March 24, 2021 • 58 mins
The American Office turns 16 today! In this very special Sweet 16 episode, Brian responds to listener comments, questions, and reviews. He is joined by some VERY special guests and friends of the pod - Green Bay Packers QB and Office guest star, Aaron Rodgers, and Rainn Wilson himself as Terry Carnation from his new podcast, Dark Air with Terry Carnation.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:15):
Hello, Oh, I am so excited. Welcome to a very
special episode of the Office Deep Dive. I am your host,
Brian baum Gartner. Listen. Even though we put out our
usual Tuesday episode yesterday with Mr Ben Silverman, I am
(00:36):
coming at you today with this bonus episode because sixteen
years ago today, on Thursday, March two thousand five, at
nine pm local time, the American Office premiered on NBC.
That's right, the Office turns sixteen today. Happy Sweet sixteen everybody. Wow,
(01:04):
this is exciting. Now. I checked, weirdly, this is not
recognized as a national holiday. Weird. But in honor of
the special occasion, I am throwing you are fans a
sweet sixteen party. This episode is for you, the wonderful
fans who love the show and have been showing so
(01:26):
much love for this podcast. I'm going to answer some
of the fantastic questions that you sent in and tell
even more behind the scenes stories that we didn't get
to on the podcast. And I'm gonna respond to some
of your comments about the podcast itself. I seriously love
hearing from you guys, so I am very excited to
(01:49):
respond to some of your burning questions. But first, because
this is our special fan episode. I am going to
have a chat with one well lucky fan. This guy
is an office super fan. I met him wow, thirteen
(02:11):
years ago. Then he started like stalking me on social media.
And then one day I show up to set and
this guy's on set like talking to all of the
other actors. And then he ended up making an appearance
in one episode of the show, the series finale no Less.
(02:34):
And he also happens to be the NFL's m v
P and for sixteen years, the quarterback of the Green
Bay Packers. That's right, Please give a warm welcome to
my friend Aaron Rodgers. Aaron, how's it going. That's a
nice intro there, buddy. I mean, if you're looking for
(02:58):
someone eventually the Hall of Fame, I might be available
if you're interested. You get the perfect face for radio,
my friend, Like I've always always told you, uh years
though I can't believe it's been thirteen years. I remember
when we met. I was so juiced because I was
a huge fan of the show. But um, wow, that
(03:21):
is it's it's crazy thirteen years and and my favorite
part about that story is I didn't know who you were.
I don't know you were either I thought you were
somebody scatty or so yes. I Um, when when did
you start watching The Office? Did you watch it from
the beginning. I didn't watch from the beginning. Um, I
(03:45):
was a little bit. Uh well, i'll tell you. I
was way into the British Office. I'm a fan of
Ricky's your Base for a long time. I watched those
two seasons. I said, I thought they were absolutely brilliant.
And my friend Joey longtime friend, and got me into
it and we had started watching his House. I mean,
(04:06):
you know, right when it came out. And I remember
when when I heard the there's gonna be an adaptation
in the States, I was like, and well, how can
they do this show in the States, you know? And
I remember, so I didn't really get into it the
first season and I started watching it. I think I'm
guessing there was like a DVD that came out. This
was after VHS, so this is probably a DVD that
(04:27):
came out. Remember watching it and going, oh, they did
the Jello episode like in the British Office and stuff,
and this is the season went on. I was like,
this is really funny, like and this is this is
gonna be really good because you guys started to go
in your own direction and from that point forward, I
was hooked. And I've seen it so many times through
and I watched it, I think, uh, two and a
(04:48):
half times through Uh, during COVID, So you watched it
two and a half times. That's amazing. I knew we
had talked, and I knew that you were rewatching it
again because periodically you will like send me a green
shot of me doing something really stupid. Uh, And I
knew that you you were watching it. Why why do
you keep coming back to it? I mean, I guess specifically,
(05:10):
like what is it that you love about it? I mean,
it's it's hard to just pick one thing. I just
think there's so many things about this show that are
so beautiful and and and that should be timeless. But
I think the interesting part about the show is that
it would get canceled by this culture we live and
I think before it even got going. And uh, for
(05:35):
reasons that I think are so beautiful about the show
is that it's it's people who aren't necessarily PC and
and don't always say the right things and and I
think that's the beauty and any great TV show is
it's characters who are relatable who you can go, oh, man,
I love this about Jim. You know, he's an awkward
situations and all he can do is just look around
(05:56):
and look at the camera, you know, paying um with
you know, a relationship that's you know, in and out
and you just want somebody to commit to you or
or Michael, you know, you just want him. He just
wants to be liked so badly. That's all he cares
about is like people, you know, respecting him and liking him,
and you just we we start, especially in those characters,
with people that we know in our own lives. So
(06:17):
we're not only loving the characters, but we're loving it
because every time we see Kevin, we're reminded of someone.
Every time we see Ryan the Temper, were reminded that
someone from our lives. It makes us laugh, or makes
us mad, or makes us anything, any type of emotion
that brings it kind of brings even deeper in the show.
And I think just the meanings, the deeper meaning of
the show in the way it's crafted, I think is beautiful.
(06:39):
The way it's written, the character arcs for so many
um of the people. You you start to just really
love on the show yourself included. I love your character
arc throughout the show. How kind of as the show
goes on, you're You're the way you talk kind of
gets kind of gets smarter. And I remember the first
time I met you, I was like, Oh, you don't
talk like that, like you're doing the show. But I
(06:59):
love your character. I love Rains as Dwight. Um. I
love the fact that Creed story and how he got
his part and fill us his story she got her
part on the show, and and Robert California coming in
as bizarre as you could possibly imagine Spader and just
killing it and actually kind of bringing you back in
(07:20):
after you didn't know what was gonna happen when Steve
left the show, and and then just how it ends,
you know, and to be a part of strangely a
part of the penultimately in the in the final episode, um,
where there's just a couple of just amazing lines I've
I've mentioned him before, and you know, when Andy speaks
to camera there in the last episode, it's just so
beautifully written and spoken by him talking about you. You
(07:44):
wish somebody would tell you're in the good old days
before you left him. I think that's it's it's that
and that's what the show does. It's such a nostalgic
part of so much of our lives where we can
just remember where we were when we saw certain episodes
or what phase of life we were in when the
show was going crazy, and that's why we're all thankful
for that's why we binge the hell out of it
on Netflix. Yeah, you know, it's funny ed not too
(08:05):
long ago, he I think it was on Twitter he
sent out that quote and he had a picture of
me and John and Rain and himself all in our
Texas after the Golden Globes one year and I remember
back to that more like he was doing it on purpose, obviously,
but just him for me personally, going back to that
(08:27):
night and going back to so many nights like that
with those guys. Um. Yeah, it's that one still gets me.
That that one still gets me. And because you brought
it up, I was going to bring it up later.
But you know, one of the questions that I asked
everybody was about the very last line of the show,
which is i'll paraphrase, but Pam talking about why they
(08:52):
chose dunder Mifflin as a subject for this documentary and
then realizing that it was a good subject because there's
Beau the in ordinary things, and isn't that kind of
the point. But through all of the shenanigans, all of
the you know, crazy you know, like I've said many times,
we felt like we were just being idiots, you know,
(09:12):
for a decade, But there was an underlying feeling there
that people like you just said, seemed to respond to.
That It celebrates that that ordinary nous um or or
seemingly ordinariness in people. Yeah, I couldn't agree with you anymore.
I mean, there's a lot of misty moments in the
(09:33):
last episode and just that last montage of of Jim
and Pam talking to camera, you know, especially when Jim's
talking about dunder Mifflin and this amazing, crazy, you know,
bizarre place that he lived and worked at and the
people that he grew up with and Creeds, you know,
playing the guitar there, you know, after the you know,
(09:54):
Angela and and do I come up after you know
the wedding is just this is some the just sweetest,
most beautiful moments and in a show's ending, I think
because you're bringing that nostalgia and and just a great
montage and um, and you kind of you wrap things
up now. I'm I love watching movies and shows and
(10:15):
and sometimes I think, you know, for certain shows or
movies you don't need it, and you don't need to
wrap things up. It's almost better with the mystery. But
I think with with the ride that that the Office
took us on for so many years, like it was
fun to to see all these different stories wrapped up,
and and to have ah Steve come back the way
that he did and the time that he did. That's
(10:35):
what she said, joke was so perfectly done. And and
to see Nelly come back, and to see Ryan and
Kelly end up together, and um and Dwight in the
dream job that he wants to and you and your
character with your bar and you guys patching things up,
and and Jim, you know, getting a grand gesture from
(10:57):
Pam to to go do his dream job. I just
there's so many beautiful moments put in the end. It
comes down to that set, which I was lucky enough
to go on thankfully when I when you when you
showed me around, But just to end it there for
all of us, you know, it was just a really
special moment, I think, and I'm sure it was for
you guys to you know, it's it's funny coming up
in a in an episode not too long from now.
(11:19):
I sit down with Creed and he I saw him
the night before. We actually played in a benefit concert
the night before, and I said, hey, tomorrow, you're coming in,
we're gonna chat. Bring in your guitar. And he played
that song for me, just sitting and right now I'm
I'm I'm having feeling just him sitting there playing that
song with him. It will never not do something to
(11:44):
me for sure. Um the series finale, you mentioned you
were not scripted in the show, as you know. You know,
I've never revealed who was scripted. I may have told
you it was a it was a famously remember it
was a famous tennis player. Let's just go with that.
It was a famous tennis player. And we finished the
(12:06):
table read and I went to Greg Daniels and I said, hey,
you know, I don't know if you know, if somebody
knows him, if he's going to come in or whatever.
I was like, but you know, I just want you
to know. Aaron Rodgers a big fan of the show,
and he's like Oh, do you think Aaron would do it?
I think he would. And uh, and then yeah, you
came on. Um, I remember us hanging out. Obviously we
(12:26):
weren't in it together, but a little bit, you know,
offset how was that experience for you coming on the
shows as being a big fan of the show and
you've gotten to know a lot of us at that point.
But yeah, and and that's the fun thing. I got
to be around, said a couple of times, and and
be out, you know, with you guys a few times,
and met a number of people, had met Angela and
(12:46):
Oscar and who else? Did I meet? Craig m bj
Novac you're doppelganger? Yeah, yeah, guys looking at the side
by side picture online? Yeah yeah, yeah, dead on. And
I met I met Steve on a plane randomly one time.
(13:07):
And I met Rain on set. So it was fun
to be out there. Uh. And we got to be
with Ed Helms on that shoot. So I was pumped.
I mean, I remember the drive down. I was so
excited to to just like be on the set and
and to see what was going on. I didn't know
what I was, you know, really the role I was.
I was walking into um and then I meet my
(13:28):
two other guest stars. It's uh Santa Gold, who I
didn't know who she was before, but she was really
really sweet and just a really sweet special person. We
had a fun, fun day and then Clay Aikin was
it was and I had known Clay because I had
been a fan of American idol um so uh to
this day when people you know who that's the beauty
(13:50):
in the show, there's so many people who just have
watched it now and they're like, hey, I just saw
you on the You're on the Office. I'm like, yeah,
that was like eight years ago, you know, Like, but
I love that, and that's the timeless nature of the show.
But it was so fun beyond set and just watching
Ed work, you know, through his his bid and you know,
I just have so much respect for him and I
(14:11):
love what he brought to the show. And it's just
he's quirky nard dog that only only he could do.
Umbody was so funny beyond the said my favorite memory
from the show was you know, my lines, And I've
gotten some guff for it over the years, but it
wouldn't like I had the greatest lines, you know, and
and the one line, you know, the lines that they
(14:31):
end up using in the montage of the kind of
the viral song that comes out You're just not good
or whatever. Like I didn't mind those lines, but flag
on the play was not my favorite line. And I
just felt like, like, I get this, it's a football reference,
you know, but I would never say that, and Brian,
you know me, I'm like, it was just so cheesy.
(14:54):
So so if we did twelve takes, you know, if
we did twelve takes, you know, four the times I
said flag on the play. The other eight I just
kind of add lib. But I was like, can I
just say something that I think I would use? And
so the first like I think three takes, I said
flag on the play, and then I just add live
after that, and the sweet sweet script lady would come
(15:15):
by and go, Mr Rogers, um, your line is flag
on the play, and you know that was like that
was like after like the third time I hadn't said it.
So we're in like take eight now, and I'm like,
I'm still gonna go something different, And you know, she
was so sweet. She never lost her patience, but I
(15:36):
could tell by about take eleven she was like, Hey,
your your line still is flag on the place. Oh yeah, yeah, sorry,
I forgot you know that I said flag on the
play and they got the twelfth take and I'm like, yeah,
they're gonna use that. That's but it was so it
was so fun being on there and then to see myself,
you know when they you know, when they cut to
(15:57):
the viral video of the baby wow, wow, you know
in the last episode. Um Man, it was so fun
And I do really appreciate be You're setting that up
for me and give me the opportunity because although I
never got seen and in another one of my all
time favorite shows, I've been in the penultimate episode of
(16:18):
now two of my all time favorite shows, the other
one being a Game of Thrones, which are still people
don't realize I might have been in there where with
the office they can actually see my face, my slightly
bloated still on my phase of eating the copious amounts
of dairy products all the time, but I did ahead
of last surday on set. Do you feel like that
your life has changed since being on the office, I mean,
(16:40):
do people recognize you in public? Yeah? I'd say that
was probably the biggest. The biggest thing I will say
though that you know, There's been some things over the
years that I think I've helped my brand as much
as anything. I always give State Farm credit for this
bizarre discount double check that. When I read the script
first time, I'm like, this is not funny, this is
like they gotta change since sure enough. I mean for
(17:01):
years it was. And you've been with me on the
golf course at Taho that was, and Pebble Beach that
was like the only thing people would yell at me
and I would and I would just laugh. How that
kind of changed my you know, my public persona. But
you and I have talked about the numbers of people
that have watched this show on Netflix, four times as
many watched on Netflix as any other show. It's unbelievable.
(17:23):
Um now, it's obviously over at the Peacock, but uh,
but I will say that I'm sure there were some
people wondering who the hell that was, and then other
people going, oh, isn't that that guy who's the insurance guy?
Is he was in the office? Wow? Okay, so yeah,
it might have helped my brand a little bit. But
that's funny. I appreciate it, buddy, It's fun He did
(17:44):
a great job with the you know, with the first podcast.
And that's the thing I think is beautiful is it's
so many people have you either loved this show since
season one or I've gotten into it more recently, but
it has stood the test of town time because it's
just so relatable and it has such a good message
all the while. It just keeps you laughing the whole
(18:05):
time because you just you know, some of the stuff
that Michael Pools and the pranks at Gym pools on
Dwight all the time, and and your character Aric and
Oscars and Angelas and everybody kind of gets that's cool.
Everybody kind of gets through opportunity to shine in different
episodes in different ways, which is which is really cool
to see as well. Yeah, one of the things we've
we've talked about is you know why the show is
(18:28):
still so big? I mean, why, quite frankly, is it
bigger now than it ever was when it was on?
And um, I think you've touched on a lot of
those things, sort of the universality that you know, how
how much people relate to the show. And I think
there's something else which I've sort of come to in
these conversations with so many people. Is that so many
(18:49):
shows after a decade or or longer since we you know,
and it's been sixteen years since the pilot aired, um
is that they feel dated or they feel not quite right.
And I think that the discovery that I've had is
that a documentary can never be dated. It is about
(19:10):
these people at this time, and it's so defining the
time that it you know, the clothes or the technology
that maybe isn't exactly the same, that doesn't matter because
it's about that and you're following that journey on that time.
And so you never do that like, oh, that's an
old joke or oh that's you know, look at that
(19:32):
flip phone or whatever. It's like, you don't if there's
a documentary about the seventies, you don't go this looks
this is dated. It's like, well, yeah, it's about the seventies.
Dink um. Anyway, Yeah, that's that's a really fascinating point
that I'm just thinking about as you're saying that. It
makes a lot of sense because you watch old episodes
of uh Seinfeld of Friends or Saved by the Bill.
(19:54):
There's some of the shows we grew up on, you like,
man like they didn't have phones and they didn't the
way they communicated and some of the jokes and stuff.
You look at it differently, for sure than when you
look at this faux documentary style, which by the way,
is just so brilliantly genius of Ricky and Stephen, you know,
to to start off, like and you pick a paper
(20:16):
company too, it's like, wait, what what do we Yeah,
that's why. So and you pick a place, you know, Scranton,
p A. It's like, it's just this beautiful combination of
like the workplace, the fact that it's shot as a
documentary it's in Scranton, p A. And you have the
non PC characters in a time where the era is changing,
and yeah, just all it's just all so beautifully done. Um,
(20:41):
and I think it will continue to standard test of
time because there's a love affair of nostalgia of a
time like that where things were maybe a little less
precious than they are now. Well, thank you so much
for talking to me about this as usual, so perceptive
and and so deep about um well life and the show. Um.
(21:04):
But before we leave, I feel like it's only fair
that I ask you this question that you've told me
without me asking many times who's your favorite character on
the office. If you're definitely in my top five, I think, uh,
that's exactly right. That's I thought it was gonna be
a quick answer for you. I mean for those we
(21:25):
play a lot of golf together, and oftentimes it's in public.
You you always say that it's Creed. That's what you all.
You always say that it's Creed. But maybe you're just
needling me, and I'm just needling you because you know
you may have been higher on the call sheet than him,
and you actor types, you are also worried about who's
ranked number one and number twenty on the call sheet?
(21:48):
Are worried about that? Just after this is what you
did too? You try to turn it right back on me.
We had a classic. I just show this. We had
a classic. You know. We're waiting on the on this
whole in South Carolina playing the BMW event, and there's
it's it's a it's a part five, but it's a
short part five. You can get home and two. And
(22:08):
so we're a couple of groups stacked up and we're
talking to the crowd as the group is walking on
the fairway and asking them who their favorite characters are
and and Brian gets a little sensitive, you know, about
the situations. So he starts, you know, talking about who
his all time favorite quarterbacks are for the Packers, and
mentioning far and part Star and Don mckowski and Lynn
(22:28):
Dickey and all these different people. Right, it's always he's
always trying to get some jebs. And look, I I've
always been a fan of of Jim's character. I love
I mean, I feel like he's a relatable character. For sure.
He's very athletic. I know you try and try and
feel like you're the uh you know, you've made some
sort of fifteen shots in a row at some point
(22:50):
in the basketball episode, but Jim is definitely the most athletic.
Check the tape. Check check the tape. I've uh, I
miss miss Missy anybody. I miss miss our beck and
voice for sure. And I appreciate you have me on here. Absolutely.
Thank you so much, Aaron, Thank you. There you have it, folks,
(23:13):
Mr Aaron Rodgers, thanks so much for stopping by my friend.
I appreciate it. All right, there is plenty more coming up.
Uh maybe even another special guest, who knows. But first
let's get to the Q and A Section mail bag.
Mail bag. Yes, I am told hundreds, if not millions,
(23:38):
of you reached out on social media with questions about
the Office. I'm going to try to answer as many
as I can here, But if yours doesn't get answered,
or if you have even more questions, don't worry. We
will definitely be doing more episodes like this, So let's
keep the lines of communication open. People subscribe and comment
(24:00):
on Apple podcasts, the I Heart Radio app, or any
other social media because me or my team we will
be watching, so listen. I apologize in advance if I
mispronounced anyone's name today. But our first question, mailbag, we
have someone, I'm told who might be able to challenge
Aaron's title as the number one fan. Gregory Hunter McDowell says, Hi,
(24:26):
Brian in alone, I watched The Office twenty two times. Wow,
it was my go to show from tragedies to triumphs.
My favorite thing about your character was your side glance
to the camera. My question would be what was your
favorite game or website on your work computer you went
(24:47):
to to portray working. Great question. Uh, Now, when The
Office came on, we didn't have internet access the first year,
and then they were like, well, let's make this more realistic, right,
We're all about realism. So our computers started working, and
what my space was the social media do your um
(25:13):
at the time, and so a number of us got
on my We thought, well, if we're in an office,
what are office workers around the land right now doing?
There on my Space? So I got on my Space
as my character Kevin Malone, and I had a blog,
and I never veered from actor to character. In other words,
(25:36):
it was Kevin Malone, who was sitting in an office
called dunder Mifflin, was not aware that he was being
filmed or on television, who was just writing about his experience.
I need to go back and read some of those
blogs and see if they're just terrible or if it's
kind of fun. But the most fun thing I did
was people started on my Space asking me for signed pictures.
(25:59):
Will you send a signed picture? And I thought, well,
I can't do that because I'm just Kevin Malone, an
accountant who doesn't know he's on television. So I said, well,
I don't know why you want a picture of me,
but if you send me a signed picture of you,
then I will send you back a signed picture of me.
(26:20):
And I got thousands of signed pictures from people to
Kevin uh and and it was it was a lot
of fun. I then I sent them a headshut back.
I kind of destroyed the game at the end. I
was like, Okay, well this is what you want, so
I'm gonna I'm gonna send that. But I had a
lot of fun doing that. So I would say I
did a lot of my Space sing I don't think
(26:43):
that's a word. And um and I paid bills because
I thought I would get on an online you know,
bill pay thing and I would like pay bills because
I was like, oh, well, these documents look like financial documents,
and I'm an accountant, right, so it's very realistic that
I'm shuffling around my bills and paying them on set.
It works. So there you go. That was what I
(27:03):
would do on my computer. Uh. Daniel Gutierrez says, Hi,
dad who chose this comment? Well, Hi, Daniel, I didn't
know you existed, but it's good to know that you do.
I hope you're doing well in life and reach out
when you're when you're thirty five. Uh oh. We have
(27:27):
a one star review from gold Hohore gold Whore. I
don't know how else I could pronounce that on the
Apple Podcasts app with the following comment one star review.
Not what I thought. I thought it was work related.
(27:48):
Now wait a second. You listen to the podcast and
thought this was about a deep dive into working at
an office? Gold? Horror, my friend? And did you did
you read the description? Because I'm pretty sure in the
description it should be clear that this would not be
about working in an actual office. But I'm sorry you
were you were dissatisfied. Katie O zero zero one oh
(28:16):
a five star review on Apple Podcasts. Love this podcast.
I love it, But just play the whole podcast. Why
do you need to break it up? Trying to remember
past episodes will be kind of annoying. I listened to
Rogan for three plus hours. Thanks well, Katio zero zero one,
Thank you for the question. We've we've gotten this question
(28:38):
quite a bit. Why are we breaking up and releasing
part one Part two? For some of the people we interviewed. Well,
the reason why is we've structured this podcast as a
deep dive into the office, so we have subjects or
sections themes. For example, we've started with the origin section,
(28:58):
which is the beginning of a show, bringing the show
from Ricky and Stephen from the UK to the US
casting the pilot, how difficult it was for the show
to stay on the air it's first couple of seasons,
and so some of the interviews that were particularly long,
we wanted you to hear from those people when we
did our deep dive into that subject. So as we
(29:23):
move on to other subjects, like the camera as the
character when we talk about Steve Correll leaving, some of
the parts of those interviews fit better in those sections.
So we're not trying to torture you by only releasing
a part of the interview. You will hear part two
is very very soon. But that's the reason that we
(29:44):
have structured it this way. We're trying to tell a story,
a narrative through all of these interviews, so you really
get a deep dive into the office. Andrew Montavan asks,
did the Office, like the physical set become a home
for you guys? I have seen so many bloopers and
(30:04):
so many things of you guys just enjoying yourselves and
each other. It must have been ours anyway, big fan
of the show, the podcast and anything the Office. Um,
thank you very much, Andrew, and yes, I mean what
a lot of people don't know, which we haven't discussed
so much in the podcast, is for that one half
(30:26):
hour of television you know on NBC with commercials, was
really twenty two minutes that you see on TV. We
generally would be at the office sixty to seventy hours
a week. I mean those that was the amount of
time that it took to get those twenty two minutes
(30:46):
for an episode, and we would shoot one episode in
a week. So, yes, it looked like a home because
it was for a while. And that's one of the
things that made it unique about other shows because of
the way the show was shot. We were all there
so much. Usually it's like the star of the show
might be their sixty to seventy hours in a week,
(31:07):
and everyone else kind of comes in and does their
scenes and then they leave. We were all there. But
I think that's one of the things that gave us
um the truly special bond that we have. Ahmed Skywalker rights, Hi,
tomorrow is my birthday. Can you say happy birthday to me? Ahmed?
(31:31):
Happy birthday? Uh? This next post I am told got
a number of likes who used to laugh the most
during the scenes and was it hard to control the laughter.
Samuel big Fan from Brazil. Mindy Kaling that that that
(31:54):
Mindy Kaling, and I think she would own up to that. Um.
But I will answer this in another way. The person
who was known as the one who laughed the least,
Oscar Nunius. He has the greatest dead pan and it
is really hard, very very difficult to break him, that's
(32:15):
for sure. Maybe in the scene the Gay witch Hunt,
Steve finally got him and occasionally he would laugh. But
but Oscar Nunias was um. He laughed the least, and
I I had a difficult time myself. I'll be honest,
Cassidy Rights. I drive all day for work as a
medical career, and I've really enjoyed listening to your podcast
(32:38):
while working. It helps the day go by faster and
makes sitting in traffic a little less boring. Well, Cassidy,
thank you one for the work that you're doing right now,
which is so important, uh and crucial. And you know,
by the way, if there's one good thing that has
come out of this this hot circle of garbage they
(33:02):
call a global pandemic, it is the appreciation that all
of us now have, or certainly should have for the
people who are working on the front lines, um, nurses, doctors,
medical couriers, those who are doing important things that keep
us safe. So thank you, Cassidy, and I'm glad that
I can make sitting in traffic a little less boring. Uh.
(33:23):
A lot of questions here I am told about will
of course my chili or specifically Kevin's famous chili. Uh.
A lot of likes. On the next question, hey Zeus,
Mendez says how many batches of chili were made when
Kevin brought in the chili and dropped it? And how
(33:43):
many times did you have to shoot that cold open. Well,
I'm tremendously proud of this, hey Zeus, so I will
answer it. Um. I assume they had three batches of chili,
because I remember very specifically the set dress ng um
props people coming to me, like not wanting to tell
(34:05):
the bosses or the producers or whatever. They were like
coming to me kind of back channeling and saying like, okay,
the biggest issue was the carpet, right. So they had
gigantic pieces of carpet that they had laid out over
the floor and they came to me and they were like, Brian,
we have three pieces of carpet. And I mean by
giant piece of carpet, I mean from the front door
(34:26):
all the way past the reception desk over to like
the we called it the gem and Dwight pod of
desks there um. And they were like, we have three
pieces of carpet, so we I mean, we can't do
any more than that. I got it in one I'm
a I'm a one taker. I don't think that makes sense,
but I here's the thing. There were three pieces of carpet,
(34:49):
but there was only one of me, and so they
had thought about cleaning the carpet. I don't know that
anyone really understood what was going to happen to me
when I was done. I mean, my hands were kind
of stained right like they weren't they were, it was
not a natural color. And that day I might have
showered with five people. I mean there might have been
five people in there. I mean from wardrobe and makeup
(35:11):
and hair people. I mean I was like striping. I'm
not to get to graphic here, but like taking off close.
I was such a mess. And if we had not
gotten it in that one take, I don't know, I
don't know what we would have done. If we would
have had to just come back the next day. But thankfully, um,
thankfully we got it and well that moment, I mean truly,
(35:34):
I cannot believe what has happened to them more. I
never imagined in my wildest dreams that I would be
talking about Chili Um all of these many years later. Uh.
Jason Swimmer, sorry again, I apologize if I'm if I'm
missed pronouncing the names. My name is Jason, and I'm
a podcaster too. It would be awesome if you could
(35:56):
shout me out. Well, there you go, if I said
your name right, Oh, Schwimer, Schwimer, that's it. Actually he did.
He did give his own pronunciation, Jason Schwimer. Um, good
luck to you. My friend, Grant Bain says, thank you
for this podcast. What are your thoughts on the theory? Oh,
(36:17):
here we go that Kevin is a secret genius who
is running an embezzlement operation at the company and he
uses that money to buy the bar in the finale episode.
It's one of my favorite theories. Okay, So I used
to get asked this all the time when I did
Q and Ice, and I finally went down the dark,
dark rabbit hole, which is is redditum, which is fun,
(36:42):
but you don't want to get caught down there. And
I started reading these feeds and people how they from
small moments, how they had concocted this idea that Kevin
is a secret genius was so amazing to me. I
can only tell you that was not that was not
in our thoughts. I'm sorry to say that, and it
certainly was not in mind playing it now, maybe Greg
(37:04):
Daniels would answer differently, but I think I think the
idea is amazing and and in point of fact, speaking
of deleted scenes, the idea of in part behind Kevin's bar,
I will share this. Here's a here's a new thing
for you, here's a new what do we call them,
I don't know, never before heard moments. So the idea
(37:29):
from Greg in the series finale was that Kevin became
a fan favorite once the the fictional documentary started airing.
Kevin was a fan favorite, and everywhere he went people
would buy him drinks. And there was a bar that
he would go to and people would buy him drinks.
This is it's something like this, and part of it
(37:51):
was based on my own experience, by the way, like
in life, so he had gotten a gigantic credit tab
because he couldn't consume all the drinks he was offered
at this bar, which was partly how he obtained the bar.
I think it was something like that, but that was
part of the idea, was that Kevin became a huge
(38:13):
fan favorite once the fictional documentary aired. Um Emily Lemkey,
Emily from Kansas. I sometimes think about where the characters
would be today. Where do you think Kevin would be
still at dunder Mifflin Married. Well, let me tell you, Emily,
what I hope is that Kevin is still sitting at
(38:36):
that bar and he is really really happy. That's what
I imagine him where he is and what he's doing today.
And I hope, I hope, beyond hope, that that is
where he is. Angelo writes not to get too negative,
but I'm genuinely curious, what was truly the most stressful
(39:01):
or emotionally tasking time or moments for all of you
as a cast. Angelo from Buffalo, New York. Oh, I
don't know that that's negative. Listen. I I'm gonna answer
this in two ways. I don't know how you intended it,
but the first couple of years, as we have discussed
(39:21):
and will continue to discuss in this podcast when the
show was truly almost canceled. There's we're not exaggerating this,
like we truly thought we were out of a job
a number of times over the first two years, including
after we filmed the pilot, so before anything was on TV.
That was very stressful, um and very emotionally difficult for us.
(39:49):
In terms of on set activities difficult. I'm sure everyone
would have a different answer. Minus the fire, not the
fake fire drill, but the fire. When Ryan started the fire,
we were shooting that it was supposed to be fall
in scranted and we had on coats and in that
parking lot in in Van Nuys, California, it was about
(40:13):
a hundred and ten degrees and that one was that
one was not fun. Ryan Spady says, why use big
word when small word do trick? Ryan, do you mean,
why waste time say a lot word when few word
do trick? I think that's what you mean. Benny spie Whack,
(40:37):
Oh writer and producer Benny spie Whack, from an Oral
History of the Office, writes Greg Daniels, said he always
looked to you for a button. What's your favorite one? Yes.
So I was tremendously proud that Greg brought this up
in my interview with him that oftentimes at the end
of a scene, um, nothing funny would be happening, like
(41:01):
there would be an important reason that we would need
to have a scene in for the story of an episode.
But you know, in comedy, you you often want to
end a scene on a button. And so Matt Sone
and Randall Ironhorn, the camera people would would at times
look to me and I would try to give them
a button. What was my favorite one? I'm not exactly sure.
(41:24):
I think it would relate to the episode with Kevin
saying what does a bean mean? There was something very
funny about that, and I think it was scripted once
what does a bean mean? Because Kevin got no beans
and other people had beans and this was very concerning
to him. Uh, And I think I ended up saying
(41:45):
that and ended the scene with that button what does
a bean mean? I'm going with that right now. Ella
Hendrickson rights, this is Ella here, Hi, Ella, who would
you describe as the unsung here rows of the office? Wow,
that is a great question. Um, Phil Shay, who was
(42:08):
our prop master, he was an unsung hero of the
Office for sure. The amount of props that were written
into the show and that just existed on the set
of The Office that were needed in particular episodes, sometimes
very obscure objects that were difficult to find. He is
a true unsung hero of the show. Um. Now they've
(42:29):
both gone on to great success. I've mentioned them before,
but Matt Son and Randall Einhorn, the guys who were
holding the cameras, I mean, that is tremendously difficult work
and they were generally just held on the shoulders um
and sometimes for long periods of time where we would
shoot and go back and improv and I physically demanding work.
(42:53):
But but not just that, the degree of care that
they showed for how the show was shot and really
viewed themselves as a character trying to find the right
story as a documentarian would. Um, those things are difficult
to write, they're difficult to direct. But those guys just
got it. So even though they have great success now, uh,
(43:17):
someone appreciates them, I would consider them unsung heroes of
the Office for sure. Julian Go Tiangko rights. I'm sure
I missed that up Hi, Brian, huge fan. This is
Julian My favorite episode is the Niagara Falls episode. My
question is who in the writer's room came up with
the idea for Kevin to wear Kalenix tissue boxes as
(43:40):
shoes after his shoes were incinerated. Another fan, Rebecca Morrow, asked,
were they hard to walk in? Where they custom fit
to your feet? It's one of my favorite scenes of
all time. Well, I I will tell you I if
I'm at a fan event or a college or something,
I am always amused with who come up and are
(44:01):
wearing tissue box shoes because I know that it's really
not comfortable. It's they're really they're they're not comfortable. And
I will tell you actually, when we for John Krasinski's
show during the pandemic Some Good News, we did a
wedding and he came to all of us and asked
(44:22):
us to appear. And I was like, well, I have
to have tissue box shoes on right, I'm attending these
people's weddings. Let's let's do it. I couldn't find any
big enough, so I don't actually know. I have intended
to go back and ask Phil Shay Props, like where
did you find these? Maybe they were like Costco Sam's
Club supersized clean xboxes. I don't know, but I couldn't
(44:44):
find any um that that fit me. Yeah there and
again not comfortable. Uh wolf calm oh a five star
review on Apple Reviews rights, I'm going down, yelling Timber,
and I want to swim in this amazing Ear Whole
Candy until I'm old and wrinkly. Wow. Maybe my favorite
(45:10):
comment or review of all time. Ere anything that mentions
Ear Whole Candy and I'm going down yelling Timber. Well,
that works for me. Breezy Benna on Apple Podcasts, Uh,
five star review again, thank you, great job. I love
both podcasts, The Office Ladies and this one as well.
(45:32):
They did such a wonderful job giving us multiple points
of views and even deeper dives into such a great show.
Now I have two podcasts to look forward to. Uh,
Breezy Benna, I couldn't agree more. And let me just say,
if you haven't checked out The Office Ladies podcast, very
(45:53):
they don't sound like me. I know, it's very weird. Uh.
They have done a fantastic job going episode by episode,
examining and telling behind the scenes stories. Uh. It's a
rewatch show and it's fantastic and so um my good
friends Jenna Fisher and Angela Kenzie gracious, even though they're
(46:13):
talking all the time on their podcast, they graciously agreed
to come and spend hours with me um talking about
the Office in a different way than even they do
on their podcast. So yes, Um, please check that out
and thank you so much for listening here. Um. Whyatt
(46:35):
Stevens asks prior to your casting of Kevin, where were
you in your professional career as it pertains to film
and TV? If The Office never happened, do you believe
other projects could have kept you in the game? And lastly,
if I can, what's the best advice you could give
to one entertainment Wow? Great questions, Wyatt. Um. First of all,
(47:01):
I was a theater actor. I had graduated from college
and was traveling around as a regional theater actor, doing
very very uh small theaters and doing some large ones
as well. And I was traveling city to city getting
work where I could, and I decided to move to
(47:21):
Los Angeles. I felt like it was time. I had
had a couple of experiences that that made me want
to pursue it, and I was fortunate enough. Um, just
a couple of months after coming to Los Angeles, I
met Alison Jones and Greg Daniels and was cast on
the Office. So for me, I was very new in
(47:41):
film and television. I had done a few guest star parts,
I had done a couple of commercials, um but when
I was first seen on the Office, I had not
done much film and television at all. And I feel
tremendously lucky one obviously to have met them and to
have found the right show for me at the right time. Um.
(48:07):
My advice for anyone wanting to be an entertainment is
consume material, watch material, practice your craft. You know. I
will say it was very lucky that I met Alison
Jones and Greg at the same time. I will say
I knew the British version of the Office, and I
knew the style worked well for me. I knew they
(48:28):
were looking for unknown people, so I actually pursued this job.
And if I hadn't been watching other television or studying
what was being released, what the styles were that were
being released that appealed to me and my specific sensibilities
and strengths, I would not have pushed as hard for
this show. So it was timing. It was great timing
(48:50):
I was in Los Angeles, but also I watched things,
even things that I didn't like or appreciate. I watched
them because I felt like I needed to know what
was out there in order to work in the business.
So thank you. Um, Kathy Chevalier wait wait wait or
(49:10):
Chevalier potato potato. Do any cast members hope to do
a sort of reunion show in the future. Has anyone
pitched any ideas? Um? We have discussed it quite a lot.
I believe it is certainly possible. There are some ideas
(49:32):
that have been circulated amongst email and text chains, but
I am not at liberty to discuss that. I will
answer any questions about anything that's happened in the past.
As for the future, I will only say, oh, I
think some people would love to do that, and I've
(49:52):
heard rumblings of some ideas of it, So there you go. Sorry,
I know that's devil not as satisfying, but um, but yes,
it is discussed on occasion. Dr Pickens rights who in
the cast would be the best at hide and seek?
(50:14):
Quick answer would be Angela because she's the smallest. Uh
Dwight is the craftiest. Kevin would be terrible, And yeah,
I'm gonna go with Angela because what, as Michael says,
at one point, she could hide behind a grain of rice,
(50:35):
so they're probably way more options for her to hide
than anyone else. So let's go with Angela. She's the
best at hide and seek. All right, Thank you all
for all of those questions. Those were amazing. Uh and
now I'm told, I'm told we have another very special
guest joining us now, a man of mystery and intrigue. Oh,
(51:00):
Mr Terry Carnation. Hello, Terry, you're a you're a big
fan of the Office. I am the Office is number
one fan. Thank you for having me on your show. Kevin. Oh,
it's Bryant Brian. But that's fine, It's easily sure, it is.
(51:21):
I have seen all fourteen episodes at least twenty seven times. Um, Terry.
I think there's like two four episodes of the show. Yes,
it's magnificent. I love the show. I love I love offices.
I love office buildings. You know. I feel like offices
(51:46):
and people who work in them are disrespected and it's
the backbone of the American economy, and so I love
all the drama. Yeah, but I do have some questions
about the show for you. Great, I would us that's
what we're doing today, and thank you for having me
on behalf of all the all the big fans of
the office out there. Thank you for having me of course. Um,
(52:11):
of all of the characters in the accounting department, who
would you say is most likely possessed by biel zabab? Um? Well,
I'm definitely not Angela, That's that's for sure. I know,
I mean, I I mean I haven't seen I haven't
(52:31):
seen the show, but she seems fiery, feisty in a
way that that could suit the dark Lord's purposes. You
haven't seen the show. I've seen the show so many times,
um that it feels like I've never seen the show before.
But I am, I am the biggest possible fan. Oh well,
thank you. Yeah, I um, I don't know. We'll say Kevin.
(52:53):
We'll thank Kevin was possessed by Beelzebub, that's you. Yes,
I'm interesting, he would be the Yeah. M hm. Which
of the salesman do you think is most likely to
have been abducted by aliens? I? Um, probably Dwight. Who
(53:14):
would probably be Dwight? Dwight screwed Dwight, Dwight Shrewd. Do
you know Dwight, you know the character Dwights, Yes, ridiculous looking,
bombastic gentleman. Yes, interesting? Interesting? And in which of the
which of the cast members of the office uh might
(53:37):
have seen Bigfoot or any cryptid lockness monster? Terry, I don't,
I don't think. I don't. I don't know where these
questions are coming from. This seem they seem totally not
on the point of what we're doing today. I'm so sorry.
I appreciate you being a fan and at the same
time feel as though you've never seen the show. Okay,
(53:57):
I'm going to come clean. I've never seen your stupid show. Okay, yeah,
But I am Terry Carnation. I am the philosopher of
the paranormal, and I have a podcast that is launches
in April one. We're all fine. Podcasts are found. If
if anyone out there has concerns about demons, alien abductions,
lizard people, Bigfoot another cryptids, um, please tune in Dark
(54:23):
Air with Terry Carnation as I guide you on a
journey through the unimaginable, through the unexplained, through the mysterious, fantastic.
Thank you darting behind your pathetic Okay, thank you at
Workplace Comedy and join me on a fascinating journey into
(54:44):
the subcon Thank you, Terry dark Air with Terry Carnation
available well wherever you get your podcasts if that's your thing.
Thank you so much for joining us. I e wasting
our time here today. Thank you, thank you, thank you,
thank you, thank you. God. That guy sounds like Rain Wilson.
(55:08):
Did you, guys, that guy sounds like Rain Wilson. That's unbelievable.
People are unbelievable. Anyway, Um, folks, that was it. I'm
sorry it ended so weirdly. That's what That's what he
said at conclude. That's yet the end our Sweet sixteen celebration.
(55:31):
Thank you so much through all of you except Terry. Uh,
thank you for listening. Thank you for participating in this
week's episode. We're gonna do it again sometime, so keep
the questions and the comments a rolling. As they say,
in the meantime, we're gonna be back Tuesday, next Tuesday,
at our regularly scheduled time. The word regularly is a
(55:55):
difficult word to say. Another interview, this time Kevin Riley. Now, guys,
this is the person who was there from the very
beginning and is the reason that The Office was on television.
I cannot wait to share that with you. Until then,
have a wonderful week everyone. The Office Deep Dive is
(56:24):
hosted and executive produced by me Brian Baumgartner, alongside our
executive producer Langley, our producers for this very special episode
where Emily Carr, Diego Tapia, Liz Hayes, Tessa Kramer, and
Ryan Zachary. My main man in a booth is Alec Moore.
Our theme song Bubble and Squeak performed by my great
(56:45):
friend Creed Bratton, and the episode was mixed by seth Olandsky. Hello,
(57:07):
well who's this? Oh? No, you see? Oh look it's
Andy Dalton. Hi Andy, Oh listen you guys. Uh. I'm sorry,
Uh Aaron apparently there. I'm told there's another super fan
who is on the line. U. Terry Carnation, is that
(57:32):
is that you? I'm still here. I haven't left thanks
to the double booked me too. I apologize. I I
didn't double this. This was unexpected. Uh, Terry Carnation, are
you are you there? I am, yes, I am. Thank
you for having me. I'm the biggest fan of of
you Kevin and and uh Brian Mr Rogers. Um, I
(57:56):
love I love sports, especially Key and it's great just
to meet you both. Is this is this a call
in show? Brand? This is a calling podcast now now, no,
it's not a calling. We're we're having, we're sharing with
this is within the let's bail on this
Hello, Oh, I am so excited. Welcome to a very
special episode of the Office Deep Dive. I am your host,
Brian baum Gartner. Listen. Even though we put out our
usual Tuesday episode yesterday with Mr Ben Silverman, I am
(00:36):
coming at you today with this bonus episode because sixteen
years ago today, on Thursday, March two thousand five, at
nine pm local time, the American Office premiered on NBC.
That's right, the Office turns sixteen today. Happy Sweet sixteen everybody. Wow,
(01:04):
this is exciting. Now. I checked, weirdly, this is not
recognized as a national holiday. Weird. But in honor of
the special occasion, I am throwing you are fans a
sweet sixteen party. This episode is for you, the wonderful
fans who love the show and have been showing so
(01:26):
much love for this podcast. I'm going to answer some
of the fantastic questions that you sent in and tell
even more behind the scenes stories that we didn't get
to on the podcast. And I'm gonna respond to some
of your comments about the podcast itself. I seriously love
hearing from you guys, so I am very excited to
(01:49):
respond to some of your burning questions. But first, because
this is our special fan episode. I am going to
have a chat with one well lucky fan. This guy
is an office super fan. I met him wow, thirteen
(02:11):
years ago. Then he started like stalking me on social media.
And then one day I show up to set and
this guy's on set like talking to all of the
other actors. And then he ended up making an appearance
in one episode of the show, the series finale no Less.
(02:34):
And he also happens to be the NFL's m v
P and for sixteen years, the quarterback of the Green
Bay Packers. That's right, Please give a warm welcome to
my friend Aaron Rodgers. Aaron, how's it going. That's a
nice intro there, buddy. I mean, if you're looking for
(02:58):
someone eventually the Hall of Fame, I might be available
if you're interested. You get the perfect face for radio,
my friend, Like I've always always told you, uh years
though I can't believe it's been thirteen years. I remember
when we met. I was so juiced because I was
a huge fan of the show. But um, wow, that
(03:21):
is it's it's crazy thirteen years and and my favorite
part about that story is I didn't know who you were.
I don't know you were either I thought you were
somebody scatty or so yes. I Um, when when did
you start watching The Office? Did you watch it from
the beginning. I didn't watch from the beginning. Um, I
(03:45):
was a little bit. Uh well, i'll tell you. I
was way into the British Office. I'm a fan of
Ricky's your Base for a long time. I watched those
two seasons. I said, I thought they were absolutely brilliant.
And my friend Joey longtime friend, and got me into
it and we had started watching his House. I mean,
(04:06):
you know, right when it came out. And I remember
when when I heard the there's gonna be an adaptation
in the States, I was like, and well, how can
they do this show in the States, you know? And
I remember, so I didn't really get into it the
first season and I started watching it. I think I'm
guessing there was like a DVD that came out. This
was after VHS, so this is probably a DVD that
(04:27):
came out. Remember watching it and going, oh, they did
the Jello episode like in the British Office and stuff,
and this is the season went on. I was like,
this is really funny, like and this is this is
gonna be really good because you guys started to go
in your own direction and from that point forward, I
was hooked. And I've seen it so many times through
and I watched it, I think, uh, two and a
(04:48):
half times through Uh, during COVID, So you watched it
two and a half times. That's amazing. I knew we
had talked, and I knew that you were rewatching it
again because periodically you will like send me a green
shot of me doing something really stupid. Uh, And I
knew that you you were watching it. Why why do
you keep coming back to it? I mean, I guess specifically,
(05:10):
like what is it that you love about it? I mean,
it's it's hard to just pick one thing. I just
think there's so many things about this show that are
so beautiful and and and that should be timeless. But
I think the interesting part about the show is that
it would get canceled by this culture we live and
I think before it even got going. And uh, for
(05:35):
reasons that I think are so beautiful about the show
is that it's it's people who aren't necessarily PC and
and don't always say the right things and and I
think that's the beauty and any great TV show is
it's characters who are relatable who you can go, oh, man,
I love this about Jim. You know, he's an awkward
situations and all he can do is just look around
(05:56):
and look at the camera, you know, paying um with
you know, a relationship that's you know, in and out
and you just want somebody to commit to you or
or Michael, you know, you just want him. He just
wants to be liked so badly. That's all he cares
about is like people, you know, respecting him and liking him,
and you just we we start, especially in those characters,
with people that we know in our own lives. So
(06:17):
we're not only loving the characters, but we're loving it
because every time we see Kevin, we're reminded of someone.
Every time we see Ryan the Temper, were reminded that
someone from our lives. It makes us laugh, or makes
us mad, or makes us anything, any type of emotion
that brings it kind of brings even deeper in the show.
And I think just the meanings, the deeper meaning of
the show in the way it's crafted, I think is beautiful.
(06:39):
The way it's written, the character arcs for so many
um of the people. You you start to just really
love on the show yourself included. I love your character
arc throughout the show. How kind of as the show
goes on, you're You're the way you talk kind of
gets kind of gets smarter. And I remember the first
time I met you, I was like, Oh, you don't
talk like that, like you're doing the show. But I
(06:59):
love your character. I love Rains as Dwight. Um. I
love the fact that Creed story and how he got
his part and fill us his story she got her
part on the show, and and Robert California coming in
as bizarre as you could possibly imagine Spader and just
killing it and actually kind of bringing you back in
(07:20):
after you didn't know what was gonna happen when Steve
left the show, and and then just how it ends,
you know, and to be a part of strangely a
part of the penultimately in the in the final episode, um,
where there's just a couple of just amazing lines I've
I've mentioned him before, and you know, when Andy speaks
to camera there in the last episode, it's just so
beautifully written and spoken by him talking about you. You
(07:44):
wish somebody would tell you're in the good old days
before you left him. I think that's it's it's that
and that's what the show does. It's such a nostalgic
part of so much of our lives where we can
just remember where we were when we saw certain episodes
or what phase of life we were in when the
show was going crazy, and that's why we're all thankful
for that's why we binge the hell out of it
on Netflix. Yeah, you know, it's funny ed not too
(08:05):
long ago, he I think it was on Twitter he
sent out that quote and he had a picture of
me and John and Rain and himself all in our
Texas after the Golden Globes one year and I remember
back to that more like he was doing it on purpose, obviously,
but just him for me personally, going back to that
(08:27):
night and going back to so many nights like that
with those guys. Um. Yeah, it's that one still gets me.
That that one still gets me. And because you brought
it up, I was going to bring it up later.
But you know, one of the questions that I asked
everybody was about the very last line of the show,
which is i'll paraphrase, but Pam talking about why they
(08:52):
chose dunder Mifflin as a subject for this documentary and
then realizing that it was a good subject because there's
Beau the in ordinary things, and isn't that kind of
the point. But through all of the shenanigans, all of
the you know, crazy you know, like I've said many times,
we felt like we were just being idiots, you know,
(09:12):
for a decade, But there was an underlying feeling there
that people like you just said, seemed to respond to.
That It celebrates that that ordinary nous um or or
seemingly ordinariness in people. Yeah, I couldn't agree with you anymore.
I mean, there's a lot of misty moments in the
(09:33):
last episode and just that last montage of of Jim
and Pam talking to camera, you know, especially when Jim's
talking about dunder Mifflin and this amazing, crazy, you know,
bizarre place that he lived and worked at and the
people that he grew up with and Creeds, you know,
playing the guitar there, you know, after the you know,
(09:54):
Angela and and do I come up after you know
the wedding is just this is some the just sweetest,
most beautiful moments and in a show's ending, I think
because you're bringing that nostalgia and and just a great
montage and um, and you kind of you wrap things
up now. I'm I love watching movies and shows and
(10:15):
and sometimes I think, you know, for certain shows or
movies you don't need it, and you don't need to
wrap things up. It's almost better with the mystery. But
I think with with the ride that that the Office
took us on for so many years, like it was
fun to to see all these different stories wrapped up,
and and to have ah Steve come back the way
that he did and the time that he did. That's
(10:35):
what she said, joke was so perfectly done. And and
to see Nelly come back, and to see Ryan and
Kelly end up together, and um and Dwight in the
dream job that he wants to and you and your
character with your bar and you guys patching things up,
and and Jim, you know, getting a grand gesture from
(10:57):
Pam to to go do his dream job. I just
there's so many beautiful moments put in the end. It
comes down to that set, which I was lucky enough
to go on thankfully when I when you when you
showed me around, But just to end it there for
all of us, you know, it was just a really
special moment, I think, and I'm sure it was for
you guys to you know, it's it's funny coming up
in a in an episode not too long from now.
(11:19):
I sit down with Creed and he I saw him
the night before. We actually played in a benefit concert
the night before, and I said, hey, tomorrow, you're coming in,
we're gonna chat. Bring in your guitar. And he played
that song for me, just sitting and right now I'm
I'm I'm having feeling just him sitting there playing that
song with him. It will never not do something to
(11:44):
me for sure. Um the series finale, you mentioned you
were not scripted in the show, as you know. You know,
I've never revealed who was scripted. I may have told
you it was a it was a famously remember it
was a famous tennis player. Let's just go with that.
It was a famous tennis player. And we finished the
(12:06):
table read and I went to Greg Daniels and I said, hey,
you know, I don't know if you know, if somebody
knows him, if he's going to come in or whatever.
I was like, but you know, I just want you
to know. Aaron Rodgers a big fan of the show,
and he's like Oh, do you think Aaron would do it?
I think he would. And uh, and then yeah, you
came on. Um, I remember us hanging out. Obviously we
(12:26):
weren't in it together, but a little bit, you know,
offset how was that experience for you coming on the
shows as being a big fan of the show and
you've gotten to know a lot of us at that point.
But yeah, and and that's the fun thing. I got
to be around, said a couple of times, and and
be out, you know, with you guys a few times,
and met a number of people, had met Angela and
(12:46):
Oscar and who else? Did I meet? Craig m bj
Novac you're doppelganger? Yeah, yeah, guys looking at the side
by side picture online? Yeah yeah, yeah, dead on. And
I met I met Steve on a plane randomly one time.
(13:07):
And I met Rain on set. So it was fun
to be out there. Uh. And we got to be
with Ed Helms on that shoot. So I was pumped.
I mean, I remember the drive down. I was so
excited to to just like be on the set and
and to see what was going on. I didn't know
what I was, you know, really the role I was.
I was walking into um and then I meet my
(13:28):
two other guest stars. It's uh Santa Gold, who I
didn't know who she was before, but she was really
really sweet and just a really sweet special person. We
had a fun, fun day and then Clay Aikin was
it was and I had known Clay because I had
been a fan of American idol um so uh to
this day when people you know who that's the beauty
(13:50):
in the show, there's so many people who just have
watched it now and they're like, hey, I just saw
you on the You're on the Office. I'm like, yeah,
that was like eight years ago, you know, Like, but
I love that, and that's the timeless nature of the show.
But it was so fun beyond set and just watching
Ed work, you know, through his his bid and you know,
I just have so much respect for him and I
(14:11):
love what he brought to the show. And it's just
he's quirky nard dog that only only he could do.
Umbody was so funny beyond the said my favorite memory
from the show was you know, my lines, And I've
gotten some guff for it over the years, but it
wouldn't like I had the greatest lines, you know, and
and the one line, you know, the lines that they
(14:31):
end up using in the montage of the kind of
the viral song that comes out You're just not good
or whatever. Like I didn't mind those lines, but flag
on the play was not my favorite line. And I
just felt like, like, I get this, it's a football reference,
you know, but I would never say that, and Brian,
you know me, I'm like, it was just so cheesy.
(14:54):
So so if we did twelve takes, you know, if
we did twelve takes, you know, four the times I
said flag on the play. The other eight I just
kind of add lib. But I was like, can I
just say something that I think I would use? And
so the first like I think three takes, I said
flag on the play, and then I just add live
after that, and the sweet sweet script lady would come
(15:15):
by and go, Mr Rogers, um, your line is flag
on the play, and you know that was like that
was like after like the third time I hadn't said it.
So we're in like take eight now, and I'm like,
I'm still gonna go something different, And you know, she
was so sweet. She never lost her patience, but I
(15:36):
could tell by about take eleven she was like, Hey,
your your line still is flag on the place. Oh yeah, yeah, sorry,
I forgot you know that I said flag on the
play and they got the twelfth take and I'm like, yeah,
they're gonna use that. That's but it was so it
was so fun being on there and then to see myself,
you know when they you know, when they cut to
(15:57):
the viral video of the baby wow, wow, you know
in the last episode. Um Man, it was so fun
And I do really appreciate be You're setting that up
for me and give me the opportunity because although I
never got seen and in another one of my all
time favorite shows, I've been in the penultimate episode of
(16:18):
now two of my all time favorite shows, the other
one being a Game of Thrones, which are still people
don't realize I might have been in there where with
the office they can actually see my face, my slightly
bloated still on my phase of eating the copious amounts
of dairy products all the time, but I did ahead
of last surday on set. Do you feel like that
your life has changed since being on the office, I mean,
(16:40):
do people recognize you in public? Yeah? I'd say that
was probably the biggest. The biggest thing I will say
though that you know, There's been some things over the
years that I think I've helped my brand as much
as anything. I always give State Farm credit for this
bizarre discount double check that. When I read the script
first time, I'm like, this is not funny, this is
like they gotta change since sure enough. I mean for
(17:01):
years it was. And you've been with me on the
golf course at Taho that was, and Pebble Beach that
was like the only thing people would yell at me
and I would and I would just laugh. How that
kind of changed my you know, my public persona. But
you and I have talked about the numbers of people
that have watched this show on Netflix, four times as
many watched on Netflix as any other show. It's unbelievable.
(17:23):
Um now, it's obviously over at the Peacock, but uh,
but I will say that I'm sure there were some
people wondering who the hell that was, and then other
people going, oh, isn't that that guy who's the insurance guy?
Is he was in the office? Wow? Okay, so yeah,
it might have helped my brand a little bit. But
that's funny. I appreciate it, buddy, It's fun He did
(17:44):
a great job with the you know, with the first podcast.
And that's the thing I think is beautiful is it's
so many people have you either loved this show since
season one or I've gotten into it more recently, but
it has stood the test of town time because it's
just so relatable and it has such a good message
all the while. It just keeps you laughing the whole
(18:05):
time because you just you know, some of the stuff
that Michael Pools and the pranks at Gym pools on
Dwight all the time, and and your character Aric and
Oscars and Angelas and everybody kind of gets that's cool.
Everybody kind of gets through opportunity to shine in different
episodes in different ways, which is which is really cool
to see as well. Yeah, one of the things we've
we've talked about is you know why the show is
(18:28):
still so big? I mean, why, quite frankly, is it
bigger now than it ever was when it was on?
And um, I think you've touched on a lot of
those things, sort of the universality that you know, how
how much people relate to the show. And I think
there's something else which I've sort of come to in
these conversations with so many people. Is that so many
(18:49):
shows after a decade or or longer since we you know,
and it's been sixteen years since the pilot aired, um
is that they feel dated or they feel not quite right.
And I think that the discovery that I've had is
that a documentary can never be dated. It is about
(19:10):
these people at this time, and it's so defining the
time that it you know, the clothes or the technology
that maybe isn't exactly the same, that doesn't matter because
it's about that and you're following that journey on that time.
And so you never do that like, oh, that's an
old joke or oh that's you know, look at that
(19:32):
flip phone or whatever. It's like, you don't if there's
a documentary about the seventies, you don't go this looks
this is dated. It's like, well, yeah, it's about the seventies.
Dink um. Anyway, Yeah, that's that's a really fascinating point
that I'm just thinking about as you're saying that. It
makes a lot of sense because you watch old episodes
of uh Seinfeld of Friends or Saved by the Bill.
(19:54):
There's some of the shows we grew up on, you like,
man like they didn't have phones and they didn't the
way they communicated and some of the jokes and stuff.
You look at it differently, for sure than when you
look at this faux documentary style, which by the way,
is just so brilliantly genius of Ricky and Stephen, you know,
to to start off, like and you pick a paper
(20:16):
company too, it's like, wait, what what do we Yeah,
that's why. So and you pick a place, you know, Scranton,
p A. It's like, it's just this beautiful combination of
like the workplace, the fact that it's shot as a
documentary it's in Scranton, p A. And you have the
non PC characters in a time where the era is changing,
and yeah, just all it's just all so beautifully done. Um,
(20:41):
and I think it will continue to standard test of
time because there's a love affair of nostalgia of a
time like that where things were maybe a little less
precious than they are now. Well, thank you so much
for talking to me about this as usual, so perceptive
and and so deep about um well life and the show. Um.
(21:04):
But before we leave, I feel like it's only fair
that I ask you this question that you've told me
without me asking many times who's your favorite character on
the office. If you're definitely in my top five, I think, uh,
that's exactly right. That's I thought it was gonna be
a quick answer for you. I mean for those we
(21:25):
play a lot of golf together, and oftentimes it's in public.
You you always say that it's Creed. That's what you all.
You always say that it's Creed. But maybe you're just
needling me, and I'm just needling you because you know
you may have been higher on the call sheet than him,
and you actor types, you are also worried about who's
ranked number one and number twenty on the call sheet?
(21:48):
Are worried about that? Just after this is what you
did too? You try to turn it right back on me.
We had a classic. I just show this. We had
a classic. You know. We're waiting on the on this
whole in South Carolina playing the BMW event, and there's
it's it's a it's a part five, but it's a
short part five. You can get home and two. And
(22:08):
so we're a couple of groups stacked up and we're
talking to the crowd as the group is walking on
the fairway and asking them who their favorite characters are
and and Brian gets a little sensitive, you know, about
the situations. So he starts, you know, talking about who
his all time favorite quarterbacks are for the Packers, and
mentioning far and part Star and Don mckowski and Lynn
(22:28):
Dickey and all these different people. Right, it's always he's
always trying to get some jebs. And look, I I've
always been a fan of of Jim's character. I love
I mean, I feel like he's a relatable character. For sure.
He's very athletic. I know you try and try and
feel like you're the uh you know, you've made some
sort of fifteen shots in a row at some point
(22:50):
in the basketball episode, but Jim is definitely the most athletic.
Check the tape. Check check the tape. I've uh, I
miss miss Missy anybody. I miss miss our beck and
voice for sure. And I appreciate you have me on here. Absolutely.
Thank you so much, Aaron, Thank you. There you have it, folks,
(23:13):
Mr Aaron Rodgers, thanks so much for stopping by my friend.
I appreciate it. All right, there is plenty more coming up.
Uh maybe even another special guest, who knows. But first
let's get to the Q and A Section mail bag.
Mail bag. Yes, I am told hundreds, if not millions,
(23:38):
of you reached out on social media with questions about
the Office. I'm going to try to answer as many
as I can here, But if yours doesn't get answered,
or if you have even more questions, don't worry. We
will definitely be doing more episodes like this, So let's
keep the lines of communication open. People subscribe and comment
(24:00):
on Apple podcasts, the I Heart Radio app, or any
other social media because me or my team we will
be watching, so listen. I apologize in advance if I
mispronounced anyone's name today. But our first question, mailbag, we
have someone, I'm told who might be able to challenge
Aaron's title as the number one fan. Gregory Hunter McDowell says, Hi,
(24:26):
Brian in alone, I watched The Office twenty two times. Wow,
it was my go to show from tragedies to triumphs.
My favorite thing about your character was your side glance
to the camera. My question would be what was your
favorite game or website on your work computer you went
(24:47):
to to portray working. Great question. Uh, Now, when The
Office came on, we didn't have internet access the first year,
and then they were like, well, let's make this more realistic, right,
We're all about realism. So our computers started working, and
what my space was the social media do your um
(25:13):
at the time, and so a number of us got
on my We thought, well, if we're in an office,
what are office workers around the land right now doing?
There on my Space? So I got on my Space
as my character Kevin Malone, and I had a blog,
and I never veered from actor to character. In other words,
(25:36):
it was Kevin Malone, who was sitting in an office
called dunder Mifflin, was not aware that he was being
filmed or on television, who was just writing about his experience.
I need to go back and read some of those
blogs and see if they're just terrible or if it's
kind of fun. But the most fun thing I did
was people started on my Space asking me for signed pictures.
(25:59):
Will you send a signed picture? And I thought, well,
I can't do that because I'm just Kevin Malone, an
accountant who doesn't know he's on television. So I said, well,
I don't know why you want a picture of me,
but if you send me a signed picture of you,
then I will send you back a signed picture of me.
(26:20):
And I got thousands of signed pictures from people to
Kevin uh and and it was it was a lot
of fun. I then I sent them a headshut back.
I kind of destroyed the game at the end. I
was like, Okay, well this is what you want, so
I'm gonna I'm gonna send that. But I had a
lot of fun doing that. So I would say I
did a lot of my Space sing I don't think
(26:43):
that's a word. And um and I paid bills because
I thought I would get on an online you know,
bill pay thing and I would like pay bills because
I was like, oh, well, these documents look like financial documents,
and I'm an accountant, right, so it's very realistic that
I'm shuffling around my bills and paying them on set.
It works. So there you go. That was what I
(27:03):
would do on my computer. Uh. Daniel Gutierrez says, Hi,
dad who chose this comment? Well, Hi, Daniel, I didn't
know you existed, but it's good to know that you do.
I hope you're doing well in life and reach out
when you're when you're thirty five. Uh oh. We have
(27:27):
a one star review from gold Hohore gold Whore. I
don't know how else I could pronounce that on the
Apple Podcasts app with the following comment one star review.
Not what I thought. I thought it was work related.
(27:48):
Now wait a second. You listen to the podcast and
thought this was about a deep dive into working at
an office? Gold? Horror, my friend? And did you did
you read the description? Because I'm pretty sure in the
description it should be clear that this would not be
about working in an actual office. But I'm sorry you
were you were dissatisfied. Katie O zero zero one oh
(28:16):
a five star review on Apple Podcasts. Love this podcast.
I love it, But just play the whole podcast. Why
do you need to break it up? Trying to remember
past episodes will be kind of annoying. I listened to
Rogan for three plus hours. Thanks well, Katio zero zero one,
Thank you for the question. We've we've gotten this question
(28:38):
quite a bit. Why are we breaking up and releasing
part one Part two? For some of the people we interviewed. Well,
the reason why is we've structured this podcast as a
deep dive into the office, so we have subjects or
sections themes. For example, we've started with the origin section,
(28:58):
which is the beginning of a show, bringing the show
from Ricky and Stephen from the UK to the US
casting the pilot, how difficult it was for the show
to stay on the air it's first couple of seasons,
and so some of the interviews that were particularly long,
we wanted you to hear from those people when we
did our deep dive into that subject. So as we
(29:23):
move on to other subjects, like the camera as the
character when we talk about Steve Correll leaving, some of
the parts of those interviews fit better in those sections.
So we're not trying to torture you by only releasing
a part of the interview. You will hear part two
is very very soon. But that's the reason that we
(29:44):
have structured it this way. We're trying to tell a story,
a narrative through all of these interviews, so you really
get a deep dive into the office. Andrew Montavan asks,
did the Office, like the physical set become a home
for you guys? I have seen so many bloopers and
(30:04):
so many things of you guys just enjoying yourselves and
each other. It must have been ours anyway, big fan
of the show, the podcast and anything the Office. Um,
thank you very much, Andrew, and yes, I mean what
a lot of people don't know, which we haven't discussed
so much in the podcast, is for that one half
(30:26):
hour of television you know on NBC with commercials, was
really twenty two minutes that you see on TV. We
generally would be at the office sixty to seventy hours
a week. I mean those that was the amount of
time that it took to get those twenty two minutes
(30:46):
for an episode, and we would shoot one episode in
a week. So, yes, it looked like a home because
it was for a while. And that's one of the
things that made it unique about other shows because of
the way the show was shot. We were all there
so much. Usually it's like the star of the show
might be their sixty to seventy hours in a week,
(31:07):
and everyone else kind of comes in and does their
scenes and then they leave. We were all there. But
I think that's one of the things that gave us
um the truly special bond that we have. Ahmed Skywalker rights, Hi,
tomorrow is my birthday. Can you say happy birthday to me? Ahmed?
(31:31):
Happy birthday? Uh? This next post I am told got
a number of likes who used to laugh the most
during the scenes and was it hard to control the laughter.
Samuel big Fan from Brazil. Mindy Kaling that that that
(31:54):
Mindy Kaling, and I think she would own up to that. Um.
But I will answer this in another way. The person
who was known as the one who laughed the least,
Oscar Nunius. He has the greatest dead pan and it
is really hard, very very difficult to break him, that's
(32:15):
for sure. Maybe in the scene the Gay witch Hunt,
Steve finally got him and occasionally he would laugh. But
but Oscar Nunias was um. He laughed the least, and
I I had a difficult time myself. I'll be honest,
Cassidy Rights. I drive all day for work as a
medical career, and I've really enjoyed listening to your podcast
(32:38):
while working. It helps the day go by faster and
makes sitting in traffic a little less boring. Well, Cassidy,
thank you one for the work that you're doing right now,
which is so important, uh and crucial. And you know,
by the way, if there's one good thing that has
come out of this this hot circle of garbage they
(33:02):
call a global pandemic, it is the appreciation that all
of us now have, or certainly should have for the
people who are working on the front lines, um, nurses, doctors,
medical couriers, those who are doing important things that keep
us safe. So thank you, Cassidy, and I'm glad that
I can make sitting in traffic a little less boring. Uh.
(33:23):
A lot of questions here I am told about will
of course my chili or specifically Kevin's famous chili. Uh.
A lot of likes. On the next question, hey Zeus,
Mendez says how many batches of chili were made when
Kevin brought in the chili and dropped it? And how
(33:43):
many times did you have to shoot that cold open. Well,
I'm tremendously proud of this, hey Zeus, so I will
answer it. Um. I assume they had three batches of chili,
because I remember very specifically the set dress ng um
props people coming to me, like not wanting to tell
(34:05):
the bosses or the producers or whatever. They were like
coming to me kind of back channeling and saying like, okay,
the biggest issue was the carpet, right. So they had
gigantic pieces of carpet that they had laid out over
the floor and they came to me and they were like, Brian,
we have three pieces of carpet. And I mean by
giant piece of carpet, I mean from the front door
(34:26):
all the way past the reception desk over to like
the we called it the gem and Dwight pod of
desks there um. And they were like, we have three
pieces of carpet, so we I mean, we can't do
any more than that. I got it in one I'm
a I'm a one taker. I don't think that makes sense,
but I here's the thing. There were three pieces of carpet,
(34:49):
but there was only one of me, and so they
had thought about cleaning the carpet. I don't know that
anyone really understood what was going to happen to me
when I was done. I mean, my hands were kind
of stained right like they weren't they were, it was
not a natural color. And that day I might have
showered with five people. I mean there might have been
five people in there. I mean from wardrobe and makeup
(35:11):
and hair people. I mean I was like striping. I'm
not to get to graphic here, but like taking off close.
I was such a mess. And if we had not
gotten it in that one take, I don't know, I
don't know what we would have done. If we would
have had to just come back the next day. But thankfully, um,
thankfully we got it and well that moment, I mean truly,
(35:34):
I cannot believe what has happened to them more. I
never imagined in my wildest dreams that I would be
talking about Chili Um all of these many years later. Uh.
Jason Swimmer, sorry again, I apologize if I'm if I'm
missed pronouncing the names. My name is Jason, and I'm
a podcaster too. It would be awesome if you could
(35:56):
shout me out. Well, there you go, if I said
your name right, Oh, Schwimer, Schwimer, that's it. Actually he did.
He did give his own pronunciation, Jason Schwimer. Um, good
luck to you. My friend, Grant Bain says, thank you
for this podcast. What are your thoughts on the theory? Oh,
(36:17):
here we go that Kevin is a secret genius who
is running an embezzlement operation at the company and he
uses that money to buy the bar in the finale episode.
It's one of my favorite theories. Okay, So I used
to get asked this all the time when I did
Q and Ice, and I finally went down the dark,
dark rabbit hole, which is is redditum, which is fun,
(36:42):
but you don't want to get caught down there. And
I started reading these feeds and people how they from
small moments, how they had concocted this idea that Kevin
is a secret genius was so amazing to me. I
can only tell you that was not that was not
in our thoughts. I'm sorry to say that, and it
certainly was not in mind playing it now, maybe Greg
(37:04):
Daniels would answer differently, but I think I think the
idea is amazing and and in point of fact, speaking
of deleted scenes, the idea of in part behind Kevin's bar,
I will share this. Here's a here's a new thing
for you, here's a new what do we call them,
I don't know, never before heard moments. So the idea
(37:29):
from Greg in the series finale was that Kevin became
a fan favorite once the the fictional documentary started airing.
Kevin was a fan favorite, and everywhere he went people
would buy him drinks. And there was a bar that
he would go to and people would buy him drinks.
This is it's something like this, and part of it
(37:51):
was based on my own experience, by the way, like
in life, so he had gotten a gigantic credit tab
because he couldn't consume all the drinks he was offered
at this bar, which was partly how he obtained the bar.
I think it was something like that, but that was
part of the idea, was that Kevin became a huge
(38:13):
fan favorite once the fictional documentary aired. Um Emily Lemkey,
Emily from Kansas. I sometimes think about where the characters
would be today. Where do you think Kevin would be
still at dunder Mifflin Married. Well, let me tell you, Emily,
what I hope is that Kevin is still sitting at
(38:36):
that bar and he is really really happy. That's what
I imagine him where he is and what he's doing today.
And I hope, I hope, beyond hope, that that is
where he is. Angelo writes not to get too negative,
but I'm genuinely curious, what was truly the most stressful
(39:01):
or emotionally tasking time or moments for all of you
as a cast. Angelo from Buffalo, New York. Oh, I
don't know that that's negative. Listen. I I'm gonna answer
this in two ways. I don't know how you intended it,
but the first couple of years, as we have discussed
(39:21):
and will continue to discuss in this podcast when the
show was truly almost canceled. There's we're not exaggerating this,
like we truly thought we were out of a job
a number of times over the first two years, including
after we filmed the pilot, so before anything was on TV.
That was very stressful, um and very emotionally difficult for us.
(39:49):
In terms of on set activities difficult. I'm sure everyone
would have a different answer. Minus the fire, not the
fake fire drill, but the fire. When Ryan started the fire,
we were shooting that it was supposed to be fall
in scranted and we had on coats and in that
parking lot in in Van Nuys, California, it was about
(40:13):
a hundred and ten degrees and that one was that
one was not fun. Ryan Spady says, why use big
word when small word do trick? Ryan, do you mean,
why waste time say a lot word when few word
do trick? I think that's what you mean. Benny spie Whack,
(40:37):
Oh writer and producer Benny spie Whack, from an Oral
History of the Office, writes Greg Daniels, said he always
looked to you for a button. What's your favorite one? Yes.
So I was tremendously proud that Greg brought this up
in my interview with him that oftentimes at the end
of a scene, um, nothing funny would be happening, like
(41:01):
there would be an important reason that we would need
to have a scene in for the story of an episode.
But you know, in comedy, you you often want to
end a scene on a button. And so Matt Sone
and Randall Ironhorn, the camera people would would at times
look to me and I would try to give them
a button. What was my favorite one? I'm not exactly sure.
(41:24):
I think it would relate to the episode with Kevin
saying what does a bean mean? There was something very
funny about that, and I think it was scripted once
what does a bean mean? Because Kevin got no beans
and other people had beans and this was very concerning
to him. Uh, And I think I ended up saying
(41:45):
that and ended the scene with that button what does
a bean mean? I'm going with that right now. Ella
Hendrickson rights, this is Ella here, Hi, Ella, who would
you describe as the unsung here rows of the office? Wow,
that is a great question. Um, Phil Shay, who was
(42:08):
our prop master, he was an unsung hero of the
Office for sure. The amount of props that were written
into the show and that just existed on the set
of The Office that were needed in particular episodes, sometimes
very obscure objects that were difficult to find. He is
a true unsung hero of the show. Um. Now they've
(42:29):
both gone on to great success. I've mentioned them before,
but Matt Son and Randall Einhorn, the guys who were
holding the cameras, I mean, that is tremendously difficult work
and they were generally just held on the shoulders um
and sometimes for long periods of time where we would
shoot and go back and improv and I physically demanding work.
(42:53):
But but not just that, the degree of care that
they showed for how the show was shot and really
viewed themselves as a character trying to find the right
story as a documentarian would. Um, those things are difficult
to write, they're difficult to direct. But those guys just
got it. So even though they have great success now, uh,
(43:17):
someone appreciates them, I would consider them unsung heroes of
the Office for sure. Julian Go Tiangko rights. I'm sure
I missed that up Hi, Brian, huge fan. This is
Julian My favorite episode is the Niagara Falls episode. My
question is who in the writer's room came up with
the idea for Kevin to wear Kalenix tissue boxes as
(43:40):
shoes after his shoes were incinerated. Another fan, Rebecca Morrow, asked,
were they hard to walk in? Where they custom fit
to your feet? It's one of my favorite scenes of
all time. Well, I I will tell you I if
I'm at a fan event or a college or something,
I am always amused with who come up and are
(44:01):
wearing tissue box shoes because I know that it's really
not comfortable. It's they're really they're they're not comfortable. And
I will tell you actually, when we for John Krasinski's
show during the pandemic Some Good News, we did a
wedding and he came to all of us and asked
(44:22):
us to appear. And I was like, well, I have
to have tissue box shoes on right, I'm attending these
people's weddings. Let's let's do it. I couldn't find any
big enough, so I don't actually know. I have intended
to go back and ask Phil Shay Props, like where
did you find these? Maybe they were like Costco Sam's
Club supersized clean xboxes. I don't know, but I couldn't
(44:44):
find any um that that fit me. Yeah there and
again not comfortable. Uh wolf calm oh a five star
review on Apple Reviews rights, I'm going down, yelling Timber,
and I want to swim in this amazing Ear Whole
Candy until I'm old and wrinkly. Wow. Maybe my favorite
(45:10):
comment or review of all time. Ere anything that mentions
Ear Whole Candy and I'm going down yelling Timber. Well,
that works for me. Breezy Benna on Apple Podcasts, Uh,
five star review again, thank you, great job. I love
both podcasts, The Office Ladies and this one as well.
(45:32):
They did such a wonderful job giving us multiple points
of views and even deeper dives into such a great show.
Now I have two podcasts to look forward to. Uh,
Breezy Benna, I couldn't agree more. And let me just say,
if you haven't checked out The Office Ladies podcast, very
(45:53):
they don't sound like me. I know, it's very weird. Uh.
They have done a fantastic job going episode by episode,
examining and telling behind the scenes stories. Uh. It's a
rewatch show and it's fantastic and so um my good
friends Jenna Fisher and Angela Kenzie gracious, even though they're
(46:13):
talking all the time on their podcast, they graciously agreed
to come and spend hours with me um talking about
the Office in a different way than even they do
on their podcast. So yes, Um, please check that out
and thank you so much for listening here. Um. Whyatt
(46:35):
Stevens asks prior to your casting of Kevin, where were
you in your professional career as it pertains to film
and TV? If The Office never happened, do you believe
other projects could have kept you in the game? And lastly,
if I can, what's the best advice you could give
to one entertainment Wow? Great questions, Wyatt. Um. First of all,
(47:01):
I was a theater actor. I had graduated from college
and was traveling around as a regional theater actor, doing
very very uh small theaters and doing some large ones
as well. And I was traveling city to city getting
work where I could, and I decided to move to
(47:21):
Los Angeles. I felt like it was time. I had
had a couple of experiences that that made me want
to pursue it, and I was fortunate enough. Um, just
a couple of months after coming to Los Angeles, I
met Alison Jones and Greg Daniels and was cast on
the Office. So for me, I was very new in
(47:41):
film and television. I had done a few guest star parts,
I had done a couple of commercials, um but when
I was first seen on the Office, I had not
done much film and television at all. And I feel
tremendously lucky one obviously to have met them and to
have found the right show for me at the right time. Um.
(48:07):
My advice for anyone wanting to be an entertainment is
consume material, watch material, practice your craft. You know. I
will say it was very lucky that I met Alison
Jones and Greg at the same time. I will say
I knew the British version of the Office, and I
knew the style worked well for me. I knew they
(48:28):
were looking for unknown people, so I actually pursued this job.
And if I hadn't been watching other television or studying
what was being released, what the styles were that were
being released that appealed to me and my specific sensibilities
and strengths, I would not have pushed as hard for
this show. So it was timing. It was great timing
(48:50):
I was in Los Angeles, but also I watched things,
even things that I didn't like or appreciate. I watched
them because I felt like I needed to know what
was out there in order to work in the business.
So thank you. Um, Kathy Chevalier wait wait wait or
(49:10):
Chevalier potato potato. Do any cast members hope to do
a sort of reunion show in the future. Has anyone
pitched any ideas? Um? We have discussed it quite a lot.
I believe it is certainly possible. There are some ideas
(49:32):
that have been circulated amongst email and text chains, but
I am not at liberty to discuss that. I will
answer any questions about anything that's happened in the past.
As for the future, I will only say, oh, I
think some people would love to do that, and I've
(49:52):
heard rumblings of some ideas of it, So there you go. Sorry,
I know that's devil not as satisfying, but um, but yes,
it is discussed on occasion. Dr Pickens rights who in
the cast would be the best at hide and seek?
(50:14):
Quick answer would be Angela because she's the smallest. Uh
Dwight is the craftiest. Kevin would be terrible, And yeah,
I'm gonna go with Angela because what, as Michael says,
at one point, she could hide behind a grain of rice,
(50:35):
so they're probably way more options for her to hide
than anyone else. So let's go with Angela. She's the
best at hide and seek. All right, Thank you all
for all of those questions. Those were amazing. Uh and
now I'm told, I'm told we have another very special
guest joining us now, a man of mystery and intrigue. Oh,
(51:00):
Mr Terry Carnation. Hello, Terry, you're a you're a big
fan of the Office. I am the Office is number
one fan. Thank you for having me on your show. Kevin. Oh,
it's Bryant Brian. But that's fine, It's easily sure, it is.
(51:21):
I have seen all fourteen episodes at least twenty seven times. Um, Terry.
I think there's like two four episodes of the show. Yes,
it's magnificent. I love the show. I love I love offices.
I love office buildings. You know. I feel like offices
(51:46):
and people who work in them are disrespected and it's
the backbone of the American economy, and so I love
all the drama. Yeah, but I do have some questions
about the show for you. Great, I would us that's
what we're doing today, and thank you for having me
on behalf of all the all the big fans of
the office out there. Thank you for having me of course. Um,
(52:11):
of all of the characters in the accounting department, who
would you say is most likely possessed by biel zabab? Um? Well,
I'm definitely not Angela, That's that's for sure. I know,
I mean, I I mean I haven't seen I haven't
(52:31):
seen the show, but she seems fiery, feisty in a
way that that could suit the dark Lord's purposes. You
haven't seen the show. I've seen the show so many times,
um that it feels like I've never seen the show before.
But I am, I am the biggest possible fan. Oh well,
thank you. Yeah, I um, I don't know. We'll say Kevin.
(52:53):
We'll thank Kevin was possessed by Beelzebub, that's you. Yes,
I'm interesting, he would be the Yeah. M hm. Which
of the salesman do you think is most likely to
have been abducted by aliens? I? Um, probably Dwight. Who
(53:14):
would probably be Dwight? Dwight screwed Dwight, Dwight Shrewd. Do
you know Dwight, you know the character Dwights, Yes, ridiculous looking,
bombastic gentleman. Yes, interesting? Interesting? And in which of the
which of the cast members of the office uh might
(53:37):
have seen Bigfoot or any cryptid lockness monster? Terry, I don't,
I don't think. I don't. I don't know where these
questions are coming from. This seem they seem totally not
on the point of what we're doing today. I'm so sorry.
I appreciate you being a fan and at the same
time feel as though you've never seen the show. Okay,
(53:57):
I'm going to come clean. I've never seen your stupid show. Okay, yeah,
But I am Terry Carnation. I am the philosopher of
the paranormal, and I have a podcast that is launches
in April one. We're all fine. Podcasts are found. If
if anyone out there has concerns about demons, alien abductions,
lizard people, Bigfoot another cryptids, um, please tune in Dark
(54:23):
Air with Terry Carnation as I guide you on a
journey through the unimaginable, through the unexplained, through the mysterious, fantastic.
Thank you darting behind your pathetic Okay, thank you at
Workplace Comedy and join me on a fascinating journey into
(54:44):
the subcon Thank you, Terry dark Air with Terry Carnation
available well wherever you get your podcasts if that's your thing.
Thank you so much for joining us. I e wasting
our time here today. Thank you, thank you, thank you,
thank you, thank you. God. That guy sounds like Rain Wilson.
(55:08):
Did you, guys, that guy sounds like Rain Wilson. That's unbelievable.
People are unbelievable. Anyway, Um, folks, that was it. I'm
sorry it ended so weirdly. That's what That's what he
said at conclude. That's yet the end our Sweet sixteen celebration.
(55:31):
Thank you so much through all of you except Terry. Uh,
thank you for listening. Thank you for participating in this
week's episode. We're gonna do it again sometime, so keep
the questions and the comments a rolling. As they say,
in the meantime, we're gonna be back Tuesday, next Tuesday,
at our regularly scheduled time. The word regularly is a
(55:55):
difficult word to say. Another interview, this time Kevin Riley. Now, guys,
this is the person who was there from the very
beginning and is the reason that The Office was on television.
I cannot wait to share that with you. Until then,
have a wonderful week everyone. The Office Deep Dive is
(56:24):
hosted and executive produced by me Brian Baumgartner, alongside our
executive producer Langley, our producers for this very special episode
where Emily Carr, Diego Tapia, Liz Hayes, Tessa Kramer, and
Ryan Zachary. My main man in a booth is Alec Moore.
Our theme song Bubble and Squeak performed by my great
(56:45):
friend Creed Bratton, and the episode was mixed by seth Olandsky. Hello,
(57:07):
well who's this? Oh? No, you see? Oh look it's
Andy Dalton. Hi Andy, Oh listen you guys. Uh. I'm sorry,
Uh Aaron apparently there. I'm told there's another super fan
who is on the line. U. Terry Carnation, is that
(57:32):
is that you? I'm still here. I haven't left thanks
to the double booked me too. I apologize. I I
didn't double this. This was unexpected. Uh, Terry Carnation, are
you are you there? I am, yes, I am. Thank
you for having me. I'm the biggest fan of of
you Kevin and and uh Brian Mr Rogers. Um, I
(57:56):
love I love sports, especially Key and it's great just
to meet you both. Is this is this a call
in show? Brand? This is a calling podcast now now, no,
it's not a calling. We're we're having, we're sharing with
this is within the let's bail on this
Host
Brian Baumgartner
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