11:00.520 It's not terrible. When I walked through life with you, 0:11:00.600 --> 0:11:07.320 I need subtitles too, But you're just like Philly, Pennsylvania. 0:11:07.920 --> 0:11:13.719 I hard to understand. Sorry. Um, so I heard that 0:11:14.080 --> 0:11:17.720 Greg made a conscious decision to stay as close to 0:11:17.760 --> 0:11:21.840 the British pilot because he thought if he did, the 0:11:21.960 --> 0:11:27.560 network couldn't give no. Wow, brilliant, brilliant. It makes so 0:11:27.640 --> 0:11:30.960 much sense. And I remember my brother Chris Hasten, who 0:11:30.960 --> 0:11:33.520 I met on the show. He's a still photographer for NBC. 0:11:34.120 --> 0:11:38.640 He was shooting the pilot gallery and he was told, 0:11:38.960 --> 0:11:42.560 if anybody looks at the camera except for Steve, that's it. 0:11:42.640 --> 0:11:45.280 We're done. Like Greg really wanted to look documentary, and 0:11:45.360 --> 0:11:48.520 and Chris said there were so many specific instructions because 0:11:48.640 --> 0:11:53.840 Greg was so uh protective of making sure to get 0:11:53.880 --> 0:11:59.120 this absolutely rights. Thank god. Interesting. Yeah, so even in 0:11:59.160 --> 0:12:04.200 the PR shoot, Chris the photographer was directed, yes, which 0:12:04.240 --> 0:12:06.960 is never the case, I mean very rarely. There might 0:12:07.000 --> 0:12:09.959 be a note or two, but nothing, nothing that's intense. 0:12:10.600 --> 0:12:15.640 And Greg was like, just you know, um, very stressed, 0:12:15.640 --> 0:12:17.920 stressed out about it. He just wanted to be absolutely right. 0:12:18.200 --> 0:12:23.640 Thank goodness. Do you feel like, um, you had any 0:12:23.679 --> 0:12:28.760 specific hurdles or anything you had to overcome specifically because 0:12:28.760 --> 0:12:32.080 you weren't on the pilot. Well, I wasn't sure if 0:12:32.120 --> 0:12:33.959 I was coming back every week. I wasn't sure. I 0:12:34.000 --> 0:12:35.839 remember talking to Phillis about it. She goes, I think 0:12:35.840 --> 0:12:38.040 you might. I'm like, okay, because I definitely felt like 0:12:38.520 --> 0:12:42.640 I was getting stories, um because I I'm allowed to 0:12:42.679 --> 0:12:44.880 say that I replaced somebody from the pilot. So I 0:12:44.920 --> 0:12:48.679 was getting stories that like, you know, they're going to 0:12:48.760 --> 0:12:51.480 see you know, if if this is actually even a place, 0:12:51.600 --> 0:12:54.640 like maybe it's you know, maybe this character won't anything exists. 0:12:54.640 --> 0:12:56.800 I don't even know. So there was pressure definitely, but 0:12:57.000 --> 0:12:58.839 you know, I was like, okay, we'll see I mean, 0:12:58.880 --> 0:13:01.679 everybody's nice. And they told I don't remember this. They 0:13:01.679 --> 0:13:05.560 told us to bring paperwork, which so the first season 0:13:05.640 --> 0:13:08.240 we literally sat at our desks because they wanted us 0:13:08.280 --> 0:13:12.080 to really be busy doing real what looked like real 0:13:12.080 --> 0:13:15.200 office work. I thought that was so brilliant. Yeah. Do 0:13:15.240 --> 0:13:19.840 you think that that did anything to help create the ensemble? 0:13:20.280 --> 0:13:23.520 I do, because I feel like everyone had a focus immediately. 0:13:23.960 --> 0:13:26.880 You weren't like looking for someone to throw you the ball, 0:13:27.640 --> 0:13:30.480 and if you did get the ball, you were busy 0:13:30.559 --> 0:13:33.400 doing your work, like that's what people doing a documentary. 0:13:33.400 --> 0:13:35.440 I mean, it's so it must be so uncomfortable for 0:13:35.600 --> 0:13:38.240 somebody in a regular scrant In Pennsylvania office to have 0:13:38.240 --> 0:13:40.920 a camera around, Like that's not a comfort zone. There's 0:13:40.960 --> 0:13:43.640 nothing comfortable about that. So I love that that was 0:13:44.120 --> 0:13:45.560 part of the mix. And then we we had this 0:13:45.720 --> 0:13:48.760 weird medical paperwork that was like they bought, the prop 0:13:48.800 --> 0:13:51.360 department bought. So I remember creating these like weird little 0:13:51.400 --> 0:13:55.360 patterns of stapling things and like, and I remember Jenna 0:13:55.400 --> 0:13:57.840 and I had a whole dance where we would have 0:13:57.920 --> 0:14:00.319 these weird clearance papers that we would sign for each other. 0:14:00.320 --> 0:14:04.520 It was so bizarre, but it was fantastic, right right, 0:14:04.720 --> 0:14:07.280 No one's talked about that before, but yeah, like our 0:14:07.400 --> 0:14:14.160 prop papers were essentially old expired medical documents from people's procedures, 0:14:14.200 --> 0:14:17.240 like a bunch of the ton of them. They lasted 0:14:17.280 --> 0:14:20.040 for years, yes, And I remember doing the same thing 0:14:20.080 --> 0:14:22.760 like okay, and I would pull pieces of paper that 0:14:22.880 --> 0:14:28.080 looked more like Excel, like like that number right, so 0:14:28.160 --> 0:14:30.880 like so like if I had a whole thing that 0:14:30.960 --> 0:14:33.640 was mostly writing, I was like, wow, this doesn't really 0:14:33.640 --> 0:14:36.479 look right, right, Like I need something that looks like numbers, 0:14:36.520 --> 0:14:38.000 and then you would look and it would be like 0:14:38.680 --> 0:14:45.440 red blood cell count numbers for Jason Alexander from Wow. 0:14:45.560 --> 0:14:49.920 Jason's okay though, everybody, It's ok Yeah. It was a 0:14:49.960 --> 0:14:54.640 bizarre This is so pre internet recycling. There you go, 0:14:54.880 --> 0:14:58.000 all right, we were doing some brainwork. You're hilarious recycling. 0:14:58.080 --> 0:15:02.360 This is true repurposing, messing. A paper company office needs 0:15:02.400 --> 0:15:06.480 paper ladies and gentlemen. We were not destroying trees for 0:15:06.560 --> 0:15:09.000 this Charlee and show. That's hilarious. And of course you 0:15:09.040 --> 0:15:12.800 know Ken koppas directing like go ahead, you never say action, 0:15:13.000 --> 0:15:16.640 go ahead. Loved him just but understanding that, like you're 0:15:16.640 --> 0:15:20.200 not just suddenly turning on. You're already in You're already 0:15:20.200 --> 0:15:23.600 in it. You you're working, so just continue, go ahead. 0:15:23.840 --> 0:15:27.240 It's perfect. It's like the perfect direction. We talked to 0:15:27.320 --> 0:15:31.520 him about that some too. Yeah, bringing us in early 0:15:31.680 --> 0:15:34.760 and having that thirty minutes of like worktime and having 0:15:34.840 --> 0:15:39.200 us all there together in that room doing bs paperwork. 0:15:39.440 --> 0:15:44.880 You and quiet and very quiet, so quiet, painful subtimes. Yes, 0:15:45.360 --> 0:15:48.760 and then you would just hear like John or Leslie 0:15:48.960 --> 0:15:53.120 or Phillis, pretend to be honest. Sure, sure. And I 0:15:53.120 --> 0:15:56.800 also remember during the healthcare episode that was the first 0:15:56.840 --> 0:16:00.480 time I improvised, and the whole thing about the unse 0:16:00.560 --> 0:16:03.400 is different from a vagina. I still have a vagina. 0:16:03.480 --> 0:16:05.200 Remember Greg telling me I ran in him. I was 0:16:05.240 --> 0:16:08.280 still waiting tables during the first season, and I would 0:16:08.320 --> 0:16:11.040 see some people from the show at my restaurant and 0:16:11.120 --> 0:16:13.320 I would see Ken Kappas sometimes and then I saw 0:16:13.360 --> 0:16:15.520 Greg and I wasn't waiting on it, but he came 0:16:15.560 --> 0:16:17.200 back because I had to talk to you. I love 0:16:17.240 --> 0:16:18.640 that he like completely ignored that I was wearing a 0:16:18.720 --> 0:16:22.600 uniforms fantastic. I'm fighting with the network about vagina. I 0:16:22.680 --> 0:16:24.600 just really want to keep it in. I'm really hoping 0:16:24.600 --> 0:16:26.440 it works out. And I was like, yeah, I mean 0:16:28.960 --> 0:16:32.480 like he just can't. He came up to you. So 0:16:32.880 --> 0:16:36.040 you're working at Cape Manolini still, which is Beverly Hills 0:16:36.120 --> 0:16:39.320 fancy restaurant where every famous person on the planet came in. 0:16:39.720 --> 0:16:42.720 So you were there through When did you stop? I 0:16:42.760 --> 0:16:46.040 stopped right before we started season two, so literally a 0:16:46.040 --> 0:16:48.680 couple of weeks. So I quit my no I covered 0:16:48.720 --> 0:16:50.000 my ships during the weekend, and I used to work 0:16:50.040 --> 0:16:53.080 my Sunday brunch and then I because we only shot 0:16:53.120 --> 0:16:55.080 it was, you know, after the pilot was just five episodes. 0:16:55.120 --> 0:16:58.680 So yeah, and then and then I remember Amy Hackerling 0:16:58.760 --> 0:17:01.280 came in with their parents, Brian Gordon came, a few 0:17:01.280 --> 0:17:02.760 people came in, and they kind of gave me this 0:17:02.800 --> 0:17:08.520 look like oh, hi, sorry, I mean they didn't. They 0:17:08.560 --> 0:17:11.560 were a little condescending or a little too sympathetic. I 0:17:11.600 --> 0:17:13.920 was like, it's fine whatever on the four year old wagress, 0:17:13.920 --> 0:17:15.719 I know, I get up steve to the four year 0:17:15.720 --> 0:17:18.280 old version, on the four ye old wages whatever. I mean, 0:17:18.520 --> 0:17:20.440 it is what it is, you know. And then when 0:17:20.440 --> 0:17:22.320 Greg came in, he completely ignored the fact that I 0:17:22.320 --> 0:17:24.240 was wearing like I love him for that so much. 0:17:24.320 --> 0:17:26.719 I mean, I'm sure he just was like, oh, but 0:17:26.720 --> 0:17:28.520 we got business to attend to. Let's get to it, 0:17:28.600 --> 0:17:32.720 you know, so we're you still working there once the 0:17:33.760 --> 0:17:35.800 start airing. Yeah, did you have people come up to you? 0:17:36.000 --> 0:17:39.440 I did some. Actually, one time someone asked me. They said, hey, 0:17:39.560 --> 0:17:42.760 I have a question for you. Are you lactose intolerant? 0:17:43.560 --> 0:17:46.119 And I said, yes, thanks for not bringing up my 0:17:46.200 --> 0:17:50.040 hystery activation. That was like their way of yeah. And 0:17:50.040 --> 0:17:54.240 then I remember, like Marty Panzer who was bart Barry 0:17:54.240 --> 0:17:56.800 Maneler's lyricist, was pissed because he said, come in here 0:17:56.800 --> 0:18:00.119 on Tuesday nights and you, uh, you're not here. But 0:18:00.280 --> 0:18:03.480 everybody nobody was on me because they're all watching the show. 0:18:03.760 --> 0:18:06.399 They're all up at the bar watching you, and I 0:18:06.400 --> 0:18:11.680 can't get any good service, Like whatever, looks like you 0:18:11.800 --> 0:18:21.560 did it? Oh my god, Um, did you did you 0:18:21.560 --> 0:18:24.160 think the show would be picked up? I wasn't sure. 0:18:24.480 --> 0:18:27.600 And I remember we didn't get invited to the first upfronts, 0:18:28.160 --> 0:18:30.960 and I remember thinking like, okay, well, and I think 0:18:30.960 --> 0:18:34.439 technically we weren't regular until Bose curz Um. But I 0:18:34.480 --> 0:18:37.800 felt like we had a shot. I felt like there 0:18:37.920 --> 0:18:41.280 was some vibe something that just felt different from anything 0:18:41.280 --> 0:18:43.920 else I'd ever been involved with. It was really intense 0:18:44.359 --> 0:18:48.520 and and really great and just half unfolded so wonderfully. 0:18:48.960 --> 0:18:55.480 It was like a slow, steady, wonderful rise, which never 0:18:55.560 --> 0:18:58.719 happens in this town. And I know that there had 0:18:58.720 --> 0:19:01.840 been documentary mockumentary movies like spinal Type and stuff, but 0:19:01.960 --> 0:19:05.280 never never a TV show even some of the mocumentary stuff, 0:19:05.280 --> 0:19:09.359 Like I feel like our show is up with the 0:19:09.480 --> 0:19:11.520 very best. I mean, I really feel that way even 0:19:11.520 --> 0:19:14.960 all nine seasons, Like there's things where you just go yes, yes, 0:19:35.320 --> 0:19:38.720 so the office. You know, I want to tell you 0:19:38.840 --> 0:19:42.399 I have this sort of theory that part of the 0:19:43.280 --> 0:19:47.720 specialness not sure it's a word, specialness or uniqueness of 0:19:47.720 --> 0:19:51.920 the ensemble had to do with, you know, how attractive 0:19:51.960 --> 0:19:56.040 we all were, how completely fucking sexy we were. No, 0:19:56.280 --> 0:19:58.200 but that was new, you know that was a new thing, 0:19:58.240 --> 0:19:59.920 you know. I mean that was definitely a concept is 0:20:00.080 --> 0:20:02.680 we were not supposed to be attracted. And I felt 0:20:02.680 --> 0:20:05.280 like I held that mantel pretty well all nine years. 0:20:05.320 --> 0:20:06.840 I just have to say. Some people ask for a 0:20:06.880 --> 0:20:09.240 little more makeup. I was like, nope, I'm sticking with 0:20:09.280 --> 0:20:12.320 the game, sticking with it. Love it, lived it, living it, 0:20:12.400 --> 0:20:14.200 love it. And my boyfriend used to say, I look 0:20:14.240 --> 0:20:15.800 better taking out the trash and I did on the show, 0:20:15.880 --> 0:20:18.760 and which is fine with me. I'm really I'm it's fine, 0:20:18.840 --> 0:20:21.200 you know, And now I know I'm not looking so good. 0:20:21.240 --> 0:20:23.359 People go, you look exactly like you did on the show. 0:20:25.280 --> 0:20:30.119 Compliment and a dig I'll take it all. Um, I 0:20:31.520 --> 0:20:34.879 you know we're in the same um space. But you 0:20:35.000 --> 0:20:40.720 had you and Steve and Angela and Oscar who you 0:20:40.720 --> 0:20:44.760 were great improblems and Rain and I we were doing 0:20:44.840 --> 0:20:47.560 check off right, and then you had b J and 0:20:47.560 --> 0:20:50.879 and Craig doing stand up right. Sure, so true, and 0:20:50.920 --> 0:20:53.840 you know I love the way you broke down. And um, 0:20:54.000 --> 0:20:56.040 were you in the Seagull or Three Sisters? When you 0:20:56.560 --> 0:21:01.840 rang three sisters? Three sisters? We did three Sisters together. 0:21:02.680 --> 0:21:07.320 I also did the Seagull I was at in college. 0:21:07.440 --> 0:21:09.240 I think I was in the Three Sisters at least 0:21:09.280 --> 0:21:14.119 twice from once with Rain. Um, but yeah, I know 0:21:14.160 --> 0:21:17.080 it's crazy, that's so, that's so right on. I mean 0:21:17.200 --> 0:21:21.880 truly like I was doing the darkest of darkest, yes, 0:21:23.080 --> 0:21:25.600 and it was no. I used to always say that 0:21:25.640 --> 0:21:26.879 I was in a drama. I used to say that 0:21:26.920 --> 0:21:29.080 to Greg, and actually he said that to me once. 0:21:29.080 --> 0:21:30.560 He goes, this isn't a drama, and I was like, 0:21:30.800 --> 0:21:36.560 it is for me. It is like right, Um, you 0:21:36.680 --> 0:21:42.280 are the only person from Pennsylvania. Yeah, Zach Woods is too, 0:21:42.400 --> 0:21:45.040 he's from he's in Bucks County, but he came along later. 0:21:45.080 --> 0:21:46.879 So I was the one always bitching to get tasty 0:21:46.920 --> 0:21:50.080 cakes into the vending machines because there's no there really 0:21:50.160 --> 0:21:52.359 is no vending machine in Pennsylvania that does not have 0:21:52.400 --> 0:21:54.720 tasty cakes, and we eventually did, but it was very brief. 0:21:55.160 --> 0:21:58.359 That's all right, mission accomplished. They were too expensive. I 0:21:58.359 --> 0:22:01.480 don't know, I'm not sure to be um, what do 0:22:01.560 --> 0:22:05.800 you think about setting the show specifically in Scranton, Pennsylvania, 0:22:06.080 --> 0:22:10.200 so goes along with Slough, England, which is this kind 0:22:10.240 --> 0:22:14.880 of forgettable town that had a glory day. But I mean, 0:22:15.240 --> 0:22:18.240 growing up in Philadelphia, Scranton was a joke, so it 0:22:18.320 --> 0:22:20.359 was always the butt of many jokes. I think what 0:22:20.480 --> 0:22:25.240 Greg did was he got very very specific and used 0:22:25.320 --> 0:22:31.119 contradictory ideas that you don't see in television, like there's 0:22:31.160 --> 0:22:33.800 the big dumb guy Kevin, but he's really good at 0:22:33.800 --> 0:22:38.960 basketball and he's a poker savant. But Meredith as well, 0:22:39.000 --> 0:22:42.840 like the ways that she was very specific. Yes, yes, 0:22:42.920 --> 0:22:46.119 and sometimes I didn't always like every one. While I 0:22:46.119 --> 0:22:48.400 remember improvising and feeling like I'm not sure if this 0:22:48.480 --> 0:22:51.840 is gonna work whatever. I felt like season three was 0:22:51.840 --> 0:22:53.159 a little bit of a struggle. I felt like I 0:22:53.200 --> 0:22:56.480 got I mean, or there was a little more trial 0:22:56.520 --> 0:22:58.040 and error or something, and that I feel like once 0:22:58.040 --> 0:22:59.919 we got to season four, once I got hit by 0:22:59.920 --> 0:23:02.080 the car in the fun run, episode was like we're 0:23:02.119 --> 0:23:04.439 off to the races. But season three, I feel like 0:23:04.440 --> 0:23:06.680 I was particularly cut out a lot, and I felt 0:23:06.680 --> 0:23:08.280 like some of it was like we were trying for 0:23:08.320 --> 0:23:12.280 things that didn't quite hit um. And some of that 0:23:12.359 --> 0:23:14.359 might may have just been me not getting it, but 0:23:14.400 --> 0:23:15.919 I was. I was a little bit like, oh my gosh, 0:23:15.920 --> 0:23:18.080 I I hope we you know, I hope we find something, 0:23:18.160 --> 0:23:20.880 you know suddenly, and boy did we. But just kind 0:23:20.920 --> 0:23:24.160 of like understanding, like another layer of like, oh, she's 0:23:24.160 --> 0:23:27.119