Office Ladies - Interview with Steve Carell

Episode Date: March 8, 2023

This week we’re interviewing Steve Carell! Steve talks about what it was like to be on “The Office,” play Michael Scott and everyone reminisces over some favorite Michael moments. Steve answers fan questions from the “Office Ladies” Facebook fan page including questions like “Do you have a Toby in your life?”. The ladies also give Steve a “Regular Guy” quiz. This is a delightful, funny conversation we’ve all been waiting for and we know you’re gonna be just as happy as we were to hear from Steve. Enjoy, Office Ladies fans!  Office Ladies Website - Submit a fan question: https://officeladies.com/submitaquestionFollow Us on Instagram: OfficeLadiesPodCheck out Office Ladies Merch at Podswag: https://www.podswag.com/collections/office-ladies

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. Happy Wednesday, everybody. A very happy Wednesday.

This is one of the most exciting Wednesdays for me. This might be one of my happiest Wednesdays. Office ladies listeners, we have a special guest today. The one, the only, Steve Carell. We have been waiting for this ever since the beginning of the podcast. We are so excited to have him on and you guys are going to love it. We are dedicating this entire episode to Steve. He's going to talk about all of his time on The Office playing Michael Scott.

We could not be more excited for you to hear it. So I hope you guys, when you listen, the thing that just warmed my heart was for me, it was just three friends getting to hang out who had missed each other and hadn't seen each other in so long. So I just hope as you listen, you get to feel that with us. It was like no time had passed. We just were so happy to see our old friend. I really feel like we captured what it's like to sit on set with Steve Carell.

People always ask us, what's it like to work with Steve Carell? This interview captures what it's like. These are the conversations. This is how we would laugh. Yeah. These were our Monday morning chats after the weekend. Absolutely. Before we get to the interview, we do want to give a big shout out to our Facebook fan

page. I hopped on there and I wrote a message. I had to literally figure out Facebook in order to do it. You did. You were like, I don't know my password. I didn't know anything. I had an old account that was like five years old or something. But I went on there and I asked you guys, what do you want us to ask Steve Carell?

And oh my gosh, did you show up for us? It was amazing. So awesome. You guys sent in thousands of fantastic questions. I also want to give a big shout out to Nikki, who moderates the Facebook fan page because she helped us go through and pick out some of your most asked questions. And we asked Steve your questions. And some of the questions are so good.

I would have never thought of them. I know. And they made us laugh and you'll hear it. You'll hear it. All right. Let's take a break. And when we come back, our interview with Steve Carell. Jenna, I am so excited because-

Yeah, so sitting next to me, Steve, it's a nice girl in the studio on office, ladies. We're all here in our glasses. Remember, we didn't have these when we worked on the show together. Did we all three wear glasses? The very last season, I really needed them for table reads. Right. For reading. Yes.

But look at us now. Now we're here. Free people. I know. In need of eyewear. Yeah. Should I just kick it off with our very first question we always ask? We have a favorite first question.

We have all of our guests. Okay. Here it is. It is. It's really hard. It's really hard. Ready? How did you get your job on the office?

I auditioned. I have to say the audition for the office was unlike any audition I've ever had. And I'm sure you had the same experience because it felt like it was a workshop. It didn't feel like an audition. There didn't seem to be a ton of pressure. You just went in and they had a camera, but you didn't think there was anyone outside of the, you know, the one or two people that was that were in the room. So it was very low keyed and very supportive.

I remember we did a screen test together because after I auditioned something like seven times, I made it to the end, I guess, and it was like I was one of the final four and they paired me up with you for a couple of scenes. That was crazy. I'd never done something like that before. I said, I anybody but her, you're like, I don't care. No chemistry. What is her name?

Gemma. Gemma Fisker. I don't like it. I don't think it's going to work. I don't think Gemma Fisker is going to be on the show. No, I remember auditioning with you and I remember how grounded you were instantly in your character. And I thought, you know, when you read with someone, you don't know who they are as a

person. Yeah. And you immediately think, well, that's that's who she is clearly because you can't separate it at that point. But then you find out like everyone has completely different personalities than the characters are portrayed. And it's kind of amazing. Like once I remember, can I tell a story like right off the bat?

Oh my gosh. When we were at our first studio, our first sound stage out in Culver City, and we were shooting the pilot and I was at craft service and I had taken a can of Diet Coke or something out of the six pack. And you know, there was that plastic, the carrying six pack thing. And I started breaking it down. I started cutting the edges before I threw it in the trash, you know, because of the dolphins.

Right. And I remember you walking up and commending me for doing that. And that stuck with me like, oh, yeah, I was just kind of doing it as a courtesy to the dolphins. Yes. And I remember you kind of giving me a bat on the back and saying, hey, good for you. Nice job. That is such a specific memory to remember.

I did. Like it's one of my strongest memories from the first episode. I thought, she's so nice. That's so, it's so nice to be with nice people. I guess that was the takeaway. Yeah. Like, oh, this is going to be great. Right.

Dolphin lover. Mm hmm. You know, I do that at home. I probably said, I do that at home. Yeah. Yeah. Love to see it. And we should shout out to all the people out there.

Cut the plastic. Cut the plastic. Don't, you know. Yeah. Keep the plastic down. Yeah. For one thing. That's right.

This is going to be a PSA. It is so funny though, like where your brain goes because my strongest memory of the pilot is how you had to go down those stone steps outside to get like to crafting everything. You know, like you had to go outside the building down these stone staircase. And Oscar and I were leaving at the same time and he, we had done sketch comedy together for years, right? So we just went back to our silly shtick and he goes, let's walk down the stairs together the same way.

And I said, okay, Oscar, we started to go down the stairs with our arms flinging about. And we turned and the whole like producing team was walking behind us, like Terry Weinberg, Howard Klein, all of those people. And I was like, Oscar, there's a bunch of people behind us. He goes, then we have to keep doing it. Yeah, you have to own it. Yeah. So I'm like, okay, that's one thing I remember.

But then you find out later on those intimidating people weren't intimidating at all. No. Everyone who was completely. So nice and rooting for us. Yeah. Everyone was in the same boat. I have a question that came from our office ladies fan group. This is from Carly D. Carly would like to know, what was your process and inspiration behind

playing Michael? How did you craft this character? I remember meeting with Greg Daniels up at a deli, like on the top of Mulholland. And we didn't know each other at all. And it's before, it's before I got the part, actually, he, you know, he was, I think he was meeting with some of the people who were sort of in the mix, the final mix for Michael. And we just discussed the character and talked about what his foibles are and what is his dreams and hopes and, and I had a pretty specific take at that point.

And it wasn't Ricky Gervais's, you know, and I, and I've told this story a million times that I chose not to watch the British version because I just didn't want that to influence whatever this version was going to be. And because he was so, he was clearly so great at it and was such a distinctive character. I didn't want to do an impression of him. I remember you telling me that, and I remember telling you that I had chosen to watch the entire British series and completely copy Lucy Davis and was basically doing a Lucy Davis impression to get the job.

So not true. Yeah. But also kind of true until, you know, especially for the pilot, because we were doing it word for word. And I was like, I think she nailed it. Like, I don't know how to say the line better than that, so I guess I'm just going to go with what she did. Well, but I remember you saying you'd never seen it and I didn't really have that information

in your brain. I didn't because, you know, I watched like a minute of just to get a sense of the tone of the show, sort of how, how dark and very dry, very dour kind of bleak, which I loved. I loved how still it was at times. But his character was so specific, I thought, no, I can't because that's what I'll want to do. I won't see it any other way. And I think Greg agreed with that as sort of a template for doing it.

And we were definitely on the same page in terms of who this guy could be and could become. And early on, I started thinking about an arc, too, like where, where, because you hope, you know, you don't go in thinking this is just going to be a pilot or this is just going to be six episodes. The hope is the character starts here and ends up way somewhere else. There's no way of really knowing where a character is going to end in the last episode. But, but I kind of in my mind, I had a plan like because these characters, the hope was that all of these characters would change and evolve and grow.

And that's part of what's fun about watching a show is to see progress in these characters. So that was that was sort of the plan going in. That was sort of the hope. It was one of those parts that you just pray that you get because at well, you know, at that point, certainly, we're all just happy to be working, but on top of it, it just seemed like what a what a perfect thing to be a part of and everyone who I met who had been involved with it seemed great and smart and nice and kind. And all of those things just made it so appealing to to want to be, I was, you know, crossing

my fingers. Oh, I know. I remember thinking like, I can do this, like this one I can do. Yeah. But that was Pam. And I didn't get it. But then I got to be the accountant. And then I was like, no, I can really do this.

Have you ever worked in an office in real life or ever had a boss like Michael Scott? No. No. No, I never have. Not an office worker. I did a lot of, you know, I did a lot of waiting tables. I sold wine over the phone at one point. How do you sell wine over the phone?

Exactly. I mean, you can't taste it. How does it? It's a beautiful bottle. Well, you describe it based on, but we didn't get to drink the wine, but you have to describe a wine based on a, you know, a paragraph that they've written on each on each wine and my right characteristics of each wine. It's a hard sell.

Believe me. Hello. Do you like wine? I mean. Click. Oh, my God. Okay. Was the office your first lead role?

Yeah. I think it was. I had done, it was a, it was really fun to do. But I played a crazy Greek chef on a sitcom with Annie Potts and Tim Curry. So that's, that's the, that's the sitcom that I had done. And I did it, I did a show just before the office starring Tom Papa, a really funny comedian. And he had a show. Come to Papa.

Come to Papa. And he was, he was so great. And this show, you know, only lasted a few episodes. So I, I went from that and then auditioned for the office when that, when that ended. But no, I'd never done a lead, I'd never done a lead role. Cause I, I have such a memory of you, Steve, sitting over on that little sofa at front reception or the chair sometimes that was in front of Michael's office, just studying your lines cause you, you would have to carry every scene.

And I just breezed through and said something snarky to Kevin and then breezed out, you know, for the most part. But I always thought, was there a lot of pressure to be the lead and have to carry all of that? Not, not with that group of people because I felt like everyone was an equal component of that show. I didn't feel that way. I didn't feel like I was carrying any more load than anyone else because when you think about it, you know, yeah, I had a lot of dialogue, but everyone was there all the time.

And even if you were in the background of a scene, you're still acting, you're still active, you, like all of us had character stuff going on at all times. So I don't think enough can be said for the fact that to be, to just be present on that set, everyone was working really hard, but it didn't, it didn't, I don't want to make it sound like it was hard work because it wasn't. It was really fun because everyone was there supporting each other. So no, I never felt, I never felt like any undo pressure. And also the writing was so good that at a certain point it became very easy to make

and memorize lines because you started to understand exactly how the writers were writing it and how they were also writing to us, like to our characters and to all of our voices. So I find that if dialogue is really good, it's generally pretty easy to remember because it makes sense. That's right. I always think about that too. If it's well written, I have no problem. And then our joke is we'd never make it on a medical show because all of the things they

have to just quickly rapid fire off, I'd be like, oh no, I'm not, I'm not going to audition for that. I'll be a disaster. Yeah. No, that would be tough. So Steve, we have talked about many times on this podcast, just about our gratitude for your just stability and consistency and your leadership, so much so that a fan wrote in Sarah H. and said, we've heard how supportive and professional Steve is on set, and I would

love to hear Steve's perspective or advice on setting the tone at work and fostering a supportive environment. Let's start by saying I am pretty great. So some of it's just in your DNA. I mean, you had a shirt you would wear that would said, I'm fantastic, right? That's right. A shirt with my face on it, so just reiterate that it's me. That's really nice of you to say.

But again, I felt like I was part of this very unique ensemble, and so I never thought of myself that way. I thought of Greg as our leader and our mentor in terms of this world, and he oversaw everything, and everyone was so nice. Everyone was so kind to each other that I never got a sense that it should be any other way than just in terms of the production of the show, like from wardrobe to the writers, to all of the crew, catering, craft service, everybody felt like they were part of something. And the other part of it is, I believe sincerely that every one of us knew, no matter who watched

it or whether it had any sort of longevity in terms of viewership, even if we got canceled after a season or two or three, I was so, I think we were all so happy and thankful for the time that we got to work on the show and to be with one another. It was really, it just, it was a special thing, and we were aware of how special it was in the moment. Mm-hmm. For sure. I always was just super thankful for the writing because it was like, you know, when you do

an improv show or a sketch comedy show or something, and there's one person that wants the joke, wants the joke, wants the joke, and they just kill the show, I never felt that on our show. It was like, if Phyllis had the best button, she could level the room or Oscar or Creed. It didn't matter. Like, the jokes came from everyone. It was a real creative collective, and the writers wrote that way, and Greg treated us that way.

Like, Greg could look at a scene and be like, no, you know what? It's not working with Jim getting the laugh. Let's flip that and let's have Stanley say it. Right. And then it just floored everyone. And so I always felt that way, and I feel like Greg set that tone for us that, like, everybody gets to play. You're exactly right.

Everyone got their shot. Not just that, but everyone else loved it. Everyone else was supportive of it. There was no resentment, no ego involved. And like, why not? That's the way to do it. And I think you can see it when you watch the show, because there is a calm to it. Like, no one's, everyone, it's all good, you know, everyone's, everyone is, everyone's

loving each other, you know, in terms of us as actors and people beyond the characters. I get so excited for conference room scenes, because those were our rapid fire things. I mean, Michael is up there, but literally every single person in the room has either a bit or a look, and it's just so fun to watch. Almost impossible to get through. Oh, and we didn't. Oh my God, we left so much. Well, people are very excited for you to talk about some of your favorite memories of shooting

the office. Specifically, they're curious if you have a favorite episode, which I think is like asking, do you have a favorite child? It's very hard. It's so hard. Yeah. That is hard. You know, my last one, talk about heart, it was a really difficult episode to do.

But I also loved it at the same time, because it was sort of that end game for Michael. It was that the culmination, the sort of showing the growth that he didn't need the big send-off. He didn't need the big party. He could say goodbye to all of his friends on his own terms without any of the fanfare. And so that I really enjoyed having that character evolve to that point in that moment. And people always point to this one, but dinner party. Dinner party's up there, and we'd come back after the writer strike. So that was the first thing that we had shot.

I know you've discussed it, but I think everyone was so ready to get back to work and had really missed each other. And this is an episode that had just been sitting there waiting to happen for a while. And it's so weird and kind of dense in thematically and crazy and had great guest appearances and great sight gags, what was also really dark in a lot of ways and very sad and kind of emotionally fraught. So there was a lot going on in that one. So I like that one too.

We didn't realize until we were breaking it down and we did a little googling, apparently it was a huge bomb when it first aired. It was not a fan favorite. It is not what it is today, but people did not care for it. The show in general was a huge bomb when people first saw it. This is true. I acquired taste, I suppose. Another one to your point that people did not like at first was Scott's Tots.

And I loved doing that episode because it was so horrible, but I think they expressed so much about this guy's persona because his heart definitely in the right place and a huge heart, but so wrong. No follow-through. And I think there was a talking head, something to the effect of all the stupid things I've done in my life. This was the most generous or something like that. Yes, yes, the most generous.

It was something to that effect. I think it's like of all the empty promises I've made in my life, this one was the most generous. That's it. That's it. That's it. That's it. That's such a hard line to say with a straight face.

You have so many amazing talking heads. We talk about it every week, and I sort of go and look at the deleted scenes, and there's some real gems in there, too, but Jenna, your favorite is... I have a favorite, and we have an audio clip of it so that we can listen to it together, is after Michael burns his foot on the form and grill, and you very angrily explain how it happened. You're so annoyed. You're so defensive.

Why do I have to explain this, but I guess here it goes. Again. Wait, we got to hear it. I enjoy having breakfast in bed. I like waking up to the smell of bacon, sue me. And since I don't have a butler, I have to do it myself. So most nights before I go to bed, I will lay six strips of bacon out on my George Form and Grill.

Then I go to sleep. When I wake up, I plug in the grill. I go back to sleep again. Then I wake up to the smell of crackling bacon. It is delicious. It's good for me. It's a perfect way to start the day. Today I got up.

I stepped onto the grill and I clamped down on my foot. That's it. I don't see what's so hard to believe about that. I love the big sigh after you've explained how you eat bacon, six strips of bacon, every morning. You're like, so today. I think my favorite part of that is when he says, and it's good for me. Just slipping.

How good, how healthy eating six strips of bacon in the morning. But there's so much about that if you unpack it like, it actually is really nice to wake up to the smell of bacon. I have that memory from childhood. You wake up on a Sunday, dad's downstairs making the pancakes, making some bacon. It is actually a really, he has a point. Maybe just made bacon. He doesn't say it the way you just did though.

That's the problem. What was so great about those talking heads, and so terrifying in a way, it was so well written that you just didn't want to screw it up. There was an obligation, and I know you guys felt this too, like when you had a really good line and it here comes, you would try to do everything you could to take the pedal off a little bit. Don't floor it for the joke. Really ease off and let it seem like this is just a natural extension of what this guy

is thinking or what these women are thinking. And that was the hardest part is to not point to all of these fantastic jokes, to just make them feel conversational, and also just to not laugh. I'm sure I laughed 20 times during that, trying to do that talking head. There's one talking head I, what was it, that I could barely get through. And it was the same sort of thing. It was something so ridiculous. There's one in the bloopers, you know, Isabel's obsessed with the bloopers.

She loves them. So she'll be like, oh mom, you're at season seven. There's great bloopers. I'm like, okay, yes. But there was one, Steve, that you could not get through where you said, I'm going to get it wrong. But you're like, Michael's like, I'm not a bad guy. Sometimes I hit people with my car.

That's the one. That's the one I was thinking. Yeah, you couldn't get through it. Sometimes I hit people with my car. Yeah. When I hit Meredith with my car, like trying to absolve myself of having done it. I'm not a bad guy sometimes, I just hit people with my car. And I remember doing it.

I'd be getting close and I couldn't get through it. It's fun going to know you're going to go into work every day and laugh until you cry. Every day I was on that set, at least one point of the day, I was laughing until tears were coming out of my eyes. And I mean, what a gift. Who has a job like that? So Michael Scott had a lot of characters that he would play over the years. And we found a deleted scene, Steve, that I wanted to share with you.

I don't know if you'll remember it, you know, when you hear it, you'll remember it. But it's from season three in the convict. Michael explains where he got the idea, or I guess inspiration for all of his characters, in particular, prison Mike. I really wanted you to hear it, Sam, can you play it? When I was just a little kid, we had an assembly at school where a giant owl came out and gave a very impassioned speech about giving hoots and not polluting. And you know what?

I never polluted again. It was right then that I realized the power of saying things as a character. People listen to you when you are wearing an elaborate costume or speaking in a voice that is not yours. Can you believe that was deleted? That explains prison Mike, everybody, Michael Skarn, anyone, anytime you let a conference room meeting in a costume with a voice. You thought this is it?

They're going to hear me? This is how I am most effective, because you don't give any hoots anymore. You give a hoot, you don't pollute. Clearly this relates back to me tearing apart the plastic, you know, or the dolphin. Yes, even still. You don't pollute. Steve Carell gave a hoot. Sure did.

Boy, I mean, that's sort of like that vague foggy, as I was hearing it, I kind of recalled. But there are thousands of those. There are different versions of all of this stuff and things that could have made a difference either way. Yeah. But they were so good. And Greg, I never regretted anything that was taken out of the show. I like had complete confidence that because, you know, some people get possessive, like,

well, why did that scene go? Right, right. What happened there? They were so good about structuring the show and what needed to be in and what was might have been really funny, but didn't help or might have explained a whole backstory. But they just they let the audience just jump in the middle. They didn't have to like explain everything. But every once in a while as we're doing this rewatch and we find a deleted scene or something

that's such a nugget, we're like, oh, that's why he would come in these costumes and give a big presentation. It's because of hoot. Sure. The owl. Did you get to give notes on things? Like, were you very much a part of that? Like I would remember sometimes you would stay behind after a table read and they would

want to know your thoughts and things that they were really collaborative and open in that way, right? For sure. Yes. And the fact that so many of the writers were also actors on the show. There was such a great connection that it didn't feel like different facets of the show. Again, everybody just felt like they were all collaborators. And the writers were part of the ensemble, which I think helped because they they understood

everyone's voice that much better because they were there and they were hearing it. But yeah, I mean, I I'd weigh in. Would you pitch ideas? Sure. Yeah. Do you remember any? Well, I remember once one specifically, and this is later on, this was when you and Jim were getting married and they wanted to have a horse go over and I raised my hand and said,

we can't. That's great. I mean, I'll do respect, but please don't do that. It was not just you. Apparently, when we were breaking down that episode, we talked to Greg about it and he was like, Steve told me not to do it. Randy told me not to do it. You told me not to do it.

Like literally everyone told him it was so hard for him to let go of that. I'm sure if it was Greg, it would have been funny, definitely. But and those were rare moments when you felt like, no, I yeah, I mean, little notes here and there. But again, those writers were so good and so on point about everything that it was more in addition to as opposed to negating. Yeah. Side note, did you know, we didn't know this, Randy shared this with us that up until like

right like the day before, they had a horse, they were training in a big water pool at Paramount Studios. Like they were all systems go like right up until like the day before. There was a horse being trained. Of course there was. You don't realize when you write something, somebody starts to build it. Yeah. I mean, it starts to happen.

So when you say, oh, so now we're going to be out in the woods. And then a month later, you're driving an hour and a half up into the Los Angeles Forest to shoot a few scenes. Like, why did I write this terrible idea? It's nighttime in the forest. The middle of nowhere. Freezing. Terrible.

Terrible. He falls in a creek. What? Why did I write it? So we've talked how the show was slow to find an audience. It was sort of like we were doing a little theater production and no one's seeing it. But then one day it turned to corner and everybody knew the show and we had people coming up to us.

Jenna, do you remember we're at an award show and Laura Dern was like, stop, I have to talk to you. And we're like, what? She was like, I love your show. And I was like, this is Laura Dern. Oh my gosh. But was there anyone like that for you, Steve, that sort of surprised you and caught you off guard that was a fan of the show?

Laura Dern. Same thing. I met her somewhere down the road. I was doing a promotional thing with her. And I wasn't even aware of your encounter with her because she was clearly a fan because she was very excited to talk about the show and she said the same thing to me. She loved it. And it's nice when anyone likes something that you're a part of and especially nice

when somebody that you respect like that and has sort of a critical eye for things likes your show. So yeah, it was really nice. It was nice hearing any of it because you're right, early on it felt like we were in a vacuum and is any, let alone appreciating, is anyone watching it, is anyone paying any sort of attention and the only part of it that mattered to me was the continuation of the show. I wanted to have enough people watch it so they kept letting us do it because I didn't

really care about the acclaim or like we knew that we liked it and we were having fun with it and I think we all felt like it was special in that moment and that's what mattered to me. But yeah, yeah, it was a slower turn. I remember that time early on because we, a few of us had gotten on Myspace and we were able to interact with the like 17 people who were watching our show in the beginning and they were such fans and they so got it and they so appreciated it and that really like kind of, that just felt so good, you know?

Because when you make a television show, you don't hear the people laugh when they watch it and you don't know how it's being received or a movie or whatever, I guess, unless you sneak in the theater but you can't like go sneak in people's living rooms while they watch it. So I always loved when someone told us that they loved it, especially a fellow artist and they were excited too because the show was different with the documentary style and the looking at the camera. Would you look into the camera after you got jobs on the office?

I have never had a job where I didn't look into the camera at some point. Same. Same. I can't not make the camera a character now. It's so, such a habit. At least once. Yeah. I'm sure on Foxcatcher, I like looked into the camera and went, nope, you cannot comment

on what you just did because that's not this show. Yeah. Same for me. I actually had a director say, uh, Angela, you just looked right down the barrel. I was like, oh, I'm sorry. I looked to the left or right. It was such a fun, uh, kind of discipline. Know who was really good at that right off the bat was Amy Adams.

I'll never forget because it was kind of a learned strength, I think, on the show to figure out the right way to play the camera to, to invite the camera in and to make it feel like these people aren't used to the cameras. So you couldn't be too savvy, especially at first. You couldn't, you couldn't play it too well. You, you needed to have an awareness of it without like having an over-awareness of it. Yes. Um, but I remember when Amy Adams came in to do purse girl, was that it?

Hot girl. Hot girl. She was selling the purse. Selling the purse. Yeah. And I remember she just had like this, she was right up to speed with everybody else in terms of how to play the camera, like it's eavesdropping. And I don't know how I should react to it.

And that sort of discomfort built in that we had learned how to do. So she was really good at that. And that was such an interesting, and we'll never, we'll never get to do something like that again. It was a really interesting acting exercise to be, you know, you're doing, you're in your character and your character is also being watched. So there was like another layer of something going on with all of these characters, which is kind of cool.

You mentioned Amy Adams, one of my favorite guest stars that we had in terms of chemistry with you was Tim Meadows. You guys doing the baby back ribs. That also, that episode has one of my favorite lines in it, which is, Gould is dead because Jan is no longer Jan Levinson Gould. Yeah. And she's like, no, Michael, we got, we're separated, we're divorced, Gould didn't die. Because if, as if she would drop the Gould from her name if he died, right, as a widow.

Yeah. Amazing. But yeah, I love you guys. I don't know how you got through all the rib eating and singing and comedy from that episode. I've known Tim for a long time too. And we did a second city show that went to Washington DC at the Kennedy Center with Nancy. We went as this, this group one summer and spent, I don't know, three, three weeks at

the Kennedy Center doing a second city show. And I had known him from second city as well, you know, earlier on stage. And he is so, I think he's one of those, one of those people that is always great. He's never not great, you know, sometimes people like that are under the radar. And then they pop out and you say, oh my gosh, like, they're incredible. And yeah, he's, I think, one of the best and he's a great improviser. And he's so, he's so effortless. He just doesn't look like he's ever breaking a sweat and he's hilarious.

Oh, yeah, I'm a big fan. He's a great guy. Well, why don't we take a break? And when we come back, we have some more questions from the fans. Okie doke. All right, we're back. And while we were on break, before we get to fan questions, Steve, I remembered this cold open that we did that led into a talking head that was one sentence from you.

When I rewatched it, I laughed so hard, I had tears streaming down my face. What? Do you remember the cold open that we did where we're all trying to take the Christmas photo? Yeah. Yes. Yeah. And we're trying to jump on three, three, two, one, one, two, three.

Yeah. This whole thing. Dwight's like, Phyllis didn't jump, Angela didn't jump. Yes. And it's so long, this cold open. And then it cuts to a talking head of Michael and Michael says, we never got it. You know what? That cold open is a perfect demonstration of us as an ensemble, I think.

Yeah. Because to make it look as bad as it did took some effort. Like we had to be completely in sync to be that out of sync. And everyone jumping at different times. Yeah. And Michael getting frustrated like a dad would like, come on, come on, guys. I think that's a perfect example of how in sync we were as a cast because we all got what that thing was and how many people needed to be going at one time, but we didn't talk

about it. No. We didn't discuss like, well, on the count of three, you two are going to go. And then we just, as a group, we just felt that and not to give ourselves too big a pat on the back, but I think I've watched that since and thought the same thing. Like that's, there was something, something cool happening there. That was one of my favorite group cold opens for that reason. I know.

Well, let's get into these fan questions. Okay. Catherine G and Kristi R both asked, if you had to choose a different character to play on the office besides Michael, is there one you'd like to be? Wow. I can't imagine anyone but the people who played their parts. Right off the top of my head, I think Dwight is a very fun role to play. But I would have been terrible.

I mean, rain was perfect for that part. So no, I never like, I never imagined myself in another part. It was, it was just as it should have been. Lauren D asked, what trend or big pop culture moment that's happened since 2011? Do you think Michael would have gotten obsessed about? For example, Lauren thinks Michael would have been all over the ice bucket challenge. Oh, yeah. I think she's 14.

I think she's absolutely right. So much ice water. Oh, and would have done something wrong. Someone might have ended up in the hospital. Probably Meredith. Dwight would have overdone it too. Yes. Yeah.

It would have gone south somehow. It would have gone wrong. We say that we think that Michael probably would have made us all learn TikTok dances. Oh, sure. So many TikTok dances. Yeah. So the internet wasn't as certainly as much of a thing as social media really was. We had flip phones when we started the show, then we got blackberries and then at the end

we had iPhones. Yeah. Yeah. A lot changed. Yeah. There are tons of things that Michael would have glommed on to in the worst possible way. Beth M writes in and says, what is the most common Michael line that people quote back

to you? What do you think it is? Yeah, Beth. That's what she said. Is there one other than that? That's the one I hear. And sometimes, I don't know, do people ever stop you and say, oh, could you talk to, could you do a shout out into my phone and I'm happy to do it.

But when they say, can you say that, I just, I don't, I can't. It can be taken out of context. Out of context. Please don't make Steve say that's what she said if you see him at the airport. Do you ever, that's what she said in your life, do you ever find, never? No. Really? I don't do it.

I do throw them out. Jenna. I do. Yeah. Well, you can. Gosh, it's going to be so weird when we give you your parting gift. It's a t-shirt that says that's what she said. Well, I do wear that all the time.

And on the back it says, I'm fantastic. Same brain. We really liked this question because we both come from a long line of teachers. Someone wanted to know if you remember a favorite teacher. There was one in particular, a guy named Mr. Blackman, my second grade teacher. And he's the one who got me interested in acting in the first play. We were doing like a pilgrims meet the Native Americans thing. It was a long time ago.

So a lot was being glossed over for sure. But what I remember is we were rowing canoes and it was all mime. You know, we were sitting in little chairs in the classroom. It wasn't a big play. It was just like an in-class thing. And I started rowing the canoe, my mime rowing. And then I changed my hands with the oar and rode on the other side. I'll never forget it.

He singled me out. It's the first time I'd ever been singled out in any way. And he gave me a pat on the back and said, notice how Steve rode on both sides of the canoe so we wouldn't go in a circle. And he kept the canoe straight, you know, in this mime, you know, miming the canoe. And something about that really struck me. And I thought, and apart from that, he was just the most lovely guy and really kind to all the kids and everyone.

It was fun. It was really just a fun class. And he did that for all the kids, too. He made them feel special about whatever talent they had, whether it was art or music or anything. He really embraced, you know, everyone's abilities, you know, as little as they were in that moment as a second grader. But I'll never forget it. Like being seen.

Yeah. You're not seen. Yeah. And it was that was special, something sort of clicked like, oh, that felt good. And so I guess I owe it all to him. You know, Steve, I love that story because I have a similar story. I took a summer school acting class and we had to do pantomime. We had to mime things.

And my assignment was to go over to the refrigerator and get out some milk, important a glass and drink it. And so I did it. And afterwards, the teacher said, did everyone notice how Jenna shut the refrigerator with her foot? Oh, yeah. It's exactly. And I was like, wait, I might be good at this because I didn't think it just I maybe I have

a little thing. Right. Exactly. You know, and then it just makes you feel like I might be good at this or it might be something. Yeah. You know, it might be something that I'm actually, yeah, capable of. That's so fun.

And it's not even like, look at me like, no, it's just a sense of a set like the one of the first senses of pride that you ever feel that you accomplish something completely on your own, not your parents and nothing that you are instructed to do. It's just something that you did naturally. And to have somebody notice it felt really good. And that's a great teacher in my mind. Somebody who can pick up on those things. Yeah.

Okay. I love this question. Here it is. Are there any foods you don't eat anymore because of so many takes you had to do with that certain food? It can be on the office or any other job. I know mine right away. It's that cake that we had to eat, the ice cream cake for Meredith's birthday.

The mint chocolate chip. Was it the Alliance? We started filming at 7.30 in the morning and we were given a slice of cake. And you know, this is a rookie move on my part. I took a plate with a big piece of cake and I took a huge bite in that first take. And by the end my fork was shaking as it got close to my mouth because I was like, I can't eat it anymore. Anyway, I was asking you that, but clearly I have a visceral, like I can't eat ice cream

cake anymore. That did it. That did you in. Yeah. It's so gross to me. I learned early on to nibble. Yeah. Not like if that first take, try not to take a big bite because then you have to match

it for the rest of the day. Every time. Yeah. Or I'm not hungry today. You know, my character's not hungry. But Michael would eat some pretty crazy stuff. Nothing that turned my stomach, nothing to the point where I can't eat it anymore. I did a bit on The Daily Show where I was supposed to be eating Crisco.

I was doing, it was some health food segment and I said, well, this is all vegetable based. And I was like at the desk with John. And so I take a big spoonful of Crisco. For real? Well, they wanted to mock it up and just put like vanilla frosting in because no one would know and I could play it like it's Crisco. But I said, no, leave Crisco in because that's going to be funnier for John to watch me eat Crisco because the expression on his face was pretty horrifying and I didn't practice

it. So I didn't know what I was getting myself into. And so on camera, basically live, you know, that show is live to tape, but it was really bad. Not, I could, I mean, the two of us had a hard time getting through the rest of that segment because he knew, he knew, he knew I was in distress. So not that I would sit around eating Crisco, but that kind of, that was a hard one. Here's a good question.

Do you have a Toby in your life? Someone who just enrages you, this was one of our favorite questions sent in. Because we're like, we're sure Steve doesn't have a Toby face, but yeah. Someone who just, really for no reason, you just hate, just abject hatred. No, I don't, but that, that's, that's one of my favorite character dynamics of the time that I spent on the office. And it evolved from, I don't exactly, I know it's been discussed as to, and I think the writers could sort of pinpoint clearly.

But I think one day I just decided, I just got really mad at him and like disgusted by him for no reason. And we just kind of stayed with it. People lost it. They would lose it at a table read when you would snap at Toby. We didn't interview with Paul and he said he remembers the moment. Oh, he does? It was during the alliance when he has to come in the office and sign Meredith's birthday

card. And apparently it just took him a long time to write. And you turned on him and you told him, you said, I don't know what it is, Paul, but I hate you for how long it's taken you to write this card. And you guys laughed so hard about it. And you met like me as Michael. Like Michael is so irritated with you right now and that that was like everyone else just signed their name, but he started to write something.

Yeah. It was, I love the fact that it was never discussed to as to why and the specifics of it. Yeah. And people have asked me that too. Well, why? Why does Michael hate Toby so much? And I think, well, I think it's like the end when our characters say goodbye to each other.

I'll never talk about exactly what was said because that's, that's like our thing. And it's more fun too to leave those things as sort of a mystery. Like, well, why really? Because I built in Michael's head like all of the reasons, but it's better that you don't know that it just kind of sits there. That's how I feel about the teapot letter, right? Everyone wants to know what's in the teapot letter. And the thing is, is that what's in the teapot letter is what you need to be in the teapot

letter. Yeah. There's what I needed to be in the teapot letter. There's the thing that Pam needs, but like it has to be the most wonderful romantic thing and you can't write it like you can't tell people what was in it. It'll just be a let down. It will. It can't live up to it, right?

So it's like, I know what it said completely, but it's better if you write it yourself as an audience member. I think the writers in general felt that way about the show and I think Greg was very savvy about that, that you don't have to tell the whole story and just let people come to it. And I think that's partly why people have liked the show over the years. It doesn't spell everything out about these characters or about these relationships. You kind of acquire a knowledge over time and it becomes more ingrained that way. This is sort of off the subject, but you're talking about the teapot letter and I've thought

about this many, many times since I left the show that you and John, in my opinion, you and John were the rock of that show. Like if not for your two characters, I feel like that show would have imploded because there was so much craziness going on and so much wackiness and you were both such grounded characters on that show while simultaneously being incredibly funny and real. But the fact that everyone could bounce off of you and your very grounded, loving and interesting relationship and how that grew, to me, that was the nucleus of the show. I've always felt that way and the way that you guys and you're both such good actors

too. It's like we were so fortunate on so many fronts in terms of the casting of this show, in terms of the writing. I attribute it to you guys, obviously, and to Greg for putting this group of people together in just the right sort of alchemy. I don't know if I've ever specifically told you that, but I've always felt that way. Steve, thank you. I remember when we got ready to shoot the pilot, Steven and Ricky came to visit and

we had this one day meeting with them and Steven told John and I, never forget you two are the heart of the show. I remember it was like in Threat Level Midnight, I was like, gulp, gulp. I thought, I don't really know what that means. That's sort of scary to me. I was sort of hoping to kind of keep with my whole like wallflower thing where Pam just kind of sits at the desk and gives a couple of stares, really liking that lane. But over time, I understood what he meant and it's kind of what you're saying, which

is like, we're not going to go to you all the time or maybe even very often. But over a large arc, over a large period of time, this is a really important thing. And so just make sure you always honor it. Make sure that you know that you honor that. And I'm so glad we did. I'm so glad Jim and Pam made it and work and they didn't do that thing where they pull you apart and put you back together and put you back together and make up makeup. And I get really defensive of Jim and Pam if like we're doing an interview and someone's

like to Jenna, so I think Jim and Pam are still together. I'm like, how dare you? Of course they're still together. And so are Dwight and Angela and so are Michael and Holly. Get out of here. Oh, you know what? I need to tell you about that. No.

Oh dear. Sorry. About Michael and Holly. No. It is bad. It is bad. Oh, I don't want to get into it. We just watched the scene and it's, you know, I feel like I'm rediscovering so many of these

scenes because we haven't seen the show since it aired, you know, a lot of these episodes. But when you and Amy Ryan do that, you are, who, ha, like that moment. And it says basically, I love you, like, yo, wake it's mad, you are, it's like, I was like tearing up. Yeah. I would like played it for Jenna. I was like, you got to watch the scene. They're just saying you are, but it's like so powerful.

Yeah. Amy Ryan's pretty good. Yeah, she's okay. She was fine. I mean, I guess we were lucky to get her in the show. She did pretty well for herself, I think. Yeah. Fantastic.

We did just watch all of these episodes. We watched the proposal to Holly and the singing goodbye to you and, you know, all the individual goodbyes to all the different people. What a brutal couple of final weeks for you. I mean, were we, did we just cry the whole time? How did we do that? I don't know. I, you know, I could look at it that I'm, I'm, I don't know.

I don't want to make too much of it, but it, it was, it was difficult because, you know, we were such good friends and it had been so much fun and so rewarding in a lot of ways, all ways. But at the same time, there was this, for me, there was a joy to it. You know, when you, you're crying with joy because it wasn't even sadness, like, because I was ready. I was ready to go. And so I wasn't sad about leaving.

Yeah. And it felt right for Michael. Yeah. No, it was, it was time. And it was time, it was time for other characters to kind of step to the forefront and other storylines to be pursued. It was just, I think it was the right, it was the timing was right, I think for everybody. But simultaneously, there was just a sense of joy for me that we had experienced all

of this. And we were getting, I was getting a chance to kind of take a lap with everybody. And the way those last few episodes were structured, it felt very rich to me to kind of simultaneously be saying goodbye as Michael and us as friends in this moment of work together. But yeah, it was a lot, it was a very emotional thing. It was. Like it was. It was just hitting us in waves, I remember.

Like we would laugh one minute and then we'd be tearing up the next. But like you said, it's because we had had such a great run, we had had such a good time. Incredible. Just incredible. Steve, we are always telling people when they ask us, what was it like to work with Steve Carell? What is Steve Carell like?

And we say he is a regular guy, we're telling you, he is a regular guy. So we thought we would end this interview with a regular guy quiz. Yeah. All right. All right. Regular guy question number one, favorite pizza. Favorite brand of pizza, like favorite pizza place. Oh my gosh, you're very versed in pizza.

I mean, oh, come on. We know your love of pizza. Well, favorite topping. I will either go with just a plain cheese or maybe do half cheese and then half mushroom and pepperoni. That's my pizza of choice. But I have a lot of different spots. I have different types, the deep dish, the thin crust, the New York style.

There's different LA types of pizzas that are, that's, I'm sort of a connoisseur. Next podcast, pizza with Steve. That's, hey, you just gave me an idea. I'm getting the studio next to yours. Next question, favorite ice cream or frozen yogurt. I like a good, I kind of a basic, like a chocolate. I like good sundae, like a hot fudge sundae. Okay.

Pretty delicious. So you like a topping more than maybe something in the actual ice cream? I'm not, yeah, brownies mixed in are always good. Okay. But kind of basic, kind of, I don't, I'm not like a gummy worms and pistachio ice cream kind of guy. That sounds delicious. Okay, let's see.

Favorite place you've visited in the United States? Pittsburgh was pretty cool. Oh, yeah? Yeah. I mean, I'm not saying that ironically either, I've done a couple of movies there and I liked it. It was a cool city. All right.

There you go. I bet that's the first one you got. Shout out to Pittsburgh. Shout out to Pittsburgh. What is your least favorite exercise or the exercise you avoid the most? Abs. Yes. Abs.

Of course. Oh. Leg day was always fun. We love a leg day. Who doesn't? Look at us. I mean, look at us. We love a leg day.

Well, yeah, I mean, just doing sit-ups is that's a, I do it, but I don't love it. All right. What's the last thing you bought at Target? I bought one of those little razors for my son because he's shaving now and it's not, it's like a trimmer. But it's what, it's what's the youths are using now. Okay. They're not, they're not using a blade.

We're not there yet. So we don't know. They're not using, but it's like, it's like you can trim it close enough. This is a tear. You can definitely lift this from the show. No. This is my favorite. It's the dumbest answer.

I don't even know what they're called. It's like, it's sort of a. I know what you're talking about. It's a little blade and you can kind of. Yeah. Like a beard groomer thing. You can, but, but you can cut it really close, but not have to use like an electric razor and.

Oh, everyone's tuned out. They're not. Yeah. No. Everyone just changed. No. Change to a different. Steve.

I want to listen to some music. Go back to pizza. If you. Anyway, the pizza. The sweet spot. If you are in charge of cooking dinner, what's your go to dish? Spaghetti bolognese. Okay.

I make a pretty good bolognese. Sauce. What skill would you like to master? I'd love to learn how to play the piano. Never going to happen. But. Do you play the piano in any way? No, not in any way.

So we'd be starting from zero. It's totally from zero. Okay. Do you play any instruments? I. I'm embarrassed. I play the fife and I play the baritone horn. What's a fight?

Yeah. Oh God. Is that like ye olde, ye olde flute thing? Yeah. Yeah. It's exactly right. It's like a flute from the 1700s. Hitzberg and the Fife.

I didn't think we'd talk about today. Not only am I sort of an ordinary guy, but super boring. Stop it. No. Stop it. Okay. Ready to really lean into the boring. Oh.

How early do you get to the airport before a flight? Like two hours early. That tracks. You were 10 minutes early today. I knew you would be early. And I actually circled the block a few times. I was ready to go, but I'm like, I don't want to seem too eager. Nancy and I get, we get to the airport so early.

And we just, we were just talking. But it's both of you though. You're in sync. That's good. Totally. Okay. Yes. And she's often said, if she had been married to someone who was like always late, she would

have gotten a divorce because it would have. It's very important to her. Very. Punctuality. But for both of us. Yes. And I would rather sit in the airport for an hour and a half than be like getting all worked up in the car that we're going to make, not make our flight.

All right. What is your favorite cocktail or adult beverage? I don't drink a lot. I will occasionally have a glass of wine or something, but I can't say that I have a cocktail. I'm not, I'm just not a big drinker. We would like to recommend Michael's drink, which is the Scotch and Splenda. We're not kidding.

We're not kidding. Here on the show. Steve, it is excellent. It's very good. Really? Yes. Jenna brought it in. No joke.

Like as a joke. And I was like, this is going to be disgusting. What are we doing? We made them for everybody. And we were like, damn, it's actually pretty good. I want to order one at a bar, but I'm, I'm scared to because. Well, you have to come up with a name for it. Instead of Scotch and Splenda, do you call it a Scotch-ta?

I know didn't, didn't Michael have a name for it and we can't remember what it is. I don't know. Yeah, he does have a name for it. A splotch. Wasn't it a Splenda and Scott? It's splotch. Yeah. A splotch.

Maybe a splotch. Oh, that's good. It doesn't sound delicious. It's very good. Yeah. I'll take a splotch, please. You know what? Straight up.

I'll try a splotch at some point. Great. All right. Okay. Next time. The three of us are going to get together. And we have one splotch. We're going to go splotching.

What was your toolbox and what tool did you grab? About three days ago, I was putting... I am so embarrassed. Are you about to say you're putting together a bird feeder? Worse. I bought a vacuum, an outdoor leaf vacuum, which also mulches the leaves. And I had to go to my toolbox to put it together. I ordered it and it arrived and I had to assemble it and put the little bag on it. Do you blow leaves?

Well, I have a leaf blower, too. What I do is I use the leaf blower to blow them into a pile and then I take my vacuum mulcher and I vacuum them up and mulch the leaves. And then I take the leaves and I put them in our planting beds. Oh, my God. And so that's the fife and pizza, plain, chocolate ice cream. And that's me. Yeah.

And we all do it in Pittsburgh. Barrel of laughs. I'm in love with you. Well, clearly the bar is low because there's not. I can't even believe that Nancy decided to marry me with like that as a track record. That is the that is that's pretty bad. Like when you do interviews like this and you say things and you hear yourself reflected in the words, how you're describing yourself, I think I'm like more interesting than that.

But clearly I'm not. I don't know how to play the piano. No. What would you like to do? I'd like to be smart and play the piano, but instead I'm mulching leaves and playing the fife. So. Okay.

Is there anything in your career that you haven't done that you'd like to do or in your life? Because like Jenna, for example, yes, you know, it is my dream to one day do theater and win a Tony Award. Yes. This is my I would love to do this in my life. My dream is I really want one of those hats that has big flowers on it that hummingbirds eat out of.

So that's Jenna wants to work towards a Tony. I want to work towards a hummingbird eating out of my hat. Where do you land? Those are very disparate dreams. Well, I don't even know how to top that. Honestly, boy, I'm so content with certainly my professional life. It's been I've been so lucky. I can't maybe do a play at some point.

Would you ever do theater? Yeah. Yeah. And and I've, you know, I've been talking to a couple of theaters about maybe doing something. Yeah. Maybe somewhere down the road. I haven't done a play and well, since Nancy and I got married, it's been 27 years since

I've done play. So. But you are a classically trained actor. Oh, yes. Yes. You, you were, you were of all of us. We always talk about how like there were a bunch of the people who were the theater nerds.

And then there were the like comedy sketch comedy improv nerds on our set. But you were both you studied theater and also I was just a nerd. You double nerded it is what I'm getting at. You did both. Yeah. I was. Yeah. I would like to do.

I, I'm with you. I'd like to do some. Maybe we should do something together. Let's do it. Oh, I would do some Broadway. I would come and watch it with your hat. And finally, Steve, you just worked with Mr. John Krasinski on his movie if how was it to team up with him again?

Really fun. Was that great? Well, I'm supposed to contractually, I'm supposed to say. Right. Yeah. Yeah. Do you need to get out the piece of paper? Do you want to read directly from it?

John Krasinski is the most wonderful. It was great. He's and he was such a good director. I mean, obviously, since the office boy, has he really shown himself as a fine director? But did you know Janusz Kaminski is his DP on this movie? No. Who is Steven Spielberg's DP? Like he is the best director of photography in the business.

He's a legend. And so, you know, wow, that's it. It's a huge deal. And I think such a sign of respect to John, right? This person wants to, you know, wanted to work together with him. So that's I, yeah, he's he's a he's an amazing, he's a big deal. Amazingly talented guy. And so, yeah, I'm just great to see him like you guys.

It's like, wow, yeah, exactly like the last time we saw each other. There's like no time is past. We definitely felt that too. Like when he zoomed in, we were just cracking up. We had to like stop laughing so we could do like our interview with him because we just got so tickled. I love that. This is, you know, BJ was on and he said to us, he was like, you guys office family forever.

And that's absolutely how I feel like family. Thanks for coming, Steve. Yeah, whatever. Oh, sorry, you got to get back to your leaf mulching. Geez, got a busy day there. Oh, man, you don't know the half of it. Oh, well, truly, thank you. Yes, thank you.

So good to see you guys. Thank you for listening to Office Ladies. Office Ladies is produced by Earwolf, Jenna Fisher and Angela Kinsey. Our show is executive produced by Cody Fisher. Our producer is Cassie Jerkins. Our sound engineer is Sam Kieffer. And our associate producer is Ainsley Bubbicoke. Our theme song is Rubber Tree by Creed Bratton.

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