Dinner’s on Me with Jesse Tyler Ferguson - Jenna Fischer – on ‘The Office,’ Office Ladies and Her Third Act

Episode Date: August 18, 2026

Sitcom star and Office Ladies podcast cohost Jenna Fischer joins the show. Over branzino and lasagna, we talk about nabbing the iconic role of Pam on the U.S. version of ‘The Office,’ even wearing her own temp clothes to tape the pilot, and how regardless of the show’s popularity, she was able to weirdly fly under the radar in L.A. We also hear about the odd jobs she did to get by pre- ‘Office’ and we dig into her new role in ‘Nimrods,’ a Green Day inspired flick directed by her husband Lee Kirk, and why it’s especially poignant at this point in her life. This episode was recorded at Ca Del Sol in Toluca Lake, Los Angeles. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I'm Dan Jones. I'm Dan Snow. And this is Dan... Squared. In a special series for This Is History, I, Dan Jones, interview people who use the past to make sense of our present. And this week, history hits Dan Snow, takes me places. There are two kinds of stories in the world.

There are those who go away on holiday and line a sun lounger, and then there are those who immediately scale the cliff behind the hotel to go and look at the castle. Find this episode on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. I'm Sanju Basco, this week sitting in for Simon Mayo. And I'm Mark Kermode this week sitting in for Mark Kermode. And Mark, what films will you be reviewing this week? We have suburban dinosaurs in the end of Oak Street. We have a restaurateur biography in Tony and Lady with our very special guest, Sean Clifford.

Hey, it's Jesse. Today on the show, you know her is Pam from the office. She's also one of the hosts of the incredibly popular podcast. office ladies. It's one of my favorites, Jenna Fisher. They thought of me as a podcaster. Like if anybody asked them, what does your mom do? Right. Oh, she's a podcaster. She has a podcast. This is Dinner's On Me, and I'm your host, Jesse Tyler Ferguson. Today I'm at Cod del Sol in Toluca Lake. It's a lovely family-run restaurant, Italian,

that's been serving up fresh pasta and homemade sauce since 1994. It's wrapped in a garden with a Mountain and cabanas. You'd think you were somewhere in northern Italy and not five-minute drive from Jurassic World and Universal Studios. Okay, Jenna should be walking in any minute, so let's get to the conversation. So we were talking about my husband, I were just talking about, like, we're coming up on the third act of our lives. Yes. Let's be honest. Be real.

Okay. Second act of my life was podcasting, raising my children. I'm still raising them. Yes. But then what is our third act? What do we do? What's our third act? And for me, it's theater. Okay, let me, okay.

So I met, I met sure, I feel like the last thing we saw each other in person was at the Taylor Swift Airs Tour. No. No? You're forgetting. We saw each other at liberation. Oh, that's right, that's right.

I thought it was Taylor Swift's. So that was one of the last times I saw you. Her final show. Her final show in Canada. Mm-hmm. But I met your daughter. Yes. This is where I'm going with this.

So I met your daughter who is, How old tell me? She's 12. Okay, 12. This is what I want to ask you, because I'm still doing theater and I have a three-year-old and a six-year-old. That schedule is so hard with kids. Yeah.

I guess Halt Your Son? He's almost 15. Okay. So they're kind of out of the phase where, like, they need you at bedtime. Do you think? It's harder at the age that you have kids. Yes. So I did a play at the Goodman last year.

and it's much easier, I think, when your kids get older. For all the things. And the Goodman's in Chicago, right? In Chicago. And did your kids go with you? So what was really cool was that the rehearsals started in the summer. So the whole family relocated for the end of summer. But then they had to go back.

Not the greatest time to have the whole family there when your rehearsals. It can be hard, but my husband has family in Chicago. Okay. And so my kids did summer camps. Oh. So my son did, like, a music intensive camp. My daughter did a theater camp with her cousin. Oh my God, they're in the arts. They're in the arts. Yes. I love that. How do you feel about

that? I love it. Okay, good. I feel like a lot of actor friends who I talk to who have kids, that they always want to know. It's like, it's like a game of chicken. Like they want someone to be like, no, I'm cutting it off. Like I'm not going to allow them. But like we all like want to support our kids obviously, whatever they love doing. But also like our parent, I assume your parents supported you. I know you went to college for theater. They did. They were very supportive. So, I mean, can you imagine not having that support? I mean, no. No.

I mean, I moved out to L.A. with a gal from my theater department. As someone who loves theater, going to L.A. seems crazy to me. It seems like you'd want to go to New York. I had never been to New York before. I was 17 when I graduated high school. And then I was, like, 21 when I graduated college. And I was scared to go to New York.

It felt overwhelming. It, like, felt overwhelming to me. I did not visit New York until I was 26. And I remember the first time I walked down the street. I felt like, like, in the ocean, when, like, the waves of people, I thought I was just going to get swallowed up. It was so fast. And it took me a little while to get used to it. And by that time, I was already living in L.A.

So L.A. is, like, a big bunch of suburbs that really mirrobed. where I grew up in St. Louis. Yeah. It's a place you drive to get places. That's not a public transport. So I felt like I had the life skills for this city more than New York. Hi. How are you?

Hello. You're welcome. Thank you so much. My keeper's on. We have a drink menu. Oh. I can give you something to drink. I don't know.

I just think of ice water. Ice water for you. I would have sparkling water, please. Thank you so much. Have you eaten here? I have. Have you eaten here? I have not.

Okay, I have a story about this place. Oh. So when I first moved to L.A. And my parents were going to come visit me. And they said, we want to take you out to a nice meal while we're there. And they said, find a restaurant. And so I asked, I'm like, I don't know, any nice restaurants. Like, I have no money.

Yeah. Like, where am I eating? Yeah. And so someone recommended this place. And I came here, and it was so cool because Adam West, the original bat, man was eating in a booth and my parents were like so they they couldn't believe it they were like we ate at a restaurant with Adam West in LA in Los Angeles very fancy restaurant and it was so sweet and they have a lasagna here with a how do you say it is it a bechamel oh yeah yeah yeah and I'd never

heard of that before I was like I don't know what that is but that was the most delicious sauce I'd ever eaten. Do they still have it? Because actually that sounds delightful. I don't know if they still have it. Let's see. I've made a bechamel sauce before. Wow. It's not the easiest thing to do. It's butter and flour. You see it? Mm-hmm. It's homemade lasagna with beef ragu and bechamel sauce. I wonder if this minis changed lots since you were here with your folks. I bet not. I love that. I bet it hasn't. And then whenever they would come in town, they would offer to bring me here. That's really sweet. We never spotted like another. That was it.

Another celebrity. I remember when my dad first, like when Modern Family was becoming big and I was getting recognized a lot, I kind of needed my parents to like see that part of it so that they could comprehend how complicated sometimes it is being a part of a successful TV show. Sure. And, you know, my dad had questions about like, why are you? having to do so many talk shows and tell personal stories. Like he just wasn't, he was unsure of like just the rules around this career.

Mm-hmm. And I was like, well, maybe it would be like good for him to like see me get basically attacked by fans. Oh my gosh, it was like your soap dish moment. Yeah, basically. With Sally Fields. Exactly that. I was thinking of that.

Totally. And so I was like, where can I go where it's like guarantee? And there's only been a few places where like, especially the early part of Modern Family where it was like. Oh, it was like a no brain. Like you are going to get paparazzi if you walk it. I don't think paparazzi is so much of a thing anymore. But like when we were like when the office was on,

I feel like when certainly when Modern Family was on, it was like a thing. So I went to the Katsuya in Hollywood. That was literally the first place I was going to say. Yeah, yeah. I was like, well, you go to Katsia in Hollywood. Yeah. Nary a person.

No. No one. No one. So we walk in, literally no one. And it's the only time I've like to go. actually sought it out. So I was like, I want people to, I want my parents, I want my parents to be freaked out by this. No, no, no one, no one cared. I have a very funny story from, gosh, I think it was, we were going back for season two of the office. Me and Angela and Kate and Phyllis from the office.

Yes. We decided we were going to have a ladies lunch to celebrate getting picked up for season two. and we were going to go to the ivy, which is the other place that the properazzi hang out. Yeah, correct. The I mean. Robertson, yeah, very, very classic. So we requested a room on the patio. Yes.

Yes. We got there. There was some problem. They put us in the back by the kitchen. We didn't get our patio seat. Fine, whatever. As we're leaving, the properazzi come running. And we're like, it's happening.

Oh, my God, it's happening. And then they just. run right past us down to take a picture of someone in Kitson. I was going to say Kitson. Kitsen. In Kitsen, through the windows. He was a Kardashian, for sure. Well, I'll tell you who it was.

We asked. So they come back. This guy comes back, looking at this camera, and we're like, we can still make this moment happen, right? And so we say, oh, who was that? And they go, Jason Alexander. We're like, oh, Jason Alexander, okay. Hey, Seinfeld.

That's a big deal. That's pretty cool. And then Angela, bless her heart. She is like, she goes, well, we are from NBC's The Office. Oh my God, I love this so much. Okay. And the guy goes, are you serious? Are you serious? Can I give you my card?

If you ever hear of anyone who's out and about, will you please call me? No. Anybody from NBC that you want me to feature, you just let me know. They thought you were like the office. The offices of NBC. and we were like, yep, well, we got you. He's like, I'll pay you. You immediately call.

We're like, they're here at the ivy. There's four of them at the ivy. Hello. Hello. You're looking at him. Hello. It was so funny. We laughed so hard about that.

That is ridiculously funny. I never got the paparazzi chase. You never got it. No. Even when the show is like getting at its... At its peak, I was rear-ended by the paparazzi, who were chasing Christina Ricci and I had to get out of my car

and exchange information with him and he didn't take my picture. He did not recognize me. He literally rammed his car into my car. That's amazing. Yeah. They just don't see me or something. I mean, took it to a knock on wood.

I don't, I don't, I feel like it's like one of those point of context things. I've been out with Julie, Julie Bowen and I went to where, I've talked the story before, in an airport together. I don't know why we were traveling together, but it was just the two of us,

and we were getting chased by some fans. And they finally stopped us, and they asked if they could take a picture, and I said, sure. They handed Julie the camera and Julie took a picture of us. They said thank you to her and went on their way.

That happens to me all the time when I'm with like Rain or John or Brian. They're so tall. Yes. And so they get spotted. And I've been with Rain Wilson, numerous times and people have asked to take a picture and they hand me the camera and I take a picture of them with rain

and then they leave. That's astonishing to me. Yeah. What about you... You know who I was hanging out with at the SAG Awards this year was Connor Story. Oh yeah, yeah, from a heat of rivalry. Yes, and everybody's wanted to take his picture and a man came up to me and tapped me on the shoulder and said, are you his publicist? I'd love to get a photo with him. And I said, I'm sorry, he can't do it to get him to his car. I just full on pretended to be his publicist.

That's genius. I was like, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I got to get him somewhere. Actually, I called his car already. I got to get him. Which was true. I knew he was waiting for his car.

You went into the mode. You're like, I will take the acting challenge. I will do it. Now for a quick break, but don't go away. When we come back, Jenna tells me about the modern family rewatch she's doing with her kids. And we trade stories on what it was like being on a network, sitcom for so many years. Plus, Jenna shares some hilarious stories about her first jobs in showbiz. Okay, be right back. Sometimes the hardest part of dinner isn't cooking, it's realizing that at 545

that you forgot to plan dinner at all. You know, I spent a lot of time eating at incredible restaurants for the show, but at home, I want something that's easy, reliable, and actually tastes great. That's why I've been keeping my freezer stocked with Omaha steaks. It's honestly like having a really good butcher on standby. Now, lately we've been making the burgers, and they have been fantastic. They're juicy, flavorful, and tastes like something you'd order at a really good neighborhood restaurant. If you've never tried Omaha Steaks, the burger perfection flight.

It's a great place to start. For just $79.99, you get 20 premium steak burgers made from five different cuts of steak, including flea mignon, New York strip, ribby, brisket, and sirloin. so you can actually taste the differences between each one. Try the burger perfection flight at Omaha steaks.com today. That's 20 premium steak burgers for just $79.99. Plus, get $35 off with the promo code Jesse. That's Omaha Steak.com, promo code Jesse for $35 off at checkout.

Terms apply. See site for details. One thing I can always count on with Beckett and Sully, if I make them a good sandwich, I know it's going to get eaten. And honestly, when you're packing lunches day after day, that is a win. You want something your kids are excited about, but you also want to feel good about what you're sending them off with. That's why I love Boar's Head.

At the deli counter, our favorites are freshly sliced and made with the quality I can count on. Their maple honey ham and maple honey turkey are made with premium whole cuts and crafted with 100% maple syrup and grade A golden honey. so you get great flavor along with quality protein to help fuel busy school days. Pair it with their American cheese made from a hand-selected blend of 100% all-natural cheddar, and you've got a lunch that's simple, delicious, and one they'll actually finish. For lunchtime inspiration, visit boarshead.com slash back to school.

They've got lots of kid-favored ideas to make packing lunches a little easier. And for Boar's Head to your local deli counter. We've been doing a lot of traveling as a family lately. I just wrapped up my run as King Herod and Jesus Christ Superstar in London. And then afterwards, we escaped to the coast of Spain for a few days, which was great. Beckett and Sully have basically become these little beach kids. And, you know, I'm doing what I do best, which is finding the nearest umbrella and aggressively avoiding the sun. Now, as nice as it is to get away, I always have that moment where I think, well, you know,

while we're away, making new memories, our house is just sitting there empty, which got me thinking, if you're traveling this summer, you can make your space work for you and list it on Airbnb. Why not give someone else a cozy home away from home while they travel and make a little extra cash in the process? And if you've ever thought, okay, no, that sounds like way too much work, Airbnb has made it a lot easier with our co-host network. It's a network of experienced local hosts who can help take care of everything, from prepping your home to welcoming guests, so you don't have to do it all yourself. It's a pretty smart way to make the most of your home while you're off making memories somewhere else. Find a co-host at Airbnb.com slash host. And we're back with more

dinners on me. So, you know, we saw each other at the Taylor Swift concert. Yes. First of all, how incredible was that night? To be a beautiful. part of the last, like in the audience for like that last performance. I made the movie. You're in the movie? Mm-hmm. For like there's like for one second, if you freeze frame on this once, my daughter found it. She was watching.

She's like, Mom! That's incredible. I know. Just even like having like small brushes with Taylor Swift. Like for gay pride one year, Jess and I did with big fundraiser at the Stonewall Inn in New York. And she showed up and surprised. The crowd, and the stonewall is like a hole in the wall. Oh, yeah.

And it's very small. The second floor where the venue was, maybe seats, I'm going to guess, 80 people. And she was like, I'm absolutely there. I'm going to come. And she showed up. I think actually people were convinced that it was a female impersonator. Because why in the world would Taylor should actually be here? Pause that.

Put a pin in it, though. Put a pen in it. Oh, God, what are you thinking? I think I'm going to do the Brandzino. My heart wants to eat light, but I really... Yeah. But I think I'm like... I might do the lasagna.

Is that the vexamel? Yeah. It's really good. Do you want any salad or anything, or are you... Um... If anything, I would maybe, like, split the Caesar. Oh, I would do that. Yeah, it's good here.

Yeah, let's split a Caesar. Okay. Perfect. Cesar Soutisade and then all get the Rancino. Yeah. Perfect. Yeah, that's great.

Thank you. And finish up the Taylor Swift story. I, so we have, so, Stonewall. People were just convinced that it was not her that came in. It's, you know, like this must be a female

impersonator. They slowly realize that, oh my God, this is actually Taylor Swift. Anyway, she's so wonderful, so kind. Like, great. I don't, I don't know her well. I don't have her phone number. when she got married, the amount of people who called me to ask,

assumed I was going to the wedding. Because you had been in the video? Because I'd been in the video. Was mind boggling. So the point where I was starting to get FOMO about it. Like I never would have expected to be invited. Yeah. Eric Stone Street actually was because he and Travis Kelsey had been friends

since way before he even met Taylor Swift. Yes. from being in Kansas together. So, like, you know, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, they, he was invited. And then that also confused people like, but Eric was there. Yes. Could not understand why. And so then I was like, to make it easier for them.

Yeah. I was like, I'm working in London. Like, I'm busy doing a show. So like, yeah. I didn't say that that's the reason why I wasn't, but I was like, I wouldn't have been able to go. Yeah. And she knew. And she knew that.

She keeps up with my theater schedule. Yeah, so she knew. She was like, oh, he's in London. I won't even send the invite. No. Oh, thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much.

All right. Would you like some pepper? I will take some pepper, please. I would love some cracked pepper. Let me know and stop. That's perfect. Thank you. All right.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. So my daughter was very excited to meet you because we were in the middle of a full. modern family marathon. Watched from the first episode to the last episode.

We were so sad when we reached the end. Did you watch it when it was on initially? I did. You did, okay. I did. But my kids hadn't seen it. Right.

We just love it. We love modern family with like all our hearts. And so she was so excited to meet you and she has a picture of the two of you that you took with her up on her bulletin board in her room. That's really sweet. And she has a picture with Gracie Abrams from that night. Well, I mean, that was also very exciting.

Yeah. So the office ran for how many. Eight? Nine seasons. That's a long time. You guys were 10 or 11? 11. 11.

Yeah. Yeah. How was ending the show for you? It was very emotional. You know, Steve had left after season seven. And when we got to season nine, like both Ed and Rain had some other. things that they were doing and so they couldn't even sign up for a whole season. Oh, interesting.

And so John and I were kind of the last of the original main cast who had signed up for a full season nine. And it started feeling like, oh, no, are we going to start like one by one kind of losing people? Mindy had moved on. Right. BJ had moved on. Mike Scher had moved on.

So it was actually John Crosinski, who said, gosh, it would be great if we could like call our out. If we could know that this is our last season and we could write toward that. Yeah. And we can end it all together. Yeah. And so I think NBC would have liked to have had us stay another year maybe.

But we sort of said, let's all go out together. And so they wrote toward that ending. And there were aspects of it where, I think we also felt a little like we were finished. We were curious about doing other things and stuff like that. But as an actor, having the security of a job for nine years and having a schedule that you could like know where you were going to be. Like I just knew I was going to be in Los Angeles from July to April every year because that's when we shot the office. And that was an amazing thing.

And that was really, that was jarring. Because now I had to go back to, like, cobbling together the work from various places. And, you know, not being able to say if I can come to the Lake of the Ozarks this summer because I'm waiting to hear about a thing because I don't have this regular job anymore. And so it was, there was definitely an adjustment period after. Yeah. And then those were my best friends and not just the cast. Like the crew, we were very, very close to our crew and still are very close to our crew.

And that was rough. But then I did do a series. I did splitting up together. The series for ABC, I did it for two years. And the director was our former editor from the office, Dean Holland. and he surprised me, and he hired the same sound crew. And so when I walked on set the first day, and I saw... All these familiar faces.

Yes, Nick Carbone, who had been the boom operator and the man who miced me for all nine years on the office, I just started weeping. I was like, oh, my goodness! And I couldn't believe it. I couldn't believe it. And it just because we were so close. And then it's weird because then you go to a job and like you're learning everybody's name and everybody's new. Yeah.

And to have those few familiar faces. Yeah. Also, I feel. And the trust. Yeah. I do want to hear about your first job on camera, which from my understanding was a sex education video for. For UCLA Medical Center. Okay.

For patients upon their release from the hospital. I was told. A sexual... It was a sex... It was a sex... Conduct? No? No.

No. It was about contraception and STDs. Oh. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Yeah, I got paid $100. I did my own hair and makeup and wore my own clothes. Do you audition for this?

Mm-hmm. I did. It was like in the back of backstage West. Backstage. So I had to mail a headshot in. And then I auditioned. And so let me set the scene for you. Yeah.

I'm a young woman, I'm in the bathroom, and I'm getting ready to go on a date. And my sister walks in in full medical scrubs and a stethoscope because she is a doctor. She wears her stethoscope at home. Yeah. Of course. Just in case. We just want you to know that she is a doctor. Just in case.

Just in case. Never know. You don't know. You need to hear someone's lungs. Maybe. Yeah. And she says, oh. you're like something like you look great are you going on another date with such and such and then

I say yeah I think he might be the one and she's like oh and she says something like uh do you think you're going to have sex and I say well I might and she says well do you have protection and this was I think this is what got me the role my line was protection Protection from what? And she said from pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases. And I was like, I had like never heard of these things. Never heard of either of these things. The backstory is this woman has not gicked on this planet.

No. No. She has no idea. So she opens up a drawer. She opens up the top drawer of my bathroom. I've apparently never opened this drawer Because in the drawer is every contraceptive device known to man, including an IUD that has to be implanted by your doctor.

So she goes through the drawer and she holds up each item starting with like a condom or the birth control pill or a sponge or all of the things. And explains all of them and what they do and then like graphics comes up on the screen and I'm just like, hmm. So your job is to be reactive. Yes, I am... You were the audience. I'm the audience. Yeah.

It's my forte. Yes. And so that was it. And she... And that was it. And then eventually our brother comes in to the bathroom. And I can't remember why, but he had like... He had to go.

He was like, can you stop talking? There's only one bathroom here. I got to go. Yeah. So that was my first paid acting job. Oh, my God. It's so good. It's such a good first acting job story. Yeah, it was like an industrial. Sure, sure. But my other first, like my very first, like within 72 hours of landing in Los Angeles

job, my friend worked at Central Casting. And she called me and our mutual friend Brian. Her name is Luda. called me and Brian. Wait, actually, I'm actually not sure. Central casting is like, where like they get, if you need like a common type. Background actors. Yeah, okay.

Exactly. But if you need like certain types, like yeah, we have all the burly guys, we have like, our types. Okay. Exactly. Okay.

So it's for all background work. Okay. And she was like, you guys, $100 a day, which was way higher than usual. Usually is $50 a day. She's like, this is double because it's a special skill.

It's considered special skill. I can get you both on this job, and it is a commercial for Jurassic Park the ride at Universal Studios. She goes, the thing is, though, like, it's double because it's a water ride, so you might get a little wet. We're like, oh, my God, this is amazing. We're like, yes, sign us up. I'm like 72 hours in Los Angeles.

I'm already on the Universal lot. I'm in a commercial. I'm basically going to be a huge star in about four weeks. Mom, Dad, I don't know if I can make it home for Thanksgiving because it's all happening. It's all happening very fast. Yes.

So my friend Bryant and I, we go to Henryville Studios. As we're walking on the lot, we see Arnold Schwarzenegger playing basketball outside. He's shooting something. We're like... It's all happening. This is huge. We get to the water ride.

I rode the Jurassic Park water ride. This is what I was already. For 11 hours. No, no, absolutely not. 11 hours. And they felt that the water that was naturally coming off of the ride wasn't reading. It wasn't reading on camera. So they had like guys with hoses that would spray us.

But then there's like the big moment and that wasn't reading. So they brought out something that I did not know existed, but it is called a water cannon. A water cannon. and it shoots what it sounds like, which is cannon balls of water. Oh, no. And they just like... We need more.

The walk back to our car was so different than the walk to the rock. It was, we were soaked. We had been soaked for 10 hours. You got basically paid $9. $79 an hour to, to get soaked.

Yeah. Yeah. Oh, that's a rough one. But if you paused it, just right, because this ran everywhere. This ran in movie theaters before movies, before Universal movies, yes. It was on, remember the old video cassette? You'd get it Blockbuster to watch a movie. Okay, so they would put this commercial on the beginning of Universal Film.

And if you paused it, I mean, for a while, I had that time code burned in my brain. You could see half of me screaming. Just happening. And did you feel like, because obviously just landed in L.A. It just landed. This is just the beginning of so many big things. Yeah, I mean, it's just, it's all up from here. It's all up from all, God.

Yeah, and then nothing happened until said sex education tape. Right, right, right. Yeah. And did you, like, how did you survive here? I was a temp. So I worked as an administrative assistant and receptionist. Oh, interesting. For eight years until I got my job on the office.

So I went from being an actual receptionist to playing one on TV. You had that job until you actually... I managed to quit that job about one year before the office. Wow, you went right up to it. Yeah, so I was finally making a living as an actor through like pilots and enough guest star appearances that I was able to finally. quit my day job about one year before the office. But I wore my real clothes, like when they said, come, I knew the British show,

and Alison Jones, the casting director, she was like, listen, Jenna, I'd had a relationship with her for about five years. She'd been calling me in, little by little, sometimes I got apart, sometimes I didn't. She called me in for this, and I knew her, and she said, please do not come in and try to be funny, Do not wear a bunch of makeup. Do not look hot.

Like, that was never the note. The note was always like, you're playing a pediatric nurse, but hot. Yeah, yeah. But hot. So she was like, don't, like, wear a bunch of makeup and dare to bore me. That was her note, dare to bore me. And I was like, you got it. I'm ready.

And I came in, and I didn't wear any makeup. And I scrunched my hair the way I used to for work. I took, like, when I would go to my day jobs, I spent, like, zero time on my outfit and hair and makeup. And I was like, that's how Pam feels. Yeah. So I just did that. And then I ended up wearing, actually, the shirt that I auditioned in, they said,

will you bring that and wear that in the pilot? So I wore like my real receptionist shirt in the pilot. That's wild. Yeah. I mean, also, you know, I'm such a fan of blooper reels, but like you all, and people always ask us, like how do we keep a straight face? And there are some really, really hilarious things that happened on camera. I'm like, I don't know how we got through that.

Well, we wouldn't get through it, right? I'm sure, right? And then, like, eventually you get enough, and then they are able to edit it together. Put it together. But, yeah. I mean, also, though, I feel like your bloopers, more so than any of that I've seen, they went blue really fast. Like, filthy.

Well, probably the most famous. like improvisation that none of us knew was happening except for Steve and Oscar is the kiss and gay witch hunt. So all Michael was supposed to do was hug Oscar to prove that he's not like offended by Oscar being gay. And oh, can I take both over? Thank you. So he's supposed to hug Oscar, but he's supposed to hug Oscar, but then Oscar, he's trying to hug Oscar and Oscar's like, you know what, Michael, did you ever consider

I don't want to hug you? I don't want to touch you because you're small and you're a terrible man and all these things and you're just an awful person and then Michael starts crying and Oscar's like, okay, I'm sorry, I'm sorry and we'll hug it out and they were just supposed to hug

and then that was the end of the scene. Oh, that's what you. Thank you. Yes, oh, thank you. Look up that. Sure, I'll take some. Yeah, thank you. Look at that crispy spinach.

Oh, thank you very much. That's great. Bono a petitio. Thank you. But then what we didn't know was that outside, Oscar and Steve, that Steve, I think it was Steve suggested to Oscar. I think I should like come in for a kiss. And Oscar was like, oh my God, that's so funny. So we're expecting the whole scene to end.

And then all of a sudden, Michael's. like, I have, I have a, I think one more thing. And Oscar's like, please don't. And he's like, I think I'm gonna. And the great thing about Steve Carrell was that when he would get an idea for an improvisation, like when I would think of an improvisation, I would just say my improvisation. Like, I wouldn't understand like the added comedy of like, surprising other people. Having the realization, wait for it, wait for it, and then stick the landing. Yeah. And that's what he was so good at. because we all were like, wait, is he, where is he?

He's not. He is. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. So they're getting all that, too. Yes, so you get all of that too. He doesn't just go in to kiss Oscar, you know? And so you're like, oh, God, Michael, Michael, please stop.

Now for a quick break, but don't go away. When we come back, Jenna Fisher and I talk about her hit podcast office ladies and her new movie Nimrods. Plus, Jenna opens up about her battle with breast cancer. Okay, be right back. So we just got back from about two months in London and Spain. Part of it was work, part of it was vacation, and we just got back to Los Angeles. And there were like 900 things to do at the house.

There were repairs to be made. There were things to be ordered. There were groceries to be shopped for. I just felt like I was incredibly behind the moment I landed. When your to-do list keeps growing, TaskRabbit is ready to help. Just pick a trusted Tasker, and they'll show up and get it done. And taskers are often available to help the same day. They can help you with everything from moving to furniture assembly.

Yeah, yeah, no need to figure out those IKEA instructions all by yourself. They help with home repairs, yard work, and so much more. I've been loving TaskRabbit. I recently used them to repair a gate on our chicken coop. you know, so the chickens wouldn't get out. When life happens, your to-do list grows. So get ahead of it now and get $15 off your first task at taskrabbit.com or on the TaskRabbit app using promo code Jesse.

Taskers book up fast, especially for same-day tasks. So book trusted home help today. That's $15 off your first task using promo code Jesse with the TaskRabbit app or at taskrabbit.com. One thing I can always count on with Beckett and Sully, if I make them a good sandwich, I know it's going to get eaten. And honestly, when you're packing lunches day after day, that is a win. You want something your kids are excited about, but you also want to feel good about what you're sending them off with. That's why I love Boar's Head. At the deli counter, our favorites are freshly sliced and made with the quality I can count on.

Their maple honey ham and maple honey turkey are made with premium whole cuts and crafted with one 100% maple syrup and grade A golden honey. So you get great flavor along with quality protein to help fuel busy school days. Pair it with their American cheese made from a hand-selected blend of 100% all-natural cheddar. And you've got a lunch that's simple, delicious, and one they'll actually finish. For lunchtime inspiration, visit boarshead.com slash back to school. They've got lots of kid favorite ideas to make packing lunches a little easier. And for Boershead, Head to your local deli counter. On days off from Jesus Car Superstar in London this past summer,

we would head out to the English countryside for a little family reset. The boys were in heaven. They were running around, looking at farm animals, getting as muddy as possible. Justin was, you know, thriving, taking runs in the morning. And I finally had an excuse to sit quietly with my Kindle for a few minutes without feeling guilty. Now, trips like this always remind me that vacations aren't exactly. cheap. So here's something I really didn't think about until Airbnb. While you're away,

your home could actually be working for you when you listed on Airbnb. It's such a practical way to bring a little extra income and put it towards your own travel plans. And if the idea of hosting sounds intimidating, Airbnb has this great thing called the co-host network. It's made up of experienced local hosts who can help manage your listing, take care of your home, and help your guests, have a great stay while you're away, so you can enjoy your vacation without worrying about what's going on back home. Find a co-host at Airbnb.com slash host. And we're back with more dinners on me. Tell me about, because I do love the office ladies. And I think I can imagine that it must have been such a gift to be able to go back.

and revisit the show with someone that was obviously so close to you and had experienced that thing with you. And kind of look at it from another perspective. After the office, I did a few jobs. I did some theater. I did a couple of television shows. Did you do the Neil Lebutte play, right? I did a Neil Lebutte play. Directed by Neil Lebutte, right?

Yes. Yeah, okay. And I did, I did, Meteor Shower. I did was in the first production of that before it moved. to Broadway. Right. And that was Steve Martin? Steve Martin comedy.

Yeah. And then I did a couple of television shows. I did this show that was based in London, and then I did splitting up together. And it was during splitting up together, which I really loved that cast so much. But the hours were so intense. It was like 65, 70 hours a week. You know, it was like really, really hard. And my kids were very small.

And I just decided after that that being like the lead of a television show or even a regular on a television show was not going to be a fit for me anymore. So when that show was canceled, that's when I pivoted into podcasting with Angela. And that afforded me a lifestyle with both a steady income. And also I was now at every school drop off, every school pickup, every teacher conference. every concert. I didn't have to beg someone to go to the Halloween parade. You know, it was like I was the agent of my own time, the architect of my own time, so to speak. And that was great.

As a result, my kids, when, you know, because they were so little when that change happened, they thought of me as a podcaster. Like if anybody asked them, what does your mom do? Right. Oh, she's a podcaster. has a podcast. They didn't understand what my podcast was about.

Right. You know, it's called Office Ladies. It's with her best friend, Angela. Oh, my God. Wait, I want to ask about Nimrods because I am obsessed with Green Day. Oh, yay. Love.

You're going to love the movie. I'm so excited to see it. So the movie is about a young teenage punk band who gets pranked into believing that they are going to open for Green Day on New Year's Eve if they can get from Kansas City to Los Angeles in three days.

Yeah. And so many vehicles later, many adventures later, they slowly make their way across the country. And like, for example, I guess, I can't remember how they got it, but the real Green Day, they drove a bookmobile as their tour van in their early days. They got like some bookmobile that they transformed into a tour van. A bookmobile that really takes me back. Isn't that crazy? Yeah. So for the movie, Lee was like, Oh, we're going to make it an ice cream truck.

So these teenagers are driving this ice cream truck across the country. And like Mike had this puppet, this orange puppet named gravy that would do puns and bad jokes that would drive the guys crazy. So Lee kind of put that in the movie. So there's like these little Easter eggs, but like you don't have to know these things in order to enjoy the movie. But if you are a Green Day fan, they're there for you. I love that. Yeah. And it premiered it, where did, the Toronto Film Festival.

Right, right, right. Yeah. And it did well, right? It did well. Yeah. Yeah. And now it's coming out, it's coming out in theaters August 14th, worldwide. Oh, wow.

All around the world. So other countries, too. I don't know the list, but not just. All of them. Not just here. All of them. Yes. Yeah.

Yeah. So exciting. It's really exciting. I mean, it's so hard getting things made. Oh, my gosh. As you know. Yeah. But on a personal level, it's.

especially special to us because Lee was writing this movie during my breast cancer treatment. So he was sitting in a chair in the living room writing this movie, and I was sitting in the other chair in the living room convalescing. And we were all in the house together during that time. It was a, it was a little bit like our own personal COVID, like our own personal lockdown, our family. we were very locked down because if people don't know, I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2023, and I had surgery, and I did chemo, and I did a year of immunotherapy and radiation and all the things. And that was, you know, that was a year that we felt a little bit like we lost 2024. Like it was that's all we did as a family was like get me well and

So then when the movie was greenlit It was like the I I wasn't even quite done with treatment. It was I still had another immunotherapy to go Infusion and Lee had already left to start pre-production on the movie and I got my port removed and I got my port removed and Two weeks before the whole family flew to meet him in Oklahoma City to be in this movie. And he said to me, he said, I would love for you to play Jody. Do you think you can, like, do you have it in you? Like, you're, because cancer treatment is not just the treatment, that there's then the recovery from the treatment.

So I had just finished all of the treatment. And then recovery has been its whole own journey. And I said, no. I want to. I want to do it. And I had this kind of like this, I had this heaviness in me from that year, both metaphorically and physically.

I, and if you don't want to answer this question, like, that's too weird for me to answer. Like, I totally. But, like, as a parent, being confronted, like, with something so scary as cancer, how do you even, I don't know, begin to, like, how do you put on that armor to get through that? And obviously you have to get better and you need to put your head down and do those things for not only yourself, but your family. Yeah.

But I just, as a newer parent now, I think so much about like, my biggest fear is leaving my kids. Of course. And being not, and not being there for them. And I just, I know I'd be able to do it and I would be able to put my head down and get through it, but I don't, I mean, I almost want to cry thinking about it. Yeah. I mean, it's got to be incredibly overwhelming. Yeah, I mean, the first thought after getting the diagnosis was how are we explaining this to the kids? Right. You know, how do you navigate that?

And we waited until we knew my treatment plan. We waited until we had all the information. Because right after the diagnosis, all they tell you is we found cancer. But they don't know the stage. They don't know. There's like a grade that tells them how quickly it's growing. There's a whole treatment plan and you have to wait. You have to get all the doctors and then all the doctors have to weigh in and you have to pick your things.

And there's so many decisions and genetic testing and all these things. And that took time. And during that time, we really told nobody. I told Angela. And I told Christina Applegate, who was my longtime friend. That's it. And then I didn't tell my parents. I waited until I knew what it was going to be

because then I could sit down with them and I could say, here, here's, you know, mom has breast cancer. And here's what we're going to do about it. Because for us, the scariest, hardest time was that time between diagnosis and what are we going to do about it? And why include those people in that, yeah. Yeah. So, and that turned out to be a good strategy for us.

That's a really piece of advice, actually, that I'm sure is very helpful. I'm sure you shared that with other people. But, I mean, that's something I wouldn't. because I mean my impetus would be to seek support from everyone. Yeah. And I, you know, did it feel like there was pressure behind discussing it? No. And when I got my diagnosis, of course, the first thing I did was Google every story I could find of other women.

And so every woman who shared before me and it will make me emotional. and I don't just mean celebrities. I mean every cancer patient who's written a blog about their experience, I read them. Every person who shared brought me comfort and made me feel like I could survive. When I was in the hospital pre-chemo treatment, there was a nurse practitioner who came in, and I must have looked scared. And she pulled up her arm and she had a pink ribbon tattoo. too. And she said, I did it too. And she said, and I'm still on Tamoxifen right now. I just had a

hot flash. And it blew my mind. I couldn't believe that she was just in the world. Just like doing her job with hair on Tamoxifen, you know, thriving. And it just gave me such hope. And so when I shared, I just hoped that I could be that to someone else who was at the beginning of their journey. And that's why I released my exact diagnosis because I just thought that might be helpful for people too. And it's why I don't mind talking about it because that is how I got through it

was the women who came before me helping me. And so that's what I try to do. Isn't it amazing when you live such a full life and like you still learn the like those moments hit you in that way? Yeah. So wise. Yeah. I was like, that's great.

That's great. Yeah. I know. And also like in a bizarre way like a, such a blessing that you wouldn't have received had you not had the experience that you had. Yeah. It's there are many blessings that have come. come from this experience. Like many.

And intimacy with my family, with my husband, from going through this, a way that we're even more deeply connected than before. There's definitely a very strong before and after. I think there's a lot of before and afters in a life. Justin always talks about that before cancer and after cancer. Yes. Well, I adore you. I'm so happy we did this, and I'm thrilled to see you.

Yes. This was an incredible recommendation. Now you know about this special lasagna. And the next time I bring my parents here, I'll let you know so that you can get a table nearby. So they can finally see another celebrity here. Finally, probably. This place is still hot. Exactly.

They still got it. Yeah, yeah, for sure. This episode of Dinners on Me was recorded at Caud del Sol in Toluca Lake, Los Angeles. Next week on Dinner's On Me, you know her as Queen Charlotte in Bridgerton. It's Golda Rochavelle. We'll talk about how being an ex-athlete, and also dyslexic has changed her approach to preparation as an actor, and navigating fame post-Bridgerton.

And if you don't want to wait until next week to listen, you can download that episode right now by subscribing to Dinners On Me Plus. As a subscriber, not only do you get access to new episodes one week early, you'll also be able to listen completely ad-free. Just click try free at the top of the Dinners On Me show page on Apple Podcasts to start your free trial today. Dinners On Me is a production of Sony music entertainment and a kid named Beckett Productions. It's hosted by me, Jesse Tyler Ferguson.

It's executive produced by me and Jonathan Hirsch. Our showrunner is Joanna Clay. Our associate producer is Alyssa Midcalf. Sam Bear engineered this episode. Hans Dale She composed our theme music. Music. Special thanks to Tamika Balance Kalasni and Justin Makita. I'm Jesse Tyler Ferguson. Join me next week.