Category: The Office Interviews

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What’s next for the creators of ‘The Office’

Office creators Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant will appear on ABC’s Nightline tonight to talk with Martin Bashir.

There’s also a great accompanying article on the Nightline site:

Gervais and Merchant were working together at a radio station in London when Merchant asked Gervais to perform in a short film he was making. In one feverish moment, David Brent was born.

“He just stood in front of the camera and performed this character, and it just came out of the box fully formed,” Merchant recalls.

“He’s not malicious. He’s free falling,” Gervais says of his character. “His worst crime is, I suppose, mistaking respect for popularity.”

Read What’s Next for the Creators of ‘The Office.’

Tipsters: Allie and Zahrah

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Method to ‘The Office’ Madness

Backstage.com talks to The Office cast about the casting process, the success of the show, and what it’s like to spend 60 hours a week on set together.

An excerpt:

Fischer: A good example of improv that paid off was in our episode “The Gay Witch Hunt” [Season 3, Episode 1]. That kiss between Oscar and Steve [Carell] was not scripted. And all of our reactions are the real reactions. It speaks so much to Oscar’s professionalism that he did not break.

Nunez: I do not break. You can write that down. He wasn’t supposed to kiss me. We did it a couple of times, and he wasn’t kissing me. And then that once, I see his lips coming closer and closer; I’m like, “Dear God, he’s going to kiss me.” And sure enough, he planted one on my face.

Read Method to ‘The Office’ Madness.

Tipster: Amy

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Funny-Girl Talk: Tina Fey and Jenna Fischer

This article was included in the print version of TV Guide a few weeks ago, and was posted at TV Guide Online this week.

Tina Fey and Jenna Fischer talk about their respective must-see Thursday shows, 30 Rock and The Office.

An excerpt:

TV Guide: Since you’re both on TV on Thursdays, do you watch each other’s shows? Don’t lie!

Jenna Fischer: Seriously, 30 Rock is my favorite new show on television. My husband and I TiVo it. I’m really excited for this interview, because I want to geek out with questions about Tina’s show.

Tina Fey: Thank you, Jenna! I’m also an Office geek. I have to say, that season finale last year, you and John Krasinski played that so lovely. Was it weird to have to play a tender love scene with him?

Jenna: Well, I love John, so it was cool because I was so comfortable with him. But we took it seriously. We put a lot of effort into it, and we were very protective.

Read the rest of the article at TV Guide Online; see a scan of the print version at Just Jared.

Tipsters: Mui and SHK

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Pop Candy chats with Rainn Wilson

Whitney Matheson of USA Today’s Pop Candy column talks briefly to Rainn Wilson about Grey’s Anatomy, Dwangela, and plans for the new year.

An excerpt:

And what’s on Dwight’s computer screen between takes?

They always get mad at us because they shoot and a lot of us have websites up that they don’t have clearance for. … So it’s a delicate balancing act. A lot of times I’m writing Dwight’s blog that I do for NBC.com. We’re all instant-messenger-ing each other as well. I’ll try and instant-messenger someone right at the time when they’re shooting a scene (to) try and make them laugh. It never works.

Read A chat with ‘Office’ star Rainn Wilson.

Tipster: Jon Jon

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Can Roy win back Pam?

TV Guide talks to David Denman (“Roy”) about how his character has developed this season, and what’s in store for the Roy-Pam-Jim love triangle.

An excerpt:

TVGuide.com: Is it just my perception, or did you go through a big physical change to become the new Roy?

Denman: I definitely did! I lost something like 30 or 40 pounds. I started training for triathlons.

TVGuide.com: Which came first, that you were supposed to lose weight for the character, or that you were training?

Denman: It was never said, “You should lose some weight.” But Greg said, “I want to make you more of a viable option.” I said, “That’s great, because I was actually planning to get back in [shape] and start working out.” I’d kinda turned into a little bit of a couch potato. And then one of the camera operators on the show, Matt Sohn, who has done a bunch of triathlons, was trying to get us to go do this Malibu triathlon, and I said, “Yeah, I’ll do it.” I started on this training schedule for about eight weeks. I had so much fun, I did another one, like, a month later.

There is no denying that Roy is looking fine this season …

SPOILER WARNING! The article contains spoilers about tonight’s episode, ‘A Benihana Christmas.’

Read Can Roy Win Back Pam?

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Rainn Date

the office rainn wilson

Once again, JustJared has posted a nice scan of an Office cast article — this time it’s Rainn Wilson in the latest issue of People.

An excerpt:

How is dear Dwight handling the staff shake-up?

It’s a new opportunity for him to dominate even more people with his signature flair. There will be a lot of jostling among [the three deputies] and I think there are going to be some fireworks — like actual bottle rockets and M-80s.

Read Rainn Date here (click the photo to zoom in). Thanks JJ!

Tipster: SHK

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Acting and writing for The Office

The Los Angeles Times has an interesting article about The Office cast members who both write for and act on the show, notably Paul Lieberstein (“Toby”) and Mindy Kaling (“Kelly”).

An excerpt:

… [Paul] Lieberstein has discovered a near-existential loneliness when it comes to acting. “The parts of it that have been hard are finding out what an incredible black hole acting can be. You’re out there and nobody talks to you, and you have no idea how you’re doing.” When he watches himself in dailies, “everything I see, I want to cut in the editing room.”

[Mindy’s] personality and background have helped develop Kelly into a popular supporting character and the sometime love interest of a reluctant Ryan. Her quirks have quickly been injected into Kelly’s persona. That includes “the online shopping, the talking really fast and the elements of boy craziness too, unfortunately,” she said.

Read They gave at ‘The Office’ — twice. (You may need to register with latimes.com to access the article.)