WEBVTT - John Krasinski - Pt. 1 0:00:05.559 --> 0:00:08.440 Oh, I'm John Krasinski and I played Jim Albert on 0:00:08.480 --> 0:00:21.160 The Office. Oh hello everybody, uh, and welcome to this 0:00:21.200 --> 0:00:25.360 week's episode of the Office Deep Dive. I am your 0:00:25.360 --> 0:00:31.040 host Brian Baumgartner. Today. Oh, you are going to hear 0:00:31.160 --> 0:00:35.320 him in a way you have never heard him before, 0:00:35.920 --> 0:00:40.640 the hunkiest man in the Office, John Krasinski. Now, I 0:00:40.760 --> 0:00:44.960 actually had to go to New York uh, in the 0:00:45.040 --> 0:00:48.720 dead of winter. I might add to have my conversation 0:00:48.760 --> 0:00:51.920 with John because at the time he was putting the 0:00:51.960 --> 0:00:56.560 finishing touches on his film A Quiet Place Too. He 0:00:56.680 --> 0:01:00.880 was doing final edits, he was getting for the premiere, 0:01:01.000 --> 0:01:06.440 working very hard, and then about a week later, boom, 0:01:06.640 --> 0:01:12.200 global pandemic. That's right, so that premiere did not happen. 0:01:12.319 --> 0:01:15.640 I had to return the tucks I had rented um. 0:01:16.000 --> 0:01:20.880 The release date obviously was postponed, like very postponed. But 0:01:21.760 --> 0:01:25.440 I am excited to announce that A Quiet Place Too 0:01:25.959 --> 0:01:30.640 is now finally coming out. I cannot wait. I love 0:01:30.760 --> 0:01:33.040 the first one. If you haven't seen it, go check 0:01:33.120 --> 0:01:35.320 that one out because this this movie is going to 0:01:35.400 --> 0:01:38.880 be great. Anyway, I'm so glad I got to talk 0:01:38.920 --> 0:01:43.120 to John before we got stuck on opposite coast because 0:01:43.560 --> 0:01:49.240 seeing him in person, well, there's an energy. It's palpable. 0:01:49.520 --> 0:01:51.920 I'm not going to call it sexual energy. I'm just 0:01:51.960 --> 0:01:55.160 gonna say it's palpable. You you can decide what kind 0:01:55.200 --> 0:01:59.200 it is. John is a great storyteller. He's so funny, 0:01:59.280 --> 0:02:01.840 and he remember vers all kinds of things that that 0:02:01.960 --> 0:02:06.480 I do not remember from the show bus. It's it's 0:02:06.600 --> 0:02:12.040 just great to see my friend. So please enjoy the 0:02:12.120 --> 0:02:22.080 one and only j K. Bubble and Squeak. I love it. 0:02:22.560 --> 0:02:28.840 Bubble and Squeak on Bubble and Squeaker cookie every month, 0:02:29.120 --> 0:02:49.760 left over from the night before. Hey, body's just never 0:02:49.840 --> 0:02:54.600 let it end. Thanks for choosing to kill floor to record. 0:02:54.680 --> 0:02:57.400 It's like, hey, what do you mean? It's the scariest dart. 0:02:58.240 --> 0:03:01.320 I actually agree. I got out and I right and 0:03:01.520 --> 0:03:06.640 was like where I think I'm in the wrong spot? Oh, 0:03:06.680 --> 0:03:11.840 what's up are you doing? Dude? What's your hat? Um? 0:03:11.880 --> 0:03:13.880 How are you? By the way, just so you know, 0:03:13.919 --> 0:03:15.600 this is not Rebecca. I just want to teach you 0:03:15.600 --> 0:03:18.440 about things when you were like found a place in Tribeca. 0:03:18.639 --> 0:03:22.800 I didn't say that. I said, this is this is horrible. 0:03:23.000 --> 0:03:26.400 We're recording this on the Statland. It's literally horrible to 0:03:26.440 --> 0:03:28.799 get here. I ended up getting out of my car 0:03:28.880 --> 0:03:32.440 and walked still taking you in. I'm just drinking you in. 0:03:34.400 --> 0:03:36.960 You have not changed. It's really frustrating what everyone says 0:03:37.000 --> 0:03:39.480 that I really feel like I have. No, you haven't. 0:03:39.680 --> 0:03:42.760 I certainly am you have a lot. I'm elderly. Why 0:03:42.760 --> 0:03:46.520 would you say that I feel elderly else I can't 0:03:46.520 --> 0:03:52.240 even say elderly. What's with the intense beard though? Um? 0:03:52.280 --> 0:03:58.160 It started with laziness and then turned into winter, so 0:03:58.200 --> 0:04:01.240 it's just insulation. Really, gotta be honest. My wife, I 0:04:01.320 --> 0:04:02.760 was gonna shave it, and you want don't do that, 0:04:02.880 --> 0:04:08.080 so she liked it. Hello, Um, I can't do you know? 0:04:08.120 --> 0:04:10.480 I love No, I like it. No, I'm saying I 0:04:10.520 --> 0:04:13.680 love it here here in York just too cold. We've 0:04:13.720 --> 0:04:16.679 moved on from the beard. Okay, Well you talked about winter. 0:04:17.000 --> 0:04:19.400 I thought that was a seamless transition. Get ready for 0:04:19.440 --> 0:04:23.679 a lot of those I love it here. You should 0:04:23.680 --> 0:04:28.240 move here. It's really cold and it's literally the opposite 0:04:28.279 --> 0:04:30.320 of what you want. There's not a lot of golf. 0:04:31.160 --> 0:04:33.120 You've really done the post office thing, right, I'll tell 0:04:33.160 --> 0:04:35.920 you that. What do you mean just you know, show ends. 0:04:36.080 --> 0:04:41.279 You just become this like golfing extraordinaire. Like people don't 0:04:41.320 --> 0:04:47.360 know that I was over in Monte Carlo, Monica, Monica, Monica, 0:04:47.520 --> 0:04:51.000 one of those m's. Yeah, well that's Monte Carlo and Monica. 0:04:51.080 --> 0:04:52.760 I think it's kind of the same thing. Are still 0:04:53.400 --> 0:04:55.360 I'm not clear of. All I know is that I 0:04:55.400 --> 0:04:57.560 heard that you were there. I texted you and you said, 0:04:57.600 --> 0:05:00.440 I'm going, oh my god, this is great. I'm about 0:05:00.440 --> 0:05:04.839 to golf on a cliff overlooking like nice or something. 0:05:05.240 --> 0:05:10.800 It was like, cool, man, sorry about your life. Um, 0:05:10.960 --> 0:05:13.360 look at that you got notes? Is so official? No, No, 0:05:13.440 --> 0:05:17.320 I mean this is let's get back to it. You've 0:05:17.320 --> 0:05:21.640 now gotten everybody almost other than Steve basically, Uh yeah, Mike, sure, 0:05:22.160 --> 0:05:24.240 I'm gonna start making this noise. I'm sure I'm gonna 0:05:24.240 --> 0:05:25.880 get that note pretty soon. Yep, and that's a nod 0:05:25.880 --> 0:05:31.039 in the back. Alison Jones. Did you get Phillis? Yep? 0:05:31.760 --> 0:05:36.600 And I got them together as a that's awesome. Alison 0:05:36.680 --> 0:05:42.039 knew Phillis did not. Man, Yeah, they were like mystics. 0:05:42.320 --> 0:05:45.960 They knew what was happening before we did. In the 0:05:45.960 --> 0:05:48.600 casting process. They knew they were cooking something. But you 0:05:48.640 --> 0:05:51.800 started in New York, right, I did, Yeah, yeah, so 0:05:51.880 --> 0:05:53.960 you just it was like, what an open call or 0:05:54.000 --> 0:05:58.320 you got called into I got, wow, the elderly thing's 0:05:58.320 --> 0:06:01.440 taken in. I got I had just gotten a manager. 0:06:01.720 --> 0:06:03.279 I had gone out to l A to shoot this 0:06:03.360 --> 0:06:05.359 pilot and then they immediately didn't pick it up. And 0:06:05.400 --> 0:06:07.800 before I left l A, my manager said you should 0:06:07.839 --> 0:06:10.160 meet this person, Alison Jones. So I went by and 0:06:10.240 --> 0:06:13.680 met her and wanted her to adopt me. And then 0:06:13.720 --> 0:06:16.520 she said, you should pay attention to this thing coming 0:06:16.520 --> 0:06:18.320 out soon and it's called The Office and you should 0:06:18.640 --> 0:06:19.800 you should come in for it. And I said, oh, 0:06:19.880 --> 0:06:21.760 that's really nice. So I got back to New York 0:06:22.600 --> 0:06:24.960 and about three weeks later, my manager called and said, 0:06:25.000 --> 0:06:26.400 they want you to come in for the show called 0:06:26.440 --> 0:06:29.479 The Office. And I was like, Alison Jones pro and 0:06:29.520 --> 0:06:31.039 they said they want you to come in for the 0:06:31.120 --> 0:06:35.559 role of Dwighte. And at that point I had seen 0:06:36.000 --> 0:06:39.159 and fallen in love with the British show. I was 0:06:39.200 --> 0:06:42.039 down at Virgin Records. Remember that I was down at 0:06:42.120 --> 0:06:45.599 Virgin Records and Union Square buying the like black DVD 0:06:45.760 --> 0:06:51.200 case with this special edition and just binge watching that thing, 0:06:52.000 --> 0:06:53.880 and that's what made me so nervous, so that I 0:06:53.960 --> 0:06:56.680 actually said I don't know where I got I was 0:06:56.720 --> 0:06:59.400 still waiting tables and I don't know where I got 0:06:59.440 --> 0:07:02.320 the confidence to go, yeah, no, I don't want to 0:07:02.360 --> 0:07:04.400 go in for Dwight. Let me know when they're doing 0:07:04.440 --> 0:07:08.880 the Tim character. And they basically said like how dare you? 0:07:09.480 --> 0:07:11.880 Who are you? And my manager did say he was 0:07:11.880 --> 0:07:13.880 like wow, that didn't go great. They were very upset, 0:07:13.960 --> 0:07:18.560 and then, very luckily for me, like four three four 0:07:18.600 --> 0:07:21.200 weeks later, they still hadn't found a gym, and then 0:07:21.200 --> 0:07:23.240 they were like, now you can come in for Jim 0:07:23.280 --> 0:07:25.960 and I was like okay, and then I went in 0:07:27.400 --> 0:07:29.400 trying to remember I guess I did one just with 0:07:29.440 --> 0:07:33.720 the casting people. It was totally terrified, because not only 0:07:33.800 --> 0:07:35.800 was I excited about the prospect of getting the part, 0:07:35.840 --> 0:07:38.480 but I was also very nervous. Oh my god, I 0:07:38.480 --> 0:07:40.080 don't want to be on one of those shows that 0:07:40.400 --> 0:07:42.560 because I was such a TV nerd, and I remember 0:07:42.560 --> 0:07:44.840 like Arrested Development was coming out around then and that 0:07:44.960 --> 0:07:46.800 was really good and smart, and I was like, oh no, 0:07:46.880 --> 0:07:49.200 we're going to take a really good, smart show and 0:07:49.360 --> 0:07:52.760 kill it, and while I was waiting in the waiting room, 0:07:53.080 --> 0:07:55.960 six gyms that looked identical to me had gone in 0:07:56.200 --> 0:07:58.400 and done their audition and left, and we're like high 0:07:58.400 --> 0:08:01.400 fiving each other, and I was the last on and 0:08:01.560 --> 0:08:03.520 right at that exact moment, they were like, we're gonna 0:08:03.520 --> 0:08:06.600 take a lunch break for an hour, and I was like, oh, 0:08:06.760 --> 0:08:08.920 maybe see one more and we get one more in 0:08:09.600 --> 0:08:12.320 and I sat there very nervous, and everybody left. It 0:08:12.360 --> 0:08:14.200 was at thirty rock, and then they came back with 0:08:14.240 --> 0:08:17.000 sandwiches and salads and someone sat down across from me 0:08:17.080 --> 0:08:19.160 with a salad and said, you know you're nervous, and 0:08:19.200 --> 0:08:20.760 I said, no, you know, you either get these things 0:08:20.800 --> 0:08:24.320 or you don't. But I'm terrified for the person creating 0:08:24.320 --> 0:08:27.000 a show, because I mean, I I just feel like 0:08:27.080 --> 0:08:30.680 Americans have such a track record of taking brilliant shows 0:08:30.680 --> 0:08:33.840 and ruining them. And he goes, I'll try not to. 0:08:33.920 --> 0:08:37.120 My name is Greg Daniels. I'm the executive doucer. And 0:08:37.160 --> 0:08:38.920 then I called my manager and said, I'm going to 0:08:39.040 --> 0:08:42.199 leave now. There's no way I can go into this 0:08:42.559 --> 0:08:45.320 room and he was like, you have to, you have 0:08:45.400 --> 0:08:47.280 to go in, and you know, blah, blah blah, and 0:08:47.280 --> 0:08:49.480 I went in and I remember opening the door to 0:08:49.679 --> 0:08:53.880 uproarious laughter, and it was not laughter with me, it 0:08:53.960 --> 0:08:57.080 was definitely laughter at me. And Greg was running the 0:08:57.160 --> 0:08:59.480 room and very sweetly but just like this is the 0:08:59.520 --> 0:09:02.720 guy who ruined his own life, and everybody was like laughing, 0:09:02.880 --> 0:09:08.079 and it, weirdly was this bizarre blessing because because they 0:09:08.080 --> 0:09:11.679 were already laughing, I felt like I was already in 0:09:11.720 --> 0:09:13.640 my audition when I walked in, So I just kept 0:09:13.640 --> 0:09:17.559 going and read some lines and they laughed. And then 0:09:17.679 --> 0:09:20.440 later I remember Gregg saying, I'll never forget that. You 0:09:20.520 --> 0:09:24.000 told me that it really helped your audition because you 0:09:24.040 --> 0:09:26.800 were really honest, and I remember I, that's the vibe 0:09:26.840 --> 0:09:29.440 that I want on this show, someone who will be 0:09:29.520 --> 0:09:31.640 honest and make sure that we're all doing good work. 0:09:31.640 --> 0:09:33.360 And I was like totally. So now I go into 0:09:33.440 --> 0:09:35.720 every audition for anything just being like, so, this movie 0:09:35.840 --> 0:09:41.240 sucks all right, hasn't worked since. But but the weirdest 0:09:41.240 --> 0:09:43.000 thing was I came and I didn't know this that 0:09:43.040 --> 0:09:47.080 there's a dynamic between New York actors and l A actors. 0:09:47.120 --> 0:09:50.600 Did you know this? It's like sharks and jets, like 0:09:51.040 --> 0:09:53.880 the New York actors go first because they flew in 0:09:53.920 --> 0:09:57.000 for it. And I remember Jim Gaffigan was on my 0:09:57.000 --> 0:10:01.080 plane auditioning for Steve's part, and and um, we were 0:10:01.120 --> 0:10:04.120 all in this room doing auditions, and I remember I 0:10:04.160 --> 0:10:07.080 got really nervous because we had been auditioning for like 0:10:07.120 --> 0:10:09.880 two hours. And then they like slowly were letting New 0:10:09.920 --> 0:10:12.480 York people go. And then I watched all the l 0:10:12.520 --> 0:10:15.560 A people come in and was just completely judging myself 0:10:16.120 --> 0:10:20.400 on them. Man, I'm having like a an acid flashback. 0:10:20.480 --> 0:10:24.640 But two people walked in that really blew my brain out. 0:10:24.720 --> 0:10:28.200 One was bj Novak, who I hadn't seen really since 0:10:28.240 --> 0:10:30.120 high school. We went to high school together, all right, 0:10:30.160 --> 0:10:32.480 so you knew him, and he walked in. He walked Yeah. 0:10:32.520 --> 0:10:34.920 I mean, imagine like somebody from your high school walking 0:10:34.960 --> 0:10:38.360 into a bizarre scenario. Already you're in some weird bizarro 0:10:38.480 --> 0:10:41.760 world auditioning to be doing something pretend for the rest 0:10:41.760 --> 0:10:44.000 of your life, and then that person walks in. It 0:10:44.040 --> 0:10:46.080 was an acid trip, and I was like hey, And 0:10:46.080 --> 0:10:48.360 then I got more nervous because he acted and directed 0:10:48.360 --> 0:10:50.200 and everything in high school, like he was already in 0:10:50.320 --> 0:10:52.320 and I was barely an actor. I mean, I wasn't 0:10:52.360 --> 0:10:54.320 an actor. I was a waiter and I was like, 0:10:54.440 --> 0:10:56.360 what part are you going out for? And he was like, oh, 0:10:56.400 --> 0:10:58.800 we're going I'm doing this part called Ryan It's like 0:10:58.960 --> 0:11:01.120 and I was like, oh, you're not going for gym? 0:11:01.160 --> 0:11:03.760 Then I might say other shot at and then I 0:11:03.800 --> 0:11:06.679 was like cool man, that's awesome, and was super like 0:11:06.840 --> 0:11:09.680 giving myself a fist pump. And then I know it 0:11:09.760 --> 0:11:11.880 sounds like a like a fairy tale, but it's true. 0:11:11.920 --> 0:11:15.000 I remember Jenni Fisher walking in and as soon as 0:11:15.040 --> 0:11:17.000 she crossed the threshold on the door, I was like, well, 0:11:17.040 --> 0:11:21.000 that's it, Like that is exactly who should play Pam. 0:11:21.040 --> 0:11:24.679 And then what happened was I watched her go in 0:11:24.720 --> 0:11:27.800 with all the other gyms and I was like, oh no, 0:11:27.960 --> 0:11:30.600 because like I saw that they were just lining up 0:11:30.640 --> 0:11:32.800 the gyms with her, and I was like, see, she's 0:11:32.880 --> 0:11:36.000 it's the tipping point. She's it. And I remember saying 0:11:36.000 --> 0:11:39.360 to myself alone in a corner, Uh, if I don't 0:11:39.400 --> 0:11:40.920 go in with her, I know I don't have it. 0:11:41.080 --> 0:11:43.400 I know I don't have it. And I never went 0:11:43.440 --> 0:11:47.040 in with her. And then four hours after they had 0:11:47.040 --> 0:11:48.360 like go of all the new York guys. I was 0:11:48.400 --> 0:11:52.280 sitting there and stood up and walked on set while 0:11:52.320 --> 0:11:54.240 they were in the middle of someone's audition, and I 0:11:54.240 --> 0:11:56.120 was like, I'm so sorry. I'm gonna leave now. I 0:11:56.120 --> 0:11:58.960 think you forgot to let me go home. And from 0:11:59.040 --> 0:12:01.160 behind a door like a fake wall, they were like 0:12:01.200 --> 0:12:04.320 all right, and then like Greg came out and they're like, 0:12:04.360 --> 0:12:05.920 just give us thirty more minutes, and I was like, 0:12:06.360 --> 0:12:09.880 and I was so insecure, and then I turned around. 0:12:09.880 --> 0:12:11.800 I waited another fifteen twenty minutes and they were like 0:12:11.840 --> 0:12:13.760 one more, just come on in. And I walked in 0:12:13.800 --> 0:12:15.760 and I saw that it was Jenna and I was like, 0:12:15.920 --> 0:12:19.439 oh my god, if I'm auditioning with her, I'm back. 0:12:19.760 --> 0:12:22.960 You have a shot. And we did a scene together 0:12:23.200 --> 0:12:25.240 that was awesome, and I remember having so much fun 0:12:25.240 --> 0:12:26.800 with it. I think it was that the copier. I 0:12:26.800 --> 0:12:28.680 think I think it was one at the desk and 0:12:28.679 --> 0:12:30.280 one at the copier and we just had to improv 0:12:30.360 --> 0:12:33.600 about stuff. And then we were walking out and I 0:12:33.640 --> 0:12:34.800 turned to her and I was like, just so you 0:12:34.800 --> 0:12:36.280 know you're gonna get the part. I know you're gonna 0:12:36.320 --> 0:12:37.800 get the part, and she was like, oh my god. 0:12:38.280 --> 0:12:40.000 I said the same thing about you. As soon as 0:12:40.040 --> 0:12:41.920 I saw you, I was like, that's Jim and it 0:12:42.000 --> 0:12:44.160 was really weird and I was like, all right, And 0:12:44.200 --> 0:12:46.000 again I don't know why this happened, but when I 0:12:46.000 --> 0:12:49.160 got the part, which was amazing, I legit jumped on 0:12:49.200 --> 0:12:51.560 a couch. I didn't think that that was real. And 0:12:51.600 --> 0:12:53.600 the only question I asked my manager at the time 0:12:53.679 --> 0:12:56.160 was did Jennificer get it. It was like I didn't 0:12:56.160 --> 0:13:00.200 even get fully happy until I knew that she was 0:13:00.240 --> 0:13:02.959 doing the part, because I was like, if she's the part, 0:13:03.840 --> 0:13:05.880 then again, it's just that one more step where like 0:13:05.880 --> 0:13:09.760 this might be good. It's so interesting because that a 0:13:09.880 --> 0:13:12.760 four hour story and that was really good. But what 0:13:13.000 --> 0:13:17.520 it um, it's interesting. I had never heard this before. 0:13:18.200 --> 0:13:22.960 Greg said she was she was it from the beginning. Yeah, 0:13:23.320 --> 0:13:25.880 it's weird, right like, and look is just so perfect 0:13:25.960 --> 0:13:28.600 for it. But then also like, I don't know, man, 0:13:28.600 --> 0:13:30.640 they were selling in her delivery how like I don't 0:13:30.640 --> 0:13:32.199 know what the word is, like demure or something. And 0:13:32.360 --> 0:13:37.080 she was so good. I remember being so nervous when 0:13:37.080 --> 0:13:38.720 I was auditioning with her because I was like, she 0:13:38.920 --> 0:13:42.360 was so subdued and under where I was like, oh 0:13:42.400 --> 0:13:45.720 my god, I'm I'm like, she's just doing like physical 0:13:45.800 --> 0:13:48.200 comedy bits compared to you. So I just went super 0:13:48.240 --> 0:13:51.160 submerged and was like by the end just being like 0:13:51.160 --> 0:13:54.960 like barely talking. So so does she help you? Oh 0:13:55.000 --> 0:13:58.880 for sure? Because again I knew that my chance, my 0:13:58.960 --> 0:14:01.040 only chance, was with her, And as soon as I 0:14:01.080 --> 0:14:02.600 started acting with her, I was like, dude, this is 0:14:02.600 --> 0:14:05.360 the one. Don't blow this. Like I had auditioned with Rain, 0:14:06.040 --> 0:14:07.600 I also kind of knew Rain was going to get it, 0:14:07.600 --> 0:14:10.280 only because he was so I've told this story. He 0:14:10.280 --> 0:14:13.080 knows this story is like we were doing an improv 0:14:13.160 --> 0:14:16.280 about a bunch of things, and they did one where 0:14:16.440 --> 0:14:17.800 I had to go to the bathroom and I asked 0:14:17.880 --> 0:14:22.240 him to watch my phone. And by that time I 0:14:22.280 --> 0:14:25.880 was feeling great and Rain was so good and so funny, 0:14:26.080 --> 0:14:29.920 and then in this particular improv he was so infuriating. 0:14:30.720 --> 0:14:33.360 I remember leaving the scene being like he might get 0:14:33.360 --> 0:14:36.760 it because I'm actually so annoyed being in this room 0:14:36.760 --> 0:14:40.640 with him as John Krasinski rather than Jim Albert. He 0:14:40.720 --> 0:14:42.000 was so good. I remember I was like, hey, can 0:14:42.000 --> 0:14:44.160 you watch my phones? And he did this thing where 0:14:44.160 --> 0:14:47.800 he pretended that like security doors were coming down. He 0:14:47.880 --> 0:14:49.800 was like bird and I was like, dude, can you 0:14:49.840 --> 0:14:52.560 just watch my phone? He was like like all the 0:14:53.320 --> 0:14:57.240 like weird shutting, like eighties wipes, shutting doors. It was. 0:14:57.920 --> 0:14:59.800 It was so incredible and by the end I think 0:14:59.840 --> 0:15:02.880 I broken laughed because he was so infuriating that I 0:15:02.920 --> 0:15:04.480 just had to laugh. He was so good at what 0:15:04.520 --> 0:15:08.280 he was doing. He was making me physically angry. Well, 0:15:08.320 --> 0:15:11.240 it's funny that you mentioned that, because we you know, 0:15:11.280 --> 0:15:13.200 he and I really were the two that came from 0:15:13.240 --> 0:15:17.680 like theater theater, like Shakespeare and check off and and 0:15:18.120 --> 0:15:21.600 throw that in myth. But I'm saying he and I 0:15:22.000 --> 0:15:29.400 in terms of character construction, the physicality was a conscious decision. 0:15:31.400 --> 0:15:34.840 It's just it's just so highbrow theater garbage. Yeah, but 0:15:34.920 --> 0:15:37.600 that's what we're doing. What did you also learn fencing 0:15:37.680 --> 0:15:42.080 at school? Come on, no, I was I wasn't saying 0:15:42.120 --> 0:15:44.400 at all, and it was very odd. But no, I'm 0:15:44.400 --> 0:15:47.040 not saying that, although I will tell you this. Phillis 0:15:48.160 --> 0:15:53.440 was cast and we started filming episodes and she was like, 0:15:53.840 --> 0:15:56.120 I don't know what I'm doing. I can't keep up. 0:15:56.160 --> 0:15:58.800 And she went and bought books on improv and went 0:15:58.800 --> 0:16:03.040 home at night and read them on. These stories are 0:16:03.080 --> 0:16:06.720 amazing and adorable. I mean some of some of my 0:16:06.760 --> 0:16:08.680 favorite moments on the show, or Phillis and stuff. She 0:16:08.840 --> 0:16:13.840 is so funny. God, the relationship with her and Steve 0:16:14.160 --> 0:16:16.400 was because didn't we say that they like they went 0:16:16.440 --> 0:16:20.360 to school high school together, they knew each other. I 0:16:20.400 --> 0:16:24.080 love that, And he would reference how much older she was. 0:16:28.280 --> 0:16:30.920 It's such a good bit. By the way, Jenna tells 0:16:30.960 --> 0:16:34.360 the same story about asking about you. Yeah, she was 0:16:34.480 --> 0:16:38.120 cast because that contractually made her, which is so which 0:16:38.200 --> 0:16:43.720 is so crazy? Um so, I mean, here's the thing 0:16:43.840 --> 0:16:47.440 you're like, the you're like the hunky like. This is 0:16:47.440 --> 0:16:50.480 a great segment. No, I'm not transitioning. I've given up 0:16:50.480 --> 0:16:53.520 on it. You used the word hunky to start a thought. Hunky. 0:16:53.760 --> 0:16:56.280 I don't know what the right word is. But part 0:16:56.320 --> 0:16:59.240 of what we're looking at in the show was like 0:16:59.280 --> 0:17:02.880 the TV Lance Gape at the time was way prettier 0:17:02.920 --> 0:17:06.399 than we were. You look at friends Will and Grace 0:17:06.520 --> 0:17:09.919 and there was a transition with Alison Jones uh and 0:17:10.040 --> 0:17:14.640 freaks and geeks and and wanting to cast people who 0:17:14.680 --> 0:17:19.080 were more real. Were you aware of that at the 0:17:19.119 --> 0:17:21.520 time or did you realize that we were doing something. 0:17:21.560 --> 0:17:23.040 I don't think I would have been cast if it 0:17:23.119 --> 0:17:27.359 wasn't for that. Well, I mean, I think again, I 0:17:27.359 --> 0:17:30.040 saw the English show and I was like I could 0:17:30.040 --> 0:17:32.639 feel the vibe of what they were going for, and 0:17:33.040 --> 0:17:36.320 I knew shooting wise, I immediately felt even from the 0:17:36.400 --> 0:17:40.040 lighting of that probably the test they were just using 0:17:40.080 --> 0:17:42.840 those weird, you know, office lights, which I thought was 0:17:42.880 --> 0:17:47.240 so cool, like everything just looked kind of a bummer 0:17:47.640 --> 0:17:50.560 in a good way. Because that makes sense. No, it 0:17:50.600 --> 0:17:54.320 does make sense. So you get cast in the show, 0:17:54.440 --> 0:17:58.359 You're living in New York, you went to Scranton and shot. 0:17:58.680 --> 0:18:01.760 What was your decision behind at just pure nerd them, 0:18:01.760 --> 0:18:05.880 just super nerdy. So excited to have this part. And 0:18:06.080 --> 0:18:09.560 Greg contacted me to say congrats you of the part. 0:18:09.680 --> 0:18:13.280 And I was so excited. I was twenty three, and 0:18:13.359 --> 0:18:14.920 I was just you know, I think at that time 0:18:14.960 --> 0:18:17.960 in my life my only experiences with was in college 0:18:17.960 --> 0:18:22.160 just sort of like let life happen. Who knows, right, 0:18:22.240 --> 0:18:24.560 And so I was like so excitable, like a puppy. 0:18:24.640 --> 0:18:27.160 And I said to Greg, I was like, I'm gonna 0:18:27.200 --> 0:18:30.080 go to Scranton and I'm gonna do research. And he 0:18:30.200 --> 0:18:33.200 was like, oh cool, Yeah, there's actually a paper company 0:18:33.200 --> 0:18:36.560 there that does like cards and stuff. I gotta see 0:18:36.560 --> 0:18:38.880 that footage because I think they have it. But I 0:18:38.920 --> 0:18:41.320 went and I was so excited. I went with my 0:18:41.320 --> 0:18:44.679 friend Kevin Connors and we drove to Scranton and out 0:18:44.720 --> 0:18:49.520 of his Jeeps sunroof, I had a tiny little camera 0:18:50.480 --> 0:18:54.840 and that shot of the Scranton sign is us driving 0:18:54.920 --> 0:18:58.479 at full speed limit. So I just sort of like 0:18:59.040 --> 0:19:01.400 popped out of the sun roof and was like, oh wait, wait, wait, 0:19:01.440 --> 0:19:03.560 and he didn't really know, so I was like filming 0:19:03.560 --> 0:19:06.480 it as we drove by. Then I went around this 0:19:06.520 --> 0:19:10.600 paper company all day and interviewed the boss, but the 0:19:10.680 --> 0:19:15.480 boss found out that it was based on the English one, 0:19:15.640 --> 0:19:19.560 and then realized that the boss is the boob, and 0:19:19.560 --> 0:19:21.240 I was like, I don't want this to ever air, 0:19:21.320 --> 0:19:24.480 and don't make me look bad, and it was not great. 0:19:24.640 --> 0:19:26.520 And then I came back just thinking that I had 0:19:27.040 --> 0:19:30.400 immersed myself in this thing and really done some research. Man, 0:19:30.520 --> 0:19:32.919 and then Greg goes, can I have that footage? And 0:19:32.920 --> 0:19:36.080 I said sure, and then he said I might use 0:19:36.119 --> 0:19:37.840 it for the opening of the show and I went 0:19:38.040 --> 0:19:40.680 what And he was like, so I have to buy 0:19:40.720 --> 0:19:43.239 it from you. Can I buy your footage? And I 0:19:43.320 --> 0:19:45.320 was like, I don't know, like you can just have 0:19:45.400 --> 0:19:47.080 it again super young. I was like, no, no, you 0:19:47.080 --> 0:19:49.720 could just have it, and so I think he he 0:19:49.760 --> 0:19:51.200 was like, no, we gotta buy it, and I think 0:19:51.200 --> 0:19:54.840 he bought it for I think like a thousand dollars. 0:19:55.000 --> 0:19:57.600 Are you so you just did a buyout? Straight buyout? 0:19:57.720 --> 0:20:02.000 Straight buyout? Yeah? Again, it was like a decisions so 0:20:02.200 --> 0:20:06.880 dumb soul that was would have been the greatest investment 0:20:06.920 --> 0:20:12.240 in my life. No, truly, I know that is insane. 0:20:12.600 --> 0:20:15.240 You know about the sign, right, has anyone ever told 0:20:15.240 --> 0:20:19.399 you this? The sign that you got out of the 0:20:19.520 --> 0:20:21.920 sun roof and filmed. You know, it's not on the 0:20:22.000 --> 0:20:26.639 highway anymore. It's in the mall because too many people 0:20:26.640 --> 0:20:30.160 were stopping along the highway to take pictures by it. 0:20:30.160 --> 0:20:32.359 It is now that sign is now not on the 0:20:32.440 --> 0:20:57.600 highway to Grant because it was a safety because safety issue. 0:20:37.119 --> 0:21:02.879 How Greg talked about he felt like his job for 0:21:02.920 --> 0:21:06.760 the pilot. For him, it was about creating the world 0:21:07.400 --> 0:21:11.159 as opposed to the writing of the words. So so 0:21:11.240 --> 0:21:14.199 many things that happened in terms of remember Kappas and 0:21:14.240 --> 0:21:17.280 our thirty minutes of busy work. Oh my god, Yeah, 0:21:17.560 --> 0:21:21.159 I remember that. I totally like, you know, it was 0:21:21.200 --> 0:21:23.440 like an acting exercise. I made fun of you practing pool, 0:21:23.440 --> 0:21:25.560 but really it's it's true. I remember that being like 0:21:26.880 --> 0:21:28.560 so nerdy, and then by the end of it you 0:21:28.600 --> 0:21:30.440 were kind of into it. You were kind of dialed in, 0:21:30.920 --> 0:21:33.720 like ming in the papers and and he talked about 0:21:33.760 --> 0:21:36.960 wanting to do that because he wanted the space to 0:21:37.040 --> 0:21:39.959 feel lived in and we had been there for a 0:21:39.960 --> 0:21:43.680 long time. Wo I thought he was just trying to 0:21:43.720 --> 0:21:45.680 get us out of our heads to not think about 0:21:45.760 --> 0:21:51.440 lines thirty minutes of busy work. That's right, He's he's 0:21:51.560 --> 0:21:54.399 the most amazing energy. But you know, don't you feel 0:21:54.400 --> 0:21:57.119 like nobody else could have directed that pilot? Yes? Is 0:21:57.119 --> 0:21:59.760 that what you were getting at I stopped your flow? No, 0:22:00.040 --> 0:22:03.480 I just think you know, that was one element the 0:22:03.600 --> 0:22:06.920 lighting that you talked about. Um, the set design was 0:22:06.960 --> 0:22:11.280 amazing set design. They talked to me also about that 0:22:11.359 --> 0:22:14.400 the architecture of the space was important. That you knew 0:22:14.880 --> 0:22:19.320 where Jim and Dwight's clump was relative to Michael, relative 0:22:19.359 --> 0:22:22.240 to accounting and Pam and all of that stuff. That 0:22:22.960 --> 0:22:25.520 It's totally true. It works. It was like some of 0:22:25.520 --> 0:22:27.520 the story, I mean so much of the stories being 0:22:27.520 --> 0:22:29.920 told in the camera, Like when the camera whips to 0:22:30.040 --> 0:22:33.199 a geographic region, you already know who you're going to. 0:22:33.480 --> 0:22:38.119 Like you, we always knew where you were. Always everybody 0:22:38.240 --> 0:22:40.800 we're checking out fantasy football. You had such a great 0:22:40.840 --> 0:22:45.720 little like secret hole back there. Yeah, I know, never bothered, 0:22:45.840 --> 0:22:49.199 never paid attention to do you know? Gregre on the 0:22:49.240 --> 0:22:53.159 show during this he finally said something to me that 0:22:53.200 --> 0:22:56.919 no one ever said to me before. When a great 0:22:56.960 --> 0:23:00.240 scene was written that didn't really have an end, I 0:23:00.280 --> 0:23:04.159 would like, um, like a wide receiver to a quarterback. 0:23:04.600 --> 0:23:08.480 I would give Matt Selling a little nod, right, so 0:23:08.640 --> 0:23:11.359 you guys would do your thing. Matt soon would whip 0:23:11.359 --> 0:23:14.359 over to me if I had an idea. Greg told 0:23:14.359 --> 0:23:16.960 me that when they were having trouble ending a scene, 0:23:17.160 --> 0:23:19.360 Greg would say, what was Brian doing? Where is the 0:23:19.440 --> 0:23:22.440 where is the thing? Yeah I was. I'm pretty proud 0:23:22.440 --> 0:23:24.520 of that one. Well he's sound conceited, but yeah, no, 0:23:24.560 --> 0:23:26.520 you should be. I mean, I am no, but I am. 0:23:26.800 --> 0:23:28.800 What Let's think back what you just said. When a 0:23:28.880 --> 0:23:32.560 scene was going great, I'd give Matt a nod and 0:23:32.600 --> 0:23:35.679 say I'll make it better. You also said like a 0:23:35.720 --> 0:23:39.399 receiver to a quarterback. Yeah, like a lot of people 0:23:39.400 --> 0:23:42.520 tuned out on that one. M And if they didn't 0:23:42.520 --> 0:23:45.200 tune out on the acting school, and I wasn't properly trained, 0:23:45.240 --> 0:23:48.120 and you know that. You think they're long gone by now. 0:23:48.119 --> 0:23:50.280 Oh yeah, most of them left on the acting thing. 0:23:50.320 --> 0:23:53.800 That's why I'm feeling free right now. Yeah, but it's funny. 0:23:53.840 --> 0:23:56.480 Yeah you said the other thing I remember. I remember 0:23:57.480 --> 0:24:00.480 when they told me that Randall and Matt came from Survivor, 0:24:01.000 --> 0:24:03.919 and I thought that was the coolest thing ever. And 0:24:03.960 --> 0:24:07.840 then on an episode two, I remember saying to Matt, like, 0:24:08.200 --> 0:24:09.439 just let me know where you want to be, and 0:24:09.440 --> 0:24:11.560 he was like, no, no no, no, don't, that's my job. 0:24:11.840 --> 0:24:14.440 Don't tell me where you're going to be. It will 0:24:14.480 --> 0:24:18.120 make it feel more alive. And if we hadn't had them, 0:24:18.200 --> 0:24:22.160 the guys from Survivor whose job it was to find 0:24:22.359 --> 0:24:26.120 behavior that was happening because it wasn't technically scripted, I 0:24:26.160 --> 0:24:29.120 think that might be a weird secret element that people 0:24:29.160 --> 0:24:32.040 don't realize, Like people don't realize that like Randal and 0:24:32.080 --> 0:24:35.800 Matt would dive across the table knowing full well that 0:24:35.880 --> 0:24:38.720 not only was an injury imminent, but that the take 0:24:38.800 --> 0:24:43.520 would only be point two seconds because the camera would 0:24:43.600 --> 0:24:46.080 kind of catch someone and then smashed to the ground, 0:24:46.240 --> 0:24:49.359 But that moment would feel so much more alive. And 0:24:49.400 --> 0:24:52.840 I remember Randall would sometimes say like, no, I will 0:24:52.880 --> 0:24:56.320 not reposition myself for a better shot, because then it 0:24:56.359 --> 0:24:58.280 will show that we were aware of what you guys 0:24:58.280 --> 0:24:59.760 were doing and we can't. And I was like, wow, 0:24:59.800 --> 0:25:02.440 that is so high level. That is that was next 0:25:02.480 --> 0:25:06.600 level stuff. Their their adage was everything that makes it 0:25:06.680 --> 0:25:11.240 harder makes it better. Wow, that's cool. Yeah, did you 0:25:11.280 --> 0:25:13.280 have a conscious to sit or did you have a 0:25:13.320 --> 0:25:18.399 conversation with Greg about Jim's relationship to the camera. Yes, 0:25:18.920 --> 0:25:23.639 I remember talking to Greg about it, and I kind 0:25:23.640 --> 0:25:27.160 of remember a version of like Mike Sure talking about 0:25:27.200 --> 0:25:29.920 it a lot, because I remember Mike loved those looks 0:25:29.920 --> 0:25:32.080 early on. How awesome is that? By the way, I 0:25:32.119 --> 0:25:37.440 don't think that's ever happened. Like every take seven writers 0:25:37.440 --> 0:25:39.440 would blow out of that door that we never you know, 0:25:39.440 --> 0:25:41.120 because that was the writer's room that would never say 0:25:41.160 --> 0:25:43.520 what it is, and they would blow out and be like, 0:25:43.560 --> 0:25:46.880 all right, that was amazing, and then cut that part 0:25:46.880 --> 0:25:48.800 because what you said was way funnier and like we 0:25:48.840 --> 0:25:51.359 always did the script many times, but then they started 0:25:51.359 --> 0:25:54.280 tweaking the script as we went. It was so alive. 0:25:54.359 --> 0:25:56.920 I felt like I almost felt like you were doing 0:25:56.960 --> 0:26:00.159 live theater anyway. But I remember Mike coming in that 0:26:00.280 --> 0:26:03.560 amazing laugh several times when I looked to camera and 0:26:03.560 --> 0:26:04.760 he was like, that was so great. And then I 0:26:04.760 --> 0:26:08.080 think it started to become let's not over use it, 0:26:08.119 --> 0:26:10.840 but it's a it's a really important story point. And 0:26:11.440 --> 0:26:13.400 I think what I remember Greg and I talking about 0:26:13.480 --> 0:26:15.520 is how I was the window to the audience. I 0:26:15.560 --> 0:26:19.080 was the character who right when you were thinking this 0:26:19.119 --> 0:26:21.199 was all ridiculous, I would turn to you and go, 0:26:21.280 --> 0:26:23.560 you're right, this is ridiculous. Or I would load it 0:26:23.600 --> 0:26:26.080 by saying like, wait till you see what's about to happen. 0:26:26.760 --> 0:26:29.480 And it's that was really interesting to me. I thought 0:26:29.520 --> 0:26:32.840 that was so fascinating and smart, and I didn't think 0:26:32.840 --> 0:26:34.600 of it. See, I'm not conceded. I will say other 0:26:34.680 --> 0:26:38.359 people had good ideas, not just a humble brag. No, 0:26:38.480 --> 0:26:41.960 it's not no, not like when we were winning the game, 0:26:42.480 --> 0:26:48.680 I said, put me in coach god, um, so talk 0:26:48.720 --> 0:26:51.320 a little bit about you're a fan of the British show. 0:26:52.680 --> 0:26:55.560 We start work on a ratings are not good. But 0:26:55.640 --> 0:26:58.400 are you feeling good about what we were doing? Oh 0:26:58.480 --> 0:27:01.000 my god, yeah, I think you know, shooting the pilot, 0:27:01.040 --> 0:27:02.800 we were all a little nervous, right, I think so 0:27:02.880 --> 0:27:04.280 we all felt like, oh my god, we're gonna be 0:27:04.320 --> 0:27:06.520 judged on the actual British script. At least that's what 0:27:06.560 --> 0:27:09.119 I felt. But I was just so happy to be there. 0:27:10.800 --> 0:27:15.320 I knew the group was working really well. I knew 0:27:15.320 --> 0:27:18.080 the show like are like you said, the world was 0:27:18.160 --> 0:27:20.680 really good, the vibe was really good, all the actors 0:27:20.720 --> 0:27:25.000 were incredible, And I gotta be honest, it was probably 0:27:25.040 --> 0:27:26.680 one of the reasons why I was able to keep 0:27:26.680 --> 0:27:29.520 a level head, because I didn't care if the show 0:27:29.600 --> 0:27:34.440 did well or not. Because I asked, um, what's his name? 0:27:34.480 --> 0:27:38.800 Oh my god, Um the executive that came every Friday, 0:27:39.119 --> 0:27:41.880 and that like super handsome dude. I'm gonna remember his name. 0:27:41.920 --> 0:27:44.639 He was so nice. No, no, no, he's super handsome 0:27:44.640 --> 0:27:51.880 as well. No, Jeff and Gold I gotta I gotta 0:27:51.880 --> 0:27:55.080 take a nap after pulling that. Jeff was the nicest guy, 0:27:55.200 --> 0:27:57.600 but don't you remember he would come down super nice, 0:27:57.800 --> 0:28:00.879 dressed well, handsome, ass guy, and I'd be like, what's up, 0:28:00.960 --> 0:28:03.960 Jap and he's like, oh, great, I love this episode. 0:28:03.960 --> 0:28:06.720 This will be the last one. And I was like oh, 0:28:06.800 --> 0:28:08.680 and he's like, yeah, it's just not getting the ratings 0:28:08.720 --> 0:28:11.080 and the and the network doesn't get it. I love it, 0:28:11.119 --> 0:28:12.920 but this is gonna be the last one. He said 0:28:12.960 --> 0:28:16.480 that every week of the first season, those first six 0:28:16.480 --> 0:28:21.560 are six total, just every week, and so on the 0:28:21.720 --> 0:28:25.480 like fifth week, I said to him, can you make 0:28:25.480 --> 0:28:27.119 me a DVD so I can give it to my 0:28:27.160 --> 0:28:29.199 mom so she at least knows that what I was 0:28:29.240 --> 0:28:31.560 doing out here was real and that I wasn't like 0:28:32.040 --> 0:28:35.320 living under a bridge somewhere. And he said, yes, I 0:28:35.359 --> 0:28:38.400 still have that DVD that he wrote hand wrote on 0:28:38.440 --> 0:28:43.320 it the office episodes one through six. So that's kind 0:28:43.320 --> 0:28:45.760 of all I cared about. Was like, I definitely want 0:28:45.760 --> 0:28:47.400 to show my friends because this will be one of 0:28:47.400 --> 0:28:50.760 those things that's brilliantly canceled. And I want to show 0:28:50.840 --> 0:28:54.160 my mom and I want her to know that I'm okay. 0:28:54.200 --> 0:28:56.800 But I'll tell you I do know when it changed 0:28:56.840 --> 0:28:59.560 for me was I used to go to this same 0:28:59.600 --> 0:29:04.080 diner every morning with my buddy Danny and on a Wednesday, 0:29:04.120 --> 0:29:05.840 because we used to air on Tuesdays. I think that 0:29:05.880 --> 0:29:09.160 at that time I walked in on a Wednesday morning 0:29:09.520 --> 0:29:13.160 and the same diner, same people, We're now looking up 0:29:13.200 --> 0:29:14.920 and being like, that's that's to do from that show 0:29:14.960 --> 0:29:17.480 and it was sexual harassment had aired the night before. 0:29:18.360 --> 0:29:20.920 I at least that was my moment that I really 0:29:21.200 --> 0:29:25.280 knew something had changed, like people were watching and it started. 0:29:25.280 --> 0:29:27.760 It was weird because I was really happy about it, obviously, 0:29:27.760 --> 0:29:30.800 but I was also a little freaked out because that's 0:29:30.840 --> 0:29:32.959 sort of like secret club that we had was no 0:29:33.000 --> 0:29:36.560 longer secret. Obviously, it was great that the Secret Cub 0:29:36.640 --> 0:29:38.520 was not secret, but it was like a big transition 0:29:38.520 --> 0:29:40.200 for me. I remember that it took me a while 0:29:40.240 --> 0:29:45.280 too that people knew who I was. Was very weird. 0:29:46.080 --> 0:29:47.760 I also remember this moment I was walking here in 0:29:47.800 --> 0:29:52.640 New York and I was walking through and this guy 0:29:53.080 --> 0:29:54.880 put his hand up real fast in my face and 0:29:54.920 --> 0:29:57.080 I thought I was getting assaulted. And he was like, 0:29:57.120 --> 0:29:59.760 you're on my iPod, dude, And I was like, what 0:30:00.080 --> 0:30:04.360 is an iPod? What are you showing me? And there 0:30:04.520 --> 0:30:07.640 was my dumb face on his whatever. It was like 0:30:07.680 --> 0:30:11.440 an inch by an inch or two. Video iPod, Big Dial, 0:30:12.040 --> 0:30:16.160 Big Dial. That was trippy for me. Interesting. And then 0:30:16.240 --> 0:30:19.760 the third and final thing was when we got parodied 0:30:19.800 --> 0:30:23.680 on SNL. Remember Fred Armison did a we Can Update piece. 0:30:24.240 --> 0:30:26.800 He was pretending to be Steve Jobs or was he 0:30:26.840 --> 0:30:28.720 talking about Steve Jobs. I think he was pretending to 0:30:28.720 --> 0:30:31.160 be Steve Jobs, and he kept saying iPod, and he 0:30:31.200 --> 0:30:35.480 was going iPod the office at Apple, the office, iPod, 0:30:36.040 --> 0:30:38.760 iPod the office. And I remember that laughing really hard 0:30:38.760 --> 0:30:41.040 because I loved everything Fred did, but I was also like, whoa, 0:30:41.480 --> 0:30:44.520 if we're being parodied on SNL, this is big, I 0:30:44.560 --> 0:30:47.800 think for me. The first Christmas episode that we did, 0:30:48.160 --> 0:30:51.160 that's kind of when the video iPod came out. There 0:30:51.200 --> 0:30:54.560 was a deal with Apple as you as you reference 0:30:54.640 --> 0:30:56.400 that we were going to be on there, and that's 0:30:56.440 --> 0:30:59.160 when we were in our second season. It was like 0:30:59.240 --> 0:31:05.560 six episode, four episodes, one more Zero Confidence. And then 0:31:05.600 --> 0:31:09.440 I remember Greg saying it all. You know, I think 0:31:09.480 --> 0:31:11.200 a lot of people get to say, you know, we 0:31:11.240 --> 0:31:12.880 owe it all to our fans, but I think we 0:31:12.960 --> 0:31:15.120 might be the only show who actually owes it all 0:31:15.120 --> 0:31:19.200 to our fans. Because Greg told me that when people 0:31:19.320 --> 0:31:23.440 started paying for shows that they could watch for free 0:31:23.560 --> 0:31:27.000 on their TV. Then they had to pick up the 0:31:27.000 --> 0:31:29.320 show and I remember being like, what that was just 0:31:29.360 --> 0:31:33.600 so mind blowing to me. Yeah, the risk taking that 0:31:33.680 --> 0:31:38.040 was happening from day one, because imagine the conversations that 0:31:38.080 --> 0:31:39.840 were going on at the network, which again I know 0:31:39.880 --> 0:31:42.239 the network totally was hands off, because at the end 0:31:42.240 --> 0:31:43.640 of the day, I think they were sort of like, 0:31:43.720 --> 0:31:48.720 we put the screws to you, it succeeded even despite us, 0:31:49.080 --> 0:31:50.960 and then now let's just leave you alone and make 0:31:50.960 --> 0:31:53.240 your magic. Which I remember that story. Did Greg tell 0:31:53.280 --> 0:31:55.680 you that. I think it was around sexual or whatever 0:31:56.120 --> 0:31:59.240 was the big hit. I know I remember as sexual happrassment, 0:31:59.280 --> 0:32:02.080 but maybe it was something else. One of our table reads, 0:32:02.120 --> 0:32:04.040 there were like six people from the network and they're 0:32:04.040 --> 0:32:07.200 always used to be one and after that table read, 0:32:07.240 --> 0:32:10.920 he was like nope, and he supposedly said to them, 0:32:11.160 --> 0:32:14.200 do not come back or I quit, Like, now that 0:32:14.240 --> 0:32:17.280 we have proven ourselves, you don't get to change the formula. 0:32:18.000 --> 0:32:20.440 That to me, especially now that I've had more experience 0:32:20.480 --> 0:32:23.360 in this business, I think it is not only rare, 0:32:23.560 --> 0:32:26.800 it's damn near impossible to have a leader like that. 0:32:27.640 --> 0:32:29.440 And again he comes across as the nicest guy ever. 0:32:29.440 --> 0:32:32.200 But to have someone who's willing to stake their career 0:32:32.480 --> 0:32:36.440 on big swings like that, and then you realize, yeah, 0:32:36.520 --> 0:32:38.880 that was going on since day one. They were taking 0:32:38.960 --> 0:32:43.600 risks from day one. Yes, Lee Eisenberg told me that 0:32:43.760 --> 0:32:48.200 UM dinner party. He said, it came back really well. 0:32:48.320 --> 0:32:51.120 The writers had come up with this great idea. He 0:32:51.280 --> 0:32:53.880 and Jeane had written this episode and it came back 0:32:53.960 --> 0:32:58.600 and the network called network executive and we didn't know 0:32:58.600 --> 0:33:04.320 who it was. Um, great scrapt so funny, really really funny. 0:33:04.720 --> 0:33:09.800 It's really dark and Greg was like, yep, I mean 0:33:09.880 --> 0:33:15.120 it's it's really dark. Greg was like, h yeah, it is, yeah, 0:33:15.160 --> 0:33:20.080 but I mean it's like it's real dark. Greg's like, 0:33:20.480 --> 0:33:25.720 m guys, anything else, Like nope, okay, thanks for calling 0:33:25.880 --> 0:33:28.120 hung out amazing and that's like some Jedi minds. Yeah, 0:33:28.160 --> 0:33:31.680 and Lee was like again from Greg, just the most 0:33:31.960 --> 0:33:35.280 baller like but that's what I mean. It's like I've 0:33:35.320 --> 0:33:39.080 now like directed movies, and even in my directing movies, 0:33:39.200 --> 0:33:42.400 I find myself totally going with that of like, yeah, 0:33:42.640 --> 0:33:44.840 you know what, maybe I'll try that, or like he 0:33:45.160 --> 0:33:48.000 just sat on the wall and was like, you will 0:33:48.080 --> 0:33:51.680 not pass it. Was amazing. But that's what I mean 0:33:51.760 --> 0:33:54.400 is like that, it's it's incredible that that's who we 0:33:54.440 --> 0:33:58.560 had on the wall, because even a impressive showrunner would 0:33:58.560 --> 0:34:00.600 have come back and be like, dos in, guys, we 0:34:00.680 --> 0:34:03.600 gotta shoot one other version where it's not as dark, 0:34:03.760 --> 0:34:26.439 and he was like, no, yeah, um, your relationship with Rain, 0:34:26.640 --> 0:34:29.200 Jim and Dwight. One of the things that we've been 0:34:29.200 --> 0:34:33.839 talking about are like comedy duos, right, And we talked 0:34:33.840 --> 0:34:36.960 about the ensemble, and it is like the greater ensemble, 0:34:37.400 --> 0:34:43.000 but also like the pairings, like the accountants, Michael and Dwight, 0:34:43.640 --> 0:34:46.920 Dwight and Jim, you know, and how all of those 0:34:46.960 --> 0:34:50.560 things the smaller groups work together. That's when I think 0:34:50.600 --> 0:34:55.320 the show became stratospheric, is when you guys started having 0:34:55.840 --> 0:34:59.520 real storylines, you know what I mean. Like I remember 0:34:59.560 --> 0:35:02.439 when Creed had a big storyline for the first time, 0:35:02.440 --> 0:35:04.560 and I was like, this is it, man, This is 0:35:04.560 --> 0:35:08.239 like painting pictures with the four primary colors or using 0:35:08.239 --> 0:35:10.400 everything you have in the palette, and how much more beautiful. 0:35:10.440 --> 0:35:14.800 I remember feeling that the show is like genuinely lifting 0:35:14.800 --> 0:35:17.960 off because like everyone, you know, all those bullpen scenes 0:35:18.000 --> 0:35:22.600 got so much funnier when everybody was involved, like Diversity Day, 0:35:22.680 --> 0:35:26.520 Diversity that which was the second episode, but it's crazy. 0:35:26.760 --> 0:35:28.640 That's when I knew that we were doing something different 0:35:28.640 --> 0:35:30.920 than the British. I might have even said it's a 0:35:31.160 --> 0:35:33.239 Rain or Jenna. I was like, WHOA. Like the fact 0:35:33.239 --> 0:35:38.040 that we're being this sort of on the edge and 0:35:38.080 --> 0:35:41.279 it's so funny and making such a great social commentary 0:35:41.440 --> 0:35:45.080 using Steve as the the sort of boob character. It 0:35:45.160 --> 0:35:48.759 was so next level like that. That's when I realized, like, oh, 0:35:48.800 --> 0:35:51.560 if I wasn't on this show, I would be obsessed 0:35:51.640 --> 0:35:55.719 with this show. I remember when Larry Wilmore said my 0:35:55.800 --> 0:35:57.560 name is Mr Brown, he goes, I'm not calling you that. 0:35:57.680 --> 0:36:01.000 I lost my mind. That joke so good. That was 0:36:01.040 --> 0:36:04.000 b J wrote that, right, yea, so good. But you 0:36:04.360 --> 0:36:08.320 um the Gem and Dwight stuff, and specifically what everybody 0:36:08.360 --> 0:36:11.520 talks about are the pranks and the two of you 0:36:11.560 --> 0:36:14.840 guys working together. Why do you think you two worked 0:36:14.880 --> 0:36:19.000 so well together. I don't know either the characters or 0:36:19.040 --> 0:36:22.080 the you know, the actors, you and Rain well. I mean, 0:36:22.120 --> 0:36:26.480 I think obviously there's some version of the old adage 0:36:26.520 --> 0:36:31.360 of polar opposites are always great. You know, whatever happens 0:36:31.360 --> 0:36:34.919 when you put two polar opposite characters together is sort 0:36:34.920 --> 0:36:37.719 of magical because it's the RT couple, you know what 0:36:37.719 --> 0:36:40.239 I mean. And I think that the beauty of our 0:36:40.280 --> 0:36:44.279 show that I really remember being so special is when 0:36:45.520 --> 0:36:49.719 pretty early on, they would allow Rain's character to have 0:36:49.840 --> 0:36:53.000 heart and he felt bad for him at times, and 0:36:53.040 --> 0:36:56.840 then he totally not make you feel bad for him 0:36:56.920 --> 0:37:00.320 because he'd be doing crazy stuff. But I remember that 0:37:00.320 --> 0:37:03.320 that really helped me with the pranks because it wasn't 0:37:03.360 --> 0:37:05.759 just being mean to him because pranks are easy, you 0:37:05.760 --> 0:37:07.160 know what I mean. I think pranks are kind of 0:37:07.160 --> 0:37:09.759 the easiest form of jokes. I don't mean on our show, 0:37:09.800 --> 0:37:13.319 I'm saying, like doing a prank to someone because it's 0:37:13.320 --> 0:37:15.520 fishing a barrow kind of you know. But I think 0:37:15.560 --> 0:37:18.439 that what the writers did so well was make those 0:37:18.480 --> 0:37:22.239 pranks kind of loving and like brotherly, Like there was 0:37:22.280 --> 0:37:24.480 a brother aspect to it that I think made them 0:37:24.520 --> 0:37:28.320 so great because I wasn't being mean. I was doing 0:37:28.400 --> 0:37:30.359 something that I knew he kind of got to kick 0:37:30.400 --> 0:37:32.560 out of two. I don't know that that's my theory 0:37:32.600 --> 0:37:34.799 on it, but I think that he was everything I 0:37:34.840 --> 0:37:38.040 didn't want to be or so I thought we were 0:37:38.760 --> 0:37:41.640 in the scenes together coming from two totally different places, 0:37:41.640 --> 0:37:44.879 and that's what was so cool, like the weird explosive thing. 0:37:45.480 --> 0:37:46.960 And it was one of those things where you know, 0:37:47.120 --> 0:37:50.960 I think that when you put yourself as an audience 0:37:51.000 --> 0:37:53.560 member and you're like, I think this is funny. I 0:37:53.640 --> 0:37:55.960 knew this is what I would want to see, is 0:37:56.000 --> 0:37:58.120 me trying to tell him something and him being annoying. 0:37:58.280 --> 0:38:01.040 Or the best is when we teamed up, when we 0:38:01.040 --> 0:38:03.200 did when we did stuff together and we were a team, 0:38:03.920 --> 0:38:06.040 that was great. That stuff was amazing, like those those 0:38:06.040 --> 0:38:08.080 talking heads where we do together. Don't think I was 0:38:08.120 --> 0:38:11.239 professional once in those because when I sat in a 0:38:11.320 --> 0:38:15.080 chair next to him, that weird energy radiated off of 0:38:15.120 --> 0:38:18.040 him and I just started laughing. I'm a crier laugher, 0:38:18.360 --> 0:38:21.399 and I had like that high pitched girl laughs. That's 0:38:21.440 --> 0:38:24.960 what made Rain so good is he he was able 0:38:25.000 --> 0:38:28.560 to remember. We always used to laugh because he had 0:38:28.600 --> 0:38:30.799 this look on his face that he'd give to me 0:38:31.200 --> 0:38:34.719 that would make me break every time. And by the way, 0:38:35.000 --> 0:38:37.560 it's like his face didn't even move, but like some 0:38:37.719 --> 0:38:39.640 energy came out and I would laugh every time he 0:38:39.680 --> 0:38:42.799 would do this like really funny, kind of like dumb 0:38:42.880 --> 0:38:44.719 face at me, and I would laugh every time, and 0:38:44.960 --> 0:38:48.799 it's funny. It's almost like he, of all people, made 0:38:48.840 --> 0:38:50.919 the lines feel like improv. Him and Steve I think 0:38:50.920 --> 0:38:53.239 made the lines feel the most like they were improving. 0:38:54.000 --> 0:38:56.400 You know, you're the part of my favorite moment of 0:38:56.440 --> 0:39:00.160 shooting ever. People always asked me, what's the hard us 0:39:00.160 --> 0:39:03.160 you ever laughed on set? Without a doubt, it's when 0:39:03.239 --> 0:39:05.279 you sat on his lap. When you sat on his 0:39:05.360 --> 0:39:07.920 lap and his improv with you. I think you can 0:39:07.920 --> 0:39:10.520 see it on the out takes, right, Oh yeah, it's 0:39:10.560 --> 0:39:13.720 the funniest. And by the way, to your point again, 0:39:14.480 --> 0:39:16.160 you're right they always went to you for a button 0:39:16.200 --> 0:39:18.279 because anytime they went to me for a button and 0:39:18.400 --> 0:39:20.919 Steve was doing improv, I was not there physically not. 0:39:21.239 --> 0:39:23.600 I remember Matt soone going just just let me know, 0:39:23.719 --> 0:39:25.640 are you gonna be there? And I was like no, 0:39:26.000 --> 0:39:27.640 because I would laugh so hard that I had to 0:39:27.640 --> 0:39:33.719 walk off sets diving the office and I was just 0:39:34.760 --> 0:39:38.000 the most unprofessional, and they would you were doing such 0:39:38.040 --> 0:39:41.640 good work, and he said something about like attaching balloons 0:39:41.640 --> 0:39:43.400 to you or something, and they went to me and 0:39:43.440 --> 0:39:46.440 I was like dude, don't do it. I'm only going 0:39:46.520 --> 0:39:48.200 to fail you. And that was one of the only 0:39:48.200 --> 0:39:51.279 times that I just literally gave up on doing my job. 0:39:51.440 --> 0:39:53.759 And then he pretended that his legs were asleep. Yeah, 0:39:54.719 --> 0:39:56.920 but his voice changed when you sat on his lap. Well, 0:39:57.239 --> 0:39:59.720 that's that's the thing that I always but I always 0:39:59.760 --> 0:40:02.120 say it people was and it was right in my ear. 0:40:02.440 --> 0:40:06.560 It was right in my ear. And I would go 0:40:06.800 --> 0:40:11.160 kill what would you like a little And it was 0:40:11.239 --> 0:40:14.960 like this inhalation of air. Jeez, I didn't know you 0:40:14.960 --> 0:40:16.520 were going to ask me that, and he goes, well, 0:40:16.600 --> 0:40:20.359 thank quicker. Like remember when he started banging and said 0:40:20.360 --> 0:40:24.040 out the glass, Oh, that whole improv And I remember, 0:40:24.200 --> 0:40:26.279 God bless Steve. He used to get so frustrated. So 0:40:26.280 --> 0:40:28.120 I'm not really but like I know, I was a 0:40:28.120 --> 0:40:29.759 pain in the aster room because I would laugh so 0:40:29.840 --> 0:40:31.839 hard and some of if he'd be doing the most 0:40:31.920 --> 0:40:34.920 genius stuff and I'd be in a two shot with 0:40:35.000 --> 0:40:37.600 him ruining the take and he was like, come on, man, 0:40:37.640 --> 0:40:39.480 maybe don't laugh on this one. So nice about it. 0:40:39.480 --> 0:40:40.719 But also it was like I'd like to go home 0:40:40.800 --> 0:40:48.000 and see my kids. I'd like to get out of here. Yeah. Um, writing, acting, directing. 0:40:48.160 --> 0:40:51.360 Is there one you prefer? That's a good question. I 0:40:51.640 --> 0:40:54.880 don't know. I think yeah. I think acting was always 0:40:55.120 --> 0:40:58.200 I think because it was the first, there's something I 0:40:58.239 --> 0:41:01.759 really love about it. I think that there's elements to 0:41:01.800 --> 0:41:05.440 acting being more fun because you don't have the weight 0:41:05.520 --> 0:41:08.239 of responsibility of any kind like turning into script. You 0:41:08.239 --> 0:41:11.560 have the responsibility. I hope this doesn't suck, and directing 0:41:11.560 --> 0:41:15.120 you of all the responsibilities, which can be terrifying. But 0:41:15.160 --> 0:41:16.719 by the way, you don't want to suck being an 0:41:16.719 --> 0:41:19.560 actor either. But I don't know. I guess that it's 0:41:20.200 --> 0:41:23.600 once you've gone to you know, the whole behind the 0:41:23.680 --> 0:41:27.160 camera idea, and you see how the sausage is made, 0:41:27.200 --> 0:41:30.840 you realize how I think writing and directing made me 0:41:30.840 --> 0:41:34.880 a better actor, and vice versa. You know everybody. I 0:41:34.880 --> 0:41:37.080 remember always getting awards. People would always be like in 0:41:37.120 --> 0:41:38.680 thanks to the crew and whatever, and we had the 0:41:38.719 --> 0:41:42.080 greatest crew of all time. And I think that that 0:41:42.280 --> 0:41:45.920 taught me to look back on all the things I 0:41:46.000 --> 0:41:50.040 loved movies and television or whatever, and realized that for 0:41:50.120 --> 0:41:54.000 every moment you remember watching and loving, there were three 0:41:54.040 --> 0:41:57.359 to six people who made that moment exactly happen at 0:41:57.400 --> 0:42:00.560 that exact time, and it was magic, from props to 0:42:01.360 --> 0:42:04.080 camera to the set design. Like I said, like, I 0:42:04.080 --> 0:42:05.839 look back on the Office and realized, like you said, 0:42:05.840 --> 0:42:08.759 that that geography thing really blew my mind because it 0:42:08.800 --> 0:42:13.520 feels like that that that set design was so purposeful anyway, 0:42:13.560 --> 0:42:16.319 that kind of thing. I don't know if that answered anything, No, 0:42:16.440 --> 0:42:19.359 I think so people always ask how did I get 0:42:19.400 --> 0:42:21.880 into directing or writing? And it's like, because I went 0:42:21.920 --> 0:42:24.560 to the best film school ever, which was The Office, 0:42:25.480 --> 0:42:28.600 and you learn what's good. I think my taste level 0:42:29.880 --> 0:42:38.040 became solidified on that show, like I see what's possible 0:42:38.160 --> 0:42:42.080 now in everything I do. Um. I've said this before 0:42:42.160 --> 0:42:45.600 that I never would have directed and rewritten A Quiet 0:42:45.640 --> 0:42:49.960 Place if it wasn't for Greg, because I remember him 0:42:50.000 --> 0:42:53.120 saying to me one day, don't look at this as 0:42:53.120 --> 0:42:56.520 a comedy. Just be in the moment, right, you do 0:42:56.560 --> 0:43:00.239 you your character doesn't know he's funny. We get too, 0:43:00.719 --> 0:43:04.480 we get to decide, right. So we're not making a comedy. 0:43:04.480 --> 0:43:07.120 We're just telling the best story we can. And if 0:43:07.200 --> 0:43:10.680 you end up laughing, great, if you cry at a 0:43:10.719 --> 0:43:15.520 moment with Pam, great, But just tell the best story. 0:43:17.000 --> 0:43:20.000 So when I got offered Quiet Place, I was like, 0:43:20.080 --> 0:43:23.120 I don't know anything about horror. And I remember actually 0:43:23.160 --> 0:43:27.200 sitting down before I wrote the script and said, I'm 0:43:27.239 --> 0:43:28.759 not going to make a horror movie. I'm not gonna 0:43:28.800 --> 0:43:31.560 make a genre movie. I'm gonna tell the best story 0:43:31.640 --> 0:43:34.319 I can about this family. And if you end up 0:43:34.360 --> 0:43:38.239 getting scared at moments, that is on you, because it's 0:43:38.320 --> 0:43:40.600 only my job is only to tell you the most 0:43:40.640 --> 0:43:44.200 concise and strong story I can, and then every emotional 0:43:44.280 --> 0:43:46.680 thing that you feel is coming from you and how 0:43:46.719 --> 0:43:49.440 you're experiencing it. And I remember I never would have 0:43:49.440 --> 0:43:52.400 had the guts to do that, because I would have 0:43:52.440 --> 0:43:53.920 said the same thing I said to Greg that day, 0:43:53.960 --> 0:43:55.480 which is like, I don't want to mess this up. 0:43:55.520 --> 0:43:57.279 I want to make sure I'm really funny in this 0:43:57.360 --> 0:43:58.840 scene for you. And he was like, no, no no, I 0:43:58.880 --> 0:44:00.920 don't want you to be funny. I want you to 0:44:00.920 --> 0:44:03.520 tell the best story and let other people decide whether 0:44:03.560 --> 0:44:05.279 the scene is funny. And I was like, WHOA, mind 0:44:05.320 --> 0:44:09.520 blowing stuff. That is very, very smart. But The Quiet 0:44:09.560 --> 0:44:12.680 Place isn't a comedy. No, you should see it before 0:44:12.719 --> 0:44:28.800 we do an interview. Shoot. All right, guys, we're gonna 0:44:28.840 --> 0:44:31.480 take a break right there. I'm gonna save the rest 0:44:31.600 --> 0:44:36.560 of John's interview for a very special occasion down the line, 0:44:36.719 --> 0:44:42.560 because John is a very special boy. Thank you j 0:44:42.719 --> 0:44:44.960 K for joining me. I have to admit you are 0:44:45.040 --> 0:44:49.920 my number one, top, absolute favorite pain in the ass 0:44:50.400 --> 0:44:55.120 in the world. Um, so congratulations on that. To all 0:44:55.160 --> 0:44:57.239 of you listeners, thank you for joining me. We will 0:44:57.280 --> 0:45:02.880 be back next time for another hilarious guest. So have 0:45:03.200 --> 0:45:14.400 a fantastic week, everybody. The office. Deep Dive is hosted 0:45:14.440 --> 0:45:19.400 and executive produced by me Brian Baumgartner, alongside our executive producer, 0:45:19.600 --> 0:45:23.640 Lang Lee. Our senior producer is Tessa Kramer, our associate 0:45:23.680 --> 0:45:28.040 producer is Emily Carr, and our assistant editor is Diego Tapia. 0:45:28.600 --> 0:45:31.640 My main man in the booth is Alec Moore. Our 0:45:31.760 --> 0:45:35.240 theme song Bubble and Squeak performed by my great friend 0:45:35.320 --> 0:45:39.080 Creed Bratton, and the episode was mixed by seth Olandski.