September 21, 2021 • 39 mins
Brian welcomes the loveable Ellie Kemper to the show - otherwise known as the equally wonderful Erin Hannon. Ellie recalls the time she peed her pants, why she let them dye her hair on day one, and the most perfect Office couple that never was - no matter how hard Brian pleaded.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:05):
Hi. I'm Ellie Kemper and I played Aaron Hannon on
The Office. Hello there, everyone, here we are. We're back
another episode of the Office Deep Dive. I am your host,
(00:25):
Brian bam Gartner, and I'm just so happy you're here.
So welcome. Uh. Today's guest is someone really dear to me.
I love her and we share a special bond that
only comes after one person has sat on the other
person's shoulders in a pool of lukewarm water for eight
(00:48):
hours straight. I mean, we all have that friend, right, Yes,
you guessed it. It's Ellie Kemper. Now listening back to
this one. This was a bit of a trip for
me because I spoke with Ellie in April of Does
(01:09):
anyone remember something that was going on in the world
around that time? No, not murder hornets, No, not not
Kanye running for president. Now, it was the early days
of the global pandemic known as coronavirus. So I talked
to Ellie over zoom. This was back when zoom was
(01:31):
still a new thing. I didn't even know what a
zoom was at that point. But you're gonna hear us
trying to figure out the technology talking about quarantine. We
were so naive back then. Anyways, enough about that, Let's
just focus on our conversation, our great conversation, and and
(01:53):
the great episode that I have for you. So sit back, relax,
and listen to the soothing sounds of and the hilarious
Ellie Kemper, bubble and squeak. I love it, Bubble and
squeak on bubble and squeaker cookie, every moment left over
(02:19):
from the nab pole. Am I in the meeting? Oh? Ellie,
you are in the meeting? Can you hear me? Okay?
I actually don't know. I can hear me? Okay? Can
(02:41):
you hear me? Okay? I can hear you? Crystal clear? God,
that's so great, Ellie. It's so nice to hear your voice. Brian,
I have still been looking It's so nice to hear
your voice. I have still been looking forward to this
for many reasons. I mean, originally this meeting is being
did Okay, we got it, and I was looking forward
(03:05):
to it, of course for obvious reasons. And now during
this unimaginable time, it is so nice to hear your voice.
I know. Are you all okay? Yes? We are hungering down.
You guys just decided to get out of New York.
We were actually in Montreal when like mid March or
whenever everything started shutting down, so we were already out
(03:26):
of New York. We decided better to avoid going back there.
So that's why we came to St. Louis, which is
where I'm Do you know I'm from here? Yeah? No,
I know, No, I know Jenna Phillis. Yeah, all of
you guys, have you seen Phillis or no? Because you're
social distancing, social distancing, I've seen have you seen? I've
seen no one. I feel like I don't know how
(03:47):
to interact with humans anymore beside my family. Is that
going to be weird? I think it is. Well, we
were once going to do this in person. We were,
but it's so nice to hear from you, I mean
over the phone. Yeah. I just can't believe it. Like,
what was it two months ago when we were trying
to meet up in New York and it seemed like
(04:07):
a very normal Like it was just like logistics that
got in the way. But it was like, oh, yeah,
I'm going to be New York. Oh great, You're flying
to New York on an airplane with other passengers and
I'll meet you downtown and I'll give you a hug
and like lick your palm. Yeah, there won't be any
issues with those things. No, exactly, Um, Ellie, So what
(04:30):
were you doing? What were you doing before the Office?
What was I doing? Okay, so I was about to
say very little, but that's not true. I was doing commercials.
That's how I was earning money through commercials. In terms
of I guess creative opportunities. I was doing mostly unpaid
work at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater and I was
(04:51):
doing two person shows and one person shows an actual
improvisation and um. But professionally it was mostly commercials up
until that point, I think I had I had, like, oh,
I I did something on a show called Daily Pops,
which I think was on MTV. It was like an
eight series, eight episode series. Um, I want to say
(05:12):
that Kim Kardashian made a cameo. And I'm technically Kim
Kardashian's co star. I think she made a cameo in
one of these Daily Pops. You work together, We worked together,
worked together, inspired her. But yes, um, I mean obviously
The Office was my enormous we big break. Did you
watch the Office, Brian did. I watched The Office. I
(05:37):
devoured The Office. I was an enormous Office fan. You
don't know what this is like because obviously you were
on it from the start. But I loved The Office.
I watched it every week. It's very strange to go
from watching a television show that you happen to love
and then being in the room with everybody. I actually
the first day, of course, felt surreal for many reasons,
(05:59):
but it's it's weird when you I think maybe anyone
has had this experience. If you watch someone on a
screen and then you see them in person, it feels otherworldly.
And particularly because I already loved everyone on it and
admired them so much, it felt even stranger because yeah,
I was a huge fan. It's very weird. I really
tried to play it cool. Well, so wait, literally, you
(06:19):
watched it Thursday night? Yes, yes, I did. I lived
in New York at the time, and we always my
my whole family was a fan of the Office. Have
I told you that? Mos make sure reminded us of
my older brother John college, like when John was in college,
So we had like a big joke about that. But yeah,
I lived in New York and I watched the Office
every Thursday, and had you met Alison Jones before? No,
(06:44):
So I met with Greg and Mike, Greg Daniels and
Mike Sure. I think I was meeting with them for
Parks and Recreation. This was before Parks and Recreation was
had aired, and I think that's what it was about.
I really don't know. It was sort of just a
general hello. And after that I met Alison when I
actually read for Parks and Recreation, which it wasn't called
(07:08):
Parks and Recreation, it was like untitled make Sure Project.
And then I didn't get a part on Parks and Recreation.
But then they called me back later for the Office
and your first day on set? Were you nervous? I
was so nervous. I first, okay, I can't remember the
actual very first person I met. I remember telling John Krasinski,
(07:28):
who I had read was an intern at Conan and
I had been an Internet Conan because my first scene,
John is making a Jim Jim excuse me, It is
making a copy at the copy machine, and I'm like
sitting there and I was like, like, in between takes,
I was like, so, um, yeah, um, you've interned to Conan, right,
(07:49):
Why did I feel they need to strike up conversation.
I am the new person. I think I should stay
quiet until spoken to. But I was unusually bold and
he said, oh, yeah, you know colne In And I
said I had turned there too. That was it. I
don't know if somebody walked away, somebody saved me, because
I wouldn't have. I wouldn't have kept that conversation going
(08:09):
very well. And then and then the big news, Brian,
I had to dye my hair that day. I have
red hair, and as soon as I got there, they
were like, you have to dye your hair brown. And
I remember, Mindy, I saw in the morning and I
saw in the afternoon, and I had brown hair in
the afternoon, and she said, why did you let them
do that? I would never let anyone dye my hair
like uh, because in my first jobs ever, they can
(08:33):
do whatever they want. Anyway, why did they dye your hair? Well?
Do you know? I still don't know. I think the
reason was they said it looked at this new character's
hair looked too close to Pam's color. But I never Pam,
never Jenna, But I mean the character Pam. Pam didn't
have red hair, did she like was it jest study. Yeah,
(08:54):
I guess I'm not real good at hair, I'll be
honest with you, honestly, apparently neither of my But anyway, yeah,
first day memories are sort of blurry because I was
so I don't know, I don't think you can relate
to this feeling because, like I said, you were there
from the start. But it was just so it was
first day of school, but to the millions of degree
(09:14):
because it was like I already I'm like in awe
of all these people and I'm the new girl. Don't
mess anything up. Yeah, I did fairly recently. Actually, I
had a similar experience. It was not such a CULTI show.
But being a guest star is a very difficult thing.
It doesn't matter who you are. It's tough. It's tough.
(09:35):
It's just because you, like you just said, it doesn't
matter who you are, because in that moment, you're the guests,
and so it's like their home. And so I think
it's ner wrecking to start any new job, but when
it's already in motion and you're the You're the thing
that's being added, it's totally nerve wracking. And especially I
(09:56):
don't know what your arc what like they for the
office was written as a four episode arc, so I
felt like, Okay, this is finite amount of time, and
you want to do an excellent job, but you also
want to be deferential to the people who have already
you know, the regular cast, like the family that's already there, right,
(10:17):
So that's what I was going to ask you. So
when you showed up, it was originally just for four episodes.
That was That was what your understanding was. That was
my understanding. Pam was going to work at the Michael
Scott Paper Company and they needed a temporary receptionist in
the meantime, and then Pam ended up getting promoted to salesperson.
And that's why my character state which I couldn't believe
(10:38):
that that had happened, but yes, that's how I have
always perceived it. I think that's what happened. And when
did you get an idea that you might be around
a little bit longer? I truly think because it was
how man Brian. I was worried this would happened. I
was like, I don't know if it happens to you.
I'm like alarmed by my memory sometimes because it can
be so fuzzy okay, few, it's bad and like, right now,
(11:02):
I can't remember if those four episodes were the last
four episodes of that season or if there were a
few more. Maybe they added it, right, it was definitely
the end. I didn't find out until that season had
wrapped that they were going to keep my character on,
So I don't think I got any angling that it
might be longer than four episodes. I think it was
just like, Okay, just do this for a month and
(11:24):
then get out without messing anything up. Well, I want
to share with you something that Claire Scanlon actually told me.
What Claire said was that a lot of people would
come in and it was basically a four to six
episode audition. And she remembers watching you in one of
(11:44):
your early episodes and you had some scenes with Steve,
and she remembers in the editing bay watching that and
saying to herself, Oh, she's going to be around for
a while. Oh, you're gonna make ry that is That's
the sweetest compliment. That's the biggest compliment, because there's no
(12:10):
higher praise and something like that, because I so admire
the work that you guys do and how you put
up the show so anyway, that's very kind of you
to share with me. But of course you the actor
never feel sure of anything because he's like, this could
all go away tomorrow. What do you think that Aaron,
(12:31):
the character of Aaron brought to the office. Well, I
feel you know, I felt like my own difficulty was
playing Aaron would just be that some of the things
she said, we're so cartoony and so uh, sort of cartoony,
I think is the word, because I don't want to
say she was flaky or did s or anything like that,
because I do think she was smart, but she said
(12:52):
a lot of things that a more grounded person wouldn't say.
At the same time, you know, she had these very
serious arc with Michael and these series arts with Andy,
and you know, there was some real depth to this character,
and so I felt like what she brought to the
office was certainly some levity. She was such such an
(13:13):
odd bird, but that she also, um, I hope she
brought some sweetness and I think she wanted to be
very good at her job, and she was very earnest
about it. But I also think that unintentionally he was
sort of funny, not not knowing that she was being
funny because you know, not totally grounded, right. I think
Paul fig directed one of your first episodes and he
(13:37):
talks about directing a talking head that you were giving
and he was taken with you and your energy and
the character and how different it was from everybody else
on the show. It's a bunch of disgruntled, put upon
office workers that are you know, I have to deal
with this crazy boss that makes them crazy, and all
(13:58):
they want to do is punch in and punch, shout
and go home. And why would anyone want to work
in a paper company? Whereas Aaron's energy was very positive
and she just loved being there. Yes, that I feel,
and you hit it on the head, you know. Family
maybe a little bit over it, Oscar maybe over it,
(14:18):
but Aaron lived for it. She loved being there. Like
you can imagine her getting ready for work in the morning.
She wanted to excel at her jobs. She wanted to
do a very good job, you know, I believe, within
like thirty seconds in the audience, meeting this new character,
she agrees to go by her middle name, like yeah, yeah,
I'll go by Aaron, Like she just wanted to be there, right.
(14:40):
It occurs to me, however, that Aaron agrees to change
her name on the first day and you agreed to
change your hair color on the first day. Right, this
is where I get worried, because you're right, and I
worried some of the things Aaron would say. I'm like,
the writer is making fun of me. Ellie here, I
(15:02):
might say something that, um do you could not be
more And I'm sure when people meet you they assume, oh,
he's going to be like Kevin, when you are the
polar opposite of Kevin, like the polar opposite. Well, I
feel like I'm a little similar. Well, you're infectious energy,
(15:24):
oh good, wow, and positivity. Positivity. I hope that I
share Aaron's positivity. But yeah, how what do you think?
I feel like there's some characters in casts who do
sort of overlap a bit. I mean, I know this
is that you were asking the questions, but I feel
like you overlap with Kevin. Not at all. I hope
(15:45):
the least. I think the least. I hope, I hope
the least. Is there anything I don't think there's anything anyway.
I well, I enjoy sports. There's something there's yes, And
I might be a little childlike at times, well who
is So? You had a number of relationships throughout the show.
(16:29):
I mean probably in some ways your your central relationship
you brought up is was your relationship with Michael. It's
almost a father daughter thing going on in a way,
as like a mentor someone you look up to. You're
probably the only character that looks up to Michael Scott.
Like she never felt like beaten down by him or
(16:51):
rolled her eyes at him, you know what I mean,
Oh my gosh. No, on the contrary, she she adored
him like he was I think an inspire ration to
her and just like he was just the tops I
think to Aaron, because I remember when Aaron meets Holly,
She's just like so it's almost like she's territorial. She's like,
(17:12):
this is the lady who's stealing Michael's heart. She she's
just so skeptical of this woman because she feels like
no one is good enough for Michael Scott. Which is
really funny, and it definitely felt like a father daughter relationship.
I thought it was very tender and very sweet and
very well written that I think the way they the
(17:34):
writer's crafted that whole relationship was it was really sweet.
Why do you think they bonded a little. To use
your word, I think they are both a little childlike.
I mean, you're word about something else entirely was just
a word. I just heard that. I said, you didn't
describe it as child like. What you just said that word,
(17:54):
and now I love it. I think that they both
are a little childlike. I think that they're they're both odd.
And I think that um, Aaron didn't have and she
never ever had a stable frontal figure in her life,
and certainly not a strong male figure in her life.
And I think that she found that in Michael. I mean,
(18:14):
just by definition he was her boss. I think there
was this thing of like admiring him and looking up
to him. But that also when she got to know
him a little, I think that she I think he
was kind to her. I don't think he I don't
want to say mistreated, but I think he was like
fair and respectful to her, and so I think she
just sort of clung to that. And like I said,
I mean, well, although my favorite episode for Aaron is
(18:38):
Secretary's Day and when she when Aaron is like even
weirding out Michael, she like out weird Michael Scott they're
having lunch together and Michael just can't take it anymore
because she's so strange. That's when I felt like, oh wow,
well so yeah, so even he seems much more grounded
in this in this world than she is. That was
(18:58):
one of the best days of my life that I
just remember. We we sat that restaurant scene on a Friday,
and I was like, I couldn't believe how lucky it
was to be able to be in a scene speakerl
like that that it was just MINDI wrote it, and
I believe Steve directed that episode, and it was just
like the real because like, who on the planet is like,
there's no one really, So yeah, again, you started from
(19:22):
day one, So I don't know if you ever had
that feeling of like did it all wait? Well, I
will do my separate interview with you where I asked
the question. But I'm so curious to know how it
felt to you guys, because I had such a different experience,
obviously because I came into it midway and it was
like my whole time there felt like I felt a
little bit giddy. I don't know if if you had
(19:44):
that you were there from the beginning, Well, if you
listen to this podcast, then you will get the full
detailed answer, but the short The short answer would be
nobody was famous before it started, and nobody, no, nobody
knew enough but immediately his ability to improv in the
(20:05):
moment on topic is I don't know, I think he's
maybe the best person on the planet at that Oh
I do too. And to be honest with you, Brian,
sometimes when like the director would say, okay, now you know,
like fun run whatever, I was like, guys, I would
think to myself, I'd be like, let's just let Steve
have a fun run because he's um. Do you think
(20:28):
that you sorry? Do you think that Aaron and Andy
were a good match? I never thought so. Is that
terrible to say? I don't know. I felt like and
he was a bit too childish. I don't think he
was ready to um take care of Aaron the way
(20:50):
she needed to be and I and I think Aaron
was ready to take care of him. But I felt
like it was uneven in that respect. So yeah, I
I I love Ed. I love that we got to
be in so many scenes together, but that actual it
never felt quite fair to me that relationship. I feel
like it was uneven well, and then she chose to Gabe.
(21:12):
Was he a better match? Who should Aaron be with?
I don't know. I don't know. I don't think that
was a better match. And I adore Zach, but I
do not. I mean, that was a very strange mass.
And then I also felt like with Jake Lacey, I
didn't feel that was quite right either. I don't know.
(21:35):
It seems like she I don't know who Aaron should
be with, but someone like odd but also able to
take Again. When I say take care of her, I
don't mean she needs to be taken care of, but
I mean how a couple takes care of each other.
So I don't know. I didn't feel like she ever
quite got her right match in that show. Do you
know that I pitched Kevin and Aaron getting together, Ah, Bryan,
(22:00):
I think that would be a pretty reasonable relationship. I
went up to the writer's room and I said, if
Kevin could mature just a little, there was something about
their energy that I thought was right. It's almost like
the static being and the hummingbird that goes around, but
(22:23):
somehow still their energy is matched in a weird way
that actually makes perfect sense to me. I love that pitch.
I'm sorry I wasn't there for it. I should have
should have called you Anne. What you know what I
had in that writer? Um, I don't think I ever
(22:43):
went to the writer's room. What did you have? Any
favorite moments? Some of the favorite things when Aaron really
like you know, like lived out how crazy she was.
I loved those moments. I loved Cafe Disco. I loved
that episode. I loved Dancing with Mindy and it was
just like a weird episode that was so funny. I
loved that episode. And um, oh my gosh, I loved
(23:06):
the bus episode directed by Brian Cranston. Brian, you remember
we all almost died. Yes, we almost were given carbon
monoxide poisoning, to name one of many ways we almost died.
I at the time, I don't think I was enjoying it,
And now in retrospect, I'm like, that was fun. Um. Oh, Brian,
you'll remember I went my pants on that bus during
(23:29):
the Shibuya roll call. Um. It was like, I don't
know what you guys were doing, but I got a
case of the giggles and I went my pants and
I was like, how long can I had this wish?
I just fessed up right away. And I did fess
up right away, and all the ladies were like, oh,
you need know the skirt, Like nobody was face and
literally all the guys because I had said it sort
(23:52):
of loudly because there was no word of the guys
didn't understand it. But the women, the ladies had my back. Um,
how do you feel like things changed with Steve leaving? Oh?
My gosh, O wait, sorry, a baby is crying. It's
the monitor. I'm going to turn down the blast I
(24:13):
promised someone is watching the baby. Isn't it scary how
you can just turn down the monitor and then it's
like the baby isn't crying anymore that my husband's lasting,
I swear. Okay, Um, it's embarrassing how upset I was
about Steve leaving. And I feel like there was one
(24:35):
moment when my grain was like, why are you sackcause
because I was like, I think how long? I guess
he was on for two seasons while I was there,
and then there were two seasons were there two seasons
after he left? Yeah, So it's not like I shared
nearly the amount of time that you guys did with him,
but I felt so it felt like a very bitter
(24:56):
sweet time. I don't know, how did you feel, Oh,
I was incredibly difficult. I'm glad you say what do
you think? What do you think the greater loss was.
It's not a trick question, Okay, Steve or Michael Ryant.
That's a very good question. Oh well, of course I
(25:18):
have to say Steve because he was such a leader,
and he was such a quiet leader, and he was
the backbone of the whole show, and so you know,
he was just like hard working, never complained, kind, quiet,
did his job, generous, selfless. I feel like he's the
supreme example of how a person should behave and so
(25:41):
it was of course an enormous loss when he left.
I mean, everybody carried on, okay, it's not like everybody
went crazy. But who was it? I feel like, um,
it was Kelly Cantley, one of our assistant directors for
those of you just joining us at the end, and
she said something like I think it was her who
said that he kept everyone in like he was the
head duck and he kept all the little duck laings
(26:02):
in line. And it's true, like when he was gone,
I feel like, okay, well Dad's not here, and maybe
you know, people wouldn't come to set right on time
or whatever, like a little very tiny transgressions. But yeah,
I felt like that was a real that was an
energy that was really you know lost. But yes, as
an office, I feel like Michael was when he was
(26:22):
a backbone of that workplace as well. So of course
the whole D'Angelo vickers, I mean that was brilliant. That
eased the transition. I thought with Will Ferrell, oh my gosh, right, yeah,
that was great. Well, and there were, you know, in
the end, a lot of big guest stars that came
onto our little show that we weren't supposed to have
known people right like Cathy Bays, James Spader. That was
(26:45):
more than a guest star, I guess. Yeah. How do
you think that their energy changed things? That's a good question.
I mean I feel like they, you know, they're all
such excellent actors that it I mean this in a
in a complimentary way, that they blended into the um
energy of the office. But on a personal level, I
(27:06):
felt like, oh, I can't believe these giants are in
this room with us, because it is such a drab
of everyday office and then you have these I feel
like it's always steel surreal because you have these huge
people coming in, but they're not in the world of
the office, right, that's interesting. I I loved Robert California.
I thought that he I thought he was such strange,
(27:28):
but I thought that his addition to the office was
actually great and that he was never going to be
a replacement for Michael Scott, but that it was just
a different energy altogether, and I thought it suited the office.
I mean dunder Milin like pretty well, where it was
just I mean, he was strange, Brian that character. Yes, yes,
(27:49):
do you remember Pool Party? That's the episode that I
referenced being when people are like what was your least
favorite or what was the hardest episode? I always a
pool party, and it was remember the pool being particularly
like a great temperature, and I feel like it was
it felt like many days in that pool, right, many days,
many many days. Yeah. Yeah, I don't I always I
(28:12):
don't have I don't have like traumatic memories of that,
but I just remember that I was like, this is
It's just always an episode that I remember, I guess
because it was it distribushed itself by being in a pool. Also,
I feel like the week before is when we got
the heads up like, oh yeah, you guys are going
to be in a pool for the next week at
the table where they were like, oh yeah, do we
not mention you You're gonna be in the pool for
(28:32):
a week? Swim right right. So the finale of the shop,
(29:00):
we come back for Dwight and Angela's wedding, and there's
also a Q and A that we do. Yes, there's
a Q and A the cast of the documentaries, you know,
answering questions from the documentary that aired. I know personally
that's when aaron parents who are in the audience, asking
questions and what a like beautiful, beautiful end I thought
(29:21):
for Aaron anyway, like a beautiful end to her arc.
Aaron never really had a permanent family, like growing up,
she was in foster homes. And I just loved that
the writers arranged that for Aaron at the end, to
meet her birth parents. That was so And of course
you couldn't have gotten too better. It was Ed Begley Jr.
And Joan Cusack, who you're like, by the way, do
you know I still have Joan not to creep you
(29:42):
out or Joan qu sack out? But I still have
her card again. She gave me her card again. I
said something like either complimented her card again or I
said it smelled so good or something. This is on
the last day, so you're gonna have it. She took
his off and she gave it to me. Well, but
did she give it to you too? Used for a minute,
or was she like, no, you take this, She said
(30:03):
you can have it. You know, maybe she literally just
meant you can borrow it, and I never gave it back.
All right, well, yeah, it's very possible I misinterpreted that.
That would seem about right. Oh my gosh. By the way,
do you remember that was during the finale obviously, remember
we had to work like two saturdays in a row,
(30:25):
and we were like, oh my gosh, I can't believe it.
That was the only I think Saturday I ever worked
on that show. No, I think I enjoyed just every
minute of it. I don't know what you're talking about.
I will share this with you. We don't have this
on tape anywhere, but I will share this with you.
We were very very well behaved cast. Some would say churchly,
(30:48):
but you know, there were a few of us that
were maybe visited Kevin's bar that he had in the
finale that maybe had a little bit to my just
to drink on set. There you go and well committed
to tape. Okay we haven't recorded, but it took until
the finale to do that, right, Yes, exactly, a very
(31:12):
well behaved guest until Kevin's Bar. Yeah, exactly. Did you
go to the Rat Party in Scranton? Yes, First of all,
the Rat party that night, Like I remember, we wrapped
on a Saturday, and I believe I met you and Angela.
I just remember that we drove to the Rat party
together and then yeah, that was so much fun that night.
(31:32):
I just remember the l A Marathon was the next
day and I was like, how is anyone running? Because
we were absolute but um, the Scranton Rap Party was
one of the best weekends of my life. That was phenomenal.
And do you remember how Christina was, Brian, It was like,
there's not a cloud in the sky. The baseball game, Brian,
did we throw Wait? What happened? Why were we at
(31:53):
the somebody who threw out a pitch? Somebody did? No,
we were just doing a Q and A in the
baseball stadium because they needed the biggest venue that they
could fine, Oh my gosh. And then we went to
was at the backyard fence backyard Adale House. Oh and
then we just like we're behind the bar. That was
unbelievable was that the most special weekend ever was the
(32:13):
best and the people who lived there are so welcoming
and warm and kind. That was really an amazing event.
Have you been? Oh wait, you told me where you
were on your way there when we couldn't meet up
in New York. I just went yes. I went back
to the to the ballpark, I went back to the
(32:35):
Backyardale House to revisit some sites and to talk to
some of the folks there, I mean, and really talking
to them about how crazy it is that The Office
was big when it was on, and it seemingly has
only grown in popularity since two thousand seventeen. It has
(32:59):
over a hundred fifty three billion minutes watched streaming. Oh
my god, it with a B. I mean that I
again as a fan, because I have this perspective. It
makes perfect sense to me. It's a comforting show. It's
a healing show. It's not cynical. It's like a really
(33:22):
kind show. And and I think when you're watching it,
you feel like you know these people intimately and like
and what I love is kids who were too young
when it was first on and watch it now. I mean,
these kids are in middle school, they're high school. They
don't know what an office workplace is, but they know
what school is and they know and I think that's
how they relate to it, is that it's it's any
(33:44):
it's any situation where you're with the same people day
and day out, and everyone has these very distinct personalities
and it's an infinitely relatable show. But so I understand
why people watch it so much because I did too.
And it's like, I think, with Netflix, no one could
have ever predicted how many people would view this show,
don't you feel I feel so lucky that we got
(34:05):
to be well again as a newcomer. I feel so
lucky that I got to have any parts in it.
But it's really cool, Like how how how people are
still watching it? Yeah? It is. If it weren't for
The Office, where do you think you would be? Now?
Oh my gosh, Actually I take that back because on
(34:27):
the same day that I auditioned for the Office, I
also auditioned for a show called Cophouse and cop House
was a pilot written by the brilliant Adam Resnick, who
I adore. I don't think that the show was ordered
to series, but I think I would have been in
a pilot called cop House, and from there, I don't
(34:48):
know what I would have done. That's very interesting. You
were almost on cop House. I was almost the star
of cop House, so I would have done that and
the oh, I don't know what. Yeah, I don't know what.
That's a great question. I hope I would have found
work somewhere else, but nowhere would have been, of course,
(35:10):
of course as special as the office. Ellie. It's so
great to hear your voice. I'm only sorry that I'm
not seeing you in person and probably won't until two
two when there's a vaccine, but it is so thank
you for talking to me. It is so wonderful. I,
like I said, I've been looking forward to this, just
like selfishly as it picked me up separately. We need
(35:33):
like a two hour long just personal catch up. I
know I would love that, and I will tell you that.
At some point, I think Rain posted a text exchange
between you and him on the internet and I saw
it and I was like Oh my god, why aren't
Ellian I texting like that? Because it just really made
(35:55):
me smile. I don't know why we're not texting like that.
And also Rain Will said, I was like, he didn't
not tell me he was going to post that to
his millions of followers, like luckily everything was fine, but
yeah he wasn't. Again, just tell me the joke because
it will make me laugh. What was you can't remember
it either? Everything about what it was. It was about money, hute,
(36:18):
We'll have to look it up something totally. I feel
like it was bordering on inappropriate and then it was
actually fine. Rain is so weird, like when he says
he's I feel like he and Dwight are weird in
such specific ways and wildly different ways. But they're both
very weird people. But except Rain is actually like extremely kind.
Well I guess White was kind, but um, it is
the funniest thing he no text out of the blue,
(36:42):
the most insane thing, and it makes me so happy
that I know him. But anyway, yes, he posted that exchange.
We need to start texting not a regular occurrence with Rain,
and what it happens is like, but don't you feel
that we with so many people from the office where
like you don't hear from them for a while, and
then you do and it's like no time is past.
I totally I totally feel that way. All right, Ellie,
(37:06):
I will talk to you soon. Thank you so much,
Thank you, Brian. This is what a bright spot in
this otherwise bleak time. So I'm so good to hear
your voice. Once everything is calmed down, we're having the biggest,
like celebratory dinner out in a restaurant. It might be
five years from now, but we're doing it. Sounds perfect, okay, alright, alright,
by bye. Oh there you have her, Ellie kemper, Ellie,
(37:42):
we are on. We are so on for that dinner.
I just hope it's not five years. Please let's not
have it be five years. Thank you Ellie for your wit,
for your insight. I always have the most fun talking
to you and to my dear listeners. I had so
much fun bringing you this interview. So please come back
(38:04):
next week and join Ellie and I for that dinner.
We'd be happy to have you. Um. But in the meantime,
before the dinner happens, like subscribe review us on whatever
platform you see fit it helps us so much, so,
thank you in advance and have an excellent week the Office.
(38:35):
Deep Dive is hosted and executive produced by me Brian Baumgartner,
alongside our executive producer Langley. Our senior producer is Tessa Kramer.
Our producers are Emily Carr and Diego Tapia. Our social
media producer is Liz Hayes, and our intern is Hannah Harris.
My main man in the booth is Alec Moore. Our
(38:56):
theme song Bubble and Squeak, performed by my great friend
Creed Bratton, and the episode was mixed by seth Olandsky
h
Hi. I'm Ellie Kemper and I played Aaron Hannon on
The Office. Hello there, everyone, here we are. We're back
another episode of the Office Deep Dive. I am your host,
(00:25):
Brian bam Gartner, and I'm just so happy you're here.
So welcome. Uh. Today's guest is someone really dear to me.
I love her and we share a special bond that
only comes after one person has sat on the other
person's shoulders in a pool of lukewarm water for eight
(00:48):
hours straight. I mean, we all have that friend, right, Yes,
you guessed it. It's Ellie Kemper. Now listening back to
this one. This was a bit of a trip for
me because I spoke with Ellie in April of Does
(01:09):
anyone remember something that was going on in the world
around that time? No, not murder hornets, No, not not
Kanye running for president. Now, it was the early days
of the global pandemic known as coronavirus. So I talked
to Ellie over zoom. This was back when zoom was
(01:31):
still a new thing. I didn't even know what a
zoom was at that point. But you're gonna hear us
trying to figure out the technology talking about quarantine. We
were so naive back then. Anyways, enough about that, Let's
just focus on our conversation, our great conversation, and and
(01:53):
the great episode that I have for you. So sit back, relax,
and listen to the soothing sounds of and the hilarious
Ellie Kemper, bubble and squeak. I love it, Bubble and
squeak on bubble and squeaker cookie, every moment left over
(02:19):
from the nab pole. Am I in the meeting? Oh? Ellie,
you are in the meeting? Can you hear me? Okay?
I actually don't know. I can hear me? Okay? Can
(02:41):
you hear me? Okay? I can hear you? Crystal clear? God,
that's so great, Ellie. It's so nice to hear your voice. Brian,
I have still been looking It's so nice to hear
your voice. I have still been looking forward to this
for many reasons. I mean, originally this meeting is being
did Okay, we got it, and I was looking forward
(03:05):
to it, of course for obvious reasons. And now during
this unimaginable time, it is so nice to hear your voice.
I know. Are you all okay? Yes? We are hungering down.
You guys just decided to get out of New York.
We were actually in Montreal when like mid March or
whenever everything started shutting down, so we were already out
(03:26):
of New York. We decided better to avoid going back there.
So that's why we came to St. Louis, which is
where I'm Do you know I'm from here? Yeah? No,
I know, No, I know Jenna Phillis. Yeah, all of
you guys, have you seen Phillis or no? Because you're
social distancing, social distancing, I've seen have you seen? I've
seen no one. I feel like I don't know how
(03:47):
to interact with humans anymore beside my family. Is that
going to be weird? I think it is. Well, we
were once going to do this in person. We were,
but it's so nice to hear from you, I mean
over the phone. Yeah. I just can't believe it. Like,
what was it two months ago when we were trying
to meet up in New York and it seemed like
(04:07):
a very normal Like it was just like logistics that
got in the way. But it was like, oh, yeah,
I'm going to be New York. Oh great, You're flying
to New York on an airplane with other passengers and
I'll meet you downtown and I'll give you a hug
and like lick your palm. Yeah, there won't be any
issues with those things. No, exactly, Um, Ellie, So what
(04:30):
were you doing? What were you doing before the Office?
What was I doing? Okay, so I was about to
say very little, but that's not true. I was doing commercials.
That's how I was earning money through commercials. In terms
of I guess creative opportunities. I was doing mostly unpaid
work at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater and I was
(04:51):
doing two person shows and one person shows an actual
improvisation and um. But professionally it was mostly commercials up
until that point, I think I had I had, like, oh,
I I did something on a show called Daily Pops,
which I think was on MTV. It was like an
eight series, eight episode series. Um, I want to say
(05:12):
that Kim Kardashian made a cameo. And I'm technically Kim
Kardashian's co star. I think she made a cameo in
one of these Daily Pops. You work together, We worked together,
worked together, inspired her. But yes, um, I mean obviously
The Office was my enormous we big break. Did you
watch the Office, Brian did. I watched The Office. I
(05:37):
devoured The Office. I was an enormous Office fan. You
don't know what this is like because obviously you were
on it from the start. But I loved The Office.
I watched it every week. It's very strange to go
from watching a television show that you happen to love
and then being in the room with everybody. I actually
the first day, of course, felt surreal for many reasons,
(05:59):
but it's it's weird when you I think maybe anyone
has had this experience. If you watch someone on a
screen and then you see them in person, it feels otherworldly.
And particularly because I already loved everyone on it and
admired them so much, it felt even stranger because yeah,
I was a huge fan. It's very weird. I really
tried to play it cool. Well, so wait, literally, you
(06:19):
watched it Thursday night? Yes, yes, I did. I lived
in New York at the time, and we always my
my whole family was a fan of the Office. Have
I told you that? Mos make sure reminded us of
my older brother John college, like when John was in college,
So we had like a big joke about that. But yeah,
I lived in New York and I watched the Office
every Thursday, and had you met Alison Jones before? No,
(06:44):
So I met with Greg and Mike, Greg Daniels and
Mike Sure. I think I was meeting with them for
Parks and Recreation. This was before Parks and Recreation was
had aired, and I think that's what it was about.
I really don't know. It was sort of just a
general hello. And after that I met Alison when I
actually read for Parks and Recreation, which it wasn't called
(07:08):
Parks and Recreation, it was like untitled make Sure Project.
And then I didn't get a part on Parks and Recreation.
But then they called me back later for the Office
and your first day on set? Were you nervous? I
was so nervous. I first, okay, I can't remember the
actual very first person I met. I remember telling John Krasinski,
(07:28):
who I had read was an intern at Conan and
I had been an Internet Conan because my first scene,
John is making a Jim Jim excuse me, It is
making a copy at the copy machine, and I'm like
sitting there and I was like, like, in between takes,
I was like, so, um, yeah, um, you've interned to Conan, right,
(07:49):
Why did I feel they need to strike up conversation.
I am the new person. I think I should stay
quiet until spoken to. But I was unusually bold and
he said, oh, yeah, you know colne In And I
said I had turned there too. That was it. I
don't know if somebody walked away, somebody saved me, because
I wouldn't have. I wouldn't have kept that conversation going
(08:09):
very well. And then and then the big news, Brian,
I had to dye my hair that day. I have
red hair, and as soon as I got there, they
were like, you have to dye your hair brown. And
I remember, Mindy, I saw in the morning and I
saw in the afternoon, and I had brown hair in
the afternoon, and she said, why did you let them
do that? I would never let anyone dye my hair
like uh, because in my first jobs ever, they can
(08:33):
do whatever they want. Anyway, why did they dye your hair? Well?
Do you know? I still don't know. I think the
reason was they said it looked at this new character's
hair looked too close to Pam's color. But I never Pam,
never Jenna, But I mean the character Pam. Pam didn't
have red hair, did she like was it jest study. Yeah,
(08:54):
I guess I'm not real good at hair, I'll be
honest with you, honestly, apparently neither of my But anyway, yeah,
first day memories are sort of blurry because I was
so I don't know, I don't think you can relate
to this feeling because, like I said, you were there
from the start. But it was just so it was
first day of school, but to the millions of degree
(09:14):
because it was like I already I'm like in awe
of all these people and I'm the new girl. Don't
mess anything up. Yeah, I did fairly recently. Actually, I
had a similar experience. It was not such a CULTI show.
But being a guest star is a very difficult thing.
It doesn't matter who you are. It's tough. It's tough.
(09:35):
It's just because you, like you just said, it doesn't
matter who you are, because in that moment, you're the guests,
and so it's like their home. And so I think
it's ner wrecking to start any new job, but when
it's already in motion and you're the You're the thing
that's being added, it's totally nerve wracking. And especially I
(09:56):
don't know what your arc what like they for the
office was written as a four episode arc, so I
felt like, Okay, this is finite amount of time, and
you want to do an excellent job, but you also
want to be deferential to the people who have already
you know, the regular cast, like the family that's already there, right,
(10:17):
So that's what I was going to ask you. So
when you showed up, it was originally just for four episodes.
That was That was what your understanding was. That was
my understanding. Pam was going to work at the Michael
Scott Paper Company and they needed a temporary receptionist in
the meantime, and then Pam ended up getting promoted to salesperson.
And that's why my character state which I couldn't believe
(10:38):
that that had happened, but yes, that's how I have
always perceived it. I think that's what happened. And when
did you get an idea that you might be around
a little bit longer? I truly think because it was
how man Brian. I was worried this would happened. I
was like, I don't know if it happens to you.
I'm like alarmed by my memory sometimes because it can
be so fuzzy okay, few, it's bad and like, right now,
(11:02):
I can't remember if those four episodes were the last
four episodes of that season or if there were a
few more. Maybe they added it, right, it was definitely
the end. I didn't find out until that season had
wrapped that they were going to keep my character on,
So I don't think I got any angling that it
might be longer than four episodes. I think it was
just like, Okay, just do this for a month and
(11:24):
then get out without messing anything up. Well, I want
to share with you something that Claire Scanlon actually told me.
What Claire said was that a lot of people would
come in and it was basically a four to six
episode audition. And she remembers watching you in one of
(11:44):
your early episodes and you had some scenes with Steve,
and she remembers in the editing bay watching that and
saying to herself, Oh, she's going to be around for
a while. Oh, you're gonna make ry that is That's
the sweetest compliment. That's the biggest compliment, because there's no
(12:10):
higher praise and something like that, because I so admire
the work that you guys do and how you put
up the show so anyway, that's very kind of you
to share with me. But of course you the actor
never feel sure of anything because he's like, this could
all go away tomorrow. What do you think that Aaron,
(12:31):
the character of Aaron brought to the office. Well, I
feel you know, I felt like my own difficulty was
playing Aaron would just be that some of the things
she said, we're so cartoony and so uh, sort of cartoony,
I think is the word, because I don't want to
say she was flaky or did s or anything like that,
because I do think she was smart, but she said
(12:52):
a lot of things that a more grounded person wouldn't say.
At the same time, you know, she had these very
serious arc with Michael and these series arts with Andy,
and you know, there was some real depth to this character,
and so I felt like what she brought to the
office was certainly some levity. She was such such an
(13:13):
odd bird, but that she also, um, I hope she
brought some sweetness and I think she wanted to be
very good at her job, and she was very earnest
about it. But I also think that unintentionally he was
sort of funny, not not knowing that she was being
funny because you know, not totally grounded, right. I think
Paul fig directed one of your first episodes and he
(13:37):
talks about directing a talking head that you were giving
and he was taken with you and your energy and
the character and how different it was from everybody else
on the show. It's a bunch of disgruntled, put upon
office workers that are you know, I have to deal
with this crazy boss that makes them crazy, and all
(13:58):
they want to do is punch in and punch, shout
and go home. And why would anyone want to work
in a paper company? Whereas Aaron's energy was very positive
and she just loved being there. Yes, that I feel,
and you hit it on the head, you know. Family
maybe a little bit over it, Oscar maybe over it,
(14:18):
but Aaron lived for it. She loved being there. Like
you can imagine her getting ready for work in the morning.
She wanted to excel at her jobs. She wanted to
do a very good job, you know, I believe, within
like thirty seconds in the audience, meeting this new character,
she agrees to go by her middle name, like yeah, yeah,
I'll go by Aaron, Like she just wanted to be there, right.
(14:40):
It occurs to me, however, that Aaron agrees to change
her name on the first day and you agreed to
change your hair color on the first day. Right, this
is where I get worried, because you're right, and I
worried some of the things Aaron would say. I'm like,
the writer is making fun of me. Ellie here, I
(15:02):
might say something that, um do you could not be
more And I'm sure when people meet you they assume, oh,
he's going to be like Kevin, when you are the
polar opposite of Kevin, like the polar opposite. Well, I
feel like I'm a little similar. Well, you're infectious energy,
(15:24):
oh good, wow, and positivity. Positivity. I hope that I
share Aaron's positivity. But yeah, how what do you think?
I feel like there's some characters in casts who do
sort of overlap a bit. I mean, I know this
is that you were asking the questions, but I feel
like you overlap with Kevin. Not at all. I hope
(15:45):
the least. I think the least. I hope, I hope
the least. Is there anything I don't think there's anything anyway.
I well, I enjoy sports. There's something there's yes, And
I might be a little childlike at times, well who
is So? You had a number of relationships throughout the show.
(16:29):
I mean probably in some ways your your central relationship
you brought up is was your relationship with Michael. It's
almost a father daughter thing going on in a way,
as like a mentor someone you look up to. You're
probably the only character that looks up to Michael Scott.
Like she never felt like beaten down by him or
(16:51):
rolled her eyes at him, you know what I mean,
Oh my gosh. No, on the contrary, she she adored
him like he was I think an inspire ration to
her and just like he was just the tops I
think to Aaron, because I remember when Aaron meets Holly,
She's just like so it's almost like she's territorial. She's like,
(17:12):
this is the lady who's stealing Michael's heart. She she's
just so skeptical of this woman because she feels like
no one is good enough for Michael Scott. Which is
really funny, and it definitely felt like a father daughter relationship.
I thought it was very tender and very sweet and
very well written that I think the way they the
(17:34):
writer's crafted that whole relationship was it was really sweet.
Why do you think they bonded a little. To use
your word, I think they are both a little childlike.
I mean, you're word about something else entirely was just
a word. I just heard that. I said, you didn't
describe it as child like. What you just said that word,
(17:54):
and now I love it. I think that they both
are a little childlike. I think that they're they're both odd.
And I think that um, Aaron didn't have and she
never ever had a stable frontal figure in her life,
and certainly not a strong male figure in her life.
And I think that she found that in Michael. I mean,
(18:14):
just by definition he was her boss. I think there
was this thing of like admiring him and looking up
to him. But that also when she got to know
him a little, I think that she I think he
was kind to her. I don't think he I don't
want to say mistreated, but I think he was like
fair and respectful to her, and so I think she
just sort of clung to that. And like I said,
I mean, well, although my favorite episode for Aaron is
(18:38):
Secretary's Day and when she when Aaron is like even
weirding out Michael, she like out weird Michael Scott they're
having lunch together and Michael just can't take it anymore
because she's so strange. That's when I felt like, oh wow,
well so yeah, so even he seems much more grounded
in this in this world than she is. That was
(18:58):
one of the best days of my life that I
just remember. We we sat that restaurant scene on a Friday,
and I was like, I couldn't believe how lucky it
was to be able to be in a scene speakerl
like that that it was just MINDI wrote it, and
I believe Steve directed that episode, and it was just
like the real because like, who on the planet is like,
there's no one really, So yeah, again, you started from
(19:22):
day one, So I don't know if you ever had
that feeling of like did it all wait? Well, I
will do my separate interview with you where I asked
the question. But I'm so curious to know how it
felt to you guys, because I had such a different experience,
obviously because I came into it midway and it was
like my whole time there felt like I felt a
little bit giddy. I don't know if if you had
(19:44):
that you were there from the beginning, Well, if you
listen to this podcast, then you will get the full
detailed answer, but the short The short answer would be
nobody was famous before it started, and nobody, no, nobody
knew enough but immediately his ability to improv in the
(20:05):
moment on topic is I don't know, I think he's
maybe the best person on the planet at that Oh
I do too. And to be honest with you, Brian,
sometimes when like the director would say, okay, now you know,
like fun run whatever, I was like, guys, I would
think to myself, I'd be like, let's just let Steve
have a fun run because he's um. Do you think
(20:28):
that you sorry? Do you think that Aaron and Andy
were a good match? I never thought so. Is that
terrible to say? I don't know. I felt like and
he was a bit too childish. I don't think he
was ready to um take care of Aaron the way
(20:50):
she needed to be and I and I think Aaron
was ready to take care of him. But I felt
like it was uneven in that respect. So yeah, I
I I love Ed. I love that we got to
be in so many scenes together, but that actual it
never felt quite fair to me that relationship. I feel
like it was uneven well, and then she chose to Gabe.
(21:12):
Was he a better match? Who should Aaron be with?
I don't know. I don't know. I don't think that
was a better match. And I adore Zach, but I
do not. I mean, that was a very strange mass.
And then I also felt like with Jake Lacey, I
didn't feel that was quite right either. I don't know.
(21:35):
It seems like she I don't know who Aaron should
be with, but someone like odd but also able to
take Again. When I say take care of her, I
don't mean she needs to be taken care of, but
I mean how a couple takes care of each other.
So I don't know. I didn't feel like she ever
quite got her right match in that show. Do you
know that I pitched Kevin and Aaron getting together, Ah, Bryan,
(22:00):
I think that would be a pretty reasonable relationship. I
went up to the writer's room and I said, if
Kevin could mature just a little, there was something about
their energy that I thought was right. It's almost like
the static being and the hummingbird that goes around, but
(22:23):
somehow still their energy is matched in a weird way
that actually makes perfect sense to me. I love that pitch.
I'm sorry I wasn't there for it. I should have
should have called you Anne. What you know what I
had in that writer? Um, I don't think I ever
(22:43):
went to the writer's room. What did you have? Any
favorite moments? Some of the favorite things when Aaron really
like you know, like lived out how crazy she was.
I loved those moments. I loved Cafe Disco. I loved
that episode. I loved Dancing with Mindy and it was
just like a weird episode that was so funny. I
loved that episode. And um, oh my gosh, I loved
(23:06):
the bus episode directed by Brian Cranston. Brian, you remember
we all almost died. Yes, we almost were given carbon
monoxide poisoning, to name one of many ways we almost died.
I at the time, I don't think I was enjoying it,
And now in retrospect, I'm like, that was fun. Um. Oh, Brian,
you'll remember I went my pants on that bus during
(23:29):
the Shibuya roll call. Um. It was like, I don't
know what you guys were doing, but I got a
case of the giggles and I went my pants and
I was like, how long can I had this wish?
I just fessed up right away. And I did fess
up right away, and all the ladies were like, oh,
you need know the skirt, Like nobody was face and
literally all the guys because I had said it sort
(23:52):
of loudly because there was no word of the guys
didn't understand it. But the women, the ladies had my back. Um,
how do you feel like things changed with Steve leaving? Oh?
My gosh, O wait, sorry, a baby is crying. It's
the monitor. I'm going to turn down the blast I
(24:13):
promised someone is watching the baby. Isn't it scary how
you can just turn down the monitor and then it's
like the baby isn't crying anymore that my husband's lasting,
I swear. Okay, Um, it's embarrassing how upset I was
about Steve leaving. And I feel like there was one
(24:35):
moment when my grain was like, why are you sackcause
because I was like, I think how long? I guess
he was on for two seasons while I was there,
and then there were two seasons were there two seasons
after he left? Yeah, So it's not like I shared
nearly the amount of time that you guys did with him,
but I felt so it felt like a very bitter
(24:56):
sweet time. I don't know, how did you feel, Oh,
I was incredibly difficult. I'm glad you say what do
you think? What do you think the greater loss was.
It's not a trick question, Okay, Steve or Michael Ryant.
That's a very good question. Oh well, of course I
(25:18):
have to say Steve because he was such a leader,
and he was such a quiet leader, and he was
the backbone of the whole show, and so you know,
he was just like hard working, never complained, kind, quiet,
did his job, generous, selfless. I feel like he's the
supreme example of how a person should behave and so
(25:41):
it was of course an enormous loss when he left.
I mean, everybody carried on, okay, it's not like everybody
went crazy. But who was it? I feel like, um,
it was Kelly Cantley, one of our assistant directors for
those of you just joining us at the end, and
she said something like I think it was her who
said that he kept everyone in like he was the
head duck and he kept all the little duck laings
(26:02):
in line. And it's true, like when he was gone,
I feel like, okay, well Dad's not here, and maybe
you know, people wouldn't come to set right on time
or whatever, like a little very tiny transgressions. But yeah,
I felt like that was a real that was an
energy that was really you know lost. But yes, as
an office, I feel like Michael was when he was
(26:22):
a backbone of that workplace as well. So of course
the whole D'Angelo vickers, I mean that was brilliant. That
eased the transition. I thought with Will Ferrell, oh my gosh, right, yeah,
that was great. Well, and there were, you know, in
the end, a lot of big guest stars that came
onto our little show that we weren't supposed to have
known people right like Cathy Bays, James Spader. That was
(26:45):
more than a guest star, I guess. Yeah. How do
you think that their energy changed things? That's a good question.
I mean I feel like they, you know, they're all
such excellent actors that it I mean this in a
in a complimentary way, that they blended into the um
energy of the office. But on a personal level, I
(27:06):
felt like, oh, I can't believe these giants are in
this room with us, because it is such a drab
of everyday office and then you have these I feel
like it's always steel surreal because you have these huge
people coming in, but they're not in the world of
the office, right, that's interesting. I I loved Robert California.
I thought that he I thought he was such strange,
(27:28):
but I thought that his addition to the office was
actually great and that he was never going to be
a replacement for Michael Scott, but that it was just
a different energy altogether, and I thought it suited the office.
I mean dunder Milin like pretty well, where it was
just I mean, he was strange, Brian that character. Yes, yes,
(27:49):
do you remember Pool Party? That's the episode that I
referenced being when people are like what was your least
favorite or what was the hardest episode? I always a
pool party, and it was remember the pool being particularly
like a great temperature, and I feel like it was
it felt like many days in that pool, right, many days,
many many days. Yeah. Yeah, I don't I always I
(28:12):
don't have I don't have like traumatic memories of that,
but I just remember that I was like, this is
It's just always an episode that I remember, I guess
because it was it distribushed itself by being in a pool. Also,
I feel like the week before is when we got
the heads up like, oh yeah, you guys are going
to be in a pool for the next week at
the table where they were like, oh yeah, do we
not mention you You're gonna be in the pool for
(28:32):
a week? Swim right right. So the finale of the shop,
(29:00):
we come back for Dwight and Angela's wedding, and there's
also a Q and A that we do. Yes, there's
a Q and A the cast of the documentaries, you know,
answering questions from the documentary that aired. I know personally
that's when aaron parents who are in the audience, asking
questions and what a like beautiful, beautiful end I thought
(29:21):
for Aaron anyway, like a beautiful end to her arc.
Aaron never really had a permanent family, like growing up,
she was in foster homes. And I just loved that
the writers arranged that for Aaron at the end, to
meet her birth parents. That was so And of course
you couldn't have gotten too better. It was Ed Begley Jr.
And Joan Cusack, who you're like, by the way, do
you know I still have Joan not to creep you
(29:42):
out or Joan qu sack out? But I still have
her card again. She gave me her card again. I
said something like either complimented her card again or I
said it smelled so good or something. This is on
the last day, so you're gonna have it. She took
his off and she gave it to me. Well, but
did she give it to you too? Used for a minute,
or was she like, no, you take this, She said
(30:03):
you can have it. You know, maybe she literally just
meant you can borrow it, and I never gave it back.
All right, well, yeah, it's very possible I misinterpreted that.
That would seem about right. Oh my gosh. By the way,
do you remember that was during the finale obviously, remember
we had to work like two saturdays in a row,
(30:25):
and we were like, oh my gosh, I can't believe it.
That was the only I think Saturday I ever worked
on that show. No, I think I enjoyed just every
minute of it. I don't know what you're talking about.
I will share this with you. We don't have this
on tape anywhere, but I will share this with you.
We were very very well behaved cast. Some would say churchly,
(30:48):
but you know, there were a few of us that
were maybe visited Kevin's bar that he had in the
finale that maybe had a little bit to my just
to drink on set. There you go and well committed
to tape. Okay we haven't recorded, but it took until
the finale to do that, right, Yes, exactly, a very
(31:12):
well behaved guest until Kevin's Bar. Yeah, exactly. Did you
go to the Rat Party in Scranton? Yes, First of all,
the Rat party that night, Like I remember, we wrapped
on a Saturday, and I believe I met you and Angela.
I just remember that we drove to the Rat party
together and then yeah, that was so much fun that night.
(31:32):
I just remember the l A Marathon was the next
day and I was like, how is anyone running? Because
we were absolute but um, the Scranton Rap Party was
one of the best weekends of my life. That was phenomenal.
And do you remember how Christina was, Brian, It was like,
there's not a cloud in the sky. The baseball game, Brian,
did we throw Wait? What happened? Why were we at
(31:53):
the somebody who threw out a pitch? Somebody did? No,
we were just doing a Q and A in the
baseball stadium because they needed the biggest venue that they
could fine, Oh my gosh. And then we went to
was at the backyard fence backyard Adale House. Oh and
then we just like we're behind the bar. That was
unbelievable was that the most special weekend ever was the
(32:13):
best and the people who lived there are so welcoming
and warm and kind. That was really an amazing event.
Have you been? Oh wait, you told me where you
were on your way there when we couldn't meet up
in New York. I just went yes. I went back
to the to the ballpark, I went back to the
(32:35):
Backyardale House to revisit some sites and to talk to
some of the folks there, I mean, and really talking
to them about how crazy it is that The Office
was big when it was on, and it seemingly has
only grown in popularity since two thousand seventeen. It has
(32:59):
over a hundred fifty three billion minutes watched streaming. Oh
my god, it with a B. I mean that I
again as a fan, because I have this perspective. It
makes perfect sense to me. It's a comforting show. It's
a healing show. It's not cynical. It's like a really
(33:22):
kind show. And and I think when you're watching it,
you feel like you know these people intimately and like
and what I love is kids who were too young
when it was first on and watch it now. I mean,
these kids are in middle school, they're high school. They
don't know what an office workplace is, but they know
what school is and they know and I think that's
how they relate to it, is that it's it's any
(33:44):
it's any situation where you're with the same people day
and day out, and everyone has these very distinct personalities
and it's an infinitely relatable show. But so I understand
why people watch it so much because I did too.
And it's like, I think, with Netflix, no one could
have ever predicted how many people would view this show,
don't you feel I feel so lucky that we got
(34:05):
to be well again as a newcomer. I feel so
lucky that I got to have any parts in it.
But it's really cool, Like how how how people are
still watching it? Yeah? It is. If it weren't for
The Office, where do you think you would be? Now?
Oh my gosh, Actually I take that back because on
(34:27):
the same day that I auditioned for the Office, I
also auditioned for a show called Cophouse and cop House
was a pilot written by the brilliant Adam Resnick, who
I adore. I don't think that the show was ordered
to series, but I think I would have been in
a pilot called cop House, and from there, I don't
(34:48):
know what I would have done. That's very interesting. You
were almost on cop House. I was almost the star
of cop House, so I would have done that and
the oh, I don't know what. Yeah, I don't know what.
That's a great question. I hope I would have found
work somewhere else, but nowhere would have been, of course,
(35:10):
of course as special as the office. Ellie. It's so
great to hear your voice. I'm only sorry that I'm
not seeing you in person and probably won't until two
two when there's a vaccine, but it is so thank
you for talking to me. It is so wonderful. I,
like I said, I've been looking forward to this, just
like selfishly as it picked me up separately. We need
(35:33):
like a two hour long just personal catch up. I
know I would love that, and I will tell you that.
At some point, I think Rain posted a text exchange
between you and him on the internet and I saw
it and I was like Oh my god, why aren't
Ellian I texting like that? Because it just really made
(35:55):
me smile. I don't know why we're not texting like that.
And also Rain Will said, I was like, he didn't
not tell me he was going to post that to
his millions of followers, like luckily everything was fine, but
yeah he wasn't. Again, just tell me the joke because
it will make me laugh. What was you can't remember
it either? Everything about what it was. It was about money, hute,
(36:18):
We'll have to look it up something totally. I feel
like it was bordering on inappropriate and then it was
actually fine. Rain is so weird, like when he says
he's I feel like he and Dwight are weird in
such specific ways and wildly different ways. But they're both
very weird people. But except Rain is actually like extremely kind.
Well I guess White was kind, but um, it is
the funniest thing he no text out of the blue,
(36:42):
the most insane thing, and it makes me so happy
that I know him. But anyway, yes, he posted that exchange.
We need to start texting not a regular occurrence with Rain,
and what it happens is like, but don't you feel
that we with so many people from the office where
like you don't hear from them for a while, and
then you do and it's like no time is past.
I totally I totally feel that way. All right, Ellie,
(37:06):
I will talk to you soon. Thank you so much,
Thank you, Brian. This is what a bright spot in
this otherwise bleak time. So I'm so good to hear
your voice. Once everything is calmed down, we're having the biggest,
like celebratory dinner out in a restaurant. It might be
five years from now, but we're doing it. Sounds perfect, okay, alright, alright,
by bye. Oh there you have her, Ellie kemper, Ellie,
(37:42):
we are on. We are so on for that dinner.
I just hope it's not five years. Please let's not
have it be five years. Thank you Ellie for your wit,
for your insight. I always have the most fun talking
to you and to my dear listeners. I had so
much fun bringing you this interview. So please come back
(38:04):
next week and join Ellie and I for that dinner.
We'd be happy to have you. Um. But in the meantime,
before the dinner happens, like subscribe review us on whatever
platform you see fit it helps us so much, so,
thank you in advance and have an excellent week the Office.
(38:35):
Deep Dive is hosted and executive produced by me Brian Baumgartner,
alongside our executive producer Langley. Our senior producer is Tessa Kramer.
Our producers are Emily Carr and Diego Tapia. Our social
media producer is Liz Hayes, and our intern is Hannah Harris.
My main man in the booth is Alec Moore. Our
(38:56):
theme song Bubble and Squeak, performed by my great friend
Creed Bratton, and the episode was mixed by seth Olandsky
h
Host
Brian Baumgartner
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