WEBVTT - Ellie Kemper 0:00:05.480 --> 0:00:08.440 Hi. I'm Ellie Kemper and I played Aaron Hannon on 0:00:08.520 --> 0:00:19.800 The Office. Hello there, everyone, here we are. We're back 0:00:20.720 --> 0:00:25.040 another episode of the Office Deep Dive. I am your host, 0:00:25.640 --> 0:00:27.920 Brian bam Gartner, and I'm just so happy you're here. 0:00:28.440 --> 0:00:36.440 So welcome. Uh. Today's guest is someone really dear to me. 0:00:37.040 --> 0:00:42.680 I love her and we share a special bond that 0:00:42.760 --> 0:00:45.560 only comes after one person has sat on the other 0:00:45.600 --> 0:00:48.520 person's shoulders in a pool of lukewarm water for eight 0:00:48.520 --> 0:00:53.320 hours straight. I mean, we all have that friend, right, Yes, 0:00:54.200 --> 0:01:00.240 you guessed it. It's Ellie Kemper. Now listening back to 0:01:00.360 --> 0:01:02.400 this one. This was a bit of a trip for 0:01:02.560 --> 0:01:09.320 me because I spoke with Ellie in April of Does 0:01:09.360 --> 0:01:11.559 anyone remember something that was going on in the world 0:01:11.680 --> 0:01:17.720 around that time? No, not murder hornets, No, not not 0:01:17.840 --> 0:01:20.600 Kanye running for president. Now, it was the early days 0:01:21.000 --> 0:01:25.760 of the global pandemic known as coronavirus. So I talked 0:01:25.800 --> 0:01:30.920 to Ellie over zoom. This was back when zoom was 0:01:31.120 --> 0:01:34.039 still a new thing. I didn't even know what a 0:01:34.160 --> 0:01:37.400 zoom was at that point. But you're gonna hear us 0:01:37.440 --> 0:01:42.679 trying to figure out the technology talking about quarantine. We 0:01:42.680 --> 0:01:48.000 were so naive back then. Anyways, enough about that, Let's 0:01:48.040 --> 0:01:53.240 just focus on our conversation, our great conversation, and and 0:01:53.320 --> 0:01:56.680 the great episode that I have for you. So sit back, relax, 0:01:57.200 --> 0:02:03.240 and listen to the soothing sounds of and the hilarious 0:02:03.840 --> 0:02:12.800 Ellie Kemper, bubble and squeak. I love it, Bubble and 0:02:12.840 --> 0:02:19.720 squeak on bubble and squeaker cookie, every moment left over 0:02:19.720 --> 0:02:33.800 from the nab pole. Am I in the meeting? Oh? Ellie, 0:02:33.919 --> 0:02:38.760 you are in the meeting? Can you hear me? Okay? 0:02:39.440 --> 0:02:41.760 I actually don't know. I can hear me? Okay? Can 0:02:41.800 --> 0:02:45.560 you hear me? Okay? I can hear you? Crystal clear? God, 0:02:45.840 --> 0:02:50.920 that's so great, Ellie. It's so nice to hear your voice. Brian, 0:02:51.120 --> 0:02:53.160 I have still been looking It's so nice to hear 0:02:53.200 --> 0:02:55.399 your voice. I have still been looking forward to this 0:02:56.200 --> 0:02:59.639 for many reasons. I mean, originally this meeting is being 0:03:00.160 --> 0:03:05.680 did Okay, we got it, and I was looking forward 0:03:05.760 --> 0:03:08.680 to it, of course for obvious reasons. And now during 0:03:08.680 --> 0:03:12.520 this unimaginable time, it is so nice to hear your voice. 0:03:12.680 --> 0:03:16.919 I know. Are you all okay? Yes? We are hungering down. 0:03:17.160 --> 0:03:19.080 You guys just decided to get out of New York. 0:03:19.400 --> 0:03:23.079 We were actually in Montreal when like mid March or 0:03:23.120 --> 0:03:26.160 whenever everything started shutting down, so we were already out 0:03:26.160 --> 0:03:29.760 of New York. We decided better to avoid going back there. 0:03:29.800 --> 0:03:31.480 So that's why we came to St. Louis, which is 0:03:31.520 --> 0:03:33.040 where I'm Do you know I'm from here? Yeah? No, 0:03:33.120 --> 0:03:36.480 I know, No, I know Jenna Phillis. Yeah, all of 0:03:36.520 --> 0:03:41.360 you guys, have you seen Phillis or no? Because you're 0:03:41.400 --> 0:03:45.520 social distancing, social distancing, I've seen have you seen? I've 0:03:45.560 --> 0:03:47.240 seen no one. I feel like I don't know how 0:03:47.240 --> 0:03:52.640 to interact with humans anymore beside my family. Is that 0:03:52.680 --> 0:03:55.840 going to be weird? I think it is. Well, we 0:03:55.840 --> 0:03:57.800 were once going to do this in person. We were, 0:03:57.840 --> 0:04:00.320 but it's so nice to hear from you, I mean 0:04:00.720 --> 0:04:04.880 over the phone. Yeah. I just can't believe it. Like, 0:04:05.000 --> 0:04:06.480 what was it two months ago when we were trying 0:04:06.520 --> 0:04:07.800 to meet up in New York and it seemed like 0:04:07.840 --> 0:04:11.240 a very normal Like it was just like logistics that 0:04:11.320 --> 0:04:12.920 got in the way. But it was like, oh, yeah, 0:04:12.960 --> 0:04:14.400 I'm going to be New York. Oh great, You're flying 0:04:14.400 --> 0:04:18.120 to New York on an airplane with other passengers and 0:04:18.160 --> 0:04:21.560 I'll meet you downtown and I'll give you a hug 0:04:21.680 --> 0:04:24.159 and like lick your palm. Yeah, there won't be any 0:04:24.160 --> 0:04:30.720 issues with those things. No, exactly, Um, Ellie, So what 0:04:30.760 --> 0:04:33.679 were you doing? What were you doing before the Office? 0:04:34.320 --> 0:04:36.600 What was I doing? Okay, so I was about to 0:04:36.600 --> 0:04:39.240 say very little, but that's not true. I was doing commercials. 0:04:39.800 --> 0:04:42.480 That's how I was earning money through commercials. In terms 0:04:42.560 --> 0:04:48.320 of I guess creative opportunities. I was doing mostly unpaid 0:04:48.320 --> 0:04:51.680 work at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater and I was 0:04:51.760 --> 0:04:54.720 doing two person shows and one person shows an actual 0:04:54.760 --> 0:04:59.680 improvisation and um. But professionally it was mostly commercials up 0:04:59.760 --> 0:05:03.000 until that point, I think I had I had, like, oh, 0:05:03.120 --> 0:05:05.760 I I did something on a show called Daily Pops, 0:05:05.800 --> 0:05:07.720 which I think was on MTV. It was like an 0:05:07.720 --> 0:05:12.400 eight series, eight episode series. Um, I want to say 0:05:12.839 --> 0:05:15.760 that Kim Kardashian made a cameo. And I'm technically Kim 0:05:15.800 --> 0:05:18.680 Kardashian's co star. I think she made a cameo in 0:05:18.680 --> 0:05:22.120 one of these Daily Pops. You work together, We worked together, 0:05:22.480 --> 0:05:27.640 worked together, inspired her. But yes, um, I mean obviously 0:05:27.720 --> 0:05:32.680 The Office was my enormous we big break. Did you 0:05:32.720 --> 0:05:37.320 watch the Office, Brian did. I watched The Office. I 0:05:37.400 --> 0:05:40.120 devoured The Office. I was an enormous Office fan. You 0:05:40.200 --> 0:05:42.160 don't know what this is like because obviously you were 0:05:42.160 --> 0:05:45.760 on it from the start. But I loved The Office. 0:05:45.960 --> 0:05:49.200 I watched it every week. It's very strange to go 0:05:49.720 --> 0:05:52.320 from watching a television show that you happen to love 0:05:52.440 --> 0:05:55.599 and then being in the room with everybody. I actually 0:05:56.880 --> 0:05:59.000 the first day, of course, felt surreal for many reasons, 0:05:59.000 --> 0:06:02.119 but it's it's weird when you I think maybe anyone 0:06:02.160 --> 0:06:04.360 has had this experience. If you watch someone on a 0:06:04.400 --> 0:06:07.720 screen and then you see them in person, it feels otherworldly. 0:06:08.160 --> 0:06:10.880 And particularly because I already loved everyone on it and 0:06:10.920 --> 0:06:14.359 admired them so much, it felt even stranger because yeah, 0:06:14.400 --> 0:06:16.640 I was a huge fan. It's very weird. I really 0:06:16.640 --> 0:06:19.640 tried to play it cool. Well, so wait, literally, you 0:06:19.680 --> 0:06:23.480 watched it Thursday night? Yes, yes, I did. I lived 0:06:23.520 --> 0:06:26.920 in New York at the time, and we always my 0:06:26.920 --> 0:06:29.760 my whole family was a fan of the Office. Have 0:06:29.880 --> 0:06:32.800 I told you that? Mos make sure reminded us of 0:06:32.839 --> 0:06:35.680 my older brother John college, like when John was in college, 0:06:35.760 --> 0:06:37.560 So we had like a big joke about that. But yeah, 0:06:37.720 --> 0:06:39.320 I lived in New York and I watched the Office 0:06:39.360 --> 0:06:44.039 every Thursday, and had you met Alison Jones before? No, 0:06:44.760 --> 0:06:51.120 So I met with Greg and Mike, Greg Daniels and 0:06:51.200 --> 0:06:53.359 Mike Sure. I think I was meeting with them for 0:06:53.400 --> 0:06:56.160 Parks and Recreation. This was before Parks and Recreation was 0:06:56.480 --> 0:06:59.080 had aired, and I think that's what it was about. 0:06:59.120 --> 0:07:01.120 I really don't know. It was sort of just a 0:07:01.160 --> 0:07:04.680 general hello. And after that I met Alison when I 0:07:04.680 --> 0:07:08.000 actually read for Parks and Recreation, which it wasn't called 0:07:08.000 --> 0:07:10.640 Parks and Recreation, it was like untitled make Sure Project. 0:07:11.080 --> 0:07:13.640 And then I didn't get a part on Parks and Recreation. 0:07:13.680 --> 0:07:16.640 But then they called me back later for the Office 0:07:17.040 --> 0:07:20.320 and your first day on set? Were you nervous? I 0:07:20.480 --> 0:07:24.760 was so nervous. I first, okay, I can't remember the 0:07:24.800 --> 0:07:28.520 actual very first person I met. I remember telling John Krasinski, 0:07:28.640 --> 0:07:31.400 who I had read was an intern at Conan and 0:07:31.440 --> 0:07:34.360 I had been an Internet Conan because my first scene, 0:07:34.680 --> 0:07:37.280 John is making a Jim Jim excuse me, It is 0:07:37.280 --> 0:07:39.800 making a copy at the copy machine, and I'm like 0:07:39.840 --> 0:07:43.119 sitting there and I was like, like, in between takes, 0:07:43.120 --> 0:07:47.400 I was like, so, um, yeah, um, you've interned to Conan, right, 0:07:49.440 --> 0:07:52.400 Why did I feel they need to strike up conversation. 0:07:52.720 --> 0:07:54.800 I am the new person. I think I should stay 0:07:54.840 --> 0:07:57.920 quiet until spoken to. But I was unusually bold and 0:07:58.000 --> 0:08:00.320 he said, oh, yeah, you know colne In And I 0:08:00.320 --> 0:08:05.160 said I had turned there too. That was it. I 0:08:05.200 --> 0:08:07.440 don't know if somebody walked away, somebody saved me, because 0:08:07.440 --> 0:08:09.800 I wouldn't have. I wouldn't have kept that conversation going 0:08:09.880 --> 0:08:12.640 very well. And then and then the big news, Brian, 0:08:12.680 --> 0:08:14.480 I had to dye my hair that day. I have 0:08:14.520 --> 0:08:17.120 red hair, and as soon as I got there, they 0:08:17.120 --> 0:08:19.200 were like, you have to dye your hair brown. And 0:08:19.240 --> 0:08:21.200 I remember, Mindy, I saw in the morning and I 0:08:21.200 --> 0:08:23.440 saw in the afternoon, and I had brown hair in 0:08:23.480 --> 0:08:26.040 the afternoon, and she said, why did you let them 0:08:26.040 --> 0:08:28.200 do that? I would never let anyone dye my hair 0:08:29.120 --> 0:08:33.360 like uh, because in my first jobs ever, they can 0:08:33.400 --> 0:08:37.640 do whatever they want. Anyway, why did they dye your hair? Well? 0:08:37.880 --> 0:08:39.960 Do you know? I still don't know. I think the 0:08:40.040 --> 0:08:42.679 reason was they said it looked at this new character's 0:08:42.720 --> 0:08:46.360 hair looked too close to Pam's color. But I never Pam, 0:08:46.400 --> 0:08:49.280 never Jenna, But I mean the character Pam. Pam didn't 0:08:49.320 --> 0:08:54.080 have red hair, did she like was it jest study. Yeah, 0:08:54.080 --> 0:08:56.960 I guess I'm not real good at hair, I'll be 0:08:56.960 --> 0:09:01.120 honest with you, honestly, apparently neither of my But anyway, yeah, 0:09:01.200 --> 0:09:03.800 first day memories are sort of blurry because I was 0:09:03.880 --> 0:09:06.920 so I don't know, I don't think you can relate 0:09:06.960 --> 0:09:08.640 to this feeling because, like I said, you were there 0:09:08.640 --> 0:09:10.959 from the start. But it was just so it was 0:09:11.040 --> 0:09:14.160 first day of school, but to the millions of degree 0:09:14.280 --> 0:09:17.080 because it was like I already I'm like in awe 0:09:17.120 --> 0:09:19.199 of all these people and I'm the new girl. Don't 0:09:19.280 --> 0:09:23.280 mess anything up. Yeah, I did fairly recently. Actually, I 0:09:23.360 --> 0:09:27.199 had a similar experience. It was not such a CULTI show. 0:09:27.240 --> 0:09:30.320 But being a guest star is a very difficult thing. 0:09:30.880 --> 0:09:34.240 It doesn't matter who you are. It's tough. It's tough. 0:09:35.120 --> 0:09:38.400 It's just because you, like you just said, it doesn't 0:09:38.440 --> 0:09:40.760 matter who you are, because in that moment, you're the guests, 0:09:41.720 --> 0:09:46.200 and so it's like their home. And so I think 0:09:46.280 --> 0:09:49.080 it's ner wrecking to start any new job, but when 0:09:49.120 --> 0:09:52.000 it's already in motion and you're the You're the thing 0:09:52.080 --> 0:09:56.080 that's being added, it's totally nerve wracking. And especially I 0:09:56.080 --> 0:09:59.200 don't know what your arc what like they for the 0:09:59.280 --> 0:10:02.640 office was written as a four episode arc, so I 0:10:02.679 --> 0:10:05.880 felt like, Okay, this is finite amount of time, and 0:10:06.160 --> 0:10:08.920 you want to do an excellent job, but you also 0:10:09.360 --> 0:10:12.200 want to be deferential to the people who have already 0:10:12.320 --> 0:10:17.079 you know, the regular cast, like the family that's already there, right, 0:10:17.160 --> 0:10:18.439 So that's what I was going to ask you. So 0:10:18.480 --> 0:10:21.120 when you showed up, it was originally just for four episodes. 0:10:21.240 --> 0:10:23.920 That was That was what your understanding was. That was 0:10:23.960 --> 0:10:26.000 my understanding. Pam was going to work at the Michael 0:10:26.000 --> 0:10:30.160 Scott Paper Company and they needed a temporary receptionist in 0:10:30.200 --> 0:10:34.640 the meantime, and then Pam ended up getting promoted to salesperson. 0:10:34.840 --> 0:10:38.679 And that's why my character state which I couldn't believe 0:10:38.800 --> 0:10:40.800 that that had happened, but yes, that's how I have 0:10:40.840 --> 0:10:43.360 always perceived it. I think that's what happened. And when 0:10:43.760 --> 0:10:45.760 did you get an idea that you might be around 0:10:45.800 --> 0:10:48.959 a little bit longer? I truly think because it was 0:10:49.200 --> 0:10:51.640 how man Brian. I was worried this would happened. I 0:10:51.640 --> 0:10:53.320 was like, I don't know if it happens to you. 0:10:53.880 --> 0:10:56.839 I'm like alarmed by my memory sometimes because it can 0:10:56.880 --> 0:11:02.760 be so fuzzy okay, few, it's bad and like, right now, 0:11:02.800 --> 0:11:05.480 I can't remember if those four episodes were the last 0:11:05.559 --> 0:11:08.560 four episodes of that season or if there were a 0:11:08.600 --> 0:11:12.080 few more. Maybe they added it, right, it was definitely 0:11:12.240 --> 0:11:14.559 the end. I didn't find out until that season had 0:11:14.559 --> 0:11:16.839 wrapped that they were going to keep my character on, 0:11:16.960 --> 0:11:19.120 So I don't think I got any angling that it 0:11:19.200 --> 0:11:21.520 might be longer than four episodes. I think it was 0:11:21.559 --> 0:11:24.040 just like, Okay, just do this for a month and 0:11:24.040 --> 0:11:27.360 then get out without messing anything up. Well, I want 0:11:27.360 --> 0:11:30.880 to share with you something that Claire Scanlon actually told me. 0:11:31.400 --> 0:11:33.360 What Claire said was that a lot of people would 0:11:33.400 --> 0:11:37.640 come in and it was basically a four to six 0:11:37.720 --> 0:11:44.640 episode audition. And she remembers watching you in one of 0:11:44.679 --> 0:11:49.800 your early episodes and you had some scenes with Steve, 0:11:50.559 --> 0:11:53.200 and she remembers in the editing bay watching that and 0:11:53.320 --> 0:11:56.480 saying to herself, Oh, she's going to be around for 0:11:56.520 --> 0:12:04.080 a while. Oh, you're gonna make ry that is That's 0:12:04.120 --> 0:12:09.680 the sweetest compliment. That's the biggest compliment, because there's no 0:12:10.280 --> 0:12:14.400 higher praise and something like that, because I so admire 0:12:14.559 --> 0:12:16.760 the work that you guys do and how you put 0:12:16.840 --> 0:12:19.120 up the show so anyway, that's very kind of you 0:12:19.320 --> 0:12:22.640 to share with me. But of course you the actor 0:12:22.720 --> 0:12:25.760 never feel sure of anything because he's like, this could 0:12:25.760 --> 0:12:30.920 all go away tomorrow. What do you think that Aaron, 0:12:31.400 --> 0:12:36.040 the character of Aaron brought to the office. Well, I 0:12:36.160 --> 0:12:39.800 feel you know, I felt like my own difficulty was 0:12:39.840 --> 0:12:41.439 playing Aaron would just be that some of the things 0:12:41.520 --> 0:12:46.959 she said, we're so cartoony and so uh, sort of cartoony, 0:12:47.000 --> 0:12:48.959 I think is the word, because I don't want to 0:12:49.000 --> 0:12:50.800 say she was flaky or did s or anything like that, 0:12:50.800 --> 0:12:52.640 because I do think she was smart, but she said 0:12:52.679 --> 0:12:55.720 a lot of things that a more grounded person wouldn't say. 0:12:55.840 --> 0:12:59.000 At the same time, you know, she had these very 0:12:59.000 --> 0:13:03.080 serious arc with Michael and these series arts with Andy, 0:13:03.160 --> 0:13:06.440 and you know, there was some real depth to this character, 0:13:06.559 --> 0:13:09.360 and so I felt like what she brought to the 0:13:09.400 --> 0:13:13.560 office was certainly some levity. She was such such an 0:13:13.600 --> 0:13:18.160 odd bird, but that she also, um, I hope she 0:13:18.160 --> 0:13:20.440 brought some sweetness and I think she wanted to be 0:13:20.559 --> 0:13:22.360 very good at her job, and she was very earnest 0:13:22.400 --> 0:13:26.599 about it. But I also think that unintentionally he was 0:13:26.640 --> 0:13:29.240 sort of funny, not not knowing that she was being 0:13:29.280 --> 0:13:33.480 funny because you know, not totally grounded, right. I think 0:13:33.559 --> 0:13:37.400 Paul fig directed one of your first episodes and he 0:13:37.440 --> 0:13:40.200 talks about directing a talking head that you were giving 0:13:40.800 --> 0:13:44.360 and he was taken with you and your energy and 0:13:44.440 --> 0:13:48.520 the character and how different it was from everybody else 0:13:48.559 --> 0:13:52.160 on the show. It's a bunch of disgruntled, put upon 0:13:52.400 --> 0:13:55.720 office workers that are you know, I have to deal 0:13:55.840 --> 0:13:58.480 with this crazy boss that makes them crazy, and all 0:13:58.520 --> 0:14:00.280 they want to do is punch in and punch, shout 0:14:00.320 --> 0:14:02.880 and go home. And why would anyone want to work 0:14:02.880 --> 0:14:07.360 in a paper company? Whereas Aaron's energy was very positive 0:14:07.559 --> 0:14:11.560 and she just loved being there. Yes, that I feel, 0:14:12.040 --> 0:14:14.840 and you hit it on the head, you know. Family 0:14:15.080 --> 0:14:18.240 maybe a little bit over it, Oscar maybe over it, 0:14:18.600 --> 0:14:23.120 but Aaron lived for it. She loved being there. Like 0:14:23.200 --> 0:14:25.200 you can imagine her getting ready for work in the morning. 0:14:25.280 --> 0:14:27.360 She wanted to excel at her jobs. She wanted to 0:14:27.440 --> 0:14:29.800 do a very good job, you know, I believe, within 0:14:29.880 --> 0:14:32.760 like thirty seconds in the audience, meeting this new character, 0:14:33.080 --> 0:14:35.720 she agrees to go by her middle name, like yeah, yeah, 0:14:35.760 --> 0:14:39.720 I'll go by Aaron, Like she just wanted to be there, right. 0:14:40.680 --> 0:14:43.920 It occurs to me, however, that Aaron agrees to change 0:14:43.920 --> 0:14:47.080 her name on the first day and you agreed to 0:14:47.160 --> 0:14:49.720 change your hair color on the first day. Right, this 0:14:49.760 --> 0:14:52.480 is where I get worried, because you're right, and I 0:14:52.680 --> 0:14:57.240 worried some of the things Aaron would say. I'm like, 0:14:58.280 --> 0:15:02.800 the writer is making fun of me. Ellie here, I 0:15:02.920 --> 0:15:08.480 might say something that, um do you could not be 0:15:08.600 --> 0:15:12.360 more And I'm sure when people meet you they assume, oh, 0:15:12.440 --> 0:15:14.560 he's going to be like Kevin, when you are the 0:15:14.640 --> 0:15:19.280 polar opposite of Kevin, like the polar opposite. Well, I 0:15:19.280 --> 0:15:24.000 feel like I'm a little similar. Well, you're infectious energy, 0:15:24.280 --> 0:15:29.520 oh good, wow, and positivity. Positivity. I hope that I 0:15:29.600 --> 0:15:32.840 share Aaron's positivity. But yeah, how what do you think? 0:15:32.880 --> 0:15:35.400 I feel like there's some characters in casts who do 0:15:35.680 --> 0:15:38.360 sort of overlap a bit. I mean, I know this 0:15:38.480 --> 0:15:42.000 is that you were asking the questions, but I feel 0:15:42.000 --> 0:15:45.720 like you overlap with Kevin. Not at all. I hope 0:15:45.760 --> 0:15:49.480 the least. I think the least. I hope, I hope 0:15:49.480 --> 0:15:53.800 the least. Is there anything I don't think there's anything anyway. 0:15:53.920 --> 0:16:00.040 I well, I enjoy sports. There's something there's yes, And 0:16:00.120 --> 0:16:02.960 I might be a little childlike at times, well who 0:16:03.000 --> 0:16:28.960 is So? You had a number of relationships throughout the show. 0:16:29.200 --> 0:16:33.000 I mean probably in some ways your your central relationship 0:16:33.080 --> 0:16:37.160 you brought up is was your relationship with Michael. It's 0:16:37.200 --> 0:16:40.960 almost a father daughter thing going on in a way, 0:16:41.720 --> 0:16:44.600 as like a mentor someone you look up to. You're 0:16:44.600 --> 0:16:47.000 probably the only character that looks up to Michael Scott. 0:16:47.240 --> 0:16:51.040 Like she never felt like beaten down by him or 0:16:51.200 --> 0:16:53.200 rolled her eyes at him, you know what I mean, 0:16:53.680 --> 0:16:57.920 Oh my gosh. No, on the contrary, she she adored 0:16:58.040 --> 0:17:00.440 him like he was I think an inspire ration to 0:17:00.480 --> 0:17:03.120 her and just like he was just the tops I 0:17:03.160 --> 0:17:07.639 think to Aaron, because I remember when Aaron meets Holly, 0:17:08.000 --> 0:17:11.919 She's just like so it's almost like she's territorial. She's like, 0:17:12.040 --> 0:17:15.640 this is the lady who's stealing Michael's heart. She she's 0:17:15.720 --> 0:17:18.639 just so skeptical of this woman because she feels like 0:17:18.840 --> 0:17:23.919 no one is good enough for Michael Scott. Which is 0:17:23.960 --> 0:17:29.400 really funny, and it definitely felt like a father daughter relationship. 0:17:29.960 --> 0:17:31.560 I thought it was very tender and very sweet and 0:17:31.600 --> 0:17:34.040 very well written that I think the way they the 0:17:34.040 --> 0:17:38.080 writer's crafted that whole relationship was it was really sweet. 0:17:39.080 --> 0:17:43.680 Why do you think they bonded a little. To use 0:17:43.680 --> 0:17:45.720 your word, I think they are both a little childlike. 0:17:46.200 --> 0:17:48.399 I mean, you're word about something else entirely was just 0:17:48.440 --> 0:17:52.000 a word. I just heard that. I said, you didn't 0:17:52.000 --> 0:17:54.200 describe it as child like. What you just said that word, 0:17:54.200 --> 0:17:56.399 and now I love it. I think that they both 0:17:56.440 --> 0:18:00.479 are a little childlike. I think that they're they're both odd. 0:18:00.680 --> 0:18:04.119 And I think that um, Aaron didn't have and she 0:18:04.280 --> 0:18:07.760 never ever had a stable frontal figure in her life, 0:18:07.800 --> 0:18:11.800 and certainly not a strong male figure in her life. 0:18:11.840 --> 0:18:13.920 And I think that she found that in Michael. I mean, 0:18:14.280 --> 0:18:16.920 just by definition he was her boss. I think there 0:18:16.960 --> 0:18:19.560 was this thing of like admiring him and looking up 0:18:19.600 --> 0:18:21.600 to him. But that also when she got to know 0:18:21.680 --> 0:18:23.679 him a little, I think that she I think he 0:18:23.760 --> 0:18:25.920 was kind to her. I don't think he I don't 0:18:25.920 --> 0:18:27.719 want to say mistreated, but I think he was like 0:18:27.840 --> 0:18:31.560 fair and respectful to her, and so I think she 0:18:31.640 --> 0:18:34.160 just sort of clung to that. And like I said, 0:18:34.160 --> 0:18:37.960 I mean, well, although my favorite episode for Aaron is 0:18:38.000 --> 0:18:41.680 Secretary's Day and when she when Aaron is like even 0:18:41.720 --> 0:18:44.680 weirding out Michael, she like out weird Michael Scott they're 0:18:44.680 --> 0:18:47.560 having lunch together and Michael just can't take it anymore 0:18:47.560 --> 0:18:50.280 because she's so strange. That's when I felt like, oh wow, 0:18:50.320 --> 0:18:54.080 well so yeah, so even he seems much more grounded 0:18:54.119 --> 0:18:57.680 in this in this world than she is. That was 0:18:58.119 --> 0:19:00.879 one of the best days of my life that I 0:19:00.920 --> 0:19:03.520 just remember. We we sat that restaurant scene on a Friday, 0:19:03.600 --> 0:19:06.879 and I was like, I couldn't believe how lucky it 0:19:07.000 --> 0:19:09.200 was to be able to be in a scene speakerl 0:19:09.280 --> 0:19:11.840 like that that it was just MINDI wrote it, and 0:19:12.200 --> 0:19:14.680 I believe Steve directed that episode, and it was just 0:19:14.720 --> 0:19:17.760 like the real because like, who on the planet is like, 0:19:18.080 --> 0:19:22.800 there's no one really, So yeah, again, you started from 0:19:22.880 --> 0:19:24.880 day one, So I don't know if you ever had 0:19:24.920 --> 0:19:27.680 that feeling of like did it all wait? Well, I 0:19:27.920 --> 0:19:30.400 will do my separate interview with you where I asked 0:19:30.400 --> 0:19:33.639 the question. But I'm so curious to know how it 0:19:33.680 --> 0:19:36.560 felt to you guys, because I had such a different experience, 0:19:36.600 --> 0:19:39.439 obviously because I came into it midway and it was 0:19:39.480 --> 0:19:42.199 like my whole time there felt like I felt a 0:19:42.200 --> 0:19:44.840 little bit giddy. I don't know if if you had 0:19:44.880 --> 0:19:47.240 that you were there from the beginning, Well, if you 0:19:47.320 --> 0:19:51.240 listen to this podcast, then you will get the full 0:19:51.400 --> 0:19:56.840 detailed answer, but the short The short answer would be 0:19:58.200 --> 0:20:01.479 nobody was famous before it started, and nobody, no, nobody 0:20:01.560 --> 0:20:05.119 knew enough but immediately his ability to improv in the 0:20:05.200 --> 0:20:09.120 moment on topic is I don't know, I think he's 0:20:09.160 --> 0:20:11.439 maybe the best person on the planet at that Oh 0:20:11.480 --> 0:20:13.879 I do too. And to be honest with you, Brian, 0:20:14.040 --> 0:20:16.720 sometimes when like the director would say, okay, now you know, 0:20:16.880 --> 0:20:19.160 like fun run whatever, I was like, guys, I would 0:20:19.200 --> 0:20:21.520 think to myself, I'd be like, let's just let Steve 0:20:21.560 --> 0:20:28.639 have a fun run because he's um. Do you think 0:20:28.720 --> 0:20:32.879 that you sorry? Do you think that Aaron and Andy 0:20:33.000 --> 0:20:37.600 were a good match? I never thought so. Is that 0:20:37.720 --> 0:20:42.919 terrible to say? I don't know. I felt like and 0:20:43.040 --> 0:20:46.040 he was a bit too childish. I don't think he 0:20:46.119 --> 0:20:50.360 was ready to um take care of Aaron the way 0:20:50.440 --> 0:20:53.040 she needed to be and I and I think Aaron 0:20:53.080 --> 0:20:54.480 was ready to take care of him. But I felt 0:20:54.520 --> 0:20:58.240 like it was uneven in that respect. So yeah, I 0:20:58.440 --> 0:21:01.600 I I love Ed. I love that we got to 0:21:01.640 --> 0:21:05.080 be in so many scenes together, but that actual it 0:21:05.200 --> 0:21:08.640 never felt quite fair to me that relationship. I feel 0:21:08.680 --> 0:21:12.320 like it was uneven well, and then she chose to Gabe. 0:21:12.720 --> 0:21:17.159 Was he a better match? Who should Aaron be with? 0:21:17.359 --> 0:21:19.480 I don't know. I don't know. I don't think that 0:21:19.600 --> 0:21:22.280 was a better match. And I adore Zach, but I 0:21:22.320 --> 0:21:25.159 do not. I mean, that was a very strange mass. 0:21:28.040 --> 0:21:31.440 And then I also felt like with Jake Lacey, I 0:21:31.440 --> 0:21:34.880 didn't feel that was quite right either. I don't know. 0:21:35.119 --> 0:21:38.480 It seems like she I don't know who Aaron should 0:21:38.520 --> 0:21:42.600 be with, but someone like odd but also able to 0:21:42.680 --> 0:21:44.639 take Again. When I say take care of her, I 0:21:44.640 --> 0:21:46.960 don't mean she needs to be taken care of, but 0:21:47.000 --> 0:21:48.680 I mean how a couple takes care of each other. 0:21:48.720 --> 0:21:50.440 So I don't know. I didn't feel like she ever 0:21:50.560 --> 0:21:53.480 quite got her right match in that show. Do you 0:21:53.560 --> 0:21:59.320 know that I pitched Kevin and Aaron getting together, Ah, Bryan, 0:22:00.320 --> 0:22:05.240 I think that would be a pretty reasonable relationship. I 0:22:05.280 --> 0:22:08.680 went up to the writer's room and I said, if 0:22:08.800 --> 0:22:12.639 Kevin could mature just a little, there was something about 0:22:12.680 --> 0:22:17.920 their energy that I thought was right. It's almost like 0:22:18.560 --> 0:22:23.359 the static being and the hummingbird that goes around, but 0:22:23.480 --> 0:22:27.359 somehow still their energy is matched in a weird way 0:22:27.440 --> 0:22:31.240 that actually makes perfect sense to me. I love that pitch. 0:22:32.119 --> 0:22:34.679 I'm sorry I wasn't there for it. I should have 0:22:34.800 --> 0:22:38.320 should have called you Anne. What you know what I 0:22:38.359 --> 0:22:43.479 had in that writer? Um, I don't think I ever 0:22:43.520 --> 0:22:46.440 went to the writer's room. What did you have? Any 0:22:46.520 --> 0:22:51.159 favorite moments? Some of the favorite things when Aaron really 0:22:51.200 --> 0:22:53.439 like you know, like lived out how crazy she was. 0:22:53.640 --> 0:22:57.359 I loved those moments. I loved Cafe Disco. I loved 0:22:57.400 --> 0:22:59.919 that episode. I loved Dancing with Mindy and it was 0:23:00.040 --> 0:23:02.679 just like a weird episode that was so funny. I 0:23:02.720 --> 0:23:06.800 loved that episode. And um, oh my gosh, I loved 0:23:06.840 --> 0:23:10.679 the bus episode directed by Brian Cranston. Brian, you remember 0:23:10.680 --> 0:23:15.639 we all almost died. Yes, we almost were given carbon 0:23:15.640 --> 0:23:20.640 monoxide poisoning, to name one of many ways we almost died. 0:23:20.960 --> 0:23:22.800 I at the time, I don't think I was enjoying it, 0:23:22.840 --> 0:23:26.160 And now in retrospect, I'm like, that was fun. Um. Oh, Brian, 0:23:26.280 --> 0:23:29.400 you'll remember I went my pants on that bus during 0:23:29.400 --> 0:23:33.960 the Shibuya roll call. Um. It was like, I don't 0:23:33.960 --> 0:23:36.159 know what you guys were doing, but I got a 0:23:36.160 --> 0:23:39.280 case of the giggles and I went my pants and 0:23:39.840 --> 0:23:42.480 I was like, how long can I had this wish? 0:23:42.600 --> 0:23:44.600 I just fessed up right away. And I did fess 0:23:44.680 --> 0:23:46.959 up right away, and all the ladies were like, oh, 0:23:47.040 --> 0:23:49.119 you need know the skirt, Like nobody was face and 0:23:49.200 --> 0:23:52.400 literally all the guys because I had said it sort 0:23:52.400 --> 0:23:56.800 of loudly because there was no word of the guys 0:23:56.840 --> 0:24:03.960 didn't understand it. But the women, the ladies had my back. Um, 0:24:04.000 --> 0:24:08.960