Pod Insights Office Ladies A Look Back at Our Interview with Steve Carell About this episode This week on Office Ladies 6.0, Jenna and Angela are taking a little spring break pause and revisiting an all-time favorite episode, their interview with Steve Carell! (Check out his new hit HBO comedy, Rooster.) Steve reflects on his time playing Michael Scott, the early days of The Office, and what made the show so special both on and off camera. They talk about Steve’s approach to comedy, his favorite moments from the series, and the lasting friendships that came out of it, along with plenty of laughs and behind-the-scenes stories. So take a walk down memory lane with this very special interview… and enjoy!
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Transcript 12,667 words · 3 speakers
0:03 Speaker 00 Hey, everybody.
0:04 Speaker 01 Hi there.
0:05 Speaker 00 We hope everyone is doing fabulous this week. And you guys know for us, it's spring break. Our kiddos are out of school and we're taking the week off to, you know, unplug and spend time with our families.
0:16 Speaker 01 So this week, we wanted to take a look back at one of our favorite episodes we have ever done on Office Ladies. It is our interview with the fabulous Steve Carell.
0:25 Speaker 00 I am telling you guys, this was such an absolute delight. I love Steve. We love him. He's just the best. It was so fun to catch up with him. And he has a new show out on HBO. It's called Rooster. You guys, it's hilarious. Get this, it's HBO's most watched comedy debut in over a decade. Well, that's a pretty big deal.
0:45 Speaker 01 And you can see more than just Steve Carell in this show. You can also see Nancy Carell. She has a cameo in it, so definitely check it out. We think you'll love it.
0:54 Speaker 00 Yeah, Steve said in an interview, she steals the scene. And you guys, we hope you just have the best week ever. Please enjoy our interview with Steve Carell. And we'll be back next week with all new episodes of Office Ladies.
1:05 Speaker 01 That's right. We've got some really fun episodes coming up. We've got an All About. We have a movie rewatch that is pretty special. And we have some new interviews. It's gonna be a great time.
1:17 Speaker 00 Plus, we have a special bonus Mother's Day episode. And you guys, we want to hear from you. We have set up a folder on the Office Ladies website called Tribute to Our Moms. Go over there, write us about your moms. We can't wait to share about it.
1:31 Speaker 01 All right, see you soon.
1:36 Speaker 01 I'm Jenna Fischer.
1:37 Speaker 00 And I'm Angela Kinsey.
1:39 Speaker 01 We were on The Office together.
1:40 Speaker 00 And we're best friends.
1:42 Speaker 01 And now we're doing the ultimate Office lovers podcast just for you.
1:46 Speaker 00 Each week, we will dive deeper into the world of The Office with exclusive interviews, behind the scenes details, and lots of BFF stories.
1:54 Speaker 01 We're the Office Ladies 6.0.
1:59 Speaker 00 Happy Wednesday, everybody.
2:01 Speaker 01 A very happy Wednesday. This is one of the most exciting Wednesdays for me.
2:06 Speaker 00 This might be one of my happiest Wednesdays.
2:09 Speaker 01 Office Ladies listeners, we have a special guest today.
2:12 Speaker 00 The one, the only, Steve Carell. We have been waiting for this ever since the beginning of the podcast. We are so excited to have him on. And you guys are gonna love it.
2:24 Speaker 01 We are dedicating this entire episode to Steve. He's gonna talk about all of his time on The Office, playing Michael Scott. We could not be more excited for you to hear it.
2:32 Speaker 00 Also, I hope you guys, when you listen, the thing that just warmed my heart was, for me, it was just three friends getting to hang out who had missed each other and hadn't seen each other in so long. So I just hope as you listen, you get to feel that with us. It was like no time had passed. We just were so happy to see our old friend.
2:52 Speaker 01 I really feel like we captured what it's like to sit on set with Steve Carell. People always ask us, what's it like to work with Steve Carell? This interview captures what it's like.
3:02 Speaker 00 Yeah.
3:02 Speaker 01 These are the conversations. This is how we would laugh.
3:05 Speaker 00 Yeah, these were our Monday morning chats after the weekend.
3:08 Speaker 01 Absolutely. Before we get to the interview, we do want to give a big shout out to our Facebook fan page. I hopped on there and I wrote a message. I had to literally figure out Facebook in order to do it.
3:20 Speaker 00 You did. You were like, I don't know my password.
3:22 Speaker 01 I didn't know anything.
3:23 Speaker 00 Do it.
3:24 Speaker 01 I had an old account that was like five years old or something. But I went on there and I asked you guys, what do you want us to ask Steve Carell? And oh my gosh, did you show up for us. It was amazing.
3:37 Speaker 00 So awesome. You guys sent in thousands of fantastic questions. I also want to give a big shout out to Nikki, who moderates the Facebook fan page, because she helped us go through and pick out some of your most asked questions. And we asked Steve your questions.
3:56 Speaker 01 And some of the questions are so good. I would have never thought of them.
3:59 Speaker 00 I know.
4:00 Speaker 01 And they made us laugh and we're, you'll hear it. You'll hear it. All right, let's take a break. And when we come back, our interview with Steve Carell.
4:15 Speaker 01 I have a new section on Quince that I've been shopping from. I'm now into the handbags. I got the Eloise Handwoven Clutch in a cream off-white. I love it.
4:27 Speaker 00 So chic.
4:28 Speaker 01 It was less than $50 and I needed something that was nicer for summery outfits.
4:37 Speaker 00 Well, guess what? I have decided this is my season of the cardigan.
4:41 Speaker 01 Oh, okay.
4:41 Speaker 00 So I got the 100% organic cotton cropped cardigan. I got it in the camel color. It is so stinking cute and it was $49.90. Look at that.
4:53 Speaker 01 Oh, it's so cute.
4:55 Speaker 00 I know.
4:55 Speaker 01 I like the buttons.
4:56 Speaker 00 Give the gift of quality this holiday season. Download the Quince app for app exclusive offers or go to quince.com. Get free shipping on your order and 365 day returns.
5:08 Speaker 01 Now available in Canada and the UK too. And when Quince asks where you heard about them, let them know it was Office Ladies. It's the best way to support the show.
5:22 Speaker 00 Jenna, I am so excited because guess who's sitting next to me? Steve.
5:31 Speaker 00 It is the nice Corinne in the studio on Office Ladies.
5:35 Speaker 01 We're all here in our glasses. Remember, we didn't have these when we worked on the show together. Did we all three wear glasses?
5:42 Speaker 02 The very last season, I really needed them for table reads.
5:45 Speaker 01 Right, for reading.
5:46 Speaker 02 Yes.
5:47 Speaker 01 But look at us now.
5:48 Speaker 02 Now we're here.
5:49 Speaker 00 I know.
5:50 Speaker 01 In need of eyewear.
5:53 Speaker 00 Should I just kick it off with our very first question? We always ask.
5:56 Speaker 01 We have a favorite first question of all of our guests.
5:59 Speaker 00 Okay, here it is.
6:00 Speaker 01 It is. It's really hard.
6:02 Speaker 00 It's really hard. Ready? How did you get your job on The Office?
6:07 Speaker 02 I auditioned. I have to say, the audition for The Office was unlike any audition I've ever had. And I'm sure you had the same experience because it felt like it was a workshop. It didn't feel like an audition. There didn't seem to be a ton of pressure. You just went in and they had a camera, but you didn't think there was anyone outside of the, you know, the one or two people that was that were in the room. So it was very low keyed and very supportive.
6:38 Speaker 01 I remember we did a screen test together. Because after I auditioned something like seven times, I made it to the end, I guess. And it was like, I was one of the final four. And they paired me up with you for a couple of scenes. That was crazy. I'd never done something like that before.
6:55 Speaker 02 I said, I'd anybody but her.
6:57 Speaker 01 You're like, I don't care.
6:59 Speaker 02 No chemistry.
7:00 Speaker 01 What is her name? Gemma?
7:01 Speaker 00 Zippo.
7:01 Speaker 02 Gemma Fisker. I don't like it. Don't think it's gonna work.
7:05 Speaker 01 I don't think Gemma Fisker is gonna be on the show.
7:09 Speaker 02 No, I remember auditioning with you. And I remember how grounded you were instantly in your character. And I thought, you know, when you you read with someone, you don't know who they are as a person.
7:20 Speaker 01 Yeah.
7:20 Speaker 02 And you immediately think, well, that's that's who she is clearly. Because you you can't separate it at that point. But then you find out like, everyone has completely different personalities than the characters are portraying. And it's kind of amazing. Like, once, I remember, can I tell a story like right off the bat?
7:40 Speaker 01 Oh, my gosh.
7:41 Speaker 02 I remember when we were at our first studio, our first soundstage.
7:45 Speaker 01 Yes.
7:45 Speaker 02 Out in Culver City. And we were shooting the pilot. And I was at craft service. And I had taken a can of Diet Coke or something out of the six pack. And, you know, there was that plastic, the carrying six pack thing. And I started breaking it down. I started cutting the edges before I threw it in the trash.
8:07 Speaker 01 Yes.
8:07 Speaker 02 Because of the dolphins.
8:08 Speaker 01 Right.
8:09 Speaker 02 And I remember you walking up and commending me for doing that. And that stuck with me like, oh, yeah, I was just kind of doing it as a courtesy to the dolphins, of course. And but I remember you kind of giving me a pat on the back and saying, hey, good for you. Nice job.
8:29 Speaker 01 That is such a specific memory.
8:31 Speaker 00 To remember.
8:32 Speaker 02 I did, like, it's one of my strongest memories.
8:37 Speaker 02 First episode. And I thought, she's so nice. That's so, it's so nice to be with nice people. I guess that was the takeaway. Like, oh, this is gonna be great.
8:47 Speaker 01 Hello, dolphin lover. You know, I do that at home. I probably said, I do that at home.
8:52 Speaker 02 Yeah.
8:52 Speaker 01 Yeah, I love to see it.
8:54 Speaker 02 And we should shout out to all the people out there.
8:57 Speaker 00 Cut the plastic.
8:57 Speaker 02 Who cut the plastic. Don't, you know.
8:59 Speaker 01 Yeah.
9:00 Speaker 02 Keep, keep the plastic down.
9:02 Speaker 01 Yeah. That's right.
9:04 Speaker 02 This is going to be a PSA.
9:08 Speaker 00 It is so funny, though, like where your brain goes, because my strongest memory of the pilot is how you had to go down those stone steps outside to get, like, to crafting everything, you know? Like, you had to go outside the building, down these stone staircase. And Oscar and I were leaving at the same time. And he, we had done sketch comedy together for years, right? So we just went back to our silly shtick. And he goes, "Let's walk down the stairs together at the same way." And I said, "Okay, Oscar." And we started to go down the stairs with our arms flinging about. And we turned and the whole, like, producing team was walking behind us. Like Terry Weinberg, Howard Klein, all of those people. And I was like, "Oscar, there's a bunch of people behind us."
9:53 Speaker 00 He goes, "Then we have to keep doing it."
9:57 Speaker 02 Yeah, you have to own it.
9:58 Speaker 00 Yeah. So I'm like, okay, that's, that's the one thing I remember.
10:01 Speaker 02 But then you find out later on, those intimidating people weren't intimidating at all. Everyone was completely.
10:08 Speaker 00 Like, so nice and rooting for us.
10:10 Speaker 02 Yeah. Everyone's in the same boat.
10:11 Speaker 01 I have a question that came from our Office Ladies fan group. This is from Carly D. Carly would like to know, "What was your process and inspiration behind playing Michael? How did you craft this character?"
10:25 Speaker 02 I remember meeting with Greg Daniels up at a deli, like, on the top of Mulholland. And we didn't know each other at all. And it's before, it's before I got the part, actually. He, you know, he was, I think he was meeting with some of the people who were sort of in the mix, the final mix for Michael. And we just discussed the character and talked about what his foibles are and what is his dreams and hopes. And I had a pretty specific take at that point. And it wasn't Ricky Gervais's, you know, and I, and I've told this story a million times that I chose not to watch the
11:05 Speaker 02 British version because I just didn't want that to influence whatever this version was going to be. And because he was so, he was clearly so great at it. It was such a distinctive character. I didn't want to do an impression of him.
11:19 Speaker 01 I remember you telling me that. And I remember telling you that I had chosen to watch the entire British series and completely copy Lucy Davis and was basically doing a Lucy Davis impression to get the job. So I really
11:34 Speaker 02 So not true.
11:35 Speaker 01 Yeah.
11:35 Speaker 02 So.
11:38 Speaker 01 But also kind of true.
11:39 Speaker 02 I don't think so.
11:40 Speaker 01 Until, until, you know, especially for the pilot, because we were doing it word for word. And I was like, I think she nailed it. Like, I don't know how to say the line better than that. So I guess I'm just gonna go with what she did.
11:51 Speaker 02 Well.
11:51 Speaker 01 But I remember you saying you'd never seen it. And I didn't really I didn't want that information in your brain.
11:55 Speaker 02 I didn't because, you know, I watched like, a minute of, just to get a sense of the tone of the show, sort of how, how dark and very dry, very dour, kind of bleak, which I loved. I loved how still it was at times. But his character was so specific, I thought, no, I can't because that's what I'll want to do. I won't, I won't see it any other way. And I think Greg agreed with that as sort of a template for doing it. And we were definitely on the same page in terms of who this guy could be and could become. And, and I, early on, I started thinking about an arc too,
12:38 Speaker 02 like where, where, because you hope, you know, you don't go in thinking, this is just going to be a pilot, or this is just going to be six episodes. The hope is The character starts here and ends up way somewhere else. There's no way of really knowing where a character's going to to end in the last episode, but but I kind of in my mind, I had a plan like because these characters, the hope was that all of these characters would change and evolve and grow. And and that's part of what's fun about watching a show is to see progress in these characters. So that was that was sort of the plan going in. That was sort of the hope.
13:20 Speaker 02 It was one of those parts that you just pray that you get because well, you know, at that point, certainly, we were all just happy to be working.
13:32 Speaker 00 Yeah, yeah.
13:33 Speaker 02 But on top of it, it just seemed like what a what a perfect thing to be a part of.
13:39 Speaker 00 Yeah.
13:40 Speaker 02 And everyone who I met who had been involved with it seemed great and smart and nice and kind. And all of those things just made it so appealing to to want to be. I was, you know, crossing my fingers.
13:54 Speaker 00 Oh, I know. I remember thinking like, I can do this. Like this one I can do.
13:59 Speaker 02 Yeah.
14:00 Speaker 00 But that was Pam and I didn't get it. But then I got to be the accountant. And then I was like, no, I can really do this. Have you ever worked in an office in real life?
14:13 Speaker 02 Um.
14:14 Speaker 00 Or ever had a boss like Michael Scott?
14:16 Speaker 02 No.
14:16 Speaker 00 No.
14:17 Speaker 02 No, I never have.
14:19 Speaker 00 Not an office worker.
14:20 Speaker 02 I I did a lot of, you know, I did a lot of waiting tables. I sold wine over the phone at one point.
14:27 Speaker 00 How do you sell wine over the phone?
14:28 Speaker 02 Exactly.
14:31 Speaker 00 I mean, you can't taste it. How does it? Do you describe it?
14:35 Speaker 02 Well, you describe it based on, but we didn't get to drink the wine. But you have to describe a wine based on a, you know, a paragraph that they've written on each on each wine and the variety of characteristics of each wine. It's a hard sell. Believe me. Hello, do you like wine?
14:54 Speaker 00 I mean.
14:54 Speaker 02 Click.
14:58 Speaker 00 Oh my God. Okay, was The Office your first lead role?
15:03 Speaker 02 Um, yeah, I think it was. I, I had done, it was a, it was really fun to do. I, but I played a crazy Greek chef on a sitcom with Annie Potts and Tim Curry. So that's, that's the, that's the sitcom that I had done. And I did it, I did a show just before The Office starring Tom Papa, a really funny comedian, and he had a show.
15:31 Speaker 00 Come to Papa.
15:32 Speaker 02 Come to Papa. And he was, he was so great. And, and the show, you know, only lasted a few episodes. So I, I went from that and then auditioned for The Office when that, when that ended. But no, I'd never done a lead, I'd never done a lead role.
15:48 Speaker 00 Cause I, I have such a memory of you, Steve, sitting over on that little sofa at front reception, or the chair sometimes that was in front of Michael's office, just studying your lines. Cause you, you would have to carry every scene. And I just breezed through and said something snarky to Kevin and then breezed out, you know, for the most part. But I, I always thought, was there a lot of pressure to be the lead and have to carry all of that?
16:12 Speaker 02 Not, not with that group of people because I felt like everyone was an equal component of that show. I didn't feel that way. I didn't feel like I was carrying any more load than anyone else. Because when you think about it, you know, yeah, I had a lot of dialogue, but everyone was there all the time. And even if you were in the background of a scene, you're still acting, you're still active. You, like, all of us had character stuff going on at all times. So I, I don't think enough can be said for the fact that. To be, to just be present on that set,
16:54 Speaker 02 everyone was working really hard, but it didn't, it didn't, I don't want to make it sound like it was hard work because it wasn't. It was really fun.
17:01 Speaker 00 Right.
17:02 Speaker 02 Because everyone was there supporting each other. So no, I never felt, I never felt like any undue pressure. And also the writing was so good.
17:10 Speaker 00 Mm hmm.
17:11 Speaker 02 That at a certain point, it became very easy to memorize lines because you started to understand exactly how the writers were writing it and how they were also writing to us, like to our characters and to all of our voices.
17:27 Speaker 00 Yeah.
17:27 Speaker 02 So I find that if dialogue's really good, it's generally pretty easy to remember because it makes sense.
17:34 Speaker 00 That's right. I always think about that, too. If it's well-written, I have no problem. And then our joke is, we'd never make it on a medical show. Because all the things they have to just quickly rapid-fire off. I'd be like, oh, no, I'm not, I'm not gonna audition for that. It'll be a disaster.
17:51 Speaker 02 Yeah. No, that would be tough.
17:53 Speaker 01 So Steve, we have talked about many times on this podcast, just about our gratitude for your just stability and consistency and your leadership, so much so that a fan wrote in, Sarah H., and said, "We've heard how supportive and professional Steve is on set, and I would love to hear Steve's perspective or advice on setting the tone at work and fostering a supportive environment."
18:22 Speaker 02 Let's start by saying, I am pretty great.
18:27 Speaker 01 So some of it's just in your DNA.
18:29 Speaker 00 I mean, you had a shirt you would wear that said, "I'm fantastic," right?
18:32 Speaker 02 That's right. A shirt with my face on it. So just reiterate.
18:37 Speaker 00 Yeah.
18:37 Speaker 02 That it's me. That's really nice of you to say. But I, again, I, I felt like I was part of this very unique ensemble. And so I never thought of myself that way. I thought of Greg as our leader and our sort of mentor in terms of this world. And he oversaw everything. And everyone was so nice. Everyone was so kind to each other that I never got a sense that it should be any other way than the, just in terms of the, the production of the show. Like from-
19:15 Speaker 02 From wardrobe to the writers, to the, all of the crew, you know, catering, craft service, everybody felt like they were a part of something. And the other part of it is, I believe sincerely that every one of us knew, no matter who watched it, or whether it had any sort of longevity, in terms of viewership, even if, you know, if we got canceled after a season, or two, or three, I was so, I think we were all so happy and thankful for the time that we got to work on the show and to be with one another. It was really, it just, it was a special, a special thing. And, and we were aware of how special it was in the moment.
19:58 Speaker 00 For sure, for sure. I always was just super thankful for the writing, because it was like, you know, when you do an improv show, or a sketch comedy show or something, and there's one person that wants the joke, wants the joke, wants the joke, and they just kill the show? I never felt that on our show. It was like, if Phyllis had the best button, she could level the room, or Oscar, or Creed, it didn't matter. Like, the jokes came from everyone. It was a real creative collective. And the writers wrote that way, and Greg treated us that way. Like, Greg could look at a scene and be like, no, you know what? It's not working with Jim getting the laugh. Let's flip that, and let's have Stanley say it.
20:41 Speaker 02 Right.
20:41 Speaker 00 And then it just floored everyone. And so I always felt that way. And I feel like Greg set that tone for us, that like, everybody gets to play.
20:49 Speaker 02 You're exactly right. Everyone got their shot. Not just that, but everyone else loved it. Everyone else was supportive of it. There was no resentment, no ego involved. And, like, why not? That's the way to do it. And I think you can see it when you watch the show, because there is a calm to it. Like, no one's, everyone, it's all good. Yeah. Everyone's, everyone is, everyone's loving each other, you know? In, in terms of us as actors and people beyond the characters.
21:24 Speaker 00 Get so excited for conference room scenes because those were our rapid fire things. I mean, Michael is up there, but literally every single person in the room has either a bit or a look and it's just so fun to watch.
21:37 Speaker 02 Almost impossible to get through.
21:39 Speaker 00 Oh, we and we didn't. Oh my God, we laughed so much.
21:42 Speaker 01 Well, people are very excited for you to talk about some of your favorite memories of shooting The Office. Specifically, they're curious if you have a favorite episode, which I think is like asking, do you have a favorite child? It's very hard.
21:54 Speaker 00 So hard.
21:55 Speaker 02 Yeah, that is hard. You know, my last one, talk about hard. It was a really difficult episode to do, but I also loved it at the same time because it was sort of that end game for Michael. It was that the culmination, the sort of showing the growth that he didn't need the big send off. He didn't need the big party. He could say goodbye to all of his friends on his own terms without any of the, you know, the fanfare. Exactly. And, and so that, that I, I really enjoyed, you know, having that character evolve to that point in that moment.
22:38 Speaker 02 And people always point to this one, but, but dinner party, dinner party is up there. And, you know, we'd come back after the writer's strike. So that was the first thing that we had shot. I know you've discussed it, but I think everyone was so ready to get back to work and had really missed each other. And this is an episode that had just been sitting there waiting to happen for a while. And it's so weird and, and kind of dense in thematically and crazy and had great guest appearances and great sight gags, but was also really dark in a lot of ways and very sad.
23:21 Speaker 00 Yeah.
23:22 Speaker 02 And kind of emotionally fraught. So I, there was a lot going on in that one. So I like that one too.
23:29 Speaker 01 We didn't realize until we were breaking it down and we did a little Googling. Apparently it was a huge bomb when it first aired. It was not a fan favorite. It is not what it is today. But it was, um, people did not care for it.
23:43 Speaker 02 The show in general, you know, was a huge bomb when people first saw it.
23:48 Speaker 01 This is true.
23:49 Speaker 02 I, you know, acquired taste, I suppose. Another one, to your point, that people did not like at first was Scott's tots.
23:55 Speaker 01 Yes.
23:56 Speaker 02 And I loved doing that episode because it was so horrible. But, but I think expressed so much about this guy's persona because his heart definitely in the right place.
24:09 Speaker 01 Yes.
24:09 Speaker 02 And a huge heart, but so wrong.
24:13 Speaker 01 No follow through.
24:15 Speaker 02 And I think there was a talking head, something to the effect of, of all the stupid things I've done in my life, this was the most generous or, or something like that.
24:27 Speaker 01 The most generous.
24:27 Speaker 02 Um, it was something to that effect.
24:30 Speaker 01 I think it's like of all the empty promises I've made in my life, this one was the most generous.
24:37 Speaker 00 Great memory to that.
24:38 Speaker 02 That's it. That's such a hard line to say with a straight face.
24:42 Speaker 00 You have so many amazing talking heads. We talk about it every week and I sort of go and look at the deleted scenes and there's some real gems in there too. But Jenny, your favorite is-
24:53 Speaker 01 I have a favorite.
24:54 Speaker 00 Yeah.
24:54 Speaker 01 And we have an audio clip of it so that we can listen to it together.
24:57 Speaker 02 Okay.
24:58 Speaker 01 Is after Michael burns his foot on the Foreman grill.
25:01 Speaker 02 Oh, yeah.
25:01 Speaker 01 And you very angrily explain how it happened.
25:07 Speaker 00 You're so annoyed.
25:09 Speaker 01 You're so defensive. Like, why do I have to explain this? But I guess here it goes.
25:14 Speaker 00 Again. Wait, we gotta hear it.
25:16 Speaker 01 Yeah.
25:17 Speaker 02 I enjoy having breakfast in bed. I like waking up to the smell of bacon, sue me. And since I don't have a butler, I have to do it myself. So, most nights before I go to bed, I will lay six strips of bacon out on my George Foreman grill. Then I go to sleep. When I wake up, I plug in the grill. I go back to sleep again. Then I wake up to the smell of crackly bacon. It is delicious. It's good for me. It's a perfect way to start the day. Today I got up, I stepped onto the grill and it clamped down on my foot. That's it. I don't see what's so hard to believe about that.
25:55 Speaker 01 I love, I love the big sigh. After you've explained how you eat bacon, six strips of bacon every morning, you're like, so today?
26:08 Speaker 02 I think my favorite part of that was when he says, and it's good for me. Just slipping, how good, how healthy eating six strips of bacon.
26:23 Speaker 01 But there's so much about that. If you unpack it, like, it actually is really nice to wake up to the smell of bacon. That I have that memory from childhood.
26:31 Speaker 00 It's comfort.
26:32 Speaker 01 You wake up on a Sunday, dad's downstairs making the pancakes, making some bacon. It is actually a really, he has a point. Maybe Jeff made bacon.
26:42 Speaker 02 He doesn't say it the way you just did, though. That's the problem. And what was so great about those talking heads and, and so terrifying in a way was it was so well-written that you just didn't want to screw it up. You didn't, you, you, there was an obligation, and I know you guys felt this too. Like, when you had a really good line, and here it comes, you would try to do everything you could to take the pedal off a little bit, you know? Don't, don't floor it for the joke. Really ease off and let it seem like this is just a natural extension of what this guy is thinking, or what these women are thinking.
27:24 Speaker 02 And that was the hardest part, is to not point to all of these fantastic jokes, to just make them feel conversational, and also just to not laugh. I'm sure I laughed 20 times during that, trying to do that talking head. There's one talking head, I, what was it? That I could barely get through. And it was the same sort of thing. It was something so ridiculous.
27:51 Speaker 00 There's one in the bloopers. You know, Isabel's obsessed with the bloopers. She loves them. So she'll be like, oh, Mom, you're at season seven. There's great bloopers. I'm like, okay, yes. But there was one, Steve, that you could not get through, where you said, I'm gonna get it wrong, but you're like, Michael's like, I'm not a bad guy. Sometimes I hit people with my car.
28:10 Speaker 02 That's the one. That's the one I was thinking.
28:12 Speaker 00 Yeah, you couldn't get through it. Sometimes I hit people with my car.
28:15 Speaker 02 Yeah, when I hit Meredith with my car. Like trying to absolve myself of having done it. I'm not a bad guy sometimes. I just hit people with my car. And I remember doing it. And I'd be getting close.
28:31 Speaker 00 Yes.
28:31 Speaker 02 And I couldn't, I couldn't get through it. It was so, it was, it's, it's fun going to know you're going to go into work every day and laugh until you cry.
28:42 Speaker 00 Yeah.
28:42 Speaker 02 Every, every day I was on that set at one, at least one point of the day, I was laughing until tears were coming out of my eyes. And I mean, what a gift.
28:52 Speaker 00 Yes.
28:52 Speaker 02 Yeah. Who has a job like that?
28:54 Speaker 00 So Michael Scott had a lot of characters that he would play over the years. And we found a deleted scene, Steve, that I wanted to share with you. I don't know if you'll remember it. I, you know, when you hear it, you'll remember it. But it's from season three in The Convict. Michael explains where he got the idea, or I guess inspiration for all of his characters, in particular, Prison Mike. I really wanted you to hear it. Sam, can you play it?
29:21 Speaker 02 When I was just a little kid, we had an assembly at school where a giant owl came out and gave a very impassioned speech about giving hoots and not polluting. And you know what? I never polluted again.
29:46 Speaker 02 It was right then that I realized the power of saying things as a character. People listen to you when you are wearing an elaborate costume or speaking in a voice that is not yours.
30:06 Speaker 01 Could you believe it?
30:07 Speaker 00 Amazing.
30:08 Speaker 01 Can you believe that was deleted?
30:10 Speaker 00 That explains Prison Mike.
30:12 Speaker 01 It explains everybody. If Michael Scarn, anyone, anytime you led a conference or a meeting in a costume with a voice.
30:20 Speaker 00 You thought, this is it. They're gonna hear me.
30:22 Speaker 01 This is how I am most effective. Cause you don't give any hoots anymore. You're, or you give a hoot, you don't pollute.
30:30 Speaker 02 Clearly this relates back to me. Tearing apart the plastic.
30:35 Speaker 00 Yes.
30:36 Speaker 02 Or the dolphins.
30:36 Speaker 00 Even still.
30:37 Speaker 02 He, you know.
30:38 Speaker 00 You don't pollute.
30:39 Speaker 02 Steve Carell gave a hoot.
30:41 Speaker 00 Sure did.
30:44 Speaker 02 I, boy, I mean, that's sort of like that vague, foggy. As I was hearing it, I kind of recalled.
30:51 Speaker 00 Yeah.
30:52 Speaker 02 But there, there are thousands of those. There are like different versions of all of this stuff and things that could have made, you know, could made a difference either way.
31:04 Speaker 00 Yeah.
31:05 Speaker 02 But they were so good, you know, the editors and Greg, I never regretted anything that was taken out of the show. I like had complete confidence that, cause you know how some people get possessive, like, well, why did that scene go?
31:17 Speaker 00 Right, right.
31:18 Speaker 02 Or what, what happened there? They were so good about structuring the show and what needed to be in and what, what was, might have been really funny, but didn't help.
31:28 Speaker 00 Or might have explained a whole backstory.
31:31 Speaker 02 Right.
31:32 Speaker 00 But they just, they let the audience just jump in the middle. They didn't have to like explain everything, but.
31:37 Speaker 02 Yeah.
31:37 Speaker 00 Every once in a while, as we're doing this rewatch and we find a deleted scene or something that's such a nugget, we're like, oh, that's, that's why he would come in these costumes and, and give a big presentation. It's because of Hoot.
31:49 Speaker 02 Sure.
31:50 Speaker 00 The owl.
31:51 Speaker 01 Did you get to give notes on things? Like, were you very much a part of that? Like, I would remember sometimes you would stay behind after a table read and they would want to know your thoughts and things. They were really collaborative and open in that way, right?
32:04 Speaker 02 For sure. Yes. And the fact that so many of the writers were also actors on the show. There was such a great connection that it didn't feel like different facets of the show. Again, everybody just felt like they were all collaborators and the writers were part of the ensemble, which I think helped because they, they understood everyone's voice that much better because they were there and they were hearing it. But yeah, I mean, I, I'd weigh in.
32:32 Speaker 01 Would you pitch ideas?
32:34 Speaker 02 Sure. Yeah.
32:34 Speaker 01 Do you remember any?
32:36 Speaker 02 Well, I remember one, one specifically, and this was later on, this was when you and Jim were getting married. And they wanted to have a horse go over Niagara.
32:47 Speaker 00 Oh, my gosh, yes.
32:48 Speaker 02 And I, I raised my hand and said, we can't, that's.
32:53 Speaker 00 That's crazy.
32:54 Speaker 02 I mean, all due respect, but please don't do that.
32:59 Speaker 00 It was not just you. Apparently, when we were breaking down that episode, we talked to Greg about it and he was like, Steve told me not to do it. Randy told me not to do it. You told me not to do it. Like, literally, everyone told him. It was so hard for him to let go of that.
33:17 Speaker 02 I'm sure if it was Greg, it would have been funny, definitely. But, and, and those were rare moments when you felt like... No, I... Yeah, I mean, little notes here and there. But again, that, those writers were so good.
33:34 Speaker 00 Yeah.
33:35 Speaker 02 And so on point about everything, that it was more in addition to, as opposed to negating.
33:42 Speaker 00 Yeah. Side note, did you know, we didn't know this, Randy shared this with us, that up until, like, right, like, the day before, they had a horse they were training in a big water pool at Paramount Studios. Like, there was, they were all systems go, like, right up until, like, the day before. There was a horse being trained!
34:02 Speaker 02 Of course there was. That's what, what you don't realize when you write something, somebody starts to build it.
34:08 Speaker 00 Yeah.
34:08 Speaker 02 I mean, it starts to happen. So when you say, oh, so now we're going to be out in the woods.
34:16 Speaker 00 Yeah.
34:17 Speaker 02 And then a month later, you're driving an hour and a half up into the Los Angeles forest to shoot a few scenes. Like, why did I write this? Terrible idea.
34:28 Speaker 00 It's nighttime in the forest, in the middle of nowhere.
34:32 Speaker 02 Freezing. Terrible.
34:34 Speaker 00 He falls in a creek. What? Why did I write it? So we've talked how the show was slow to find an audience. It was sort of like we were doing a little theater production and no one's seeing it. But then, one day, it turned a corner and everybody knew the show. And we had people coming up to us, Jenna, do you remember, we were at an award show and Laura Dern was like, stop, I have to talk to you. And we're like, what? She was like, I love your show. And I was like, this is Laura Dern? Oh my gosh. But was there anyone like that for you, Steve, that sort of surprised you and caught you off guard that was a fan of the show?
35:05 Speaker 02 Laura Dern. Same thing. I I met her somewhere down the road. I was doing a promotional thing with her and I wasn't even aware of your encounter with her because she's she was clearly a fan because she was very excited to talk about the show and you know she said the same thing to me. She loved it. She was a and that's it's nice when you know it's nice when anyone likes something that you're a part of and especially nice when somebody that you respect like that and has sort of a critical eye for things likes your show. So that yeah, it was really nice. It was nice hearing any of it, you know, because you you're right.
35:47 Speaker 02 Early on, it felt like we were in a vacuum and is any let alone appreciating is anyone watching it? Is anyone, you know, paying any sort of attention? And the only part of it that mattered to me was the continuation of the show. I wanted to have enough people watch it. So they kept letting us do it because I didn't really care about the acclaim, you know, or like, we knew that we liked it and we were having fun with it. And I think we all felt like it was special in that moment. And that's what mattered to me. But yeah, yeah, it was a slow turn.
36:25 Speaker 01 I remember that time early on because we a few of us had gotten on MySpace and we were able to interact with the like 17 people who were watching our show in the beginning and they were such fans and they so got it and they so appreciated it and that really like kind of that just felt so good, you know, because when you make a television show, you don't hear the people laugh when they watch it and you don't know how it's being received or a movie or whatever, I guess, unless you sneak in the theater, but you can't like go sneak in people's living rooms while they watch it. So I always loved when someone told us that they loved it, especially a fellow artist. And they were excited too, because the show was different with the documentary
37:07 Speaker 01 style and the looking at the camera. Would you look into the camera after you got jobs on The Office?
37:13 Speaker 02 I, I have never had a job where I didn't look into the camera at some point.
37:17 Speaker 01 Same. Same. I can't not make the camera a character now. It's so, such a habit.
37:22 Speaker 02 At, at least once.
37:24 Speaker 01 Yeah.
37:24 Speaker 02 I'm sure on Fox Catcher, I like looked into the camera and went, nope, you cannot comment on what you just did.
37:32 Speaker 01 Yeah.
37:33 Speaker 02 Because that's not this show.
37:34 Speaker 01 Yep. Same for me. I actually had a director say, Angela, you just looked right down the barrel. I was like, oh, I'm sorry. I looked to the left or right.
37:44 Speaker 02 It was such a fun, uh, kind of discipline. Know who was really good at that right off the bat was Amy Adams. I'll never forget because it was kind of a learned strength, I think, on the show to figure out the right way to play the camera, to, to invite the camera in and to make it feel like these people aren't used to the cameras. So you couldn't be too savvy, especially at first. You couldn't, you couldn't play it too well. You, you needed to have an awareness of it without like having an over-awareness of it.
38:18 Speaker 01 Yes.
38:19 Speaker 02 But I remember when Amy Adams came in to do purse girl, was that it?
38:23 Speaker 01 Hot girl.
38:24 Speaker 02 Hot girl.
38:25 Speaker 01 Selling the purse.
38:26 Speaker 00 Selling purses. Yeah.
38:27 Speaker 02 And I remember she just had like this, she was right up to speed with everybody else in terms of how to play the camera. Like it's eavesdropping. I don't know how I should react to it. And that sort of discomfort built in that we had learned how to do. So she was really good at that. And that was such an interesting, and we'll never, we'll never get to do something like that again. It was a really interesting acting exercise to be, you know, you're doing, you're, you're in your character and your character is also being watched. So there was like another layer of something going on with all of these characters, which is kind of cool.
39:09 Speaker 01 You mentioned Amy Adams. One of my favorite guest stars that we had in terms of chemistry with you was Tim Meadows. You guys doing the baby back ribs. That also, that episode has one of my favorite lines in it, which is Gould is dead? Because Jan is no longer Jan Levinson Gould.
39:26 Speaker 00 Yeah.
39:27 Speaker 01 And she's like, no, Michael, we got, we're separated. We're divorced. Gould didn't die. As if, as if she would drop the Gould from her name if he died.
39:36 Speaker 00 Right.
39:37 Speaker 01 As a widow.
39:38 Speaker 00 Yeah.
39:39 Speaker 01 Amazing. But yeah, I love you guys. I don't know how you got through all the rib eating and singing and comedy from that episode.
39:49 Speaker 02 I've known Tim for a long time, too. And we did a Second City show that went to Washington DC at the Kennedy Center with Nancy. We went as this, this group one summer and spent, I don't know, three, three weeks at the Kennedy Center doing a Second City show. And I had known him from Second City as well, you know, earlier on stage. And he is so, I think he's one of those, one of those people that is always great. He's never not great. You know, sometimes people like that are under the radar. And then they pop out and you say, oh, my gosh, like, they're incredible. And yeah, he's, I think, one of the best.
40:34 Speaker 02 And he's a great improviser. And he's so, he's so effortless. He just doesn't look like he's ever breaking a sweat. And he's hilarious. Yeah, I'm a big fan. He's a great guy.
40:48 Speaker 01 Well, why don't we take a break? And when we come back, we have some more questions from the fans.
40:53 Speaker 02 Okie doke.
41:03 Speaker 01 All right, we're back. And while we were on break, before we get to fan questions, Steve, I remembered this cold open that we did that led into a talking head that was one sentence from you. When I rewatched it, I laughed so hard, I had tears streaming down my face.
41:18 Speaker 00 What?
41:19 Speaker 01 Do you remember the cold open that we did where we're all trying to take the Christmas photo?
41:24 Speaker 02 Yes.
41:25 Speaker 00 Yes.
41:26 Speaker 01 And we're trying to jump on three, three, two, one, one, two, three.
41:31 Speaker 00 Yeah.
41:32 Speaker 01 This whole thing.
41:33 Speaker 00 Dwight's like, Phyllis didn't jump. Angela didn't jump.
41:35 Speaker 01 Yes. And it's so long, this cold open. And then it cuts to a talking head of Michael. And Michael says, we never got it.
41:46 Speaker 02 I, you know what? That, that cold open is a perfect demonstration of us as an ensemble, I think.
41:54 Speaker 00 Yeah.
41:54 Speaker 02 Because to, to make it look as bad as it did, took some effort.
42:02 Speaker 00 It did.
42:03 Speaker 02 Like, we had to be completely in sync to be that out of sync.
42:06 Speaker 00 Yeah.
42:07 Speaker 02 And everyone jumping at different times.
42:10 Speaker 00 Yeah. And Michael getting frustrated like a dad would, like, come on, come on, guys.
42:14 Speaker 02 It, I think that's a perfect example of, of how in sync we were as a cast, because we all got what that thing was.
42:21 Speaker 00 Yeah.
42:21 Speaker 02 And how many people needed to be going at one time. But we didn't talk about it.
42:25 Speaker 00 No.
42:25 Speaker 02 We didn't discuss like, well, on the count of three, you two are gonna go. And then we just, as a group, we just felt that. And not to give ourselves too big a pat on the back. But, but I think, I've, I've watched that since and thought the same thing. Like, that's, there was something, something cool happening there.
42:45 Speaker 01 That was one of my favorite group cold opens for that reason.
42:48 Speaker 00 I know.
42:49 Speaker 01 Well, let's get into these fan questions.
42:51 Speaker 02 Okay.
42:51 Speaker 01 Catherine G. and Kristi R. both asked, if you had to choose a different character to play on The Office besides Michael, is there one you'd like to be?
42:59 Speaker 02 Wow. I can't imagine anyone but the people who played their parts. Like, right off the top of my head, I think Dwight is a very fun role to play. But I would have been terrible. I mean, Rain was perfect for that part. So no, I never, like, I never imagined myself in another part. It was, it was just as it should have been.
43:24 Speaker 01 Lauren D. asked, what trend or big pop culture moment that's happened since 2011 do you think Michael would have gotten obsessed about? For example, Lauren thinks Michael would have been all over the ice bucket challenge.
43:38 Speaker 02 Oh, yeah.
43:39 Speaker 01 2014.
43:39 Speaker 02 I think, I think she's absolutely right.
43:41 Speaker 01 So much, so much ice water.
43:42 Speaker 02 Oh, and would have, would have done something wrong. Someone might have ended up in the hospital.
43:50 Speaker 00 Probably Meredith.
43:51 Speaker 02 Yeah.
43:52 Speaker 01 Dwight would have overdone it, too.
43:54 Speaker 02 Yes. Yeah, it would have gone south somehow. It would have gone wrong.
44:00 Speaker 00 We say that we think that Michael probably would have made us all learn TikTok dances.
44:05 Speaker 02 Oh, sure.
44:05 Speaker 00 So many TikTok dances.
44:06 Speaker 02 Yeah. Well, the internet wasn't as certainly as as much of a thing then.
44:13 Speaker 00 Social media, really.
44:15 Speaker 02 Yeah.
44:16 Speaker 00 We had flip phones when we started the show, then we got BlackBerrys, and then at the end, we had iPhones.
44:20 Speaker 02 Like, yeah, yeah, a lot, a lot changed. Yeah, there are, there are tons of things that Michael would have glommed on to in in the worst possible way.
44:33 Speaker 00 Beth M. writes in and says, what is the most common Michael line that people quote back to you?
44:39 Speaker 02 What do you think it is?
44:40 Speaker 00 Yeah, Beth, that's what she said.
44:44 Speaker 00 Is there one other than that?
44:46 Speaker 02 Um, that's the one, that's the one, that's the one I hear.
44:52 Speaker 00 Yeah.
44:53 Speaker 02 And sometimes, I don't know, do people ever stop you and say, oh, could you talk to, could you do a shout out, you know, into my phone?
45:01 Speaker 00 Yeah.
45:01 Speaker 02 And I'm happy to do it, but when they say, can you say that, I can't, I just, I don't, I can't.
45:08 Speaker 00 It can be taken out of context. Please don't make Steve say that's what she said if you see him at the airport. Do you ever, that's what she said in your life, do you ever find? Never.
45:19 Speaker 02 No.
45:20 Speaker 00 Really?
45:21 Speaker 02 I don't do it.
45:21 Speaker 00 I, I do throw them out.
45:23 Speaker 01 Jenna, I do.
45:25 Speaker 00 Yeah.
45:26 Speaker 02 Well, you can, you, you can.
45:28 Speaker 01 Gosh, it's gonna be so weird when we give you your parting gift. It's a, it's a T-shirt that says that.
45:33 Speaker 02 Well.
45:34 Speaker 00 You'll love it.
45:35 Speaker 02 I do wear that all the time.
45:36 Speaker 00 And on the back, it says, I'm fantastic. Same brain. We really liked this question because we both come from a long line of teachers. Someone wanted to know if you remember a favorite teacher.
45:50 Speaker 02 There was one in particular, a guy named Mr. Blackman, my second grade teacher. And he's the one who got me interested in acting in the first place. We were doing like a Pilgrims meet the Native Americans thing. It was a long time ago, so a lot was being glossed over for sure. But what I remember is we were rowing canoes. And it was all mime, you know, we're sitting in little chairs in the classroom. It wasn't a big play. It was just like an in-class thing. And I started rowing the canoe, my mime rowing. And then I changed my hands with the oar and rode on the other side. I'll never forget it. He singled me out. It's the first time I'd ever been singled out in any way.
46:33 Speaker 02 And he gave me a pat on the back and said, "Notice how Steve rode on both sides of the canoe so we wouldn't go in a circle." And he kept the canoe straight, you know, in this mime, you know, miming the canoe. And something about that really struck me. And I thought, and apart from that, he was just the most lovely guy and really kind to all the kids and everyone. It was fun. It was really just a fun class. And he did that for all the kids, too. He made them feel special about whatever talent they had, whether it was art or music or anything. He really, he really embraced, you know, everyone's abilities, you know, as little as they were in that moment as a second grader.
47:18 Speaker 02 But I'll never forget it, like being seen in that way.
47:21 Speaker 01 Seen.
47:21 Speaker 02 Yeah.
47:22 Speaker 01 Yeah.
47:22 Speaker 02 And it was, it was, that was special. Something sort of clicked, like, oh, that felt good. And so I guess I owe it all to him.
47:30 Speaker 01 You know, Steve, I love that story because I have a similar story. I took a summer school acting class and we had to do pantomime. We had to mime things. And my assignment was to go over to the refrigerator and get out some milk and pour it in a glass and drink it. And so I did it. And afterwards, the teacher said, "Did everyone notice how Jenna shut the refrigerator with her foot?"
47:52 Speaker 00 Oh.
47:53 Speaker 02 It's exactly.
47:53 Speaker 00 And I was like, wait, I might be good at this because I didn't think it just, I maybe I have a little thing.
48:01 Speaker 02 Right, exactly.
48:01 Speaker 00 You know, and then it just makes you feel like I might be good at this.
48:05 Speaker 02 Or it might be something.
48:07 Speaker 00 Yeah.
48:08 Speaker 02 It might be something that I'm actually, yeah, capable of.
48:12 Speaker 00 That's so fun.
48:13 Speaker 02 And it's not even like, look at me.
48:15 Speaker 00 No.
48:15 Speaker 02 It, it, it's just a sense of a set, like the, one of the first senses of pride that you ever feel.
48:21 Speaker 00 Yes.
48:22 Speaker 02 That you accomplished something completely on your own, not your parents, and nothing that you were instructed to do. It's just something that you did naturally. And to have somebody notice it felt really good. And that's a great teacher in my mind.
48:37 Speaker 00 Yeah.
48:37 Speaker 02 Somebody who can pick up on those things.
48:39 Speaker 00 Yeah. Okay, I love this question. Here it is. Are there any foods you don't eat anymore because of so many takes you had to do with that certain food? It can be on the office or any other job. I know mine right away. It's that cake that we had to eat, the ice cream cake. The mint chocolate chip. For Meredith's birthday. Mint chocolate chip. Was it the Alliance? We started filming at 7:30 in the morning and we were given a slice of cake. And, you know, this is a rookie move on my part. I took a plate with a big piece of cake and I took a huge bite in that first take. And by the end, my fork was shaking as it got close to my mouth because I was like, I can't, I can't eat it anymore. Anyway, I was asking you that, but.
49:21 Speaker 02 No, no, no.
49:21 Speaker 00 Clearly I have a visceral, like, I can't eat ice cream cake anymore.
49:25 Speaker 02 That did it.
49:26 Speaker 00 Yeah.
49:26 Speaker 02 That did you in.
49:27 Speaker 00 It's so gross to me.
49:28 Speaker 02 I learned early on to nibble.
49:30 Speaker 00 Yeah.
49:31 Speaker 02 Not like, if that first take, try not to take a big bite.
49:35 Speaker 00 Oh.
49:36 Speaker 02 Because then you have to match it for the rest of the day.
49:39 Speaker 00 Every time.
49:39 Speaker 02 Yeah. Or I'm not hungry today. You know, my character's not hungry. But Michael would eat some pretty crazy stuff. I, nothing that turned my stomach, nothing to the point where I, I can't eat it anymore. I did a bit on The Daily Show where I was supposed to be eating Crisco. I was doing, it was some health food segment. And I said, well, this is all vegetable based. And I was like at the, at the, the desk with John. And so I, I take a big spoonful of Crisco.
50:13 Speaker 00 For real, Crisco?
50:14 Speaker 02 Well, they wanted to mock it up and just put like vanilla frosting in because no one would know. And I could play it like it's Crisco. But I said, no, leave Crisco in because that's going to be funnier for John to watch me eat Crisco. Cause the, the expression on his face was pretty horrifying. And, and I didn't practice it, so I didn't know what I was getting myself into. And so on camera, basically live, you know, that show was live to tape, but it was really bad. I did not, I, I could, I mean, the two of us had a hard time getting through the rest of that segment. Because he, he knew.
50:50 Speaker 00 He could see in your eyes.
50:51 Speaker 02 He did. He knew I was in distress.
50:56 Speaker 02 So, so not that I would sit around eating Crisco, but that, that kind of, that was a hard one.
51:02 Speaker 00 Yeah.
51:03 Speaker 01 Here's a good question. Do you have a Toby in your life? Someone who just enrages you the second.
51:10 Speaker 00 This was one of our favorite questions sent in. Because I were like, we're sure Steve doesn't have a Toby, but, but yeah.
51:18 Speaker 02 Someone who just, really for no reason.
51:21 Speaker 00 You just hate.
51:23 Speaker 02 Just abject hatred. No, I don't. But that, that's, that's one of my favorite character dynamics of, of the time that I spent on, on The Office. It, and it evolved from, I don't exactly, I know it's been discussed as to, and I think the writers could sort of pinpoint clearly, but I think one day I just decided, I just, I just got really mad at him. And like disgusted by him for no reason. And we just kind of stayed with it.
51:59 Speaker 00 People lost it. They would lose it at a.
52:02 Speaker 01 Table read when you would snap at Toby. We did an interview with Paul and he said he remembers the moment.
52:08 Speaker 02 Oh, he does?
52:09 Speaker 01 It was during the alliance when he has to come in the office and sign Meredith's birthday card. And apparently it just took him a long time. To write. And you turned on him and you told him, you said, I don't know what it is, Paul, but I hate you for how long it's taken you to write this card.
52:32 Speaker 01 And you guys laughed so hard about it. And you met like me as Michael, like Michael is so irritated with you right now. And that that was like. Everyone else just signed their name, but he started to write something.
52:45 Speaker 02 Yeah, I, it was, I love the fact that it was never discussed too, as to why, um, and the specifics of it.
52:51 Speaker 01 Yeah.
52:52 Speaker 02 And, and people have asked me that too. Well, why, why does Michael hate Toby so much? And I think, well, I think it's like the end, when our characters say goodbye to each other. I, that's, I'll never talk about exactly what was said, uh, cause that's, that's like our thing. And I, and it's more fun too, to leave those things as sort of a mystery. Like, well, why really? Cause I, I built in Michael's head, like all of the reasons. But it's better that you don't know.
53:21 Speaker 01 Yeah.
53:21 Speaker 02 That it just kind of sits there.
53:23 Speaker 01 That's how I feel about the teapot letter. Right. Everyone wants to know what's in the teapot letter. And the thing is, is that what's in the teapot letter is what you need to be in the teapot letter. There's what I needed to be in the teapot letter. There's the thing that Pam needs. But like, it has to be the most wonderful romantic thing. And you can't write it like, you can't tell people what was in it. It'll just be a letdown. It, it will. It can't live up to it. Right? So it's like, I know what it said.
53:52 Speaker 02 Completely.
53:53 Speaker 01 But it's better if, if you write it yourself as an audience member.
53:56 Speaker 02 I, I think the writers in general felt that way about the show. And I think Greg was very savvy about that, that. You don't have to tell the whole story and just let people come to it. And I think that's partly why people have liked the show over the years. It doesn't spell everything out about these characters or about these relationships. You kind of acquire a knowledge over time and it becomes more ingrained that way. This is sort of off the subject, but you know, you're talking about the teapot letter. And you know, and I've thought about this many, many times since I left the show, that you and John, in my opinion, you and John were the, the rock of that show.
54:38 Speaker 02 Like if not for your two characters, I feel like that show would have imploded because there was, there was so much craziness going on and so much wackiness. And you were both such grounded characters on that show while simultaneously being incredibly funny and real. But the fact that everyone could bounce off of you and your very grounded, loving and interesting relationship and how that grew, to me, that was the nucleus of the show. I've always felt that way. And the way that you guys, and you're both such good actors too.
55:19 Speaker 02 It's like we were just so fortunate on so many fronts in terms of the casting of this show, in terms of the writing. I attribute it to, well, to you guys, obviously, and to Greg for like putting this group of people together in just the right sort of alchemy. I don't know if I've specifically told you that, but I've, I've always felt that way.
55:42 Speaker 01 Steve, thank you. I remember when we got ready to shoot the pilot, Stephen and Ricky came to visit and we had like this one day meeting with them. And Stephen told John and I, never forget you two are the heart of the show. And I remember it was like in Threat Level Midnight, I was like gulp, gulp. Um, I thought, I don't really know what that means. That's sort of scary to me. I was sort of hoping to kind of keep with my whole like wallflower thing where Pam just kind of sits at the desk and gives a couple of stares, really liking that lane. But over time I understood what he meant and it's, it's kind of what you're saying,
56:25 Speaker 01 which is like, we're not going to go to you all the time, or maybe even very often. But over a large Arc over a large period of time. This is a really important thing. And so just, you know, make sure you always honor it. Make sure that you, you know,
56:43 Speaker 00 I'm so glad we did. I'm so glad Jim and Pam made it and worked and they didn't like, do that thing where they pull you apart and put you back together.
56:54 Speaker 01 Breakup, breakup, breakup.
56:55 Speaker 00 Yeah. And I get really defensive of Jim and Pam. If like we're doing an interview and someone's like, to Jenna, I think Jim and Pam are still together. I'm like, how dare you? Of course they're still together. And so are Dwight and Angela, and so are Michael and Holly. Get out of here.
57:10 Speaker 02 Oh, you know what? I need to tell you about.
57:12 Speaker 00 No.
57:14 Speaker 02 About Michael and Holly.
57:15 Speaker 00 No.
57:18 Speaker 02 Oh, it is bad.
57:20 Speaker 00 It is bad.
57:21 Speaker 02 Oh, I don't want to, I don't want to get into it.
57:24 Speaker 00 We just watched the scene and it's, it's, you know, I feel like I'm rediscovering so many of these scenes because we haven't seen the show since it aired, you know, a lot of these episodes. But when you and Amy Ryan do that, you are, hoo-ha, like that moment, and it says basically, I love you, like, you're wicked smart. You are, it's like, I was like tearing up. Yeah, I like played it for Jenna. I was like, you gotta watch this scene. They're just saying you are, but it's like so powerful.
57:52 Speaker 02 Yeah, Amy Ryan's pretty good.
57:54 Speaker 01 Yeah, she's okay. She was fine.
57:55 Speaker 02 I mean, I guess we were lucky to get her on the show. She, she did pretty well for herself, I think.
58:04 Speaker 01 We did just watch all of these episodes. We watched the proposal to Holly and the singing goodbye to you.
58:11 Speaker 00 Yeah.
58:12 Speaker 01 And, you know, all the individual goodbyes to all the different people. What a brutal couple of final weeks for you. I mean, were we, did we just cry the whole time? How did we do that?
58:26 Speaker 02 I don't know. I, you know, I could look at it that I'm, I'm, I don't know. I don't want to make too much of it, but it, it was, it was difficult because, you know, we were such good friends and it had been so much fun.
58:40 Speaker 00 Mm hmm.
58:41 Speaker 02 And so rewarding in a lot of ways, all ways. But at the same time, there was this, for me, there was a joy to it. You know, when you, you're crying with joy.
58:52 Speaker 00 Mm hmm.
58:53 Speaker 02 Cause it wasn't even sadness, like, cause I was ready. I was ready to go. And so I wasn't sad about leaving.
59:01 Speaker 00 Yeah. And it felt right for Michael.
59:03 Speaker 02 Yeah. No, it was, it was time and it was time, it was time for other characters to kind of step to the forefront and, and other storylines to be pursued. It was just, I think it was the right, it was, the, the timing was right, I think for everybody. But simultaneously, there was just a sense of joy for me that we had experienced all of this and we were getting, I was getting a chance to kind of take a lap with everybody. And the way, you know, those last few episodes were structured, it felt very rich to me to kind of simultaneously be saying goodbye as Michael and, you know, us as, as friends, you know, in this moment of work together. But yeah, it was a lot. It was a very emotional thing.
59:49 Speaker 00 It was like, it was, it was just hitting us in waves. I remember like we would laugh one minute and then we'd be tearing up the next. But like you said, it's because we had had such a great run. We'd had such a good time.
1:00:01 Speaker 02 Incredible. Just incredible.
1:00:04 Speaker 01 Steve, we are always telling people when they ask us, what was it like to work with Steve Carell? What is Steve Carell like? And we say, he is a regular guy. We're telling you, he is a regular guy.
1:00:12 Speaker 00 Yeah.
1:00:13 Speaker 01 So we thought we would end this interview with a regular guy quiz.
1:00:16 Speaker 00 Yeah.
1:00:17 Speaker 01 All right.
1:00:18 Speaker 00 All right. Regular guy question. Number one, favorite pizza.
1:00:22 Speaker 02 Um, favorite brand of pizza? Like favorite pizza place?
1:00:27 Speaker 00 Oh my gosh, you're, you're very versed in pizza.
1:00:30 Speaker 02 Oh, I, oh, come on.
1:00:31 Speaker 01 We know, we know your love of pizza.
1:00:33 Speaker 02 Well.
1:00:34 Speaker 00 Favorite topping?
1:00:35 Speaker 02 I will either go with just a plain cheese or maybe do half cheese and then half mushroom and pepperoni. That's my pizza of choice.
1:00:46 Speaker 01 Okay.
1:00:46 Speaker 02 But I have, I have a lot of different spots. I have different types, the deep dish, the thin crust, the New York style. There's different LA types of pizzas that are, it's, I'm sort of a connoisseur.
1:00:57 Speaker 01 Next podcast, Pizza with Steve.
1:01:00 Speaker 02 That's, hey, you just gave me an idea. I'm getting the studio next to yours.
1:01:08 Speaker 01 Next question, favorite ice cream or frozen yogurt?
1:01:11 Speaker 02 I like a good, uh, I kind of a basic, like a chocolate. I like a good sundae, like a hot fudge sundae.
1:01:21 Speaker 01 Okay.
1:01:22 Speaker 02 It's always pretty delicious.
1:01:23 Speaker 01 So you like a topping more than maybe something in the actual ice cream?
1:01:27 Speaker 02 I'm not, yeah, brownies mixed in are always good.
1:01:30 Speaker 01 Okay.
1:01:31 Speaker 02 But kind of basic, kind of, I don't, I'm not like a gummy worms and pistachio ice cream kind of guy.
1:01:39 Speaker 01 That sounds delicious.
1:01:42 Speaker 01 Okay, let's see. Favorite place you've visited in the United States?
1:01:49 Speaker 02 Pittsburgh was pretty cool.
1:01:52 Speaker 01 Oh, yeah?
1:01:52 Speaker 02 Yeah. I mean, I'm not saying that ironically either. I, I, I've done a couple of movies there and I liked it. It was a cool city.
1:02:00 Speaker 01 All right. There you go.
1:02:01 Speaker 02 I bet that's the first one you got.
1:02:03 Speaker 01 Shout out to Pittsburgh.
1:02:04 Speaker 02 Shout out to Pittsburgh.
1:02:05 Speaker 01 Uh, what is your least favorite exercise or the exercise you avoid the most?
1:02:10 Speaker 02 Abs.
1:02:11 Speaker 01 Yes.
1:02:11 Speaker 02 Abs.
1:02:12 Speaker 01 Of course.
1:02:13 Speaker 02 Oh, leg day was always fun.
1:02:16 Speaker 01 We love a leg day. Who doesn't?
1:02:19 Speaker 00 Look at us. I mean, look at us.
1:02:20 Speaker 02 I, what's, what do, well, yeah. I mean, just doing sit-ups is, that's a, I do it, but I don't love it.
1:02:29 Speaker 01 Mm hmm. All right. What's the last thing you bought at Target?
1:02:33 Speaker 02 I bought one of those little razors.
1:02:40 Speaker 02 For my son, because he's shaving now.
1:02:43 Speaker 01 Uh huh.
1:02:44 Speaker 02 And it's not, it's like a trimmer.
1:02:47 Speaker 01 Uh huh.
1:02:47 Speaker 02 But it's what, it's what the youths are using now.
1:02:51 Speaker 01 Okay.
1:02:52 Speaker 02 They're not, they're not using a blade.
1:02:54 Speaker 01 We're not there yet.
1:02:55 Speaker 02 They're not using, but it's like, it's like you can trim it close enough.
1:02:59 Speaker 01 Uh huh.
1:03:00 Speaker 02 This is a, you can definitely lift this from the show.
1:03:03 Speaker 01 No, this is my favorite.
1:03:05 Speaker 02 Answer.
1:03:05 Speaker 01 No.
1:03:06 Speaker 02 I don't even know what they're called. It's like, it's sort of a.
1:03:08 Speaker 01 I know what you're talking about.
1:03:09 Speaker 02 It's a little blade and you can kind of.
1:03:11 Speaker 01 Yeah, like a beard groomer thing.
1:03:13 Speaker 02 You can, but, but you can cut it really close, but not have to use like an electric razor and oh, everyone's tuned out.
1:03:21 Speaker 01 No, they're not.
1:03:22 Speaker 02 No, everyone just changed.
1:03:24 Speaker 01 No.
1:03:24 Speaker 02 Changed to a different.
1:03:26 Speaker 01 Steve.
1:03:26 Speaker 02 I want to listen to some music.
1:03:31 Speaker 01 Go back to pizza. If you.
1:03:33 Speaker 02 Anyway, the pizza.
1:03:34 Speaker 01 The sweet spot. If you are in charge of cooking dinner, what's your go to dish?
1:03:39 Speaker 02 Spaghetti bolognese.
1:03:41 Speaker 01 Okay. Mmm.
1:03:42 Speaker 02 I make a pretty good bolognese sauce.
1:03:45 Speaker 01 What skill would you like to master?
1:03:47 Speaker 02 I'd love to learn how to play the piano. Never going to happen, but.
1:03:51 Speaker 01 Do you play the piano in any way?
1:03:53 Speaker 02 No, not in any.
1:03:54 Speaker 01 So we'd be starting from zero?
1:03:56 Speaker 02 Totally from zero.
1:03:58 Speaker 01 Okay.
1:03:58 Speaker 02 I.
1:03:59 Speaker 01 Do you play any instruments?
1:04:00 Speaker 02 I, I'm embarrassed. I play the fife and I play the baritone horn.
1:04:06 Speaker 01 What's a fife? Yeah.
1:04:07 Speaker 02 Oh, God.
1:04:08 Speaker 01 Is that like ye olde, ye olde flute thing?
1:04:11 Speaker 02 Yeah, it's, it's exactly right. It's like, uh, it's like, uh, you know.
1:04:17 Speaker 01 Okay.
1:04:17 Speaker 02 Like, uh, a flute from the 1700s.
1:04:21 Speaker 01 Pittsburgh and the fife.
1:04:24 Speaker 02 Not only am I sort of an, an ordinary guy, but super boring. No.
1:04:30 Speaker 01 Stop it. Okay, ready to really lean into the boring?
1:04:34 Speaker 02 Oh.
1:04:34 Speaker 01 How early do you get to the airport before a flight?
1:04:37 Speaker 02 Like two hours early.
1:04:40 Speaker 01 That tracks. You were 10 minutes early today. I knew you would be early.
1:04:43 Speaker 02 And I actually circled the block a few times. I was, I was ready to go, but I'm like, I don't want to seem too eager. Nancy and I get, we get to the airport so early and we just, we were just talking-
1:04:56 Speaker 01 Both of you, though, you're in sync. That's good.
1:04:58 Speaker 02 Totally.
1:04:58 Speaker 01 Okay.
1:04:59 Speaker 02 Yes. And she's, she's often said, if, if she had been married to someone who was like always late, she would have gotten a divorce because it would have driven her crazy.
1:05:10 Speaker 01 It's very important to her.
1:05:11 Speaker 02 Very.
1:05:11 Speaker 01 Punctuality.
1:05:12 Speaker 02 But for both of us.
1:05:13 Speaker 01 Yes.
1:05:13 Speaker 02 And I would rather sit in the airport for an hour and a half than be like getting all worked up in the car that we're gonna make, not make our flight.
1:05:22 Speaker 00 All right. What is your favorite cocktail or adult beverage?
1:05:26 Speaker 02 I don't drink a lot. I will occasionally have a glass of wine or something, but I can't say that I have a cocktail. I'm not, I'm just not a big drinker.
1:05:34 Speaker 01 We would like to recommend Michael's Drink, which is the Scotch and Splenda. We're not kidding. We tried it here on the show. Steve, it is excellent. It's very good.
1:05:45 Speaker 02 Really?
1:05:46 Speaker 01 Yes.
1:05:46 Speaker 00 Jenna brought it in.
1:05:47 Speaker 01 No joke.
1:05:48 Speaker 00 Like as a joke. And I was like, this is gonna be disgusting. What are we doing? We made them for everybody and we were like, damn, it's actually pretty good.
1:05:57 Speaker 01 I want to order one at a bar, but I'm, I'm scared to because-
1:06:02 Speaker 02 Well, you have to come up with a name for it. Instead of Scotch and Splenda, do you call it a Scotchda?
1:06:08 Speaker 01 I know. Didn't, didn't Michael have a name for it and we can't remember what it is? I don't know.
1:06:14 Speaker 00 Yeah, he does have a name for it.
1:06:16 Speaker 01 A splotch. Wasn't it a Splenda and Scot- a splotch?
1:06:20 Speaker 02 A splotch?
1:06:21 Speaker 01 Maybe a splotch.
1:06:21 Speaker 02 Oh, that's-
1:06:22 Speaker 01 It doesn't sound delicious. It's very good.
1:06:24 Speaker 00 Yeah. I'll take a splotch, please.
1:06:26 Speaker 02 You know what? I'll try a splotch at some point.
1:06:28 Speaker 01 Great.
1:06:29 Speaker 02 All right.
1:06:29 Speaker 01 Okay. Next time-
1:06:30 Speaker 02 The three of us are gonna get together.
1:06:31 Speaker 00 And we're gonna have one splotch.
1:06:33 Speaker 02 We're gonna go splotching.
1:06:35 Speaker 01 Last question. When was the last time you had to get out your toolbox and what tool did you grab?
1:06:40 Speaker 02 About three days ago.
1:06:41 Speaker 01 Mm-hmm.
1:06:42 Speaker 02 Um, I was putting-
1:06:45 Speaker 02 I am, I, I am so embarrassed.
1:06:48 Speaker 00 Are you about to say you're putting together a bird feeder?
1:06:50 Speaker 02 Worse. I bought, I bought, I bought a vacuum, an outdoor leaf vacuum, which also mulches the leaves. And I had to go to my toolbox to put it together. I, I ordered it and it arrived and I had to assemble it and put the little bag on it.
1:07:13 Speaker 00 Do you blow leaves?
1:07:15 Speaker 02 Well, I have a leaf blower too. What I do, what I do is I, I use the leaf blower to blow them into a pile. And then I take my vacuum mulcher and I, I vacuum them up and mulch the leaves. And then I take the leaves and I put them in our planting beds.
1:07:32 Speaker 00 Oh, my God.
1:07:33 Speaker 02 And so that's, so the fife.
1:07:37 Speaker 00 Pittsburgh.
1:07:39 Speaker 02 Pizza, plain, chocolate ice cream. And that's, that's me. Yeah. And we all do it in Pittsburgh.
1:07:48 Speaker 00 Ew.
1:07:51 Speaker 02 Barrel of laughs.
1:07:52 Speaker 00 Oh, I'm in love with you.
1:07:58 Speaker 02 Well, clearly the bar is low because there's, there's not, I can't even believe that Nancy decided to marry me with like that as a track record. That is the, that is, that's pretty bad. Like when you do interviews like this and you say things and you hear yourself reflected in the words, how you're describing yourself. I think I'm like more interesting than that, but clearly I'm not. I don't know how to play the piano.
1:08:30 Speaker 00 No.
1:08:30 Speaker 02 What would you like to do? I'd like to be smart and play the piano, but instead I'm mulching leaves and playing the fife, so.
1:08:39 Speaker 00 Okay. Is there anything in your career that you haven't done that you'd like to do or in your life? Because like Jenna, for example.
1:08:46 Speaker 01 Yes, you know, it is my dream to one day do theater and win a Tony Award. This is my, I would love to do this in my life.
1:08:54 Speaker 00 My dream is I really want one of those hats that has big flowers on it that hummingbirds eat out of. So that's Jenna wants to work towards a Tony. I want to work towards a hummingbird eating out of my hat. Where do you land?
1:09:10 Speaker 02 Those are very disparate dreams.
1:09:16 Speaker 02 Well, I don't even know how to top that. Honestly, boy, I'm so content with certainly my professional life. It's been, I've been so lucky. I can't maybe do a play at some point.
1:09:34 Speaker 01 Would you ever do theater?
1:09:35 Speaker 02 Yeah, yeah. And I've, you know, I've been talking to a couple of theaters about maybe doing something. Yeah, maybe somewhere down the road. I haven't done a play in, well, since Nancy and I got married. It's been 27 years since I've done a play.
1:09:50 Speaker 01 Wow. But you are a classically trained actor.
1:09:53 Speaker 02 Oh, yes.
1:09:54 Speaker 01 Yes. You were, you were, of all of us, we always talk about how like there were a bunch of the people who were the theater nerds and then there were the like comedy, sketch comedy, improv nerds on our set, but you were both. You studied theater and also studied improv.
1:10:10 Speaker 02 I was just a nerd.
1:10:12 Speaker 01 You double nerded it is what I'm getting at. You, you did both.
1:10:18 Speaker 02 Yeah, I mean, I, it was, yeah, I would like to do, I'm with you. I'd like to do some, maybe we should do something together.
1:10:24 Speaker 01 Let's do it.
1:10:25 Speaker 00 Oh, I would come.
1:10:26 Speaker 01 Let's do some Broadway.
1:10:27 Speaker 00 I would come and watch it.
1:10:28 Speaker 01 With your hat.
1:10:31 Speaker 01 And finally, Steve, you just worked with Mr. John Krasinski on his movie If. How was it to team up with him again?
1:10:38 Speaker 02 Really fun.
1:10:39 Speaker 01 Was that great?
1:10:40 Speaker 02 Well, I'm supposed to contractually, I'm supposed to say.
1:10:43 Speaker 01 That's right. Yeah.
1:10:44 Speaker 02 Yeah.
1:10:44 Speaker 01 Do you need to get out the piece of paper? Do you want to read directly from it?
1:10:48 Speaker 02 John Krasinski is the most wonderful. He, it was great. He's, and he was such a good director. I mean, obviously since The Office, boy, has he like really shown himself as a fine director. But did you know Janusz Kaminski is his DP on this movie?
1:11:09 Speaker 01 No.
1:11:09 Speaker 02 Who is Steven Spielberg's DP? Like he is the best director of photography in the business. He's a legend. And so, you know.
1:11:19 Speaker 01 Wow.
1:11:20 Speaker 02 That's, it's a huge deal. And I think such a sign of respect to John that
1:11:25 Speaker 01 Right.
1:11:26 Speaker 02 this person wants to, you know, wanted to work together with him. So that's, I, yeah, he's, he's a, he's an amazing.
1:11:37 Speaker 01 He's a big deal.
1:11:38 Speaker 02 Amazingly talented guy. It's so, yeah, just great to see him like you guys. It's like, wow. It's exactly like the last time we saw each other. There's like, no time has passed.
1:11:49 Speaker 00 We definitely felt that too. Like when he zoomed in, we were just cracking up. We had to like, stop laughing so we could do like our interview with him because we just got so tickled. I love that. This is, you know, BJ was on and he said to us, he was like, you guys, office family forever. And that's absolutely how I feel like family.
1:12:08 Speaker 01 Thanks for coming, Steve.
1:12:10 Speaker 00 Yeah.
1:12:10 Speaker 02 Whatever.
1:12:13 Speaker 00 Oh, sorry. You gotta get back to your leaf mulching. Geez, got a busy day there.
1:12:18 Speaker 02 Oh, man. You don't know the half of it.
1:12:24 Speaker 01 Oh, well, truly, thank you.
1:12:27 Speaker 00 Yes.
1:12:27 Speaker 02 Thank you. So good to see you guys.
1:12:33 Speaker 01 Thank you for listening to Office Ladies.
1:12:35 Speaker 00 Office Ladies is a presentation of Odyssey and is produced by Jenna Fisher and Angela Kinsey.
1:12:40 Speaker 01 Our senior producer is Matt Beagle and our audio engineer is Sam Pfeifer.
1:12:44 Speaker 00 Odyssey's executive producer is Leah Reese Dennis.
1:12:47 Speaker 01 Office Ladies was mixed and mastered by Bill Schultz.
1:12:51 Speaker 00 Our theme song is Rubber Tree by Creed Bratton.
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