Office Ladies - An Interview with Jake Lacy

Episode Date: June 5, 2024

This week the ladies chat with Jake Lacy! Jake played Pete on “The Office” or as Andy liked to call him, Plop. Jake talks about what it was like to audition and join the cast in Season 9. Jake shares memories from his first day on set, answers call sheet questions and they all bond over parenting. Enjoy!  Check out Office Ladies Merch at Podswag: https://www.podswag.com/collections/office-ladies Office Ladies Website - Submit a fan question: https://officeladies.com/submitaquestionFollow Us on Instagram: OfficeLadiesPod

I'm Jenna Fisher. And I'm Angela Kinsey. We were on The Office together. And we're best friends. And now we're doing the ultimate office rewatch podcast just for you. Each week we will break down an episode of The Office and give exclusive behind the scenes stories that only two people who were there can tell you. We're The Office ladies.

Hello. Hi, how's it going? It's going real, real well. Office, ladies. ["The Office Lady"] Hello. Hi, how's it going? It's going real, real well. I know. Should we tell everyone why we're so excited today? Yes, you tell everybody. I will tell you.

We are very excited for today's episode because we have such an awesome guest. It's the very talented Jake Lacey, who plays our new favorite character Pete aka Plop. Yes! You guys know how much we've been loving this Pete and Erin storyline. We're rooting for Pete and Erin but really it is Jake's performance that has made us fall in love with this whole storyline. How can you not root for Pete? I love Pete! We love Pete. Many of you know Jake from the

office but he has gone on to work on so many awesome shows. I mean, Jenna and I, we both loved him in White Lotus. Lady, when we were trading emails with him, I waited until like the fourth reply, but I had to bring up White Lotus because I told him, Lee and I have an inside joke now from White Lotus, pineapple room. Oh yeah, you want the pineapple room. I told him, Lee and I have an inside joke now from White Lotus, Pineapple Room. Oh yeah, you want the Pineapple Room.

We're always like, I wonder where the Pineapple Room is at this hotel, who got the Pineapple Room? You sit by the pool, you're like, I wonder who has the Pineapple Room. And you know, you guys, you can also see him in High Fidelity, the series, Significant Other, A Friend of the Family, and so many more. And now you can catch him in his new show, Apples Never Fall.

This guy is super busy and we were so happy to finally catch up with him. He's such a funny and lovely person. He is an absolute delight. So we're going to take a quick break and when we come back, please enjoy our gosh. Jake is here. Hey, hey, hey. Thanks for having me. Thank you. It's so good to see you. We're so excited to be in touch with you. And I feel like we should say upfront that we have fallen in love with Pete. Yes, on the office. We are fans. We love you. Thank you. We love we love him. Oh my gosh. This is like exciting for me as a fan of Pete to have you here today. But you know what I mean, like, because of my insane, like, I don't know, relationship to the office

and that role and you go all in. Yeah, that's a crazy thing to hear. So thank you very much. I really appreciate that. That's nuts for me. Well, it's because you do such a great job playing him. We're all rooting for Pete. Like, Jenna and I are like, get out of here, Andy.

Let Pete and Erin be together already. Can he live? He just wants her to be happy, guys. He just wants her to be fulfilled, you know? I know. All right, so before we might have to, like, pause on our Pete adoration, Jenna, and get to the actual interview part. Yes, well, let's start from the beginning.

We always ask people, how did you get your job on The Office? Well, you know what? I listened to the episode you all did of The New Guys, which was informative to me about what the casting process was outside of my little silo within it. You know, like, I didn't know they saw that many people for it, or I didn't know that saw that many people for it or I didn't

know that there was the potential for the show to continue on and that Clark and I would be, I don't know, a large part of that or something, you know? But you know what? I'd done a pilot for Fox that I desperately wanted to do. They replaced me with TJ Miller and I was like, that's it. I'm done. Like I'm never, career's over. That's that. What was the pilot, Jake?

It was called the Goodwin Games. It ultimately ran for like six episodes on Fox. And the guys who did How I Met Your Mother, who are really wonderful, wonderful, wonderful people wrote it and produced it. And they were so generous to call and say like, hey, this is above our heads, but you're not moving forward with the show. You know, like they could have sent that through my reps or something, but they personally called to go, this sucks, we're really sorry.

And I don't know, really nice guys. So it was totally, totally putting some humanity into this weird business. And so then I, you know, that was in the spring. And then in the, you know, late summer, my manager called me and was like, they're going to add two guys to the office and they've already, they've already added one. And I, I don't know, either in my like confidence or naivete or I don't know something Competence of youth I was like I'm gonna be the other one like that's it like I've got it. This is it This I like this is I'm gonna do it. It's gonna happen

Not that that had any effect on the result But just I don't know that was this feeling where I was it was my favorite show, you know I was like, oh my god, I would give anything to be honest. And so then I auditioned in New York. And then they blew me out to LA to test. And I didn't know where you guys shot. I didn't know anything. And you know, so they drive you out to the valley. And I'm like, I don't know. I don't even know LA. Like I have no idea. So we get out there and there's like me and ten other guys who look like me a handful of dudes that I see pop up and stuff now all the time and always like kind of cheer for them and then you know they I guess great came

out introduced me to Dave Rogers said there, this is a very important person on this show. I was like, okay, great. And then they opened the door and I'm like in the bullpen. Oh my gosh. Like I didn't understand that it was the set. You tested on the set? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Did you test with like cameras rolling and everything?

Oh, dude, I opened the door. Clark is like at his desk. You're in the annex? Matt's there like, yeah, both cam ops are up. And Greg is like, you know, Dave suggested we shoot the test like the show, and he could edit it together so I could see what it would look like. It wouldn't be me guessing from a tape in a room somewhere, and it wouldn't be you fumbling around on a folding chair. Like, you could just be in the space. Wow. me guessing from a tape in a room somewhere, and it wouldn't be you fumbling around on a folding chair.

Like you could just be in the space. Wow. Yeah, I mean, we should tell people that that was really unique for the office. That was my testing experience as well. But most test auditions are like in a conference room with a bunch of executives watching you read it, or it's never like they edit it together for you

and create like a mini version of the real thing. That was totally office unique. And I didn't know that they did that for you as well. That's fascinating. You know what's blowing my mind too, Jake, is that you're a fan of the show. Like, I'm just trying to imagine you're a fan of the show. You're in a van going somewhere deep in the valley'm just trying to imagine, you're a fan of the show, you're in a van

going somewhere deep in the valley, you pass a crematorium, a junkyard, you're like, where am I? Then you're in a room, a random room with all- Yes, am I auditioning or are they going to murder me at the end of this van ride? But then the mental like mind bend that you did, like you're just kind of in a room with other guys

that look like you and then you open a door and you're on the set of one of your favorite shows. You're like, what? And now you're supposed to audition. And be just totally cool. Well and the audition was improv. Oh my gosh. The audition was improv of Clark.

No, it was not. Stop it. Yeah, fully. Greg was like, great, we're going to just set this up. You guys are working. And Clark has found a, somehow is hacked into your Facebook account or something like that and is now is looking at pictures of your mom. Oh my gosh.

And Clark just kept making like, you know, a lot of innuendo based jokes and talking about asking if my mom had had breast augmentation or if I'd grown up, you know, seeing these boobs all the time and things like that. And, and me trying to get work done and being sort of, you know, laughing and also put out by that this is my coworker. And then we, so just back to what you've just said. Yes. My mind was like, it was a lot to take in. That was a lot in that moment to go like, oh, this is the creator of the American version of this show and I'm on the set and I'm, you know,

it just was like a lot. And then I tested with Ellie, then did more improv with Ellie. And then they said, okay, great. This is all on the same day? You went from Clark? It's all in 20 minutes, yeah. Then they just brought me from the annex out to the,

to reception. To the reception. Yeah. And now you're walking through the whole entire set. Yeah, just trying to not lose my mind. Also, I'm like 25, maybe 26, you know, like, maybe younger, maybe 25. Like I just, I don't know, I'm 38 now, I still would lose my mind.

You know, it's not that I've gotten cooler about it. How long after this audition day did you have to wait to get the role? Oh, I flew home like that afternoon, probably. And then that was on like Thursday. And then they called on Saturday night to say, you got it, but also we shoot Tuesday.

So you'll need to fly out like tomorrow afternoon. So I drove into the city, my girlfriend, now my wife Lauren was like working and I drove in to be like, I've got it. I'm gonna fly to LA. Like this is, I'm gonna go to LA. Fly to LA for how long? For like months?

For 10 months. Like pack your bag. You leave tomorrow. How do you pack for that? Unsuccessfully, you know, poorly. Just like a duffel with like, two t-shirts and some running shoes. Great, I'm out.

Like a go bag, but for a person who's like never served in the military. So your first time walking on set was actually during your audition, but do you remember what your first scene was after you got the part? Yeah, yeah, it was the slacklining and John kept breaking.

And I was standing next to him and was so again this is as if a person even though I'm like I've gone to drama school I've been on one show previously I you know this is still like winning something off of a radio program for me you know like just some goof walking on set being like I'm a part of it for the day. And I'm standing next to John who keeps laughing, who keeps breaking while Rain is on the slackline. And I remember both Dwight is supposed to be getting

more intense, but also Rain is slowly getting more frustrated with John laughing because it's really difficult to do the fake bad slacklining. And so it's both like the storyline is escalating and also this like friendship tension is escalating and I'm new and dying laughing. Like can't stop. I'm like, I'm going to get fired like day one.

You know what I mean? Like we won't get through the first scene and they're like, this kid can't stop. I'm like, I'm gonna get fired like day one. You know what I mean? Like, we won't get through the first scene and they're like, this kid can't, he's got 40 minutes to the day. I mean, like, come on, you know? And then the next day, I think the next was like a conference room. And it was like, I don't know,

Oscar had some line that kept getting me and I just kept having to like look away a lot. And I was like, I'm, you know what I mean? Like, I'm just, this is it for the next 20 episodes. I'm not going to ruin it. In rewatching this with my teenagers, there was a line, I can't even remember what it is, but Meredith comes for you so hard. Meredith hits on you a lot. And there's a few moments I'm like, I don't know how he got through that. There's some in the, you know,

they're at the table in the snack room, break room. In the break room, yeah. Yeah, and she's right up on me a couple of times, like full body on me, you know? And it's so funny, it's so funny. We have to talk to you about a few sort of big epic office episodes that are legendary with the cast. And one of them is Work Bus.

Work Bus. Yes. What do you remember about Work Bus? Oh boy. Well, the like behind the scenes, well, BTST or just like the episode. Well, you know, we all called it Death Bus. Yeah. I remember Bryan Cranston directed that episode

and I remember the fumes. I remember there was almost no air conditioning that even when it was on it would be on for like 20 seconds as we did a turn around. You're like, that's not long enough to cool off a bus full of 20 people. I remember the fumes from, you know, because it's on a trailer or whatnot, the fumes billowing in and that being a real issue. I remember being on the road and timing out when things happen, because you had to get the same background on each side as you kind of cross covered people. That was a high bar too clear. Jake, I'm pretty sure too, when we did that big swerve,

that's when you slid into me. And then I slammed into the wall, that window. Yeah. Are we sure that was me? I mean, that could have been any man. Yeah, that sounds right. Anyone on the bus. Was it you?

Somebody hit their head on that turn? Someone's head hit the window? There was a moment of... It was me. I hit my head. Look, years later, my deepest apologies. This is gotcha journalism. Have I been brought on to be shamed

for propulsion of body sliding across seat? You have not, Jake. And we want you to know that Brian Cranston has gone on the record discussing these calamities. They are well known. Ellie has gone on the record discussing these calamities. They are well known. Ellie has gone on the record about peeing her pants in the bus. It was a day.

I do remember, maybe it was John, maybe it was Ryan. We stopped at one point and they, one or both of them got off and were like, I'm not getting back on this bus until you sort this out. But there was a real moment of like, hey, it's not just actors complaining in here. There's, you should, this should be addressed. And then the other was,

there was silence on that bus for a little while. And Ed from the back was like, 17 cast members of the office died today. And Ed from the back was like, 17 cast members of the office died today. Like just peppered it out there and everybody started laughing. Did his Tom Brokaw. That he did his Brokaw announcing

that like the entire cast had been killed in a traffic accident. And I was like, that's hilarious. Like that is so funny in this moment where everyone's like, I can't, I can't, I will not stand for that. You know, silently stewing that he was like, from the deep, deep back of the bus. That's awesome.

Well, we remember work bus the same. That's really similar to our memories. This is a crazy question. I feel like I know the answer. Did you really grow a mustache for Movember, for the episode Movember or was that a fakey mustache? I have such a weak mustache. I'll grow like an Amish kind of, you know, chin strap overnight. But the one thing I pine for is like a proper, I would just live with a cool, sell-a-cruise mustache if I could. So no, I didn't, I didn't do it.

They cut my hair, you know, just to maintain that men's bob that I had, and then used the ends of those clippings to make my own little rat stash that they taped on. They used your own hair clippings to make that mustache? Yeah, yeah. I mean, it's both like overkill and also real attention to detail, it's pretty cool.

Yeah. Yeah. Also better than being like, I don't know, this is someone's hair and we'll just put it on. Oh. Oh, God, okay. I think you got the better deal than what Paul Lieberstein got

because that was like a small woodland creature on his upper lip. Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's got to be fake too, right? That's not, he didn't grow up. Oh, that was for sure fake. Okay. I have to ask you about all of those diehard scenes. I mean, I watched all the deleted scenes and there were so many, Jake.

It was physical too, like you were like rolling on the ground and standing up and it was amazing. Yeah, I had, you know, my girlfriend was in New York so I was in LA alone and had no kids or pets or responsibilities so that is all just like memorized. And I think, you know, as an indication of like my obsession sometimes with things, I think it had been lightly suggested, like here's some scenes that'd be fun for you to, you know, so we could pull clips from it.

And then I memorized the first like 40 minutes of that movie or something, you know, like the cadence of it, the thing. Also, personally, because I was like, I don't want anyone who loves Die Hard to watch this and be like, what is he doing? That's not what happens. You know? You had so much detail, like you would say a line and you'd go ring, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding.

You're not going to come here. Ring, ding, ding, ding. I'm like, what is the ring, ding, ding, ding, ding? Is it the big fan? What is that? Yeah, I felt like, I. I'm like, what is the ring, ding, ding, ding? Is it the big fan? What is that? Yeah, I guess I built out a whole world. Yeah, I thought it would be really fun to go for it. Or whoever, I think also, again, like whoever wrote that episode

had approached me and been like, you should go for it. Robert Padnick. He loves Die Hard. Yeah. He's brilliant. Oh yeah, He's amazing. When I watched all those deleted scenes, I was like, this was hours of memorization. You must have spent so many days on that. I would just be in my trailer, you know, in that parking lot, just watching Die Hard, like, I don't even know if it was on my phone. I'm trying to, maybe they gave me a DVD of it and I could like play it on the little thing in the trailer or whatever. But like, yeah. Yeah, genuinely hours and hours and hours.

Well, it's fantastic for anyone out there that has the DVDs, I highly recommend watching all of Jake's performances outside of the episode that live in the deleted scene. Thank you. I'm like, it was my one chance deleted. Jake, I have this memory of you joining the cast for that final season. And there was a group of us who were so delighted to have new people there.

It was like, you and Clark, I'm afraid we were annoying. I'm afraid like, because we had all talked to each other for eight full years. And now finally, there were some new people. And it was the most exciting thing, I would actually try to like not overwhelm you with talking your ear off because we were just I mean, the crew included there was not a new face for so long. I have to know, like, how was it for you? I, well, I've never thought of it in those terms. Like, I've, it's never crossed my mind to go, all right, you had almost 10 years of working with the same people for months

and months. And like, the bond that that brings, you also go, man, it'd be nice to not know everyone's life story. Exactly. It's so nice to not know everyone's life story that I'm here with. Exactly. It's so nice to have a little mystery. Yeah. I, you know, at the time, I just thought I was just so consumed with like, you know, don't mess this up.

Don't be weird around these people. Don't, you know what I mean? Like don't fan out and get weird and you know, like just show up and do your thing and leave. Don't try to make it social. Don't, you know, like nobody's excited that you're here, Jake. Just do your thing. So it's funny years later to hear you go like, we were thrilled to have new people here. And that you were like, I'm going to play it cool because that's what I was doing. I was fully being like, I'm going to play it cool. I'm going to play it cool. Like, hey, it's nice to meet you.

As if I've never seen the show and didn't know it existed. Instead of like, I've seen every episode. It's my favorite program. You know what I mean? Oh my gosh. Yes. Okay. So I just watched the episode with my teens. We did a little bit of a office marathon last night and we watched the beginning of Moving On

and Andy comes back and he's forgotten that your name is Pete. He just calls you Plop and he's like, Aaron is hooking up with some guy named Pete. You have a great moment where you're like, I think Andy has called me Plop for so long. He's forgotten my name is Pete. That runner was hilarious. Which is my name, Pete. Like I think then I now like I say it again to the camera crew basically to be like, that's me just in case you guys are also not caught up. I'm Pete. Yeah, that was, you know, is that, John Favreau directed one of

those, it might be that episode. Yes, he directed it. And then they made it two. They made it two parts, right. They made it two. Yeah. I loved working with him. It was like, maybe my favorite big name guest director

that we had outside of Harold Remus was Jon Favreau. And I know, I'm sorry, that was before he joined us. Yeah, he's a hero. Legend. But Jon Favreau was amazing. And so his episode was so good that they didn't want to cut a single minute from it and so they made it super sized. Yes.

So, yeah. What I remember that he, well I guess I have a couple things. One is like I remember before every scene he would just go over the moment before. Yes. He would just as a group go like, hey, That he would just, as a group, go like, hey, just to be clear, this person's back. You're feeling this way about it. Maybe you guys feel something else about it.

I don't know, that's up to you. And you're worried about this. And earlier, we found out about that. So let's just keep that in mind. And go ahead. You know, like that clarity, just going back to the basics of like, where are you coming from? Where are you going?

What are you trying to get? Yeah, just good scene work. He was so good with that. Yeah, and letting that add up to something, you know, that if you had all the pieces, then in the edit, he could go, oh, I'll build it from here, you know? And also that he knew story wise there was something where I come in talking to Aaron, I'm asking about mail, Andy's back,

and there was some kind of back and forth like two or four or five lines, something like that. And John was like, just I know what they're trying to do here. I don't think this really accomplishes it. Just come in and look through the mail and look down to Ellie and she'll sort of look up to you and you can smile and then just take your mail and go to the desk. And I was like, amazing. Like that he understood to go like,

you maybe don't need this dialogue. Like, just we get it. We see two people who are into each other. We see this little quiet, private connection. And like, that means more to the story and to the audience than being quippy with each other. Like, that's not actually the thing that those two characters have found in each other

It's not a sparring partner. It's someone that they like to be with so just be with them You know like he could see that stuff go man, and I feel like I'm talking a lot But I just love the show and I don't know this is like a door to memory lane that I didn't know existed So it's very exciting Keep it up. You know he's't know existed. So it's very exciting. No, I know that. But I know Ed. Keep it up. You know, he's like, he finds out that it's me that Aaron has been seeing.

And now is trying to drive this wedge. And I think there's outtakes of it where he's going through Wikipedia or like, you know, WebMD or something and it's going, yeah, you know, you never know who has what. I just got my test back and I've got, and looks over at the screen and then calls Chlamydia Chlamydia because he doesn't know what it is. And, but I didn't know he was going to do that and I just like lost it.

I just died laughing at him improv-ing. Shlamydia. That makes it in the episode too. Yes, then we had to go back and John was like, do it again, do that, do that, do that. And had been like, that was another one where he was like, don't worry about the dialogue, like let's just do one where you come in and you know that he knows and he knows that you know that he knows and let's see what happens. And so then there's like my proudest performance moment on that whole show is me going like, you know, you were gone, like now admitting it and trying

to deal with him and that he's like, I knew it, you know, like that it explodes into this thing. And that was this semi-organic like improv from John and Ed and that I was like, oh, this, wow. You know, again, as a fan and a love of the show and a participant and all this stuff, like coming together at once, you're like, oh my God, I can't believe I'm gonna do this. Like, yeah.

Oh, that moment is so good. I didn't know that story behind that moment. It was brilliant. Oh, just all that, man. Yeah, God. So cool, dude. It's so cool. I just, yeah, man.

Makes me so happy to be thinking about it. I just wanted to know if there were, because you were just talking about opening that door to memory lane. Are there any other like scenes or moments or it could be an on camera and off camera moment that come to mind that we haven't talked about? Anything that like if you could go back and relive it, that you'd be like, oh, I gotta do that again? Oh.

I bet there's a hundred that I, you know, I don't know, can't remember, or I don't know, but the ones I do are like, you know, your final talking head. Like, I think that I have a photo, I think, that I was even like, I should not be taking this. But like, I think it's- We were all in Video Village, Jake.

Remember, we were all on that couch together watching it. Yes. Yeah. And I felt like I should not be here. Like, this is, these people have created this thing, and I got to like, be a bandaid on this, you know, like I'm a snail stuck to the side of the ship,

but these folks built the ship, you know, and going like, I should give them space. As if like a loved one was passing and I was, I don't know, someone bringing in Jell-O that was like, whoops, my bad. But I just remember being in that room and thinking like, this is nuts. Again, like as a participant, as a person on the show

and going like, oh man, I've loved my time here. It's so sad to think this is the end of it, you know? And also as a viewer, as a fan of the show for so many years to go, oh man, I can't believe I'm here. I'm inside the thing. I'm inside the mothership, like watching it happen. This is insane. And I'm here with everybody who's made this thing for almost a decade.

You know what I mean? It was just surreal. Surreal then, surreal now. It's never, I don't know. But other memories, riding to the, you know, being in a van with everybody going to the last table read and the way they had that table read set up with the cameras so that execs could see it back. Everybody wanted to be a part of it, you know? And the, after we wrapped and then there was that kind of strange rap party and then the very cool rap party and Stephen Merchant being there and me reintroducing myself to Stephen Merchant, assuming he does not know who I am. Even though he's an EP on the show and he was like, yeah,

no, I know, Jack. I've seen every episode. I hired you. I've seen the edits. I'm aware. Still to the end being like, oh, pleasure to meet you. He was like, yeah, no, we got it, we got it. So Jen and I both know moments on the show where we completely lost it and could barely regain our composure. Like we lost it.

And I know you said that you broke at the slackline, but was there any other moment where you completely lost it? There's a couple times where, there's a couple times in the conference room where I really felt like, oh God, I'm going to die here. This will be the end. But some of those were like, John, John one time was like, hey, watch this, Brian, make it go on too long. And Brian was like, got it. And then at the end, when the scripted scene has finished,

you know, Brian as Kevin would just lob in another line or two, like just calling back to his own storyline to be like, but are we going to you know, and like each time it would just ruin me to be both like, this has been so funny as scripted and then someone just freewheeling and going like, I'm going to take over at the end here. I was like, that is so unbelievably funny to me. I think there's a lot like, I don't know. I don't know if there's one where I'm like, I don't know what are ones, what are the top ones? Do you have any from that season that you go this, I couldn't

function? Well, I have one that's very fresh just because I just watched it. When Aunt Shirley slapped me, she really slapped me. And you can see me sort of like, I have to like bend over because I'm kind of shock laughing. like, oh, that really hurt. She really slapped me. Really got a handful there. Yeah. But so that was very fresh for me. But just the conference room, whenever we all had a moment,

whenever we all had a line and it was just like zipping around the conference room, there was always that great energy. And we were confined in that tiny space and that added to it all day long being stuck in that space. That's usually when I broke the hardest. I just remember losing it a lot during the lice episode. Kate being so like defensive and then balls and the guilt that my character had over the whole situation. It just, I just remember laughing a lot during that episode.

As you say that, like I had forgotten, oh, I guess now it reminds me, like Zach Woods came back for one episode maybe. And I was a fan of his from a distance. And then in the moment, people had been been like they don't really write stuff for him because he's so smart that he kind of has alts for himself you know and that they'd offered for him to be a writer on the show a handful of times and he was like no I want to perform like I don't I want to be able to do both and he came in and

we're in a conference room it's just there's four of us there. And he the things he had brought with him in his little like dialogue bag of tricks. I was like, holy sh**. Like it was both what he was presenting and then also if I could try to keep up with him for a moment, like so fast back into it. You know what I mean? To add to it, not cutting me down, but just to add into fast back into it. You know what I mean? To add to it, not cutting me down,

but just to add into the joke of it. You know, I was like, this is another level. You know, like this is something I wish I knew what magic trick is happening here. You know, like, yeah, God. I just think, oh, and I, sorry. I know it's, I'm a guest on the show, so you're asking me questions,

so I feel like I'm talking a lot about me, but I have food poisoning during that episode, so I would go throw up in my trailer. I didn't know you could call into work, and then come shoot those scenes. So I look like kind of the pallid, you know, in some of those scenes, and then like go back to my trailer.

For the lice episode? And just be like, no, uh, no, for whatever episode Zach came back for. And he hires my ex-girlfriend to then work there. Yes, yes. Right. And sets us up as this love hate triangle thing. But that episode I had food poisoning, so I was very sick. And then also coming in

and like no food in my system and kind of like uh and Zach just like throwing heat for an hour and me like giggling at a conference table and then being like if you'll excuse me. To go back into my trailer and be sick. But that's one where I couldn't stop laughing and I thought like I'm gonna ruin this for him. They won't be able to edit around me laughing. I sound wildly unprofessional in that way, but just thinking, like, this is too funny. I won't manage.

Do you think Pete and Erin ended up together? It's very vague in the finale. What were you playing? What was your decision? in the finale, what were you playing? What was your decision? That I think she moves on. Really? You don't think they end up together?

No, but I think like, look, I haven't really stayed, maybe this is different for you, for me, when people go like, I'm still close with all my exes. I'm like, you're out of your mind. But okay. To me, I'm like, I think he and Erin genuinely like, stay close. You know, that they each like had this time together

and she also finds such deeper, I don't know, clarity and closure in the other storyline for her of like her birth mother and you know that I feel like Pete is like a part of her life that informs that a little but isn't like the guy. But in this great way that they actually stay close, that they actually stay like really good friends and it just isn't the thing. Like, that's kind of my hope for them. But I don't know, maybe, you know, maybe other people feel differently. We'll get mail. We'll get mail.

He's wrong. Oh, please. We also always ask people, do you get recognized for being Pete? And in your case, what do people call you, Pete or Plop? Yeah, it's Plop. Plop for sure. Plop, definitely. Aw. Yeah, aw, to an extent.

It is, you know, you go, better than not being recognized, you know what I mean? That's very nice. But also like, Oh great. It's the difference that someone goes like, did you plop on the office? And you go, yeah, man, that's me, totally. Or when like at Home Depot, someone's like, plop.

You're like, hey man, hey bud, would not yell that, you know, like that's, that's what I'm saying. You know, like it just is that variation of the interaction because ultimately like it's not the name, it's just like one feels like a human interaction and one feels like, I don't know, weird. But yes, it's sometimes Pete, sometimes Pete.

Everyone's well, I get green is horish. And I'm like, can we dial that one down folks? We can put that one to bed gang. That's all right. My kids are here. I don't need to explain what horish means. Thank you. To an entire middle school.

Like what the, come on guy. Did you take anything from set when it wrapped? Cause we all took a little something. I was too afraid. Too afraid. Too afraid. I know now that's like I should have just like brought a duffel bag and been like, it's all mine.

I'm taking it. No one will know. No, I was sure that I'd get a call and people would be like, did you take the stapler from there? Oh, no, I think I maybe have like a script, maybe like a final script, something like that. All right.

I wanted to share with you that we noticed we have all the call sheets because everyone's been so amazing since Jenna and I started this podcast. They have just shared with us shooting drafts and candy bag alts and call sheets. So we've really been able to dig in, you know? And one of the things I noticed on the back of the call sheets for season eight, they've actually stopped for season nine, I'm not sure why, but on the back of the call sheets for season eight, there was a little section where it was like get to know your cast and crew. And they picked a person and asked them five questions. And it was on the back of every call sheet. And I am loving them because the questions are

fantastic. And we asked these to Brian Cranston and I was like, Oh my gosh, Jenna, we have to ask these to every guest moving forward because these questions are so fun. So here they are. The first question is, what was your first entertainment job? Oh, well, the first like real professional, I was 16. Yeah, 16 or 17. And I grew up in Vermont, the Bread Loaf campus of Middlebury College in the summer would do a language program and they would also have people from theater in Providence come up and do shows so I was in Tom Stoppard's Acadia when I was like 16 I think 17 and you know it's just for the summer but was like working with professional actors and knew I wanted to be an actor at that point. So that was like my first ever.

Oh, Jake, that makes my theater nerd hearts well so much. All right, I have the next question. Do you speak any other languages? No, language of the heart. No, I don't. I don't. I like I'm working on Italian, but it's not going quickly. So no, the answer is no. What was the goal in wanting to learn Italian? Was it I'm going to go there and I'm going to be like is what why Italian? I spent a very small amount of time there maybe 10 years ago and traveled around in

Italy and thought like, this is it. This is where I would move tomorrow, like any part of it. Tuscany, Umbria, down to the coast. I mean, like I just was totally taking with it. And you know, always honestly have one foot in going like, maybe I'll move to Italy. You know, like, I have kids now and married, whatever, but go like, let's go. Like this business is so remote. I rarely shoot in New York or LA anyways,

there's no reason for me to go like, I need to be a train ride away from the city is like, yeah, if I want to do a play, that's true. But the reality of mostly what my work is, is like sending in self tapes, meeting people over Zoom, you know, maybe an offer, but really that's kind of rare. So like, I could live anywhere and why not pick up and go to Florence? Why not go to Siena, you know? So, and if we were to do that, I'd like to be engaged in a culture

and not just like an expat floating around the prototypical American to go like, anyone here speak English? English, anybody? But we'll see. Well, that folds into question number three on the call sheet is, what's a place you've been to

that you loved. So I think that's for you, Italy. Italy, to be sure. And also, I mean, London, I don't know, I spent a little time in London. I thought this is, I would also, you know, it's the most expensive city maybe in the world. But London, I just thought was wonderful.

Yeah. I don't know. I think that all wonderful. Yeah. I don't know. I think that all sounds pretty fantastic. I want to go. You know, I had friends in my 20s. Of course, they didn't have kids yet, you know, but they decided to go live in Italy for a year. And they went and they lived in Italy for a year

and they loved it. And I think they think back to that time in their life so fondly and I grew up overseas. So Jake, I'm saying go for it. Where did you grow up? Where were you overseas? I lived 12 years in Jakarta, Indonesia. Oh my god.

What was there that your family was there for? My dad was a drilling engineer. And he was transferred there in the 70s. And I grew up there. I loved that chapter of my life. And I think you just, it's such an education. So I don't want to get in trouble here. I don't want to step in your business with your wife, but I'm just saying.

She's into it. She's like, let's go. Go for it. For real. Yeah, no, you're, you're tipping the scale. Well, if office ladies come to Italy, we will find you. You've always got a place to sit. You'll always be welcome in our house.

Pasta and pool. Next question is, what do you like to do on the weekends? I mean, I've got two little boys, so it's, the weekends are not my own. Do you know what I mean? It's like when they're in school. Yeah. On the weekends, what my own. Do you know what I mean? It's like when they're in school. On the weekends, what do I really like to do? If I get the chance, I love running. I love trail running. If I can get away for just a little bit to do that or boy, reading. If I get like a half hour and I'm just reading, boy, that's a pleasure. You're so obviously the parent of small children.

A shower? Because I remember these days. A shower, yes. An uninterrupted shower. Yeah. Okay, last question, Jake. What is your favorite midnight snack? Cold pizza.

Yeah? Oh yeah? I'll order pizza, eat too much of it the first time, convince myself I won't have any later, put the kids to bed, put something on, be like, do you want a snack? My wife's like, I'm good, dude. I had too much for dinner. I'm like, yeah, no, totally. And then go downstairs and like make the coffee, let the dog out, eat two pieces of pizza. Be like, what are you doing? What is happening?

So it's that and also man of late, frosted mini wheats has been like, they're just in there and I think, oh, that'll fill me up a little. It's a little sweet. It's a little whatever, you know? And like we have these poor tubs. It's not just the box, you know,

keeping it all real organized. But I won't like put it in a bowl because I'm convinced, you know, I'm convinced I'm going to have like two little hand pulls and that'll be that. But instead, I probably put away like half a bag of cereal and then go like, dude, it's midnight. Like, come on, bud. Also why run? You know what I mean? Just why run and go to the gym?

Then from 11 to 12, you're going to do your own at-home fourth meal. You know, remember when Taco Bell made that a thing? They were just legit like, go ahead, have 25% more food than anyone's ever written. Fourth meal. Oh, all right, cool. Yeah, we'll do that. We're into it. That's very funny. Yeah, so that's pizza, pizza, roasted mini-wheats, and yeah. Nutritious. Super, you're packing in some extra nutrition.

I love not committing to a bowl though. That is me. I'm like, if I only take a few handfuls of M&Ms, is it really anything? Cause I didn't put it in a container. It's just a few. Right. And I double dip.

And then like, yeah. Yeah. And then by October 10th, you're like, somehow we're out of candy for Halloween. I don't know how that happened, but. Wasn't me. I didn't put it in a bowl. Yeah, no, it's a problem. It was a problem.

Aw, Jake, it was so good to see you and get to reconnect. You are just the same. Just the same awesome guy. And this was really fun. Yeah, thanks so much. This was really lovely. Thank you for having me on here. And Jake, we just loved you on set.

You were just so wonderful to be around. And so I just hope you know how much we all just like, you just fit in seamlessly and you were just part of the family. That really means a lot. Thank you, thank you. This is like me then saying thank you and me now saying thank you, you know? Like it really, thanks. Thank you. Yeah, thank you.

Do you see what we're saying? How great is Jake Lacey? I know. Love him. I love him even more now. I know. Well, a big thanks him even more now. I know. Well, a big thanks to Jake for sharing with us about his time on The Office, and please be sure to check out his new show, Apples Never Fall, on Peacock.

Thanks so much for listening. We hope you have a good week, and we'll see you next time. See you then. Thank you for listening to Office Ladies. Office Ladies is produced by Earwulf, Jenna Fisher, and Angela Kinsey. Our senior producer is Cassie Jerkins, our audio engineer is Jordan Duffy, and our associate producer is Ainsley Bubbaco. Our theme song is Rubber Tree by Creed Bratton. You