1 00:00:00,800 --> 00:00:08,160 Speaker 1: Hi everybody. I'm l Laura Harden and I played Jan 2 00:00:08,720 --> 00:00:18,880 Speaker 1: Levinson on the Office. Well, welcome back everyone, Thank you 3 00:00:18,960 --> 00:00:22,640 Speaker 1: so much for joining me again here on the Office 4 00:00:22,760 --> 00:00:26,799 Speaker 1: Deep Dive. I am your host, as always, Brian Baumgartner 5 00:00:27,040 --> 00:00:30,840 Speaker 1: on the podcast today, as you just heard, we have 6 00:00:31,440 --> 00:00:38,760 Speaker 1: the insanely talented Laura Harden. Me. Laura is an incredible 7 00:00:39,320 --> 00:00:42,400 Speaker 1: actor and probably more than anyone else in the cast. 8 00:00:42,920 --> 00:00:47,080 Speaker 1: Acting and show biz was in her blood. Both of 9 00:00:47,120 --> 00:00:51,400 Speaker 1: her parents worked as actors, and she herself started out 10 00:00:51,440 --> 00:00:54,800 Speaker 1: as a child actor. She starred, She didn't just appear. 11 00:00:55,040 --> 00:00:59,520 Speaker 1: She starred in a TV show called Thunder when she 12 00:00:59,640 --> 00:01:03,960 Speaker 1: was ten years old. So by the time we filmed 13 00:01:03,960 --> 00:01:08,679 Speaker 1: the pilot, me Laura was definitely the most established performer 14 00:01:09,360 --> 00:01:12,399 Speaker 1: on set. And now me Laura played a kind of 15 00:01:12,480 --> 00:01:15,560 Speaker 1: unique role in the ensemble, right, I mean, she was 16 00:01:15,600 --> 00:01:18,679 Speaker 1: the big wig boss who rolls in from New York 17 00:01:18,959 --> 00:01:22,000 Speaker 1: every once in a while. She's not there in every episode, 18 00:01:22,200 --> 00:01:26,320 Speaker 1: but she brought so much to the show in that role, 19 00:01:26,640 --> 00:01:30,600 Speaker 1: especially in terms of her dynamic with Steve Carrell, which 20 00:01:31,360 --> 00:01:35,920 Speaker 1: was so hilarious and well obviously something we discussed at 21 00:01:36,040 --> 00:01:41,080 Speaker 1: length during this conversation. Unfortunately, because of COVID. I couldn't 22 00:01:41,120 --> 00:01:44,760 Speaker 1: sit down with me Laura in the studio, but even 23 00:01:44,800 --> 00:01:48,440 Speaker 1: just talking to her by phone was an absolute treat 24 00:01:48,800 --> 00:01:52,840 Speaker 1: for me, and so therefore now a treat for you. 25 00:01:53,280 --> 00:02:02,960 Speaker 1: So here she is, Laura Harden. Bubble and squeak. I 26 00:02:03,160 --> 00:02:09,840 Speaker 1: love it. Bubble and squeak, Bubble and squeaker, cookie, every 27 00:02:10,080 --> 00:02:23,520 Speaker 1: moment left over from the nut before. You know, I've 28 00:02:23,680 --> 00:02:25,520 Speaker 1: tried to As I told you before, I tried to 29 00:02:25,560 --> 00:02:30,079 Speaker 1: do all these in person. I did Ricky and Stephen uh, 30 00:02:30,120 --> 00:02:32,919 Speaker 1: Stephen Merchant and Ricky Gervais the other day. You sound 31 00:02:33,120 --> 00:02:35,680 Speaker 1: so much better than they do. I don't know what's 32 00:02:35,680 --> 00:02:40,280 Speaker 1: wrong with that, just because better than they are. Well, yes, 33 00:02:40,440 --> 00:02:45,320 Speaker 1: obviously I'm gonna actually i'll send you later a picture. 34 00:02:45,440 --> 00:02:50,440 Speaker 1: I am in a room totally by myself. I'm standing 35 00:02:50,680 --> 00:02:55,040 Speaker 1: so that I don't catch coronavirus in this thing. I'm 36 00:02:55,160 --> 00:03:00,680 Speaker 1: about three feet staring directly into a wall. It's very concerting, 37 00:03:00,800 --> 00:03:05,360 Speaker 1: but you know, um, all right, Laura, thank you so much, 38 00:03:05,800 --> 00:03:08,840 Speaker 1: um for coming to talk to me here. Well, you 39 00:03:08,840 --> 00:03:11,000 Speaker 1: didn't really go anywhere, You didn't really go anywhere, but 40 00:03:11,400 --> 00:03:13,799 Speaker 1: so I want to talk a little bit about you 41 00:03:13,919 --> 00:03:17,760 Speaker 1: before the Office. You started as a child actor, right, Yeah. 42 00:03:17,800 --> 00:03:20,080 Speaker 1: I started acting professionally when I was six years old. 43 00:03:20,360 --> 00:03:22,600 Speaker 1: So I was doing tons of you know, guest starring 44 00:03:22,720 --> 00:03:25,160 Speaker 1: roles I had done. I think The Office was like 45 00:03:25,200 --> 00:03:28,320 Speaker 1: my eleventh pilot that I had done. I had done 46 00:03:28,360 --> 00:03:32,800 Speaker 1: many short lived series. I've done some movies and yeah 47 00:03:32,840 --> 00:03:35,560 Speaker 1: that's and I've done a little feater too. So I 48 00:03:35,600 --> 00:03:39,280 Speaker 1: had heard fourteen. But but you just said so the 49 00:03:39,280 --> 00:03:42,840 Speaker 1: The Office was the eleventh pilot that you had shot. 50 00:03:42,880 --> 00:03:46,240 Speaker 1: What happened to the ten before? It could have been? 51 00:03:46,320 --> 00:03:49,240 Speaker 1: It could have been the fourteenth. I don't know, you know, 52 00:03:49,320 --> 00:03:51,480 Speaker 1: to be honest, I've done so many. I mean a 53 00:03:51,520 --> 00:03:53,800 Speaker 1: lot of them were like short lives some of some 54 00:03:53,840 --> 00:03:57,200 Speaker 1: of them were just pilots and then they would get canceled. Um. 55 00:03:57,240 --> 00:03:59,440 Speaker 1: Some of them were short lived series. I was on 56 00:03:59,520 --> 00:04:03,280 Speaker 1: quite a few series that lived for you know, six episodes, 57 00:04:03,360 --> 00:04:07,400 Speaker 1: ten episodes. Uh, well, I did. I did some shows 58 00:04:07,400 --> 00:04:09,000 Speaker 1: when I was a really kid, Like I did a 59 00:04:09,000 --> 00:04:12,160 Speaker 1: Shaturday morning show for kids when I was ten about 60 00:04:12,160 --> 00:04:14,440 Speaker 1: a black stallion that came when I whistled, and together 61 00:04:14,480 --> 00:04:16,840 Speaker 1: we would save the day, and and that one ran 62 00:04:17,000 --> 00:04:20,120 Speaker 1: for a series that was like twenty two episodes, and 63 00:04:20,160 --> 00:04:23,520 Speaker 1: then and then I did another one called Cliffwood Avenue Kids, 64 00:04:23,520 --> 00:04:26,640 Speaker 1: which was a syndicated show at the time when shows 65 00:04:26,640 --> 00:04:29,440 Speaker 1: were syndicated, and I was nine when I did that, 66 00:04:29,520 --> 00:04:31,960 Speaker 1: and that one, I think was like twenty five episodes. 67 00:04:32,560 --> 00:04:34,800 Speaker 1: But other than that, most of the shows I did 68 00:04:34,800 --> 00:04:39,680 Speaker 1: were like six episodes, you know, five episodes, or just 69 00:04:39,800 --> 00:04:43,400 Speaker 1: pilots that then were that were never picked up. When 70 00:04:43,440 --> 00:04:46,200 Speaker 1: did you first hear about the American version of the Office? 71 00:04:46,320 --> 00:04:48,600 Speaker 1: Had you seen the British version. I had never seen 72 00:04:48,600 --> 00:04:52,960 Speaker 1: the British version. I'm not a big TV watcher in general. Um, 73 00:04:53,120 --> 00:04:57,279 Speaker 1: and I I remember it was I remember it weird, 74 00:04:57,320 --> 00:04:59,479 Speaker 1: And it's weird that I do remember it, because I don't, 75 00:04:59,520 --> 00:05:01,440 Speaker 1: you know, the we was so many auditions at that 76 00:05:01,560 --> 00:05:04,160 Speaker 1: time in my life that it's weird that I remember it. 77 00:05:04,240 --> 00:05:06,520 Speaker 1: But I remember going over there, and I remember it 78 00:05:06,600 --> 00:05:09,600 Speaker 1: was sort of a last minute thing. You know. Usually 79 00:05:09,640 --> 00:05:12,320 Speaker 1: actors are, you know, supposed to be told the night 80 00:05:12,360 --> 00:05:14,720 Speaker 1: before so that they have at least a night with 81 00:05:14,760 --> 00:05:17,200 Speaker 1: the material. But it was sort of one of those 82 00:05:17,200 --> 00:05:19,200 Speaker 1: things where I think my agent called and said, oh, 83 00:05:19,240 --> 00:05:20,880 Speaker 1: you know, we have this thing for you. They want 84 00:05:20,920 --> 00:05:23,040 Speaker 1: you there at like a two o'clock today. It was 85 00:05:23,080 --> 00:05:25,279 Speaker 1: like an afternoon thing. I had already been on a 86 00:05:25,279 --> 00:05:29,640 Speaker 1: couple other auditions or something. I remember walking in, picking 87 00:05:29,720 --> 00:05:33,480 Speaker 1: up the material, standing outside and working on it um 88 00:05:33,520 --> 00:05:36,400 Speaker 1: and basically going in pretty cold and just doing it 89 00:05:36,760 --> 00:05:39,400 Speaker 1: but liking it like right away. And what was funny 90 00:05:39,480 --> 00:05:44,680 Speaker 1: was that Allison are our casting director. She had been 91 00:05:45,279 --> 00:05:48,280 Speaker 1: I get Shell was also casting a pilot at the 92 00:05:48,360 --> 00:05:51,880 Speaker 1: time that I had been in on the day before, 93 00:05:51,880 --> 00:05:54,719 Speaker 1: and probably this is how this last minute audition happened, 94 00:05:54,800 --> 00:05:57,640 Speaker 1: was probably through Allison, because I had been in for 95 00:05:57,800 --> 00:05:59,680 Speaker 1: that and they were making a deal for me to 96 00:05:59,720 --> 00:06:03,000 Speaker 1: come in to do a test for this other pilot. 97 00:06:03,880 --> 00:06:06,680 Speaker 1: And so I went in. I read hold for the 98 00:06:06,720 --> 00:06:09,320 Speaker 1: office pretty much pretty cold. But I also could, you know, 99 00:06:09,480 --> 00:06:11,240 Speaker 1: just because I've been doing this as long as I 100 00:06:11,440 --> 00:06:14,280 Speaker 1: as I have, you can really feel when the room 101 00:06:14,440 --> 00:06:17,400 Speaker 1: is like buzzing with what you're doing, Like everybody was 102 00:06:17,440 --> 00:06:19,640 Speaker 1: kind of riveted. It was ten Koppie and it was 103 00:06:20,200 --> 00:06:24,320 Speaker 1: you know, Greg Daniels and um, I'm pretty sure Phillis 104 00:06:24,360 --> 00:06:29,159 Speaker 1: was maybe there, but anyway, Allison for sure. And so yeah, 105 00:06:29,200 --> 00:06:31,480 Speaker 1: I did it, and I remember everybody just kind of 106 00:06:31,520 --> 00:06:34,760 Speaker 1: being I could tell they were just kind of like, hump, 107 00:06:34,839 --> 00:06:36,960 Speaker 1: they were they were really liking, you know, liking what 108 00:06:37,040 --> 00:06:40,320 Speaker 1: I did. And anyway, so the next I think it 109 00:06:40,400 --> 00:06:42,960 Speaker 1: was like a couple of days later or the next 110 00:06:43,040 --> 00:06:46,760 Speaker 1: day even, I went into test for this pilot and 111 00:06:46,839 --> 00:06:49,119 Speaker 1: Allison came out you know where I was the waiting 112 00:06:49,200 --> 00:06:51,520 Speaker 1: room and it was just me and she came out 113 00:06:51,520 --> 00:06:53,560 Speaker 1: and she said hi, and I said hi, and she goes, 114 00:06:53,640 --> 00:06:56,640 Speaker 1: you were fantastic in you know, in that audition for 115 00:06:56,839 --> 00:06:59,680 Speaker 1: the Office. Now, remember the Office was a guest star 116 00:07:00,360 --> 00:07:03,200 Speaker 1: possible reach character. That's not like just for people that 117 00:07:03,320 --> 00:07:05,360 Speaker 1: don't know. That's a nice thing to get, but that's 118 00:07:05,360 --> 00:07:08,479 Speaker 1: not like getting a series, like a starring role on 119 00:07:08,520 --> 00:07:11,000 Speaker 1: a pilot that could turn into a series, because that's 120 00:07:11,040 --> 00:07:14,640 Speaker 1: more money and that's you know, better for us as actors. Anyway, 121 00:07:14,680 --> 00:07:16,920 Speaker 1: so I was, like I said to Alison, I was like, yeah, 122 00:07:16,920 --> 00:07:18,840 Speaker 1: I said that was fun. I said, well, you don't 123 00:07:18,960 --> 00:07:20,920 Speaker 1: I really liked it, Like maybe I'll get both, and 124 00:07:21,000 --> 00:07:23,560 Speaker 1: she goes, uh, I really want you to get that one. 125 00:07:23,680 --> 00:07:25,440 Speaker 1: I really want you to get the Office. And I 126 00:07:25,440 --> 00:07:29,480 Speaker 1: thought to myself, hump, Okay, you know that's interesting. You know, 127 00:07:29,560 --> 00:07:31,920 Speaker 1: she's a she's a she's a pro. She's been around 128 00:07:31,920 --> 00:07:35,160 Speaker 1: a long time, and she knows something, you know, she 129 00:07:35,280 --> 00:07:37,040 Speaker 1: knows like she could tell that. I think that the 130 00:07:37,080 --> 00:07:42,240 Speaker 1: office was special, and so I basically just went in. 131 00:07:42,360 --> 00:07:44,320 Speaker 1: I read for the other thing. I didn't end up 132 00:07:44,320 --> 00:07:47,200 Speaker 1: getting it. The pilot did get made, it did not 133 00:07:47,400 --> 00:07:50,720 Speaker 1: get picked up, and I ended up getting the office, 134 00:07:50,760 --> 00:07:56,600 Speaker 1: and here we are. That's that is crazy. And when 135 00:07:56,600 --> 00:07:59,240 Speaker 1: you were originally cast, you didn't think it was a 136 00:07:59,240 --> 00:08:01,160 Speaker 1: big thing like it was. Maybe it was going to 137 00:08:01,240 --> 00:08:03,520 Speaker 1: come back. Maybe, I mean, maybe the role would come back, 138 00:08:03,640 --> 00:08:07,360 Speaker 1: but but you had no expectation for anything long term. 139 00:08:07,600 --> 00:08:09,720 Speaker 1: I didn't. I mean, you know, as I said, I've 140 00:08:09,720 --> 00:08:11,520 Speaker 1: been doing it so long that you just you get 141 00:08:11,520 --> 00:08:13,280 Speaker 1: to where you kind of have a pretty fixed skin 142 00:08:13,480 --> 00:08:16,600 Speaker 1: and you're pretty wary about things. And I mean I 143 00:08:16,600 --> 00:08:19,360 Speaker 1: always tell everybody that I didn't even believe we were 144 00:08:19,400 --> 00:08:23,480 Speaker 1: a hit. Um, even after we'd won the Emmy. I 145 00:08:23,520 --> 00:08:25,760 Speaker 1: didn't believe we were a hit until we won the 146 00:08:25,840 --> 00:08:27,960 Speaker 1: sag Award. And I had to walk around with that 147 00:08:28,720 --> 00:08:32,360 Speaker 1: like fifty pound, you know, statue all night and the 148 00:08:32,440 --> 00:08:35,160 Speaker 1: next morning I woke up and my bicep was so 149 00:08:35,160 --> 00:08:37,840 Speaker 1: sore that I couldn't lift my arm. It was like, 150 00:08:38,040 --> 00:08:40,920 Speaker 1: literally I needed physical proof. And then I was like, oh, 151 00:08:40,960 --> 00:08:42,920 Speaker 1: maybe we are a hit. And it was I just 152 00:08:42,960 --> 00:08:45,319 Speaker 1: think it's like hit me a lot later than anybody 153 00:08:45,320 --> 00:08:48,160 Speaker 1: else in the cast, because I just was I had 154 00:08:48,200 --> 00:08:52,960 Speaker 1: done so many things that were like semi successes or 155 00:08:53,640 --> 00:08:56,040 Speaker 1: you know, I just didn't believe it, like I just 156 00:08:56,120 --> 00:09:01,400 Speaker 1: didn't believe it right well. And and you know, you were, 157 00:09:02,480 --> 00:09:05,480 Speaker 1: you know, you were the most experienced film and television 158 00:09:05,559 --> 00:09:08,920 Speaker 1: actor certainly in the pilot. And so when you showed up, 159 00:09:09,520 --> 00:09:12,760 Speaker 1: did you have any sort of first impression of the 160 00:09:12,800 --> 00:09:15,880 Speaker 1: other people in the cast. I remember thinking that it 161 00:09:16,000 --> 00:09:19,000 Speaker 1: was just really well cast. I remember just feeling like, 162 00:09:19,000 --> 00:09:22,560 Speaker 1: oh my god, these are just great characters, you know, 163 00:09:22,640 --> 00:09:25,839 Speaker 1: and I and I loved immediately. I loved working with Steve. 164 00:09:25,920 --> 00:09:28,960 Speaker 1: I mean, I would say, because of my experience, you 165 00:09:29,040 --> 00:09:32,800 Speaker 1: can really get a sense very very quickly of the 166 00:09:32,840 --> 00:09:36,520 Speaker 1: actors that can that can play with you, and the 167 00:09:36,559 --> 00:09:40,920 Speaker 1: actors that can't. And um, because all my stuff was 168 00:09:40,960 --> 00:09:44,080 Speaker 1: with Steve in that first season, I really didn't work 169 00:09:44,080 --> 00:09:46,240 Speaker 1: with you guys at all. Really, I mean I had 170 00:09:46,240 --> 00:09:48,800 Speaker 1: no interaction with you, really decides just glancing at you 171 00:09:48,880 --> 00:09:52,640 Speaker 1: and you're glancing at me. But but it was like 172 00:09:52,800 --> 00:09:55,559 Speaker 1: it was like I was so relieved and so grateful 173 00:09:55,559 --> 00:09:59,959 Speaker 1: and excited that whenever the cameras would roll, I felt 174 00:10:00,160 --> 00:10:03,679 Speaker 1: Steve was very playful with me on camera as far 175 00:10:03,720 --> 00:10:07,480 Speaker 1: as just his ability to you know, give and take 176 00:10:07,520 --> 00:10:09,360 Speaker 1: and just kind of be really in the moment and 177 00:10:09,400 --> 00:10:13,160 Speaker 1: not get thrown by any little new thing I might 178 00:10:13,200 --> 00:10:16,840 Speaker 1: throw his way, Whereas sometimes you work with more inexperienced 179 00:10:16,880 --> 00:10:21,360 Speaker 1: actors and you'll do it one way and they'll go, oh, 180 00:10:21,440 --> 00:10:23,360 Speaker 1: you didn't do it like that, or they'll be like, oh, 181 00:10:23,440 --> 00:10:25,520 Speaker 1: I wasn't expecting that because the last time you did 182 00:10:25,559 --> 00:10:28,280 Speaker 1: it more like this, you know, And that always just 183 00:10:28,400 --> 00:10:30,520 Speaker 1: kisses me off so much, because I'm always like, oh 184 00:10:30,600 --> 00:10:33,480 Speaker 1: my god, like, really, are you kidding me? We can't 185 00:10:33,480 --> 00:10:35,960 Speaker 1: do it like, we can't do it different and have 186 00:10:36,120 --> 00:10:37,960 Speaker 1: fun and all and try a new thing, you know. 187 00:10:38,440 --> 00:10:40,840 Speaker 1: But Steve was always just like, you know, just so 188 00:10:40,960 --> 00:10:43,400 Speaker 1: ready with the bat, you know, to hit the ball 189 00:10:43,440 --> 00:10:46,120 Speaker 1: however it came, and I think we both had a 190 00:10:46,120 --> 00:10:48,120 Speaker 1: lot of fun with that. I mean, I would hope 191 00:10:48,120 --> 00:10:50,000 Speaker 1: he would say that he did. I certainly had a 192 00:10:50,000 --> 00:10:53,400 Speaker 1: great time working with him, right, I mean, It's funny 193 00:10:53,440 --> 00:10:57,240 Speaker 1: because I just started thinking about how so much, yes, 194 00:10:57,320 --> 00:11:00,280 Speaker 1: as you said, especially early on, but really throughout the show, 195 00:11:00,760 --> 00:11:04,080 Speaker 1: how connected you were with Steve, and how so much 196 00:11:04,160 --> 00:11:07,520 Speaker 1: almost unlike most of the rest of the show, you 197 00:11:07,520 --> 00:11:11,040 Speaker 1: guys played one on one quite a bit, so most 198 00:11:11,080 --> 00:11:14,840 Speaker 1: of your experience wasn't really with the entire ensemble, again, 199 00:11:14,960 --> 00:11:18,079 Speaker 1: particularly early on, but really with Steve. Yeah, yeah, I 200 00:11:18,160 --> 00:11:20,839 Speaker 1: really was, And that was very interesting. Yeah, that was 201 00:11:20,960 --> 00:11:23,400 Speaker 1: very interesting, I felt, you know, and I felt that 202 00:11:23,679 --> 00:11:26,920 Speaker 1: I think even as time went on, there was sort 203 00:11:26,920 --> 00:11:29,760 Speaker 1: of a sense of not belonging there for a long 204 00:11:29,760 --> 00:11:31,800 Speaker 1: long time. Really, I don't think I ever felt like 205 00:11:31,840 --> 00:11:36,680 Speaker 1: I belonged really, but I think that's probably by virtue 206 00:11:36,720 --> 00:11:39,720 Speaker 1: of the of the way that it was written. But 207 00:11:39,760 --> 00:11:41,840 Speaker 1: I that's not to say that I didn't enjoy everybody 208 00:11:41,840 --> 00:11:44,720 Speaker 1: and love everybody and feel like everybody you know, enjoyed me. 209 00:11:44,880 --> 00:11:47,160 Speaker 1: I did. I don't know. I just felt like the 210 00:11:47,200 --> 00:11:49,760 Speaker 1: little like the team, the clan, like you guys were 211 00:11:49,800 --> 00:11:53,320 Speaker 1: in the office every day together, um, you know, and 212 00:11:53,440 --> 00:11:55,480 Speaker 1: I wasn't. I would pop in and out, and when 213 00:11:55,480 --> 00:11:57,760 Speaker 1: I did, it was always it was mostly that kind 214 00:11:57,760 --> 00:12:01,040 Speaker 1: of more private things, which was maybe by design because 215 00:12:01,679 --> 00:12:05,000 Speaker 1: Yan is kind of an outsider, right. I Mean the 216 00:12:05,040 --> 00:12:07,040 Speaker 1: other thing that that occurred to me is, you know, 217 00:12:07,120 --> 00:12:10,160 Speaker 1: we've done a lot of conversation about you know, the 218 00:12:10,240 --> 00:12:13,800 Speaker 1: cast of this show and how different it was at 219 00:12:13,920 --> 00:12:17,800 Speaker 1: this time and place specifically that our show started, you know, 220 00:12:17,840 --> 00:12:20,000 Speaker 1: to break the mold, and they really sort of leaned 221 00:12:20,080 --> 00:12:23,760 Speaker 1: into these are real, ordinary people who are working in 222 00:12:23,800 --> 00:12:28,120 Speaker 1: an office specifically in Scranton, Pennsylvania. And it felt like 223 00:12:28,240 --> 00:12:32,640 Speaker 1: to me that you, you and your character though like 224 00:12:32,720 --> 00:12:36,600 Speaker 1: maybe it was you being like a New York person, 225 00:12:36,720 --> 00:12:39,959 Speaker 1: right like you always seemed and looked felt a little 226 00:12:39,960 --> 00:12:43,560 Speaker 1: more put together, a little more you know, which really 227 00:12:43,600 --> 00:12:46,240 Speaker 1: contrasted in a way with with everyone else who was 228 00:12:46,400 --> 00:12:49,960 Speaker 1: who was in the office, right right, Yeah, I think 229 00:12:50,000 --> 00:12:52,480 Speaker 1: that's true. And I and I remember that that was 230 00:12:52,559 --> 00:12:56,680 Speaker 1: even somewhat of a of a of a struggle with Greg. 231 00:12:56,720 --> 00:13:00,400 Speaker 1: I remember Greg Daniels Um talking a little bit about that, 232 00:13:00,720 --> 00:13:03,600 Speaker 1: even with me and and and with the costume designer 233 00:13:03,800 --> 00:13:07,080 Speaker 1: and um, with the makeup and hair people. You know, 234 00:13:07,200 --> 00:13:10,199 Speaker 1: he used to say a lot, you know, like make 235 00:13:10,200 --> 00:13:12,720 Speaker 1: sure she's not too pretty, make sure she's not you know, 236 00:13:13,360 --> 00:13:17,280 Speaker 1: like don't dress her too holid you know, take you know, 237 00:13:17,400 --> 00:13:20,160 Speaker 1: take the makeup down a little or or he sort 238 00:13:20,200 --> 00:13:24,000 Speaker 1: of and he grappled with, you know, why would why 239 00:13:24,040 --> 00:13:27,480 Speaker 1: would Michael be with someone that looked like and felt 240 00:13:27,520 --> 00:13:30,640 Speaker 1: like jan Like, how would he get someone like her? 241 00:13:31,360 --> 00:13:33,160 Speaker 1: And that was like, that was I just think a 242 00:13:33,280 --> 00:13:37,120 Speaker 1: thing on his radar all the time, because he really 243 00:13:37,120 --> 00:13:39,840 Speaker 1: wanted it to feel you know, really real and really 244 00:13:40,200 --> 00:13:43,320 Speaker 1: documentary and really like we were really peeking in on 245 00:13:43,400 --> 00:13:46,120 Speaker 1: this um these people's lives. And I think I think 246 00:13:46,160 --> 00:13:47,960 Speaker 1: that was just always a thing for him, and he 247 00:13:48,000 --> 00:13:50,080 Speaker 1: was always tracking that, and he would talk to me 248 00:13:50,160 --> 00:13:52,800 Speaker 1: about that, and you always wanted to know what I 249 00:13:52,880 --> 00:13:55,720 Speaker 1: thought about that? Why would she be attracted to someone 250 00:13:55,760 --> 00:13:58,520 Speaker 1: like that? And and I had lots of reasons, you know, 251 00:13:58,600 --> 00:14:00,320 Speaker 1: I I it for me, it was the need to 252 00:14:00,360 --> 00:14:02,760 Speaker 1: figure that out. But but that's my job, you know, 253 00:14:02,800 --> 00:14:04,960 Speaker 1: that's part of my job as an actor and certainly 254 00:14:05,000 --> 00:14:07,080 Speaker 1: as a working actor for as long as I was. 255 00:14:07,520 --> 00:14:09,520 Speaker 1: You have to find a way to win your mind, 256 00:14:09,679 --> 00:14:13,720 Speaker 1: justify kind of anything that that's thrown at you. So 257 00:14:13,760 --> 00:14:16,439 Speaker 1: I had gotten very good at at knowing how to 258 00:14:17,000 --> 00:14:21,640 Speaker 1: how to make something that seems almost unfathomable, you know, real, 259 00:14:42,320 --> 00:14:44,360 Speaker 1: what do you think Jan did see and Michael. I 260 00:14:44,400 --> 00:14:47,360 Speaker 1: feel like Jan was um. You know, she was really 261 00:14:47,520 --> 00:14:50,360 Speaker 1: brought up in a Mann's world. I think she became 262 00:14:50,880 --> 00:14:56,520 Speaker 1: more masculine in her affects and her behavior than she 263 00:14:56,640 --> 00:15:01,000 Speaker 1: actually was inside and I out like, you know, some 264 00:15:01,160 --> 00:15:04,520 Speaker 1: part of her was really sort of sad about the 265 00:15:04,640 --> 00:15:08,840 Speaker 1: loss of her femininity. And I feel like that that 266 00:15:09,160 --> 00:15:15,040 Speaker 1: Michael's kind of puppy like adoration of her um made 267 00:15:15,040 --> 00:15:18,920 Speaker 1: her feel more feminine and more womanly and more more 268 00:15:19,000 --> 00:15:23,720 Speaker 1: like she could just be, you know, softened softer with him. 269 00:15:23,760 --> 00:15:26,200 Speaker 1: And I think she wasn't. I don't think she was 270 00:15:26,320 --> 00:15:29,760 Speaker 1: softer with him on the outside. I just think inside 271 00:15:30,760 --> 00:15:35,040 Speaker 1: his sort of like he just wouldn't stop coming after her, 272 00:15:35,760 --> 00:15:39,120 Speaker 1: even when she was a total, you know, bitch to him. 273 00:15:39,960 --> 00:15:42,560 Speaker 1: I think that I think that just made her feel 274 00:15:43,640 --> 00:15:48,440 Speaker 1: loved and like she could let down a little bit 275 00:15:48,480 --> 00:15:52,760 Speaker 1: of that masculine guard that she had learned, you know, 276 00:15:52,840 --> 00:15:55,400 Speaker 1: that learned behavior. Right. Do you think that there was 277 00:15:55,440 --> 00:15:58,880 Speaker 1: real love there between Michael and Jan, Yeah, I do. 278 00:15:59,080 --> 00:16:03,120 Speaker 1: I think it was completely dysfunctional, but I do, Yeah, 279 00:16:03,200 --> 00:16:06,400 Speaker 1: I do. I think she I think she didn't even 280 00:16:06,440 --> 00:16:09,440 Speaker 1: know that she was in love with him. I think 281 00:16:09,480 --> 00:16:16,640 Speaker 1: she was right. Yeah, there's um, it's interesting. We I've 282 00:16:16,680 --> 00:16:18,840 Speaker 1: been doing a lot of talking about sort of michael 283 00:16:18,960 --> 00:16:22,600 Speaker 1: search for family and his need and desire to be 284 00:16:22,680 --> 00:16:28,760 Speaker 1: loved and you know, for him, his landing the boss, 285 00:16:28,880 --> 00:16:33,280 Speaker 1: right Jan, the sophisticate from New York, right like that 286 00:16:33,440 --> 00:16:36,240 Speaker 1: for him is a huge win. And I think, you know, 287 00:16:36,400 --> 00:16:41,400 Speaker 1: raises himself up in his own mind. Um, but I 288 00:16:41,440 --> 00:16:43,920 Speaker 1: think it was really well said, like that she was searching, 289 00:16:44,280 --> 00:16:46,520 Speaker 1: you know, she was she was coming from a specific 290 00:16:46,520 --> 00:16:50,920 Speaker 1: culture and maybe wanting something different for herself. Yeah. I 291 00:16:50,920 --> 00:16:53,680 Speaker 1: mean I think she just was really focused on climbing 292 00:16:53,680 --> 00:16:58,000 Speaker 1: that corporate ladder and forgot about her her need for 293 00:16:58,280 --> 00:17:01,760 Speaker 1: you know, companionship. And I think he was all wrong 294 00:17:01,800 --> 00:17:04,919 Speaker 1: in every way and there was something that was like 295 00:17:05,240 --> 00:17:09,280 Speaker 1: und undeniably attractive about that for her. I think she 296 00:17:09,400 --> 00:17:11,560 Speaker 1: just needed a little bit of shaking up and sort 297 00:17:11,600 --> 00:17:14,000 Speaker 1: of that that adoration that he had of her, Like 298 00:17:14,119 --> 00:17:18,359 Speaker 1: just he just was so proud of of having sex 299 00:17:18,400 --> 00:17:21,720 Speaker 1: with her, He was so proud of having a relationship 300 00:17:21,760 --> 00:17:24,480 Speaker 1: with her, and she was just like, you are so stupid. 301 00:17:24,520 --> 00:17:30,040 Speaker 1: But but I like that he kind of liked being 302 00:17:30,119 --> 00:17:33,640 Speaker 1: his trophy, even though you know she found him ridiculous. 303 00:17:33,680 --> 00:17:36,280 Speaker 1: I think do you think do you think that she 304 00:17:36,359 --> 00:17:39,680 Speaker 1: had gotten to a point where she was lowering her standards? Yeah, 305 00:17:39,680 --> 00:17:42,040 Speaker 1: I don't think she had standards. I think she would have. 306 00:17:42,160 --> 00:17:45,720 Speaker 1: I just don't literally, I literally don't think she was thinking. 307 00:17:46,320 --> 00:17:48,720 Speaker 1: I think she forgot about her love life. I think 308 00:17:48,720 --> 00:17:52,520 Speaker 1: she probably you know, had had sort of sex, very 309 00:17:52,560 --> 00:17:56,640 Speaker 1: disconnected sex with like, you know, different executives that she'd 310 00:17:56,680 --> 00:17:59,640 Speaker 1: worked with. But I don't feel like she really had 311 00:18:00,880 --> 00:18:06,080 Speaker 1: a real relationship with anybody that was really meaningful until Michael. 312 00:18:06,119 --> 00:18:09,960 Speaker 1: And I think that my instinct is that, like, her 313 00:18:09,960 --> 00:18:15,160 Speaker 1: relationship with her father was probably pretty um like disconnected. 314 00:18:15,440 --> 00:18:17,679 Speaker 1: I mean, I think that Greg would say that that 315 00:18:17,840 --> 00:18:19,639 Speaker 1: she had lowered her standards. I don't think it was 316 00:18:19,680 --> 00:18:22,880 Speaker 1: really about standards. I think she just was taken with 317 00:18:23,000 --> 00:18:26,679 Speaker 1: his um you know, Let's say Steve's you know, description 318 00:18:26,720 --> 00:18:28,400 Speaker 1: of that would be that it was more like an 319 00:18:28,400 --> 00:18:31,600 Speaker 1: ego phil. I don't know. I don't know what Steve 320 00:18:31,640 --> 00:18:34,119 Speaker 1: would say as far as if that was Michael's ego 321 00:18:34,240 --> 00:18:36,359 Speaker 1: phill to be with Jan or if he really was 322 00:18:36,400 --> 00:18:38,920 Speaker 1: crazy for her. But I think the way that Jan 323 00:18:39,040 --> 00:18:41,439 Speaker 1: read it was like Jesus I can like keep you know, 324 00:18:41,560 --> 00:18:45,399 Speaker 1: beating this dead horse and it keeps fun like it 325 00:18:45,520 --> 00:18:48,840 Speaker 1: makes her feel loved, it makes her feel worthy. It's 326 00:18:48,880 --> 00:18:52,720 Speaker 1: just a weird phenomenon, right. I think Jan definitely, you know, 327 00:18:52,840 --> 00:18:54,760 Speaker 1: liked it that she could curl up in his arms 328 00:18:54,760 --> 00:18:57,639 Speaker 1: and you know, on the on the bench on the 329 00:18:57,680 --> 00:19:01,879 Speaker 1: bottom of the bed where she put him. She could 330 00:19:01,920 --> 00:19:04,639 Speaker 1: cry and she could be like, I'm sorry, and he 331 00:19:04,720 --> 00:19:07,119 Speaker 1: probably could be like, oh it was it was nothing. 332 00:19:07,119 --> 00:19:09,000 Speaker 1: I don't even know what you're saying sorry for, you 333 00:19:09,040 --> 00:19:14,840 Speaker 1: know what I mean. What do you think that their relationship, 334 00:19:15,320 --> 00:19:18,159 Speaker 1: What do you think that it added or gave to 335 00:19:18,240 --> 00:19:21,440 Speaker 1: the to the show overall? Well, I think it gave. 336 00:19:21,560 --> 00:19:25,440 Speaker 1: It gave him a kind of, um like a sexual 337 00:19:25,520 --> 00:19:28,719 Speaker 1: play that I don't think he would have had, uh 338 00:19:28,960 --> 00:19:32,119 Speaker 1: necessarily without it. And you know, it was really something 339 00:19:32,160 --> 00:19:35,560 Speaker 1: that Steve and and I and and Greg Daniels noticed 340 00:19:35,680 --> 00:19:39,439 Speaker 1: in the pilot. I remember being at lunch with with 341 00:19:39,760 --> 00:19:41,800 Speaker 1: all of us, the three of us were having lunch together, 342 00:19:42,520 --> 00:19:46,520 Speaker 1: and I remember Steve and I and Greg all kind 343 00:19:46,520 --> 00:19:48,879 Speaker 1: of saying, you know, there's some kind of an interesting 344 00:19:49,000 --> 00:19:53,760 Speaker 1: spark between Michael and Jan, like there's something about them, 345 00:19:53,800 --> 00:19:55,879 Speaker 1: and we were all like, Yeah, if we get an opportunity, 346 00:19:55,920 --> 00:19:58,239 Speaker 1: if we get picked up, we should really have them 347 00:19:58,280 --> 00:20:00,760 Speaker 1: hook up sometime at a convention or something. And we 348 00:20:00,760 --> 00:20:03,960 Speaker 1: were all laughing about this idea that maybe we'd get 349 00:20:03,960 --> 00:20:07,119 Speaker 1: to have them, you know, have some kind of an affair. 350 00:20:07,600 --> 00:20:11,000 Speaker 1: So I think there was just the titilation that it 351 00:20:11,119 --> 00:20:13,359 Speaker 1: added to the show in the same way that you know, 352 00:20:13,400 --> 00:20:15,600 Speaker 1: the Pam and Jim love story had a little bit 353 00:20:15,600 --> 00:20:18,000 Speaker 1: of tittilation to it, and you know, and there were 354 00:20:18,000 --> 00:20:20,960 Speaker 1: other stories that you know, Dwight and Angela, you know, 355 00:20:21,000 --> 00:20:23,280 Speaker 1: there were things that all happened over time, and I 356 00:20:23,320 --> 00:20:27,639 Speaker 1: think that created at fun sort of titulation. And and 357 00:20:27,680 --> 00:20:31,560 Speaker 1: also because because the Michael and Jan's story was like 358 00:20:32,040 --> 00:20:34,760 Speaker 1: there was something really right about it, but also something 359 00:20:34,840 --> 00:20:37,800 Speaker 1: so wrong. It's just it's just, you know, it's just 360 00:20:37,880 --> 00:20:41,359 Speaker 1: it's kind of delicious, right. How much input did you 361 00:20:41,440 --> 00:20:46,640 Speaker 1: have on Jan with Greg or the writers? Um? I mean, 362 00:20:46,680 --> 00:20:48,720 Speaker 1: I think I do think it was a dance. I mean, 363 00:20:48,800 --> 00:20:52,680 Speaker 1: Larry Wilmore early on really loved to write Jan, and 364 00:20:52,760 --> 00:20:57,280 Speaker 1: he and I became friends, were still friends. Um, So 365 00:20:57,320 --> 00:21:01,040 Speaker 1: we used to talk about Jam a lot over lunch 366 00:21:01,080 --> 00:21:03,560 Speaker 1: and stuff. Greg and I talked about Jan a lot, 367 00:21:05,040 --> 00:21:08,760 Speaker 1: especially as seasons went on. You know, Um, Greg was 368 00:21:08,760 --> 00:21:11,440 Speaker 1: always curious about what I thought about you know what, 369 00:21:11,480 --> 00:21:15,920 Speaker 1: I how I felt she might react to this or that. Um, 370 00:21:16,119 --> 00:21:18,560 Speaker 1: that was really nice. And I would say for me again, 371 00:21:18,760 --> 00:21:21,000 Speaker 1: you know, just referring back to how long I've been 372 00:21:21,000 --> 00:21:24,720 Speaker 1: in the business, that was my first experience where writers 373 00:21:24,800 --> 00:21:31,400 Speaker 1: were really interested and collaborative in television. Uh, And so 374 00:21:31,520 --> 00:21:36,680 Speaker 1: Greg really like that really changed for me just sort 375 00:21:36,720 --> 00:21:39,680 Speaker 1: of everything that came after that, you know, just the 376 00:21:40,080 --> 00:21:43,040 Speaker 1: feeling of that. And I I'm not sure I think 377 00:21:43,080 --> 00:21:47,040 Speaker 1: Greg was a big, big part of changing the way 378 00:21:47,640 --> 00:21:53,120 Speaker 1: writers really are on sets, on television sets. I really 379 00:21:53,160 --> 00:21:55,359 Speaker 1: do think he was kind of a maverick and a 380 00:21:55,480 --> 00:21:59,280 Speaker 1: leader in that, certainly for for my experience, which was 381 00:21:59,440 --> 00:22:01,159 Speaker 1: you know, he the at that time. I've had a 382 00:22:01,160 --> 00:22:05,400 Speaker 1: lot of experience, and I just never had writers interacting 383 00:22:05,440 --> 00:22:08,359 Speaker 1: on such an intimate way with the actors and just 384 00:22:08,400 --> 00:22:11,040 Speaker 1: being on set as much as they were being, you know, 385 00:22:11,080 --> 00:22:15,240 Speaker 1: being so involved and so hands on and really wanting 386 00:22:15,280 --> 00:22:17,800 Speaker 1: to hear from all of us. I loved that. Gosh, 387 00:22:17,880 --> 00:22:20,440 Speaker 1: that was just a revelation for me, right, I mean, 388 00:22:20,520 --> 00:22:24,080 Speaker 1: often on other shows, like writers are on set to 389 00:22:24,280 --> 00:22:27,560 Speaker 1: really oversee and make sure that the words are being 390 00:22:27,600 --> 00:22:32,760 Speaker 1: said right or said correctly right. But you know, I 391 00:22:32,480 --> 00:22:36,919 Speaker 1: I agree, I think here it was really about a 392 00:22:36,960 --> 00:22:41,320 Speaker 1: collaboration and finding the best answers that we could to, 393 00:22:41,960 --> 00:22:44,320 Speaker 1: you know, to make something funny or you know, to 394 00:22:44,359 --> 00:22:47,600 Speaker 1: make it work better than it really was collaborative. So 395 00:22:47,640 --> 00:22:50,720 Speaker 1: that was different for you. Greg was different for you. Yeah. Yeah, 396 00:22:50,760 --> 00:22:54,000 Speaker 1: and all the writers and and um, I mean Mindy 397 00:22:54,160 --> 00:22:57,439 Speaker 1: Mindy Kaley wrote that, you know, wrote that episode of 398 00:22:57,480 --> 00:23:01,080 Speaker 1: me singing the baby to the baby because I had 399 00:23:01,119 --> 00:23:04,040 Speaker 1: just done Lame is on on at the Hollywood Bowl 400 00:23:04,119 --> 00:23:06,120 Speaker 1: and she was so blown away that I had done 401 00:23:06,160 --> 00:23:08,000 Speaker 1: that and that you know that I had a voice 402 00:23:08,080 --> 00:23:10,320 Speaker 1: like that, and she was like, we've got to get 403 00:23:10,359 --> 00:23:12,000 Speaker 1: you singing on the show, and I got to find 404 00:23:12,000 --> 00:23:14,000 Speaker 1: a way to do it, and you know, and that 405 00:23:14,160 --> 00:23:16,080 Speaker 1: it was just kind of neat that they were wanting 406 00:23:16,119 --> 00:23:19,760 Speaker 1: to really use like what we had to give, and 407 00:23:19,800 --> 00:23:22,320 Speaker 1: they were, you know, finding ways to do it. I mean, 408 00:23:22,800 --> 00:23:24,480 Speaker 1: you know, and they would take things that we would 409 00:23:24,520 --> 00:23:27,880 Speaker 1: say and turn them into jokes. I mean, the whole um, 410 00:23:27,920 --> 00:23:30,880 Speaker 1: the whole breastfeeding the baby at the office thing. For 411 00:23:30,920 --> 00:23:34,800 Speaker 1: me happened, I think really because I was breastfeeding my 412 00:23:34,920 --> 00:23:38,199 Speaker 1: daughter at a brunch that we had with Gregg and 413 00:23:38,320 --> 00:23:41,560 Speaker 1: his wife and Steve and his wife that Greg's house, 414 00:23:42,320 --> 00:23:46,480 Speaker 1: and I think it made it made Steve in particular uncomfortable, 415 00:23:46,520 --> 00:23:48,920 Speaker 1: and I think that Greg was sort of I don't 416 00:23:48,920 --> 00:23:51,280 Speaker 1: think he was uncomfortable, but I think, you know, I 417 00:23:51,320 --> 00:23:54,359 Speaker 1: also felt really like very feminist about that, you know, like, 418 00:23:55,080 --> 00:23:57,000 Speaker 1: you know, we can carry guns in this country, but 419 00:23:57,080 --> 00:23:59,119 Speaker 1: you can't breastfeed a baby, and that's like what our 420 00:23:59,160 --> 00:24:01,399 Speaker 1: boots are for, you know, like I felt. And I 421 00:24:01,440 --> 00:24:03,919 Speaker 1: think I even said that at the brunch, and I 422 00:24:03,960 --> 00:24:05,920 Speaker 1: think Greg just took that and was like, oh my god, 423 00:24:06,000 --> 00:24:10,560 Speaker 1: this is amazing. We're doing this on the show. And 424 00:24:10,640 --> 00:24:14,040 Speaker 1: I think the war Hal thing also came, I think 425 00:24:14,119 --> 00:24:18,040 Speaker 1: similarly because of that, because they came over to my 426 00:24:18,119 --> 00:24:22,080 Speaker 1: house for dinner with Paul Fieg and his wife one night. 427 00:24:22,640 --> 00:24:25,879 Speaker 1: And I have a record cover that I you know, 428 00:24:25,960 --> 00:24:29,080 Speaker 1: I have a few CDs and that I've made, and 429 00:24:29,119 --> 00:24:31,360 Speaker 1: one of the record covers of my record called Her 430 00:24:32,200 --> 00:24:34,479 Speaker 1: is a painting that one of my closest friends who 431 00:24:34,480 --> 00:24:37,399 Speaker 1: I've known since I was twelve years old, painted for 432 00:24:37,560 --> 00:24:40,159 Speaker 1: me and it's a giant painting of me with a 433 00:24:40,160 --> 00:24:43,600 Speaker 1: whole bunch of kittens, and it's basically a kind of 434 00:24:43,880 --> 00:24:47,680 Speaker 1: inspired by a gil elve Grin pin Ups painting. And 435 00:24:47,880 --> 00:24:51,240 Speaker 1: we had that hanging over my couch in our old house, 436 00:24:52,320 --> 00:24:55,400 Speaker 1: and I remember when they came in, um Greg saying 437 00:24:55,480 --> 00:24:58,040 Speaker 1: something about it, and me saying, you know, what's interesting 438 00:24:58,080 --> 00:25:00,800 Speaker 1: about that is that is that I wonder sometimes if 439 00:25:00,840 --> 00:25:06,399 Speaker 1: people think that I think that that's like serious, you 440 00:25:06,440 --> 00:25:09,000 Speaker 1: know what I mean, Like if people think that, like 441 00:25:09,720 --> 00:25:13,040 Speaker 1: I have a painting of myself over my couch, like 442 00:25:13,840 --> 00:25:17,280 Speaker 1: I have to see myself every day at a giant painting, 443 00:25:17,800 --> 00:25:19,879 Speaker 1: you know. And I was we were joking about how, 444 00:25:20,480 --> 00:25:23,360 Speaker 1: you know, I think it's funny that that For me, 445 00:25:23,440 --> 00:25:25,600 Speaker 1: it's like a total ton of tongue in cheek thing. 446 00:25:25,680 --> 00:25:28,920 Speaker 1: But it's also reverence of my second CD and this 447 00:25:29,080 --> 00:25:31,800 Speaker 1: sort of like you know, all these very funny tongue 448 00:25:31,800 --> 00:25:34,800 Speaker 1: in cheek songs that are you know, that are that 449 00:25:34,880 --> 00:25:37,600 Speaker 1: I wrote. And so for me, it's like it's a 450 00:25:37,840 --> 00:25:41,439 Speaker 1: part of a celebration of something I achieved in my life. 451 00:25:41,480 --> 00:25:44,879 Speaker 1: That's part of my like passion and you know, but 452 00:25:44,960 --> 00:25:48,159 Speaker 1: it also is to me a joke like I don't. 453 00:25:48,200 --> 00:25:50,119 Speaker 1: I don't think of it as like, you know, like 454 00:25:50,160 --> 00:25:53,239 Speaker 1: the Queen's portrait. But I think he loved that so 455 00:25:53,320 --> 00:25:55,199 Speaker 1: much and we had such a long talk about it 456 00:25:55,640 --> 00:25:57,600 Speaker 1: that then it showed up in the dinner party and 457 00:25:57,640 --> 00:26:00,520 Speaker 1: I just remember loving it so much, like, oh my god, 458 00:26:00,560 --> 00:26:03,400 Speaker 1: this is genius. Like Greg is just so good at 459 00:26:03,480 --> 00:26:07,480 Speaker 1: spotting where there is an opportunity to just you know, 460 00:26:07,600 --> 00:26:12,240 Speaker 1: make a great joke about something. How much of Malla 461 00:26:12,320 --> 00:26:14,960 Speaker 1: do you think there isn't? Oh my god, of course, 462 00:26:15,040 --> 00:26:17,560 Speaker 1: I mean, isn't there. I mean, I think everybody. I 463 00:26:17,600 --> 00:26:19,840 Speaker 1: think all my characters have me and them for sure. 464 00:26:19,880 --> 00:26:23,280 Speaker 1: I mean, I'm I'm them there me. Um, I'm a 465 00:26:23,320 --> 00:26:26,240 Speaker 1: lot different than her, of course, um you know, but 466 00:26:26,800 --> 00:26:30,199 Speaker 1: I think for sure, like the sexuality piece of her is, 467 00:26:30,280 --> 00:26:33,000 Speaker 1: like you know, I I brought that for sure. I 468 00:26:33,000 --> 00:26:35,600 Speaker 1: don't think they would have necessarily known that jan was 469 00:26:36,520 --> 00:26:39,439 Speaker 1: that kind of I don't think they would have gotten 470 00:26:39,440 --> 00:26:41,880 Speaker 1: that she was that sexual had I not been playing her. 471 00:26:42,280 --> 00:26:44,840 Speaker 1: I just felt that about her and brought that to her. 472 00:26:44,920 --> 00:26:47,240 Speaker 1: And I think I'm way warmer than her, and I 473 00:26:47,400 --> 00:26:51,199 Speaker 1: certainly you know, way more way more conscious and she is. 474 00:26:51,240 --> 00:26:54,119 Speaker 1: I've done like you know, way over ten thous hours 475 00:26:54,119 --> 00:26:58,199 Speaker 1: of therapy. Like, I know myself a lot better than 476 00:26:58,280 --> 00:27:05,280 Speaker 1: jan those person um, you know, but I think certainly 477 00:27:05,320 --> 00:27:08,520 Speaker 1: there's elements of her that are me and neither are her. 478 00:27:08,800 --> 00:27:31,640 Speaker 1: That would be weird if there were. You know. One 479 00:27:31,680 --> 00:27:33,919 Speaker 1: of the other things I think that the show explores 480 00:27:34,040 --> 00:27:36,679 Speaker 1: is this idea of the American dream, both with you know, 481 00:27:37,560 --> 00:27:40,920 Speaker 1: with love or bettering themselves, like with Jim and Pam 482 00:27:41,040 --> 00:27:46,240 Speaker 1: or Michael um. And you know, specifically the Dinner Party episode, 483 00:27:46,280 --> 00:27:50,199 Speaker 1: which is I mean maybe maybe the best episode that 484 00:27:50,200 --> 00:27:53,520 Speaker 1: we ever did. UM to me, it it talked very 485 00:27:53,560 --> 00:27:59,400 Speaker 1: specifically about the financial strain that we as Americans were 486 00:27:59,440 --> 00:28:01,719 Speaker 1: really in on at the time. So it was played 487 00:28:01,760 --> 00:28:04,600 Speaker 1: for comedy, but there were there was real stuff going 488 00:28:04,640 --> 00:28:07,800 Speaker 1: on there. Yeah, totally, Yeah, And that was an interesting 489 00:28:07,880 --> 00:28:11,720 Speaker 1: time just even the making of that episode was you know, 490 00:28:11,920 --> 00:28:14,359 Speaker 1: was was right during the writers strike, so it was 491 00:28:14,400 --> 00:28:17,199 Speaker 1: a very weird. It was a weird time to be 492 00:28:17,280 --> 00:28:20,920 Speaker 1: making that episode. Anyway, we had to stop, we stopped 493 00:28:20,920 --> 00:28:24,879 Speaker 1: and started again, I seem to recall, Um, Yeah, and 494 00:28:24,920 --> 00:28:27,639 Speaker 1: we were very it was very, very very hot. We 495 00:28:27,640 --> 00:28:30,840 Speaker 1: were in a little condo over in the valley and 496 00:28:30,880 --> 00:28:34,119 Speaker 1: it was like, oh my god, it was just horribly, 497 00:28:34,280 --> 00:28:37,600 Speaker 1: horribly hot. It was like a hundred and three degrees 498 00:28:37,720 --> 00:28:40,200 Speaker 1: or something. So we had to keep turning the air 499 00:28:40,240 --> 00:28:42,600 Speaker 1: conditioning off so that we would you know, for sound. 500 00:28:42,720 --> 00:28:45,840 Speaker 1: So we were all in there, just wedding, and we 501 00:28:45,920 --> 00:28:49,080 Speaker 1: couldn't really go anywhere. We literally couldn't really get away 502 00:28:49,080 --> 00:28:53,720 Speaker 1: from anybody. So whatever issues you were having, we were 503 00:28:53,760 --> 00:28:57,680 Speaker 1: all having them together. Right. You talked a little bit 504 00:28:57,680 --> 00:29:01,920 Speaker 1: about this before, But what do you think Jan's dream was? 505 00:29:02,000 --> 00:29:04,680 Speaker 1: I mean, some would say she she had the American 506 00:29:04,720 --> 00:29:07,239 Speaker 1: dream at that moment, right, Like she's the CEO of 507 00:29:07,240 --> 00:29:11,040 Speaker 1: her own candle company and she's singing and she has 508 00:29:11,080 --> 00:29:14,400 Speaker 1: a man at home that's taking care of her, right, Like, 509 00:29:14,600 --> 00:29:18,920 Speaker 1: do you think that that was her dream? Um? Yes, 510 00:29:19,280 --> 00:29:21,360 Speaker 1: well I think it was sort of what she thought 511 00:29:21,360 --> 00:29:25,280 Speaker 1: her dream was. Um. But obviously, you know, it obviously 512 00:29:25,400 --> 00:29:29,560 Speaker 1: wasn't because she was so tortured in pursuing maybe pursuing 513 00:29:29,960 --> 00:29:33,760 Speaker 1: you know, this idea of an ideal that she thought 514 00:29:33,880 --> 00:29:36,280 Speaker 1: was going to make her happy and but she was, 515 00:29:36,400 --> 00:29:39,720 Speaker 1: but it wasn't. It wasn't making her happy because she 516 00:29:39,840 --> 00:29:42,680 Speaker 1: had more to give than that, um. And also because 517 00:29:42,680 --> 00:29:44,880 Speaker 1: she just wasn't with the right partner. I mean, ultimately, 518 00:29:44,960 --> 00:29:50,239 Speaker 1: Michael is definitely not you know, he definitely couldn't match her, 519 00:29:50,280 --> 00:29:52,880 Speaker 1: he couldn't need her. He's not as intelligent as she is. 520 00:29:52,960 --> 00:29:55,960 Speaker 1: He's not as worldly as she is. You know, he's 521 00:29:56,480 --> 00:29:59,040 Speaker 1: probably not as sexual as she is. Like, like, I 522 00:29:59,080 --> 00:30:01,520 Speaker 1: remember one a friend of mine telling me before I 523 00:30:01,560 --> 00:30:04,360 Speaker 1: got married that there's like four things people need to 524 00:30:04,400 --> 00:30:08,440 Speaker 1: look at with whoever they're potentially going to marry before 525 00:30:08,480 --> 00:30:11,760 Speaker 1: they marry them. Basically, it's like physical activity, like if 526 00:30:11,800 --> 00:30:14,080 Speaker 1: you know, one's a couch potato and one likes to 527 00:30:14,160 --> 00:30:16,360 Speaker 1: hike all the time, that's not going to work out 528 00:30:16,360 --> 00:30:19,640 Speaker 1: so well. And the other is religion or spirituality you 529 00:30:19,640 --> 00:30:21,160 Speaker 1: have to be kind of on the same page there, 530 00:30:21,880 --> 00:30:23,640 Speaker 1: and then sexually you have to be kind of have 531 00:30:23,760 --> 00:30:27,360 Speaker 1: the same you know, similar appetite, and then intellectually right, 532 00:30:27,560 --> 00:30:29,320 Speaker 1: so it's like all those things. If you look at 533 00:30:29,360 --> 00:30:34,080 Speaker 1: any of those things with jan and Michael, they're probably 534 00:30:34,160 --> 00:30:44,240 Speaker 1: pretty much missing every single target. That's so good well, 535 00:30:44,440 --> 00:30:49,440 Speaker 1: her like Journey, I mean, on the outside, you could 536 00:30:49,440 --> 00:30:51,880 Speaker 1: say that she had it all right. She's a super 537 00:30:52,320 --> 00:30:58,240 Speaker 1: successful businesswoman in New York City, and then she gets 538 00:30:58,480 --> 00:31:00,960 Speaker 1: fired for that and falls apart art and moves into 539 00:31:01,000 --> 00:31:03,840 Speaker 1: a condo with her boyfriend. Right, but then she kind 540 00:31:03,840 --> 00:31:07,520 Speaker 1: of builds herself up again and she has this candle business, 541 00:31:07,640 --> 00:31:11,520 Speaker 1: and then she has a baby, and then she eventually 542 00:31:11,600 --> 00:31:14,640 Speaker 1: becomes like a big executive again for White Pages. Like, 543 00:31:14,880 --> 00:31:18,640 Speaker 1: I don't know, there's just something about her searching, uh 544 00:31:18,840 --> 00:31:22,160 Speaker 1: that is just so interesting to me. Yeah, I think 545 00:31:22,200 --> 00:31:26,640 Speaker 1: it's sort of it's the wonderful it's the wonderful element 546 00:31:26,720 --> 00:31:31,720 Speaker 1: of not enough that she's constantly he's constantly trying to 547 00:31:31,760 --> 00:31:37,600 Speaker 1: fill that void of um, nothing is ever enough, you know, Um, 548 00:31:37,640 --> 00:31:40,200 Speaker 1: Michael's not enough, and then the job is not enough, 549 00:31:40,400 --> 00:31:43,000 Speaker 1: and then the next job is not enough, not enough. 550 00:31:43,280 --> 00:31:45,760 Speaker 1: And I think that I think I really infused her 551 00:31:45,800 --> 00:31:48,680 Speaker 1: with that. That's just the thing I understand super well. 552 00:31:48,720 --> 00:31:51,360 Speaker 1: And and I think it's a it's a it's a 553 00:31:51,440 --> 00:31:54,920 Speaker 1: fascinating and very funny thing to to sort of wrap 554 00:31:54,960 --> 00:31:58,440 Speaker 1: a character in sort of that cloak of just nothing 555 00:31:58,560 --> 00:32:01,640 Speaker 1: ever ever being satisfy factory. And I think it's also 556 00:32:01,760 --> 00:32:06,000 Speaker 1: just I think, to me, jan is a great example 557 00:32:06,280 --> 00:32:09,040 Speaker 1: of what a lot of women go through. I think 558 00:32:09,040 --> 00:32:13,480 Speaker 1: people identify with her because she struggles with I think 559 00:32:13,520 --> 00:32:19,440 Speaker 1: a common problem just in modern day society amongst women, 560 00:32:19,560 --> 00:32:22,600 Speaker 1: which is this this idea of not enough of what 561 00:32:22,640 --> 00:32:25,080 Speaker 1: that is, you know, that what what are we supposed 562 00:32:25,120 --> 00:32:27,200 Speaker 1: to be? You know, we're supposed to be able to 563 00:32:27,240 --> 00:32:33,000 Speaker 1: be moms and successful businesswomen and great sexy partners and 564 00:32:33,560 --> 00:32:38,720 Speaker 1: money earners and soft and beautiful. And it's a real thing. 565 00:32:38,960 --> 00:32:43,160 Speaker 1: And I think that Jen encapsulated that in a way 566 00:32:43,200 --> 00:32:46,160 Speaker 1: that no other character on the Office did. I agree, 567 00:32:46,760 --> 00:32:50,600 Speaker 1: her search the entire time was an active search for 568 00:32:50,720 --> 00:32:55,200 Speaker 1: something better. Yeah, for sure, um, other than it being 569 00:32:55,440 --> 00:32:58,720 Speaker 1: super freaking hot. But other than that, is there any 570 00:32:58,760 --> 00:33:02,360 Speaker 1: other specific memory race that you have from Dinner Party episode? Well, 571 00:33:02,400 --> 00:33:04,520 Speaker 1: first of all, I mean one of the greatest moments 572 00:33:04,520 --> 00:33:07,320 Speaker 1: of the Dinner Party was just a purely improvised moment 573 00:33:07,360 --> 00:33:10,520 Speaker 1: where you know, where, um, I say, I'm the devil, 574 00:33:10,560 --> 00:33:12,200 Speaker 1: and I put my hands up and just did that 575 00:33:12,280 --> 00:33:16,160 Speaker 1: little devil a little devil horns on my head. And 576 00:33:16,200 --> 00:33:18,920 Speaker 1: that was just something that just literally came to me 577 00:33:19,120 --> 00:33:22,000 Speaker 1: in the moment and out of the moment. I didn't 578 00:33:22,240 --> 00:33:24,880 Speaker 1: plan on that. I just that was just what I 579 00:33:24,920 --> 00:33:27,360 Speaker 1: was feeling like at the moment. And and you know, 580 00:33:27,440 --> 00:33:29,360 Speaker 1: Steve just took it and ran with it, and then 581 00:33:29,400 --> 00:33:32,440 Speaker 1: he was doing horns, and I think it's like literally 582 00:33:32,440 --> 00:33:35,440 Speaker 1: one of the funniest and I remember that we were 583 00:33:36,240 --> 00:33:38,840 Speaker 1: that we were like even in the moment, we were 584 00:33:38,880 --> 00:33:41,400 Speaker 1: like mad at each other and almost cracking each other 585 00:33:41,480 --> 00:33:44,840 Speaker 1: up simultaneously, which I think is such an incredible line 586 00:33:44,880 --> 00:33:48,520 Speaker 1: to walk that I think probably is where a lot 587 00:33:48,600 --> 00:33:52,840 Speaker 1: of the sexual tension lies with Michael and Chance. It's 588 00:33:52,920 --> 00:33:56,120 Speaker 1: the sort of fighting and fucking thing, you know, um, 589 00:33:56,160 --> 00:33:58,360 Speaker 1: And I just I just think that that was just 590 00:33:58,440 --> 00:34:01,080 Speaker 1: to me captured in that moment, and it was a 591 00:34:01,120 --> 00:34:04,920 Speaker 1: real moment, like the audience is seeing that exactly what 592 00:34:05,040 --> 00:34:08,600 Speaker 1: happened is exactly what happened, you know, and that's sort 593 00:34:08,640 --> 00:34:11,560 Speaker 1: of so so so fun and so special when you 594 00:34:11,600 --> 00:34:14,160 Speaker 1: get that on television, because that's like pretty rare that 595 00:34:14,200 --> 00:34:16,799 Speaker 1: you get any moments like that on television. That's more 596 00:34:16,840 --> 00:34:19,200 Speaker 1: of like a theater experience. So that was pretty cool. 597 00:34:19,400 --> 00:34:21,319 Speaker 1: And then I think just the amount of times that 598 00:34:21,360 --> 00:34:25,200 Speaker 1: we just all couldn't hold it together, I mean, how 599 00:34:25,280 --> 00:34:27,560 Speaker 1: much we cracked each other up, and and I think 600 00:34:27,600 --> 00:34:31,120 Speaker 1: that we were all just the discomfort of being in 601 00:34:31,200 --> 00:34:34,839 Speaker 1: such a small space, it being it's so hot, were 602 00:34:34,880 --> 00:34:37,480 Speaker 1: like all on top of each other. I mean, my god, 603 00:34:37,560 --> 00:34:41,000 Speaker 1: we just couldn't stop laughing at like Steve, I think 604 00:34:41,080 --> 00:34:46,400 Speaker 1: must have said a hundred different versions of you know, 605 00:34:46,800 --> 00:34:49,640 Speaker 1: getting his tubes tied, like I don't. I mean, we 606 00:34:49,800 --> 00:34:54,040 Speaker 1: just tried so many different ridiculous versions. It was great 607 00:34:54,200 --> 00:34:57,440 Speaker 1: and so fun and again so collaborative, and you know, 608 00:34:57,560 --> 00:35:00,440 Speaker 1: the writers sort of throwing things in and see throwing 609 00:35:00,480 --> 00:35:04,160 Speaker 1: things out, just you know, and me throwing some things out. 610 00:35:04,200 --> 00:35:06,319 Speaker 1: I don't. It was just so fun. It was to me, 611 00:35:06,400 --> 00:35:08,800 Speaker 1: it's just like playing in a sandbox that whole episode. 612 00:35:09,120 --> 00:35:12,000 Speaker 1: And I remember Jenna and I having we had some 613 00:35:12,200 --> 00:35:15,960 Speaker 1: scene where I just remember we couldn't literally was the 614 00:35:16,000 --> 00:35:18,560 Speaker 1: only time on the show that I that I couldn't 615 00:35:18,560 --> 00:35:21,000 Speaker 1: stop laughing. I don't remember. I think we were just 616 00:35:21,120 --> 00:35:24,200 Speaker 1: so tired and hot, and it was sort of the 617 00:35:24,280 --> 00:35:26,160 Speaker 1: end of the night and I think everybody was sent 618 00:35:26,200 --> 00:35:29,719 Speaker 1: home and it was just she and I and where 619 00:35:29,719 --> 00:35:32,239 Speaker 1: she's like in the bathroom or something, and I don't 620 00:35:32,280 --> 00:35:35,600 Speaker 1: remember exactly what the scene was, but it's upstairs and 621 00:35:35,640 --> 00:35:38,160 Speaker 1: I'm like, and I have to knock, and like every 622 00:35:38,160 --> 00:35:40,000 Speaker 1: time I opened the door, she opened the door. We 623 00:35:40,160 --> 00:35:43,520 Speaker 1: both were just burst into laughter. And it's like, and 624 00:35:43,600 --> 00:35:45,919 Speaker 1: that's a very unusual thing for me where I can't 625 00:35:45,920 --> 00:35:49,160 Speaker 1: get myself together. But I think it took like I 626 00:35:49,239 --> 00:35:51,839 Speaker 1: think it took like ten to twelve takes before I could. 627 00:35:54,360 --> 00:35:56,200 Speaker 1: It was it was not good. It was like it 628 00:35:56,400 --> 00:35:58,040 Speaker 1: got to a point where I was like, come on 629 00:35:58,160 --> 00:36:01,880 Speaker 1: the Laura, Like I had to slap myself. Well, I 630 00:36:01,880 --> 00:36:05,879 Speaker 1: think you know, a lot of people mentioned it as 631 00:36:05,920 --> 00:36:09,200 Speaker 1: their favorite episode, as you you said before it you know, 632 00:36:09,200 --> 00:36:11,680 Speaker 1: it came out of a really really difficult time in 633 00:36:11,719 --> 00:36:14,480 Speaker 1: our industry and the writer strike. But another thing that 634 00:36:14,520 --> 00:36:18,280 Speaker 1: comes up a lot is just how how incredibly cringe 635 00:36:18,320 --> 00:36:21,960 Speaker 1: e it is. It's that and Scott's taughts. Kind of 636 00:36:22,000 --> 00:36:24,720 Speaker 1: the two episodes on our show that was the most cringing, 637 00:36:24,719 --> 00:36:27,920 Speaker 1: And I think the moment that that represents that to 638 00:36:28,280 --> 00:36:31,040 Speaker 1: me at least, I don't know, maybe it's as a man, 639 00:36:31,200 --> 00:36:36,319 Speaker 1: but the snip snap, snip snap. Oh god, yeah, and 640 00:36:36,400 --> 00:36:39,640 Speaker 1: the idea of being forced to get a vasectomy and 641 00:36:39,680 --> 00:36:42,600 Speaker 1: then get it reversed and then get another one and 642 00:36:42,640 --> 00:36:47,839 Speaker 1: then it plays out in public, Um, I know, it's 643 00:36:47,880 --> 00:36:51,000 Speaker 1: so bad. And then I mean also the the Aso 644 00:36:51,080 --> 00:36:56,320 Speaker 1: Buco that's like not even in yet, right, and that 645 00:36:56,520 --> 00:37:01,680 Speaker 1: everyone's been through that, like, oh no, didn't you really 646 00:37:01,719 --> 00:37:03,880 Speaker 1: have to do this? All right, I'm gonna wrap it 647 00:37:03,960 --> 00:37:05,360 Speaker 1: up soon. I do want to go back. And there 648 00:37:05,440 --> 00:37:07,600 Speaker 1: was one thing that last night, just I don't know 649 00:37:07,640 --> 00:37:11,399 Speaker 1: what fascinated me. A lot of the times that you appeared, 650 00:37:11,560 --> 00:37:13,480 Speaker 1: as we talked about before, you were one on one 651 00:37:13,520 --> 00:37:16,799 Speaker 1: with Steve, but then a lot of times you were 652 00:37:16,920 --> 00:37:20,080 Speaker 1: one on one with Steve, but you were on the phone. 653 00:37:20,160 --> 00:37:23,279 Speaker 1: Can you tell me a little bit about how those 654 00:37:23,280 --> 00:37:26,680 Speaker 1: scenes were actually produced? Yeah, So I would come in 655 00:37:26,920 --> 00:37:29,480 Speaker 1: to set and I would go in the other room 656 00:37:29,560 --> 00:37:33,839 Speaker 1: and we would actually record me on the phone two 657 00:37:33,920 --> 00:37:36,200 Speaker 1: rooms away, so that we could really have a real 658 00:37:36,280 --> 00:37:39,719 Speaker 1: scene that was in the moment um, and I would 659 00:37:39,760 --> 00:37:42,319 Speaker 1: actually be on the phone in the other room and 660 00:37:42,360 --> 00:37:45,040 Speaker 1: he would be on the phone on camera, and we 661 00:37:45,040 --> 00:37:48,000 Speaker 1: would play the scene like that. That's so rare, right, 662 00:37:48,040 --> 00:37:51,040 Speaker 1: I mean that, you you know, right, I mean because 663 00:37:51,120 --> 00:37:53,560 Speaker 1: normally you would shoot the scene with a person on camera, 664 00:37:53,680 --> 00:37:57,319 Speaker 1: and then you if you weren't on camera, then you 665 00:37:57,320 --> 00:38:00,279 Speaker 1: would be in a recording studio somewhere recording your side 666 00:38:00,280 --> 00:38:02,400 Speaker 1: of it, or you know, show up at some time. 667 00:38:02,440 --> 00:38:06,600 Speaker 1: But the the humor and comedy of those scenes that 668 00:38:06,640 --> 00:38:10,319 Speaker 1: we're playing out, you know, really played out almost as 669 00:38:10,360 --> 00:38:13,319 Speaker 1: though you were looking at each other in the room. Um, 670 00:38:13,560 --> 00:38:16,399 Speaker 1: I remember you over in the annex right, like where 671 00:38:16,400 --> 00:38:19,080 Speaker 1: Toby used to sit. You would call in from there 672 00:38:19,200 --> 00:38:21,040 Speaker 1: and then you guys would get together and have notes, 673 00:38:21,080 --> 00:38:24,640 Speaker 1: and then you would walk back into the other room, right, Yes, exactly. 674 00:38:26,200 --> 00:38:28,160 Speaker 1: I don't know. I thought that was so great. It is, 675 00:38:28,320 --> 00:38:32,920 Speaker 1: it is, and it is honoring the real um benefit 676 00:38:33,080 --> 00:38:37,680 Speaker 1: of like having two actors there to to discuss and 677 00:38:37,760 --> 00:38:41,239 Speaker 1: to be you know, we're with the writers and like 678 00:38:41,320 --> 00:38:43,719 Speaker 1: with the director, and you know, we're all kind of 679 00:38:44,280 --> 00:38:47,040 Speaker 1: a team, and it's it's kind of honoring that human 680 00:38:48,000 --> 00:38:50,440 Speaker 1: that human thing that I think we're all really missing 681 00:38:50,520 --> 00:38:55,400 Speaker 1: right now, that human interaction that that none of us 682 00:38:55,400 --> 00:38:57,879 Speaker 1: can have at the moment with the whole COVID nineteen things. 683 00:38:57,920 --> 00:39:00,520 Speaker 1: But that is one of the great you know, one 684 00:39:00,520 --> 00:39:02,719 Speaker 1: of the great things about our work is that it 685 00:39:02,880 --> 00:39:07,440 Speaker 1: is so human. It's so it needs humans, and it 686 00:39:07,480 --> 00:39:10,520 Speaker 1: needs our human input and it and it needs to 687 00:39:10,560 --> 00:39:13,480 Speaker 1: be done by humans. I mean, you really can't. You know, 688 00:39:13,480 --> 00:39:15,920 Speaker 1: everyone's like, oh, you know, someday it's just gonna be robots. 689 00:39:15,920 --> 00:39:18,000 Speaker 1: They're not gonna need actors anymore. And I'm like, I 690 00:39:18,040 --> 00:39:20,400 Speaker 1: don't I don't think so, you know, I think humans 691 00:39:20,440 --> 00:39:23,359 Speaker 1: connect to other humans, and you know, you can make 692 00:39:23,400 --> 00:39:26,640 Speaker 1: them as real as you want, but there's still not humans. 693 00:39:27,239 --> 00:39:29,480 Speaker 1: And um and he and we're the ones that come 694 00:39:29,560 --> 00:39:32,879 Speaker 1: up with the surprising proof of of the moment that 695 00:39:32,960 --> 00:39:35,799 Speaker 1: makes it so much more hilarious or so much more 696 00:39:35,840 --> 00:39:39,080 Speaker 1: poignant because of what the writers wrote and because of 697 00:39:39,120 --> 00:39:42,919 Speaker 1: how the actors, you know, find the truth in there. 698 00:39:43,000 --> 00:39:45,080 Speaker 1: So I don't know, I've just been thinking about that 699 00:39:45,120 --> 00:39:47,719 Speaker 1: a lot, I guess, just just the human nous of 700 00:39:47,960 --> 00:39:52,320 Speaker 1: of what we do and how we really rely on connectedness, 701 00:39:52,400 --> 00:39:55,399 Speaker 1: human connectivity and and you know, we need each other 702 00:39:55,520 --> 00:39:58,520 Speaker 1: like you need another actor across from you, you know, 703 00:39:59,360 --> 00:40:01,279 Speaker 1: swinging the ba at and hitting the ball back to 704 00:40:01,320 --> 00:40:03,440 Speaker 1: you and like playing tennis, it's like you've got to 705 00:40:03,480 --> 00:40:06,680 Speaker 1: have got to have that to make a scene fly. 706 00:40:07,400 --> 00:40:11,800 Speaker 1: So um, I'm so grateful for for that on this show, 707 00:40:12,160 --> 00:40:15,719 Speaker 1: just the you know, I would say that Steve, he 708 00:40:15,840 --> 00:40:18,880 Speaker 1: played the game really really well on camera. I loved 709 00:40:19,360 --> 00:40:21,800 Speaker 1: I just loved when when they would say role camera. 710 00:40:22,560 --> 00:40:25,440 Speaker 1: I loved how we played together. I loved how free 711 00:40:25,480 --> 00:40:27,879 Speaker 1: he was hitting the ball back to me and and 712 00:40:27,920 --> 00:40:30,480 Speaker 1: receiving whatever ball I threw him, even if it was 713 00:40:30,520 --> 00:40:33,000 Speaker 1: a curveball here and there, he would sort of receive 714 00:40:33,080 --> 00:40:35,960 Speaker 1: it with glee and hit it back with real fun. 715 00:40:36,000 --> 00:40:37,839 Speaker 1: And I think that's just because we both have had 716 00:40:37,840 --> 00:40:40,719 Speaker 1: a lot of improv in our background, and when you 717 00:40:40,760 --> 00:40:44,160 Speaker 1: improvised really well, you know, you're good at like making 718 00:40:44,200 --> 00:40:47,360 Speaker 1: those surprises work for you. So yeah, I think that 719 00:40:47,520 --> 00:40:49,880 Speaker 1: for me, it was probably the greatest joy looking back 720 00:40:50,000 --> 00:40:54,239 Speaker 1: on the office, the times of the office, just being 721 00:40:54,239 --> 00:40:58,000 Speaker 1: able to play ball with everybody. You know, what do 722 00:40:58,040 --> 00:41:02,040 Speaker 1: you see as the show's legacy? Gosh, I mean, I 723 00:41:02,080 --> 00:41:06,520 Speaker 1: don't know, it's it's like such a phenomenon um. I mean, 724 00:41:06,560 --> 00:41:10,200 Speaker 1: I think sort of like any great comedy that's just 725 00:41:10,320 --> 00:41:14,879 Speaker 1: really memorable, you know, like the Andy Griffith Show and Seinfeld, 726 00:41:14,960 --> 00:41:19,040 Speaker 1: and you know, they were kind of doing something that 727 00:41:19,200 --> 00:41:22,920 Speaker 1: hadn't really been done successfully yet, and they did it 728 00:41:22,960 --> 00:41:26,920 Speaker 1: in a way that was just right, was just right, 729 00:41:27,480 --> 00:41:30,000 Speaker 1: and everything about the show, you know, from the writing 730 00:41:30,080 --> 00:41:32,600 Speaker 1: to the acting, to the cast of the directors to 731 00:41:32,719 --> 00:41:35,680 Speaker 1: the producing, you know, it just was right. It just 732 00:41:35,840 --> 00:41:39,440 Speaker 1: clicked and you know, who can ever say why, Like, 733 00:41:39,560 --> 00:41:43,040 Speaker 1: I don't know why because I think because it's so 734 00:41:44,000 --> 00:41:47,720 Speaker 1: it's really trying to be what it is. It's never 735 00:41:47,800 --> 00:41:51,000 Speaker 1: not trying to be what it is, you know what 736 00:41:51,040 --> 00:41:54,759 Speaker 1: I mean. It's just so unlike anything else that was 737 00:41:54,880 --> 00:41:58,920 Speaker 1: on television or had ever been on television. And I 738 00:41:59,120 --> 00:42:01,640 Speaker 1: think that is the magic of it. That's the thing 739 00:42:01,760 --> 00:42:05,600 Speaker 1: that made it be able to withstand this many years 740 00:42:05,600 --> 00:42:11,040 Speaker 1: and this much success and this much love. Yeah, I um, 741 00:42:11,080 --> 00:42:13,480 Speaker 1: I mean, you're just so talented and you were so 742 00:42:13,600 --> 00:42:18,800 Speaker 1: awesome as jan and your thoughtfulness and incisiveness, and I 743 00:42:19,640 --> 00:42:23,200 Speaker 1: just appreciate you so much. So thank you so much 744 00:42:24,000 --> 00:42:27,720 Speaker 1: for coming to talk to me. I appreciate you so much, Brian, 745 00:42:27,760 --> 00:42:30,000 Speaker 1: and I and I love that you're doing this. And 746 00:42:31,040 --> 00:42:33,480 Speaker 1: you know, I'm not really one too. It's funny, I 747 00:42:33,520 --> 00:42:36,680 Speaker 1: don't really I really wouldn't have thought of talking about 748 00:42:36,760 --> 00:42:39,680 Speaker 1: this stuff unless you've brought up the questions. So I 749 00:42:39,680 --> 00:42:43,040 Speaker 1: appreciate you're also you're very thoughtful questions and I appreciate 750 00:42:43,080 --> 00:42:58,839 Speaker 1: you including me. Well, there you have it. Thank you 751 00:42:59,239 --> 00:43:03,239 Speaker 1: so much to me Laura for joining me that conversation. 752 00:43:03,760 --> 00:43:07,200 Speaker 1: Now it gave me a whole new appreciation for the 753 00:43:07,239 --> 00:43:12,520 Speaker 1: complexity of Jan Levinson. I just love diving deep into 754 00:43:12,560 --> 00:43:17,640 Speaker 1: the psychology of our characters. I just love it. And 755 00:43:17,680 --> 00:43:22,880 Speaker 1: also snip snap, snip snap. Speaking of diving deep, next week, 756 00:43:23,280 --> 00:43:27,440 Speaker 1: we are kicking off another mini deep dive, this time 757 00:43:27,640 --> 00:43:34,080 Speaker 1: into perhaps the most important character on the office, the camera. 758 00:43:34,440 --> 00:43:37,719 Speaker 1: That's right, We're going to discuss the camera as a 759 00:43:37,840 --> 00:43:40,920 Speaker 1: character now. This is one of my absolute favorite things 760 00:43:41,000 --> 00:43:43,719 Speaker 1: about our show, and I'm so excited to get into 761 00:43:43,800 --> 00:43:47,960 Speaker 1: it even more with you guys. Until then, thank you 762 00:43:48,000 --> 00:43:59,719 Speaker 1: all for listening, and well, have a great week. The 763 00:44:00,000 --> 00:44:02,960 Speaker 1: of As Deep Dive is hosted and executive produced by 764 00:44:03,000 --> 00:44:07,839 Speaker 1: me Brian Baumgartner, alongside our executive producer Lang Lee. Our 765 00:44:07,920 --> 00:44:12,000 Speaker 1: senior producer is Tessa Kramer, our producer is Adam Massias, 766 00:44:12,160 --> 00:44:15,880 Speaker 1: our associate producer is Emily Carr, and our assistant editor 767 00:44:16,239 --> 00:44:19,560 Speaker 1: is Diego Tapia. My main man in the booth is 768 00:44:19,600 --> 00:44:23,719 Speaker 1: Alec Moore. Our theme song Bubble and Squeak, performed by 769 00:44:23,760 --> 00:44:26,840 Speaker 1: my great friend Creed Bratton, and the episode was mixed 770 00:44:27,000 --> 00:44:45,680 Speaker 1: by seth Olansky.