All About Michael Scott

Summary

Office Ladies Podcast Summary: "All About Michael Scott"

Episode Information

• Podcast Title: Office Ladies
• Hosts: Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey
• Episode Title: All About Michael Scott

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Introduction

In this episode of Office Ladies, Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey embark on an in-depth exploration of one of television's most iconic characters: Michael Scott from The Office. Drawing from their extensive experience on the show, exclusive behind-the-scenes insights, and fan interactions, Jenna and Angela dissect Michael Scott's personality, quirks, and impact on both the series and its audience.

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Comprehensive Breakdown of Michael Scott

Timestamp: [15:27]

Jenna begins by delving into the show bible, a detailed repository of character information used throughout The Office. Michael Gary Scott is portrayed as the Regional Manager of Dunder Mifflin Scranton, born at 11:23 AM and raised in Lackawanna County. His background is rich with varied employment history, including work at a fast-food restaurant, Men's Warehouse, and even an investment in Blockbuster—which ultimately failed in a pyramid scheme.

Notable Traits:

• Name Origin: Greg Daniels, the show's creator, chose "Michael Scott" by combining two common first names to reflect a generic everyman character. Michael is a prevalent name, and Scott was selected for its everyman quality.
• Personal Interests: Michael idolizes figures like Bob Hope, Abraham Lincoln, Bono, and God. He has a penchant for improv comedy, loves sugar (adding it to his diet cola), and enjoys unconventional hobbies such as imitating various characters during holiday celebrations.
• Quirks: He believes he can bench press 190 pounds, despite only working out with two and a half-pound weights, and often claims to be the "king of email forwards," despite his lack of attention to memos.

Quote:

"Jenna, you must have worked so hard on that. ... Michael Scott Paper Company."
— Angela Kinsey [16:02]

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Michael's Mangled Words and Phrases

Timestamp: [24:10]

One of Michael Scott's most endearing and humorous traits is his tendency to mangle words and phrases. This characteristic was not directly borrowed from the British version of the show but was developed collaboratively by Greg Daniels and Steve Carell during improvisational sessions.

Examples Include:

• "Enduring acid rain" instead of "enduring pain."
• "Big Bang hypocritical" instead of "bigly hypocritical."
• "Life intimidating art" instead of "life is art."

Jenna discusses how these linguistic slip-ups became a hallmark of Michael's character, adding depth and humor.

Quote:

"The character trait is uniquely Michael. This was not something that was based on the British show."
— Jenna Fischer [25:41]

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Michael Scott vs. Technology

Timestamp: [31:04]

Angela takes a deep dive into Michael's complex relationship with technology. Michael consistently exhibits a disdain for modern tech, often misunderstanding or misusing it in comical ways.

Key Points:

• Email Forwards: Michael is notorious for sending countless poorly thought-out email forwards, earning him the title "king of forwards."

  Quote:

  "I rate my email forwards with a humor grade. It's very important."
  — Michael Scott [25:23]

• PowerPoint Mishaps: Michael's first PowerPoint presentation is a disaster, highlighting his lack of preparation and understanding of the software.

  Quote:

  "This should take about 5 or 10 minutes."
  — Michael Scott [35:00]

• AI and Automation: Discussing a hypothetical scenario, Jenna and Angela humorously speculate how Michael would interact with AI, envisioning him using it for ridiculous tasks like writing movie scripts or seeking dating advice.

Quote:

"How do I become a celebrity? Create a list of steps to go viral so I can finally become an Internet sensation."
— AI on Michael Scott [32:14]

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Michael Scott's Family of Origin

Timestamp: [50:38]

Delving into Michael's backstory, Jenna and Angela explore his family dynamics, particularly his relationship with his mother and stepfather, Jeff. Although the show never fully explores these relationships, certain episodes provide glimpses into his upbringing.

Insights:

• Mother: Michael frequently calls his mother, portrayed by June Squibbly, indicating a close yet somewhat strained relationship. Notably, Carol Burnett was frequently considered for the role, but casting decisions kept Michael's mother off-screen.

  Quote:

  "There's a very famous person who lobbied very hard to play Michael's mom... Carol Burnett."
  — Jenna Fischer [47:38]

• Stepfather Jeff: Introduced in season three, Jeff is depicted as an unsupportive stepfather who disapproves of Michael's interests.

  Deleted Scene: Michael recounts a childhood story where Jeff denies him a desired Christmas gift, emphasizing the lack of understanding and support in his upbringing.

  Quote:

  "His evil stepfather, Jeff, said, no, you may not have what you want."
  — Michael Scott [51:02]

Despite multiple fan inquiries, the show maintains an air of mystery around Michael's father, with plans to introduce him being ultimately shelved.

---

Fan Mail and Real-Life Michael Scotts

Timestamp: [61:05]

Jenna and Angela engage with listeners' stories, sharing anecdotes from fans who have bosses resembling Michael Scott. These stories highlight traits such as distraction, inappropriate behavior, and misguided priorities that echo Michael's managerial style.

Example Stories:

• Amelia W. from Iowa: Describes her boss spending entire days browsing apartments and interrupting work schedules with absurd tasks.

  Quote:

  "He was going through different apartments for sale, commenting on every one of them, even though nobody in the office was about to make this kind of purchase."
  — Jenna Fischer [61:31]

Additionally, they feature a conversation with a real person named Michael Scott, who humorously shares his experiences dealing with the fame of his name due to the character.

Quote:

"When Michael the character was leaving for Colorado, he said everyone on his Facebook page was saying, 'We love you, Michael Scott.'"
— Michael Scott Souza [64:49]

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Interactive Quiz Segment

Timestamp: [66:34]

In an engaging interactive segment, Jenna and Angela host a quiz about Michael Scott, testing their listeners' knowledge and sharing humorous moments as they answer questions live. Highlights include:

• Michael's Cologne: "Night Swept" from Rite Aid.
• Comfort Food: A bizarre combination of mayonnaise and black olives, showcased humorously as Angela and Jenna reluctantly taste it.
• Greatest Weakness: Working too hard and caring too much.
• Ringtone: "Mambo No. 5."
• Suit Details: Navy blue polyester wool from Men's Warehouse.

Quote:

"Michael's greatest weakness is that he works too hard and he cares too much."
— Angela Kinsey [70:39]

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Conclusion and Future Episodes

Timestamp: [73:28]

Jenna and Angela wrap up the episode by reflecting on the depth and complexity of Michael Scott's character. They express excitement for future episodes focusing on other beloved characters from The Office. Additionally, they extend gratitude to contributors like Steve Carell, Greg Daniels, and fans who provided invaluable insights.

Final Thoughts:

• Haiku Tribute:

  A boss with no tact
  who just wanted a family.
  We cried when he left.
  — Cat M. from North Carolina [72:29]

• Upcoming Content: Next week, the hosts will analyze the accountant's webisodes, encouraging listeners to watch them on YouTube before tuning into their detailed breakdown.

Quote:

"We had a super fun trip... We love you so much."
— Jenna Fischer [73:55]

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Key Takeaways

• Michael Scott's Complexity: Beyond his comedic flaws, Michael embodies the struggles of leadership, a desire for connection, and the challenges of balancing professionalism with personal quirks.
• Character Development: The collaborative efforts of the show's creators and actors, particularly Steve Carell's improvisation skills, enriched Michael's character, making him a memorable and relatable figure.
• Fan Engagement: Listeners' stories and interactions underscore the lasting impact of Michael Scott, demonstrating how his character resonates with real-life experiences in the workplace.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• Jenna Fischer:

  "The show bible is just lists of facts about each person... Michael has six episodes named after him."
  — [20:17]

• Steve Carell (as Michael Scott):

  "PowerPoint. PowerPoint. Yes, I forgot about Ryan's presentation... Why you didn't prepare a prisoner?"
  — [35:00]

• Angela Kinsey:

  "He hates technology so much. Every single season."
  — [31:24]

• Michael Scott Souza:

  "When Michael the character was leaving for Colorado, everyone said, 'We love you, Michael Scott.' I was like, where am I going?"
  — [64:50]

---

This episode of Office Ladies offers a thorough and engaging examination of Michael Scott, blending factual analysis with personal anecdotes and fan contributions. Whether you're a long-time fan or new to The Office, this detailed breakdown provides a comprehensive understanding of what makes Michael Scott an unforgettable character.

Transcript

[Jenna Fischer]

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[Angela Kinsey]

This episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Whether you love true crime or comedy, celebrity interviews or news, you call the shots on what's in your podcast queue. And guess what? Now you can call them on your auto insurance too. With the name your price tool from Progressive, it works just the way it sounds. You tell Progressive how much you want to pay for car insurance and they'll show you coverage options that fit your budget. Get your quote [e-mail] to join the over 28 million drivers who trust Progressive. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. Price and coverage match limited by state law.

[Steve Carell]

Hi everyone. Steve Carell here. Happy Wednesday. Angela and Jenna, my good dear wonderful friends told me that they are doing a show on all things Michael Scott. So I thought I should say hello, welcome you to the show, and also congratulate the Office Ladies on Office Ladies 6.0. Let us begin with the Michael Scott episode. Enjoy.

[Jenna Fischer]

I'm Jenna Fisher.

[Angela Kinsey]

And I'm Angela Kinsey.

[Jenna Fischer]

We were on the Office together and we're best friends. And now we're doing the ultimate office lovers podcast just for you.

[Angela Kinsey]

Each week we will dive deeper into the world of the Office with exclusive interviews, behind the scenes details and lots of BFF stories.

[Jenna Fischer]

We're the Office Lady 6.0.

[Angela Kinsey]

Hello. Hi. How adorable is Steve Carell.

[Jenna Fischer]

Love him.

[Angela Kinsey]

He's so sweet.

[Jenna Fischer]

Just love him.

[Angela Kinsey]

He said a special hello to everybody today.

[Jenna Fischer]

He sure did.

[Angela Kinsey]

Well today on Office Ladies 6.0. As Steve said, it's all about Michael Scott and we got a lot of great mail from you guys on this one.

[Jenna Fischer]

I am so excited about some of the things we uncovered about Michael.

[Angela Kinsey]

Jenna has been so secretive. Can I just tell you, she's clearly got some nugget. She won't even tell me or hint about it. And lady, you gotta share.

[Jenna Fischer]

I will, I will. Today is the day you find out.

[Angela Kinsey]

I just have to wait.

[Jenna Fischer]

But first, I think we need to reveal our new format for Office Lady 6.0. This is important for me, it is.

[Angela Kinsey]

It is.

[Jenna Fischer]

Instead of doing fast facts, we are going to start our episodes with a top of show cherry.

[Angela Kinsey]

Jenna is very happy to ditch Fast Facts, y'all.

[Jenna Fischer]

I really am. But I still need my structure.

[Angela Kinsey]

You still need an outline.

[Jenna Fischer]

Okay, so a top of show share can be office news, Office ladies news, personal news, or a fan mail share. So there's lots of options. Today we have office news and a fan mail share.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

Why don't I start?

[Angela Kinsey]

Do it.

[Jenna Fischer]

It's official. Office ladies is going to the paper.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yes. We are visiting Greg Daniel's new show, the Paper. We're going to be on the set, lady.

[Jenna Fischer]

They are in production right now. They have been very protective of things leaking out.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, yeah, it's locked down.

[Jenna Fischer]

But we've been invited to visit. They said we could bring a little portable recording thingy.

[Angela Kinsey]

Jenna is right now with her hands motioning to her imaginary, like, little microphone.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah. I'm taking it out of my closet and I'm bringing it to the set of the Paper.

[Angela Kinsey]

We're gonna meet the cast. We're gonna be reunited with so many of our crew.

[Jenna Fischer]

So much of our crew is working on the Paper. We're gonna see Veda, our script supervisor, Kelly Cantley and Russi Mahmood are the first ads.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

Ben Patrick is the sound mixer. And there are so many fun people from the Office who have been directing episodes of the Paper.

[Angela Kinsey]

Jen Salata, Ken Kwapis, Jeff Blitz, Matt Sohn.

[Jenna Fischer]

And the week we're visiting, guess who's directing?

[Angela Kinsey]

Dave Rogers. Yes.

[Jenna Fischer]

Dave Rogers is also a co executive producer and an editor on the show and directing.

[Angela Kinsey]

That's triple threat right there.

[Jenna Fischer]

It sure is. And you know, Paul has been in the writers room, so we might get to see him too.

[Angela Kinsey]

I just can't wait. I'm so excited about it.

[Jenna Fischer]

I think it's gonna feel like a mini reunion. I think it's gonna be emotional.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, for sure.

[Jenna Fischer]

But I mean, we get emotional a lot over things like this.

[Angela Kinsey]

We do. How can we not? This is like our favorite thing.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, there you have it. That's our office news, Angela.

[Angela Kinsey]

Well, my top of show, Cher, is inspired by this fan question from Erica H. In Portland, Oregon. Erica wrote in and said, is there a story to the origin of Michael Scott's name? There is a Michael Scott in Dante's Inferno. And I wondered if that inspired anyone in naming the character.

[Jenna Fischer]

Ooh, I love this question.

[Angela Kinsey]

I know. So I reached out to Greg Daniels. It is not from Dante's Inferno.

[Jenna Fischer]

Okay.

[Angela Kinsey]

So as you Know, on the British show, the manager's name is David Brent, which is two first names. And that has become sort of a tradition in the various versions of the office.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

But I was curious, how did Greg settle on the two names, Michael and Scott? He said this. My name is almost two first names. And there is something kind of lame. I always felt in a funny way about having two first names and no last name. And Michael is a pretty generic name for our age group. There are a ton of Michaels, and I knew a guy named Scott who was kind of a derp. So I just put them together.

[Jenna Fischer]

I love the term derp.

[Angela Kinsey]

I know.

[Jenna Fischer]

I've never heard that.

[Angela Kinsey]

So there you go, Erica. That is how Greg Daniels came up with the name Michael Scott.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, my husband, Lee Kirk has two first names, and I can tell you it causes him a lot of grief. We've talked about this.

[Angela Kinsey]

I texted Greg back, and I said, you know, Greg, Jenna and I have talked about the fact that Lee has two first names. Lee Kirk. And Greg responded with the emoji. That's the two exclamation points.

[Jenna Fischer]

I mean, I can't tell you how many dinner reservations, hotel reservations, where people call him Mr. Lee. Yes, Mr. Lee. Welcome. We don't correct people anymore.

[Angela Kinsey]

You just go with it.

[Jenna Fischer]

We do.

[Angela Kinsey]

I know. It's like me and Kingsley. I'm just going to say. Okay, sure.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yep. Well, finally we have some office ladies news.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah. So I guess this would be our third thing.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, my God. We just did fast facts.

[Angela Kinsey]

We kind of did. You can't get away from it. Jet.

[Jenna Fischer]

The hell, Angel.

[Angela Kinsey]

He double hockey sticks.

[Jenna Fischer]

I can't believe it. I actually can't believe it. Okay, well, you know what?

[Angela Kinsey]

I'm gonna just say, I bet it's not the last time you do fast facts. I'm just saying it.

[Jenna Fischer]

Why would you say that? You're saying it like, what? I want to be rid of these.

[Angela Kinsey]

I've just jinxed you. Okay, well, we had a super fun trip. We were going to share about it. We went up to Santa Barbara, and we finally got to meet in person. Kendra Adachi, the lazy genius.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes. She was the keynote speaker at an event that weekend. But we got to have a very girly, fun lunch with her. We took pictures, and then Angela and I decided to stay over. We really wanted to mark the occasion of five years of office ladies with a really luxurious work trip as a reward for ourselves.

[Angela Kinsey]

We did. We treated ourselves. And we also, though, had an amazing work session.

[Jenna Fischer]

We did. I mean, that's very Much like us. But it was so fun from the beginning. We drove up together, Angela drove, and I did get nauseous, but it's not your fault, Ang.

[Angela Kinsey]

I really tried not to take any turns too fast.

[Jenna Fischer]

You did such a good job. But, you know, with the medicines that I'm taking, they just cause a low level of baseline nausea. I pretty much feel like I walk through life with, like, first trimester morning sickness all the time. But it gets really triggered in vehicles.

[Angela Kinsey]

You travel with your saltine crackers everywhere.

[Jenna Fischer]

You go with a sleeve of saltine crackers and ginger juice.

[Angela Kinsey]

I have to tell you, when I got back, I had to pick up the kids from school, and Josh was gonna ride with me, and he said, what happened in your passenger seat?

[Jenna Fischer]

Were there all kinds of crumbs? I'm so sorry.

[Angela Kinsey]

I said, oh. I said, poor Jenna ate probably a sleeve of saltine crackers in the car. I really tried not to be swervey lady, I hope. I'm sorry.

[Jenna Fischer]

You were great. You were great. But what was really cool was we went to this hotel that was on the beach, but we had booked garden rooms. But when we checked in, they upgraded us to on the beach.

[Angela Kinsey]

Jenna started to cry.

[Jenna Fischer]

I did cry.

[Angela Kinsey]

You were so excited. Cause we had talked about how we'd love to stay on the beach, but we're like, no, it's.

[Jenna Fischer]

It was a little extravagant.

[Angela Kinsey]

It was, like, pricey. And we're like, we'll just stay. I love a garden.

[Jenna Fischer]

I love a garden nook.

[Angela Kinsey]

And then we got the upgrade, and that was so fun.

[Jenna Fischer]

And I got to wake up to the ocean right there. And we took walks on the beach, and we worked. And then we had a big celebration dinner that I forced us to have. I'm sorry, Angela. I love a tasting menu.

[Angela Kinsey]

She does. And, you guys, I don't do tasting menus. I don't. I mean, I just don't know much about them. And it was eight courses of seafood. Of seafood.

[Jenna Fischer]

And it was really good.

[Angela Kinsey]

It was really good. But by the end, I said, I can't do it anymore.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah. Although then they wheeled out a cheese cart. And you said, I will take some of that.

[Angela Kinsey]

Okay, fine. Okay, fine. I mean, you had me at cheese cart.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah. But the coolest thing during the dinner, I think, was when they brought out that bread, Ange. And it was this sourdough bread with a starter that was, like, 30 years old that the chef travels the world with.

[Angela Kinsey]

He travels the world with his starter.

[Jenna Fischer]

You know, I loved that.

[Angela Kinsey]

Your eyes about fell out of Your head.

[Jenna Fischer]

And there were like flavored butters, like a butter infused seaweed that I wasn't sure about but was really good.

[Angela Kinsey]

Salty salt, really good. But yes. Anyway, we had a fantastic trip and I want you guys to know Kendra is the real deal. Sitting with her, having lunch with her, I felt like I had known her my whole life. She is so warm and just a delight to be around and smart and funny, and that was such a highlight as well.

[Jenna Fischer]

And we took a bunch of pictures and videos on our work trip, which we never posted because I was nauseous for two days.

[Angela Kinsey]

And then we had no wifi.

[Jenna Fischer]

We had no wifi when we got there. And when we got home, I just, I was like, I can't look at a screen anymore. So we'll throw them up in office ladies pod. Finally this week. You can check it out.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah. So happy five years and happy getting to meet Kendra.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, listen, why don't we take a break and when we come back, I really did a deep dive on Michael's mangled words and phrases. It is my favorite thing about Michael Scott and I had so much fun.

[Angela Kinsey]

And my favorite thing about Michael Scott is how much he hates technology. And I dive into that. Let's go, Peloton.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, sweet Peloton. I love my Peloton. Peloton has workouts for every mood. My general mood is I don't feel like doing this, but Cody Rigsby, he gets me there.

[Angela Kinsey]

You love Cody. Here's what I like about Peloton. I love the variety of training programs because I'm not going to want the same workout that Josh wants. We're super different. And Peloton has something for both of us.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, there's so many ways to challenge yourself. If you're training for a 5k, a 10k, a marathon, they have programs for strength training. They've got boot campsite. Oh, my gosh. They have pilates. They have just great stretching.

[Angela Kinsey]

And their coaches are really motivating. They keep you going.

[Jenna Fischer]

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[Angela Kinsey]

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[Jenna Fischer]

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[Angela Kinsey]

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[Jenna Fischer]

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[Angela Kinsey]

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[Jenna Fischer]

And the worst part of that job was the stretch where I had to hire people because it was so hard.

[Angela Kinsey]

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[Jenna Fischer]

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[Angela Kinsey]

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[Jenna Fischer]

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[Angela Kinsey]

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[Jenna Fischer]

All right, we are back. Let's get started on our Michael Scott breakdown. I thought we could start by cracking open the show bible and seeing what all we know about Michael it's sort of a summary of Michael Scott.

[Angela Kinsey]

You just had to get a summary, didn't you?

[Jenna Fischer]

You noticed.

[Angela Kinsey]

I did notice.

[Jenna Fischer]

All right, here is your summary. Michael Gary Scott is the Regional manager of Dunder Mifflin Scranton and he believes that the most important thing about a company he was born at 11:23 in the morning and raised in Lackawanna County.

[Angela Kinsey]

11:23. So specific.

[Jenna Fischer]

He grew up on Kenneth Road down the street from Chili's. He failed the first grade at least once. Prior to working at Dunder Mifflin, he worked in a fast food restaurant to save up money for business school, but he lost it in a pyramid scheme. So I guess you could say he's a little gullible because he also fell for the Nigerian prince banking email scam and got tricked into thinking there was a sport called Poop ball. He also worked as a greeter at Men's Warehouse and invested in Blockbuster. He loves working at Dunder Mifflin, but he is not crazy about the name. He thinks it should be called something like Paper Great or Great papers Our passion or Super Duper Paper.

[Angela Kinsey]

Super Duper paper's pretty great.

[Jenna Fischer]

He would love to start a restaurant called Mike's Cereal Shack or maybe a fancy men's shoe store called Shoe La La. His heroes are Bob Hope, Abraham Lincoln, Bono and God. He claims to be part English, Irish, German, Scottish as well as two fifteenths Native American. Michael enjoys improv. He really loves sugar. He has milk and sugar in the mornings. He adds sugar to his diet cola. He likes scotch and Splenda and his favorite drink is Grenadine. That's just the red syrup that you put in a Shirley Temple.

[Angela Kinsey]

Isn't that just like a like a sweetener flavor? You don't drink that by itself.

[Jenna Fischer]

Michael does.

[Angela Kinsey]

Okay.

[Jenna Fischer]

He has also been known to stress eat. He likes filet o fish sausage, egg and cheese biscuits, bologna, tomato and ketchup sub sandwiches. He orders the sweet pretzel with the 18 different toppings. He once lived on cup of Noodles in college and he loves mint chocolate chip ice cream cake. He would actually kill himself if he was allergic to dairy. He is.

[Angela Kinsey]

However, he didn't say that in the alliance.

[Jenna Fischer]

He did.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah. He says it to Meredith when they're eating cake and she's like, oh, I can't have any. I'm allergic to dairy.

[Jenna Fischer]

He is sick of Chuck E. Cheese and he is not a fan of apricots. He plays who would you do all the time when he's falling asleep and he loves to wake up to the smell of bacon in the morning. He's a fan of the Pittsburgh Pirates, does not like the New York Mets, is a great hockey player but not good at basketball. He wears Rite Aid night swept cologne which is the perfect smell alike for Drakkar Noir. He loves a party, loves a holiday, loves to dress up as different characters. He claims to be the king of email forwards, but he doesn't really read memos. He dry cleans his jeans. He claims he can bench press 190 pounds but also only works out with two and a half pound weights. He's a big fan of Fear Factor. He's afraid of being buried alive. But his greatest fear is being alone. He would love to be part of an inside joke one day.

[Angela Kinsey]

Aw.

[Jenna Fischer]

He enjoys cuddling and spooning. He longs for a wife and children. He's good with kids. He keeps a diary, has soft teeth, and has had multiple vasectomies. He eventually met the love of his life at work, Holly. They married and moved to Colorado and have two kids.

[Angela Kinsey]

Well, I just loved that. What a wonderfully, like, huge picture we got to see of Michael. Jenna, you must have worked so hard on that. Was that. I mean, I don't know what the show bible looks like. I haven't ever seen it.

[Jenna Fischer]

The show bible is just lists of facts about each person.

[Angela Kinsey]

Okay.

[Jenna Fischer]

And it starts with season one, episode one, and then it just goes through every episode.

[Angela Kinsey]

So you have to go through all the seasons for that one character and compile it all.

[Jenna Fischer]

That's what I did.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, lady, that was a big job. Thank you.

[Jenna Fischer]

You're welcome. Well, I had a lot of fun doing it. It was pretty cool. But, yeah, I mean, I think the section of Michael Scott in the show bible is something like 14 pages long of facts about Michael Scott.

[Angela Kinsey]

Wow.

[Jenna Fischer]

You know, he also has the most episodes named after him. Michael Scott.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh.

[Jenna Fischer]

Followed by Dwight and then Andy. So Michael has six episodes named after him, and Andy and Dwight have three each.

[Angela Kinsey]

That's good trivia, lady.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

I should have hit you up when I made up a quiz. I made up a quiz for Michael Scott.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, okay.

[Angela Kinsey]

You might have covered some of it in the show bible, but I still have. I have a few that are gonna surprise you.

[Jenna Fischer]

Okay.

[Angela Kinsey]

Some deep cut. Michael Scott.

[Jenna Fischer]

Hmm.

[Angela Kinsey]

Well, I have a fan question, Jenna. I wanted to answer from Michelle M. From Berkeley. She wrote in and said, where did Michael get his dundees? He created the award. Does this imply he also awarded one to himself? Which dundees did he receive?

[Jenna Fischer]

I have always wondered this.

[Angela Kinsey]

Well, I did some digging, and I read our table read draft of the Dundee script, the shooting draft. I found some fun stuff. And then I also reached out to Greg. Poor Greg. I was just texting him like crazy.

[Jenna Fischer]

I texted Greg like crazy as well.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, my goodness.

[Jenna Fischer]

He's had no idea.

[Angela Kinsey]

What are you doing? I literally texted one more random question about Michael Scott. Okay, last one. So, Michelle, to answer your first question, where did Michael go to get his dundees? I found this scene in the table draft, interior, trophy shop. Michael stands at the counter of a trophy shop. He points to a Dundee man on the shelf. He says, there he Is. Isn't he a handsome son of a bitch? The mythical golden Dundee man. The clerk says, it's acrylic laminate. Michael says, uh huh, perfect. Okay, I'll take 18, please. The clerk says, we have none in stock that size. I can get 18 of the larger ones. And then he shows Michael the larger ones. They're twice as big, much nicer. And Michael's like, all right, you know what? Yes, sign me up. And then the Clerk says, they're $30 each. And Michael's like, okay, well, what else do you have while we're looking? Then the next scene is Michael at the register, and there are a bunch of smallish trophies. The clerk says, okay, we have six swimmers, four football players, three lacrosse girls, and five forensic plaques.

[Jenna Fischer]

That's very funny.

[Angela Kinsey]

And Michael says, gorgeous. Do you take Diners Club? So there was a scene where he went to a trophy shop and he went looking for the Dundees. And to answer your second question, here's what Greg had to say about how many Dundees Michael had. He said, well, we always had one on his desk. And then Jan throws one at him. And in shareholder meeting, he does say that he's won over 17 Dundees. The man has a lot of Dundees. So it's clear he's given himself a bunch of awards. But as far as what they say, we actually don't ever see one. I mean, in the beginning credits, he's positioning one at the end of his desk, but the way the camera crops it, you don't see the little plaque.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yep.

[Angela Kinsey]

And then in the Dundees episode, he holds up a few, but you can't see what's on them.

[Jenna Fischer]

I see, but Jenna and I both.

[Angela Kinsey]

Just rewatched the pilot, and we both looked to see if we could see what the plaque says on the Dundees. But the way the camera crops it, we couldn't see it.

[Jenna Fischer]

No.

[Angela Kinsey]

If someone out there saw it, let us know, but we could not see it.

[Jenna Fischer]

In fact, fan catch in the pilot, his Dundee is on his back credenza. It's not on his desk like the opening credits. That's right.

[Angela Kinsey]

Nice, Jenna.

[Jenna Fischer]

This is when I really wish that we could reach out to Phil Shea, because I know that he did put something on each one of those plaques, and he could probably tell us what it is.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

And so I miss you, Phil.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, lady, I thought we could each discuss our favorite thing about Michael Scott. Okay, we talked about this, and for me, it is his tendency to mangle words and phrases.

[Angela Kinsey]

You love this about him.

[Jenna Fischer]

I really do. The Office Alliance Facebook page posted a compilation video of Michael's mangled words and phrases. This is not complete, but it does have the greatest hits. Why don't we listen to it?

[Steve Carell]

Colored greens. It's nebulos. Those things are like ticking time bags. Effortlessly document her. And I had an epiphy. Early worm. Gets the worm. Sedimentary lifestyle. An escape code respond. Sort of an oaky afterbirth. Euthanize this place. Migraine worker downloading some N3P Garctic. There's the XX. Ergonomically correct improvisation Profiligate. It's a little hypercritical. How the turntables. I am not to be truffled with. Gotta keep yourself dehydrated. She's an anorexic. You're going to H E L double hockey sticks. He can heal leopards. A woman. Has you slurped my role as Santa Contraption. She's contrapting. We're insurmountainable. You are all successories. I have your baguette. And like I'm gonna believe one of his firm lovers a day which will live infamously integral to the story.

[Angela Kinsey]

We're all successories. I forgot about that one.

[Jenna Fischer]

So I think the reason why I love this so much is that initially the character of Michael Scott was based on David Brent from the British Office.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

But this character trait is uniquely Michael. This was not something that was based on the British show. And it got me wondering when exactly did we key in on this? Like, when did this change happen? And the first time that Michael mangles a word is in the pilot. That is when he says incalculable. So I thought that was really significant because we've talked about how the pilot was basically the pilot script of the British show.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

But this little detail leaked in. And when we did our breakdown of the pilot, we talked a little bit about this. We said there was this talking head that was brand new to our version. Greg asked Steve to write down a list of who he thought Michael Scott would consider his heroes. And that's when he lists all the people. And he goes on to talk about their contributions to the world. And then he said incalculable. Well, I asked Greg about that and he said Steve came up with that on the day. Just on the day. In one of his takes, he throws out this mangled word. And I just love this because I feel like we can credit Greg's collaborative spirit, Steve Carell's amazing improvisation. And it gave birth to this whole character trait. Yes. It reminds me so Much of how a post it note led to sprinkles. Yeah, right. Well, you know, eventually we started writing to this.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

And I got very curious if there was someone in the writer's room who specialized in these because they show up in so many episodes. So I did a major deep dive. Thanks to Dunderpedia. They have a list of every single word or phrase Michael has gotten wrong, divided up per episode.

[Angela Kinsey]

Wow.

[Jenna Fischer]

In most episodes, he has one or none. But I noticed that there are a few episodes where Michael has several misused words, like three or more. And those episodes were the Convention, Dinner Party, Job Fair, and New Boss. Guess what all of those episodes have in common?

[Angela Kinsey]

The same writer.

[Jenna Fischer]

Jean Stepnitsky and Lee Eisenberg.

[Angela Kinsey]

Huh.

[Jenna Fischer]

So I reached out to them and I was like, guys, what do I do with this? Are you guys the mangled word guys?

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah. Like Brent Forrester is the pun guy. He loves the puns.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes. Aaron Scherr was our cold open fellow. Right, right. So tell me, were you the mangled word guys? And they said no. They said it was no single writer. And they said it was a combination of written lines and Steve improvisations. Then they told me the ones that Steve improvised in their episodes. So they said, Prodigal Son Returns from the Convention was a Steve Improv. Make Yourself to Home from Dinner Party was an improv. An Okie Afterbirth was a Steve Improv from Dinner Party. And then they said that their personal favorite mangled word, Escape Goat from Product Recall was written by Justin Spitzer. I just love the system that we had in the office. I feel like our system of including the actors in the creation of their characters, trusting us to improvise, it just led to this amazing character trait of Michael Scott that we all love.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

And lady, if I could give you a Dundee right now, I would give you a Dundee for being the Michael Scott of office ladies for your mangled words. Me, Sam and Cassie, we traded some text messages trying to remember all of the words you've mangled. So, Angela, I shared my favorite and it is Kid in a Candy Jar.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, yes. That's a classic.

[Jenna Fischer]

I love that.

[Angela Kinsey]

That's a Kinsey right there.

[Jenna Fischer]

The kids inside that candy jar.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah. Uh huh. That's me.

[Jenna Fischer]

God, that brings me back. The one I immediately thought of because I got it from you in a postcard on a frame is Peep shot.

[Angela Kinsey]

Peep shot instead of spy shot.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah. And Life intimidating art. Yes. Those are our favorites. Life intimidating art.

[Angela Kinsey]

It might be my favorite.

[Jenna Fischer]

Kid in a Candy Jar. I think about that once a week.

[Angela Kinsey]

That lives in your brain. Well, you know, I just spent a week with my mom. It was so wonderful. And I just come by this. So honest. So I wear it like a badge of honor. Cause my mom said, are you on Twitter? I was like, no, I'm not on Twitter. Really, Mom? Not really.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, maybe this is why I love this quality so much in Michael Scott is because I love it in you.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yes, I really enjoyed that so much. You know, one of the things I loved most about Michael Scott is how much he hates technology. I hate technology. You know, I don't want. Gosh, I don't want to go through emails. And I hate it when I have to update my phone or if we get a new remote for the tv. It just pisses me off. I just want my damn old technology. I'd be so happy with a flip phone. I really would.

[Jenna Fischer]

It's true.

[Angela Kinsey]

And I feel like Michael and I have this in common. And like you, Jenna, I found some amazing compilations that people have put together called Michael versus Technology, but the clip was so long. I'm just going to share a few. He hates technology so much. Every single season.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, I don't know what you're going to share, but I love when he lies about having a PowerPoint presentation ready.

[Angela Kinsey]

Well, that's one of them. But before I get into all that, I have a fan question from a Joshua Snyder in Los Angeles, California.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, really? I know a Joshua Snyder in Los Angeles.

[Angela Kinsey]

What is this question? So do I. I told him I was doing Michael versus Technology, and he was very intrigued. He said, ladies, I have wondered what Michael Scott would do with ChatGPT.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, my goodness.

[Angela Kinsey]

I know. Josh said. So I asked it what the character Michael Scott would use it for, and here's what it had to say.

[Jenna Fischer]

No, no.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yes.

[Jenna Fischer]

What did it say, Josh?

[Angela Kinsey]

Look what he did. He did a document and everything. What would Michael Scott do with AI?

[Jenna Fischer]

This is what AI says Michael Scott would do with AI.

[Angela Kinsey]

These are the top.

[Jenna Fischer]

This is very, very, very funny to me.

[Angela Kinsey]

These are the top ten things. Ready?

[Jenna Fischer]

Okay.

[Angela Kinsey]

Number one, Michael would ask ridiculous questions.

[Jenna Fischer]

True.

[Angela Kinsey]

Like, what is the world's best office prank, for example?

[Jenna Fischer]

Okay.

[Angela Kinsey]

Number two, Michael would write movie scripts.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes.

[Angela Kinsey]

Perhaps a Michael Skarn, the prequel.

[Jenna Fischer]

This is what AI said.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yes.

[Jenna Fischer]

How does AI know Michael Scott so well?

[Angela Kinsey]

I don't know. It also says his scripts would spend hours detailing extravagant and nonsensical plot twists that always end with him as the heroes.

[Jenna Fischer]

Wow.

[Angela Kinsey]

Number three, Michael would use it to plan office Parties. They would be fun, but also professional. But mostly fun.

[Jenna Fischer]

I'm not going to give that one to AI. I don't think Michael ever is going to plan anything.

[Angela Kinsey]

Number four, he would use it to seek business advice. Maybe. Number five, he would use it to practice jokes. Yes, 100%. And he could even say if no one was laughing, it was AI's idea, not mine.

[Jenna Fischer]

That's what AI said.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yes.

[Jenna Fischer]

AI gave Michael Scott permission to blame it.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yes.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, my gosh.

[Angela Kinsey]

Number six, Michael would use it to get dating advice. Yes, he might ask it for some smooth pickup lines, for sure. Number seven, reinforce his ego. He might ask AI questions like, am I the world's best boss? And then look at the answers, waiting for validation. Okay, number eight, impromptu raps. Yes, Michael would use AI to help him write new versions of the lazy Scranton rap or to help him with his roasts at the Dundee award speeches.

[Jenna Fischer]

Okay.

[Angela Kinsey]

Number nine, create office training exercises. Maybe. Number ten, daydream about fame.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, how does AI help you daydream about fame? You know what? He could ask AI to make him the star of a movie poster or something.

[Angela Kinsey]

Well, this prompt was from. AI said Michael might say, how do I become a celebrity? And create a list of steps to go viral so he can finally become an Internet sensation.

[Jenna Fischer]

Okay. AI is terrifying.

[Angela Kinsey]

Well, there you go. Josh was very curious about Michael Scott and AI, and I really feel like he would have done some of those things 100%. Okay, well, now I want to start my Michael versus technology section with a clip from business school because it perfectly sums up what Michael thinks computers are for.

[Steve Carell]

Okay, well, we can do questions. Okay, very good. First, hand up. Sir, as a company that primarily distributes paper, how have you adapted your business model to function in an increasingly paperless world? We can't overestimate the value of computers. Yes, they are great for playing games and forwarding funny emails, but real business is done on paper. Okay, write that down.

[Angela Kinsey]

So what I love about that is he says computers are for games and forwarding joke emails. This is all you need to know about Michael, truly. About his workday, about what he does all day. And I was really curious when the writers first started writing this relationship of Michael with technology. It starts as early as the Alliance. So when Meredith has her birthday card and she's reading all the messages on her card, and Michael has written this lame joke about downsizing her and her age because she's getting older, and then he says, wait, there's so many more I didn't even use. Okay, and then he says, she's so old, she went into an antique store and they kept her. And he says, that wasn't even mine. I got that off the Internet. So this is the first time we learn about Michael digging through the Internet to get jokes. That's what he is. He's a comedian, you guys. These are his bits he's going to do all day. So that is proof early on that he uses the Internet to get jokes. Then in Hot Girl, we learn more about Michael and technology in two scenes. One made it in the episode. It's when he asks Ryan if he wants to buy a purse. And Ryan says, I'm installing file share on all the computers. And Michael goes, yeah, well, blah de bloo de blah blah technology babble. Just do it. And then there would have been another mention of Michael and the Internet. So there's a version of this in the deleted scenes on the DVD and in the Superfan episode. But I want to read you what was scripted in the shooting draft.

[Jenna Fischer]

Okay?

[Angela Kinsey]

Michael and Katie enter the annex. Michael points to a computer. He looks at it and says, Internet. This just made me laugh. I don't know why. He just looks at a computer and goes, Internet, okay. Then he says, whole office is wired. Could you have imagined 10 years ago that we'd be sending messages from one side of the world to the other in the blink of an eye? And Katie goes, yes. And Michael goes, 20 years ago. And she doesn't say anything back. So there you have that moment, right? Then in season two, the writers really start diving into this theme of what Michael uses his computer for. I mean, there's a whole episode dedicated to email forwards. He is, as you said from the show Bible, the king of forwards. And I read the shooting draft for Sexual Harassment. There was a cold, open scene that starts with Michael on his computer. It's not in deleted scenes. I want to read it to you.

[Jenna Fischer]

Okay.

[Angela Kinsey]

Interior, Michael's office. Michael is at his computer, giggling. He gestures for the camera to come around and shoot the screen. We angle on his screen. It's an outlook like email program. At least half of the emails are Michael's forwards. They have Michael Scott in all caps as the sender. And subject lines like this, forward, semicolon. This is a really funny exclamation point, exclamation point, exclamation point, exclamation point. A plus, forward, semicolon, top 10 reasons a beer is better than sex. B plus. And then Michael goes on to say, I rate my email forwards with a humor grade. So you Know what? You're getting important. It's very important. He says it definitely makes people more excited to open their email. It's like how I like to do business. Everybody's joking around.

[Jenna Fischer]

That's how he does it.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah, but you would get emails that were a B. Some got a C grade, but still sent them. And as each season goes by, there's all of these big, epic technology fails for Michael. In season three, he emails pictures of Jan, of course, to packaging at Dunder Mifflin instead of to Todd Packer. And then in season four, he gets a car that can talk to him.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes, it does not go well.

[Angela Kinsey]

Nope. Let's hear it.

[Steve Carell]

Everybody likes new inventions, new technology. People will never be replaced by machines. In the end, life and business are about human connections and computers are about trying to murder you in a lake.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

And then as I was like, researching this, every single season has so many Michael computer, Internet, email mishaps. I feel like there could be a whole book written. Michael versus Technology. This is just the tip of the iceberg of Michael versus Technology. But I think your favorite moment is my same favorite moment, and we need to hear it. And by the way, if you watch this scene, we are both breaking. You are completely, like, smiling through it. Like, not at all in character.

[Steve Carell]

Okay, today we're going to be talking about PowerPoint.

[Angela Kinsey]

PowerPoint.

[Steve Carell]

PowerPoint. PowerPoint. Yes. I forgot about Ryan's presentation. And yes, it would have been nice to do well with the first presentation that he had given me. But you know what else would have been nice? Winning the lottery. And the best way to start is to hit start and up comes the toolbar. That's what she said. What we have to do here is go to run, and then you look up to PowerPoint and we are in. We are going to register. You hit register. Updates are ready. I should Update. Estimated time, 12 minutes. So this should take about 5 or 10 minutes. This is the first time you've opened PowerPoint. Why you didn't prepare a prisoner?

[Jenna Fischer]

You know what?

[Steve Carell]

I had a really rough night.

[Angela Kinsey]

You know what's so funny is just now playing that the part where you laughed is the same part where you break in the scene.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, really?

[Angela Kinsey]

Yes. The part where it's like, now you have to register. Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, my goodness. Oh, my goodness.

[Angela Kinsey]

So I am curious why you laughed both times in the same place. Once, what, 15 years ago.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

And once today. What is it about the fact that he had to then go register because.

[Jenna Fischer]

It became so obvious he had never opened it.

[Angela Kinsey]

Correct.

[Jenna Fischer]

Like, that was the giveaway. Like, up until that point, you could maybe believe that he thought his job was to walk you through it from the very beginning and that we're a room full of idiots. And so that's how he's giving this PowerPoint presentation. But when it's clear he never registered, you know, he has put no effort into it. I mean, we all knew that he was just tap dancing his way through this anyway. But that is the moment where he's caught.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah, that's funny. I love that.

[Jenna Fischer]

I think I loved that.

[Angela Kinsey]

I did, too. I also loved when he said, okay, now it's just going to take 12 minutes.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah. I was the PowerPoint expert in my office when I was an administrative assistant in St. Louis, Missouri. I would make the PowerPoint presentations for all of the salespeople, for the whole sales staff. If they had to go off and meet with a client. They gave me the information they wanted, and I put it into a PowerPoint for them, and I taught them how to use it.

[Angela Kinsey]

That is maybe my favorite thing that I have heard this whole month. You labeled yourself the PowerPoint expert.

[Jenna Fischer]

I was of that office, and I was the youngest person in the office. And I think today how, Angela, we run into this all the time trying to post on Instagram, and I don't know how to get the ratio and then the tagging and the this. It's very high effort for me. And then we had this babysitter over, this young gal, and she was like, oh, didn't you know? You can just blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And I'm like, oh, no, I did not. No, I did not know that. So I feel like that's who I was to those people in the office. I was this youngin who just immediately knew how to use PowerPoint, and they were always so clunky with it.

[Angela Kinsey]

You were Ryan?

[Jenna Fischer]

I guess I was.

[Angela Kinsey]

I'm Michael Scott, and you're Ryan.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, listen, why don't we take a break and when we come back, I did a deep dive into Michael's family of origin.

[Angela Kinsey]

Ooh, I can't wait. Jenna, you and I love a deep dive. And let me tell you, a place where you can really deep dive information and learn new things. And that's with Masterclass.

[Jenna Fischer]

I have two recent class favorites. Amy Poehler, Robin Roberts, highly recommend.

[Angela Kinsey]

You know the one I want to do?

[Jenna Fischer]

What?

[Angela Kinsey]

I really, really want to take the Martha Stewart class. I'm so curious. I can't wait. I mean, she is a legend in her profession. She keeps reinventing herself.

[Jenna Fischer]

Masterclass is the only streaming platform where you can learn and grow with over 200 of the world's best. And for just $10 a month, an annual membership with Masterclass gets you unlimited access to every instructor.

[Angela Kinsey]

Plus every new membership comes with a 30 day money backed guarantee.

[Jenna Fischer]

Right now our listeners get an additional 15% off any annual [e-mail] OfficeLady that's 15% [e-mail] OfficeLadies masterclass.com OfficeLadies this episode is brought to you by SkinnyPop. Popcorn, perfectly popped, endlessly delicious. Oh so light and crunchy. Skinny Pop Original Popcorn is the snack you've been searching for. Made with just three simple popcorn kernel, sunflower oil and salt. Snacking never felt or tasted so good. Perfectly popped, endlessly delicious. Give yourself permission to snack and pick up Skinny Pop Original Popcorn today. All right, we are back and before the break we discussed everything we do know about Michael Scott. But there is one very big thing that we do not know much about and that is his family of origin. And we got a ton of questions about Michael and his backstory. This was our fan mail flurry when we asked people to write us about Michael Scott. Here is just a sampling. This one from Victoria L. In Hollis, New Hampshire who said, I always wanted to know more about the relationship between Michael and his mother. I so wish that we could have seen at least one episode with them interacting that wasn't just a phone call. I have always wondered why there wasn't more of this relationship. Was there ever a storyline pitched where we met Michael's mom? Well, Victoria, you are correct. We do not ever meet Michael's mom. I don't even think we learn her name. I looked everywhere and I never found her name. The first time we hear from her is in season two, the Injury. Michael calls her on the phone and we hear her voice. She was played by June Squibbly. We also got the impression that Pam and Michael's mom talk quite often. Then in season four, Michael calls his mom from the nightclub in Night out and in season five, he calls and tells her he's engaged to Holly. He's not engaged to Holly. This was a thing he was doing with his mom. And then in Michael Scott Paper Company, he calls her again and says that Ryan and Pam are annoying him. So we set up that he calls his mom pretty often. And while we never ended up meeting her, there was a very famous person who lobbied very hard to play Michael's mom. And you're gonna be so incredibly bummed When I tell you who it is, you love this person.

[Angela Kinsey]

Wait, let me get this straight. There was an actor who would reach out and say, please, can I play Michael's mom? Please, please, please.

[Jenna Fischer]

Over and over and over again.

[Angela Kinsey]

And they were like, nah, we're good.

[Jenna Fischer]

They were like, you're too famous. And we don't cast famous people on our show.

[Angela Kinsey]

Is it Carol Burnett?

[Jenna Fischer]

It's Carol Burnett.

[Angela Kinsey]

Get out.

[Jenna Fischer]

Carol Burnett. Yeah. And Greg said, if we ever did see Michael's mom, she had the role. But in early seasons, he was hesitant to cast her because she was so famous. By the way, we don't hear anything about Michael's mom in, like, seasons six and seven when we had broken our rule. But she has given several interviews where she said, I keep calling them, but they keep changing their number. I don't know. And this was confirmed on our season four dvd commentators, the writer said that if we ever meet Michael's mom, Carol Burnett would play her. She has volunteered for the role.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, my gosh.

[Jenna Fischer]

I know Carol Burnett. I know. Yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

Maybe she could play one of our moms on Mom Detectives.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes. Maybe not the role she was looking for.

[Angela Kinsey]

Probably not. She might be like, ladies, I'm good.

[Jenna Fischer]

All right, well, that's your tidbit about Michael's mom. We also got a fan question from Stephanie M. In Iowa who said, what's the story with Michael's dad? We hear about his mom, his stepdad, Jeff, and even his step half sister, his nephew, but I don't remember him ever talking about his dad. Is that ever addressed? Was there ever a backstory to Michael? Was this discussed? Well, I traded messages with Greg Daniels who said, poor Greg. I know.

[Angela Kinsey]

How many texts did he get from us for this episode?

[Jenna Fischer]

Too many. So many. He said for a very long time. There was a card on the wall that said, Michael reunites with dad. Oh, we just never got to it. Yeah. Greg said that we almost met Michael's dad in season seven. That is the season where we met his nephew. You know, that's when he spanks his nephew in nepotism.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

And then he has to go to counseling with Toby. Well, some of the early concepts for that episode were that Toby would draw out this really personal information from Michael about his family of origin, particularly his dad. We were going to find out that Michael only saw his dad three times a year growing up, and Toby was going to reunite Michael and his dad. The dad would come into the office. It would be a surprise. But they ended up changing it. It never happened. And we Never even got so far as to, like, put out a casting notice for the role or anything. They just pivoted.

[Angela Kinsey]

Mm.

[Jenna Fischer]

But that is the closest we got to meeting Michael's dad. And then finally, in my deep dive on Michael's family of origin, I did find one moment a story from his childhood that we shot, and it was deleted. It's a deleted scene from the Surplus. This is part of the Peacock Superfan episode. But I thought it would be fun to listen.

[Steve Carell]

I would like to tell you a little story.

[Jenna Fischer]

Let me call you right back. Okay.

[Steve Carell]

About a boy named it that doesn't even matter. Could be any one of you. And like any other 12 year old boy, he wanted a Pippy long stocking doll for Christmas. But his evil stepfather, Jeff, said, no, you may not have what you want. You must have a football. And the boy cried and he cried and. And he cried and he held his breath as long as he could and he wouldn't eat his dinner. But you know something? It turns out that Jeff was right. Because I already had a GI Joe and a Stretch Armstrong and a Malibu Barbie and a Major Matt Mason, which technically is enough for a tea party. So my point is this. I didn't need what I thought I needed. What I needed was to learn how to appreciate what I had.

[Jenna Fischer]

Which in this case was enough dolls to have tea with.

[Steve Carell]

Exactly.

[Jenna Fischer]

Got it. So there you go. A little sad insight into his childhood.

[Angela Kinsey]

Jeff is such a dick.

[Jenna Fischer]

I know, I know. And, you know, people were very curious if it was like a decision to keep his backstory kind of vague, but Greg said it was not. He said they pitched a lot of different stories, but they just never really took root. But after they introduced the idea of the stepdad, Jeff, that happens in season three, it sort of became part of Michael's backstory that he was basically raised by Jeff and his mom. And so sometimes you got speeches like the one in the Surplus.

[Angela Kinsey]

Right.

[Jenna Fischer]

But there wasn't much more than what we saw. There was not some, like, big decision they were holding back or anything like that. Well, everyone, we got so many questions on that topic. I really tried to deep dive that for you. So I hope that was a little bit satisfying that we got a little more information about that.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah, I mean, it still paints a pretty bleak picture for Michael growing up.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah. Well, you know, since this is all things Michael Scott, we got a fan question that I was really curious about as well. It's from Emily V in Kansas, and she says, how did the original casting call announcement describe the Role of Michael Scott. Well, Emily Allison was very excited to get this question. She said, oh, Ang, I can find my notes for that. And then she gave, like, five exclamation points, smiley face. And here's what she wrote. She said her notes were pretty simple for the role. They said, male, age range 35 to 45. And for character description, it simply said, the manager at a small paper company, Michael, is a bit of a jerk with no self awareness.

[Jenna Fischer]

Wow. Yeah, they threw out a pretty wide net.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

I always loved the little trivia that, like, Rainn Wilson first auditioned for Michael.

[Angela Kinsey]

Right.

[Jenna Fischer]

Cause how different the part would have been if Rainn played Michael. Oh, yeah, right. I mean, you can only imagine him as Dwight Schrute. But what about some other people I think about, like Ben Falcone auditioned for Michael, auditioned for Michael. It's so crazy to me when you go through these audition processes and how you hone in on a character and then who ends up playing them. Because in hindsight, I can't imagine anyone but Steve Carell. He's just perfect. Well, Angela, we also got this fan question from Jada N in California who said, I'm wondering, what scene, Jenna and Angela, do you think perfectly embodies the relationship between Michael and Angela and Michael and Pam?

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, it's such a good question. You know, one of the ones that comes to mind for me is maybe not one that people would think, but it's actually in the Christmas episode where Angela's hemming Michael's pants.

[Jenna Fischer]

Okay.

[Angela Kinsey]

Because I do feel like that she, like, helped him with little things like that, you know, that he would probably go to Angela and Pam for different things like that. And I also, of course, loved when he was heartbroken about Sprinkles.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

He was like, oh, no. You know, he was one of the people that showed true emotion about Angela's cat passing away. Yeah, I mean, he did get the.

[Jenna Fischer]

Name wrong, but his emotion was genuine.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yes.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah, that's true. Well, I think for me, it would be the scene where Pam finds out that Michael is dating her mom.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yes. That's such a good scene.

[Jenna Fischer]

And the reason is because when she first comes in the office, she is, like, genuinely invested and excited about his personal life and his relationship. And you see their. You see the way that they connect. And then by the end of the scene, she finds out who he is dating, and she is absolutely horrified. And I just feel like that turn. That whole journey of that scene perfectly embodies the Pam Michael relationship. It's just like a combination of horror and bonding, I guess. Right?

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah, yeah, I love that question.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, Angela, we also asked people to reach out to us if they had a boss like Michael Scott. We said, we want to hear about it. And we got more letters than I was expecting. A lot of people have a boss like Michael Scott. I don't know if I ever shared with you that I had a coworker that was my personal Michael Scott. And it was at the job that I had right before I auditioned for the office. And I would imagine this person during my audition process.

[Angela Kinsey]

What were they like?

[Jenna Fischer]

They were an aspiring comedian.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, my gosh.

[Jenna Fischer]

And my desk was right next to the, like, break room. And so in order to, like, go see what the treat of the day was or to refill your coffee, you walked right past my desk. And this guy would chat me up every day with some new pun or some joke that I knew was probably gonna be in his standup. And I had to do a lot of Pam like, things. You know, he wasn't my boss, but he was a superior. And so I remember that feeling of just being kind of trapped Right. By a person.

[Angela Kinsey]

Right.

[Jenna Fischer]

And I remember, like, looking around the office and like, wondering, like, I wonder if another desk could become available, because I really am. I am. I was in a high traffic area.

[Angela Kinsey]

Well, you know, it's the combination of comedy bits plus trapped audience.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes, yes, exactly, lady.

[Angela Kinsey]

This is reminding me so much of this last Southwest Airlines flight I was on.

[Jenna Fischer]

Uh huh.

[Angela Kinsey]

Speaking of a trapped audience.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes.

[Angela Kinsey]

Well, the flight attendant really went for it and folks were loving it. They were cracking up. He had so many bits. And I started jotting them down. I actually have them on my phone.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, my gosh.

[Angela Kinsey]

I have to read them because I feel like I flew with the Michael Scott of flight attendants. The first one I jotted down was this one. He said, please do not open any previously purchased alcohol on this flight. Save it for your mother in laws.

[Jenna Fischer]

What?

[Angela Kinsey]

Then during the safety announcements, he said, parents, pick your favorite and most promising child and save that one first. Oh, my gosh, wait. Then he puts on the, you know, the little life preserver thing.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yep.

[Angela Kinsey]

And they talk about which thing to blow into and what to pull.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, no. I feel like there's a. That's what she said coming.

[Angela Kinsey]

No, there's not.

[Jenna Fischer]

Okay.

[Angela Kinsey]

He goes, please use the yellow tube to inflate and call Tom Brady to deflate.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, boy. Oh, boy. That's an old reference.

[Angela Kinsey]

I know, I know. Then this was a very early morning flight and people wanted to nap, you know, so he says, well, we all look better with a filter, so we're going to dim the lights.

[Jenna Fischer]

Okay?

[Angela Kinsey]

So, okay. Then as we're about to take off, he goes, give your seatbelt a tug and your neighbor a hug. This Bowen is a going, wow. Mm. And then when we landed, because we were landing in Austin, Texas, he goes, as we landed, as the wheels hit the tarmac, he goes, whoa, there, Nelly. Oh.

[Jenna Fischer]

No, he did not make. He did.

[Angela Kinsey]

He did. The clip clops. Then he said, that bump when we landed wasn't our pilot's fault. It wasn't the flight attendant's fault. It was the ass fault. And the last thing he said was, well, welcome to Austin. Enjoy this overcast, kind of scary looking day.

[Steve Carell]

Oh, my gosh.

[Jenna Fischer]

You know what I'm gonna say. In general, I love a Southwest bit. They must encourage their flight attendants to make it fun, because they usually do. That is off the charts, though. That's a lot. But I am usually an enthusiastic audience on a Southwest flight. And you know what? That was Michael's philosophy. Michael's philosophy was, I could give you a boring sales speech, or, you know, this guy is like, I could give you a boring safety announcement, or I could make it fun.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah. Or I could be the guy that's like, exactly. Welcome to Austin. Amazing.

[Jenna Fischer]

All right, well, this letter is from Amelia W. In Poland. And of all the letters we received from people who said they had bosses like Michael Scott, Emelia, I think you win. Here is what Emilia said. I have a Michael like boss. He is a good man, but very distracted. And here are a few of the things he has done instead of working.

[Angela Kinsey]

I love this already because this is Michael. He's, like, playing games on the computer. He's doing email forwards, or he's planning a party that we don't have the budget for.

[Jenna Fischer]

Amelia said, I work in transport, just to give you some perspective.

[Angela Kinsey]

Okay.

[Jenna Fischer]

But I really feel like any one of these could be an episode of the Office. Here is something Amelia's boss has done for a whole day. He was going through different apartments for sale, commenting on every one of them, even though nobody in the office was about to make this kind of purchase. On another day, around noon, he suddenly stood up and shouted that he has to go because he left his son at school and the school is closed.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, no.

[Jenna Fischer]

Another time, he left the office without a word, came back with the blood pressure monitor, and proceeded to measure the blood pressure of every employee.

[Angela Kinsey]

That's Michael.

[Jenna Fischer]

100%. One time he called me in his office, so I Could spend an hour watching him calculate my loan rate, which I'm not taking for a random apartment I'm not buying.

[Angela Kinsey]

What is his obsession with apartment hunting?

[Jenna Fischer]

I don't know. Once he found an old numerology book in a garage sale and made us listen to him telling what the day of birth meant about every person.

[Angela Kinsey]

That is definitely Michael Scott.

[Jenna Fischer]

Right. And then finally, once, he wanted to cheer us up by buying pizza, but of course, he picked a very bad one. And in the end of the day, I was just happy he hadn't kidnapped the delivery boy, which is what Michael did. But those were really good. And I feel like if we ever reboot the office, Greg might want to file those away somewhere on some cards for the wall.

[Angela Kinsey]

I just want to go to Amelia's workplace just for one day. I, like, want to meet this guy.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

Well, we also got a lot of mail about people named Michael Scott. Whether people listened to them on the radio or saw them as weathermen on their TVs, there are people living in the world with the name Michael Scott. We were super curious about this, so we reached out to one fella and asked him what it was like to share a name with such a famous television character. I want to say thank you to Michael Scott Souza for chatting with us about this. So I asked Michael when did he become aware that he shares a similar name to such an iconic television character? And he said the show started airing when he was around 15 years old, but he was super late into getting to know the show and watching it. He didn't start watching it until college. Here's a little something about Michael. He does not work in paper. He is a consulting meteorologist. And I asked Michael when did he become aware that he shares a similar name to such an iconic television character? He said he was super late to getting into the show and started watching in college. And he only found out that he shared the same name. When Michael the character, was leaving for Colorado, he said everyone on his Facebook page was saying, we love you, Michael Scott. We love you, Michael Scott. And he said it was really strange. He didn't understand why everyone was saying this. And then he found out they were talking about the character. Oh. So they're like, goodbye, Michael Scott. We love you.

[Jenna Fischer]

He's like, where am I going?

[Angela Kinsey]

What are you talking about? He also said that when he meets people and they hear his name, they immediately ask him if he watches the Office. And they ask him so frequently that he made up a little bit that he does. Oh. He started to have Fun with it. He would say, yeah, NBC actually wrote to me and all the other Michael Scotts in the world for permission to use our name. And I said yes. And people would look at him and say, really? Are you serious? And then he'd be like, no, no, not really. And he said, they'll share a laugh. And he said it's been a really nice icebreaker for him when he meets people. But lastly, and this just cracked me up, he shared this story about how it can pop up in his work life. So he said he once saved a report as Michael Scott just to name it quickly. And he sent it to a coworker to double check a few things. And when the email came back to him, they signed it at the bottom. Thanks Dwight Schrute.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, that's cute.

[Angela Kinsey]

Anyway, there are many more Michael Scott's out there, but I thought it was really fun to see what it's like to have that same name.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, it just makes me think of our former sound engineer named Steve Martin. Yeah, right. You share a name that's with like a famous person. But I've never talked to anybody who shares their name with a fictional character, which is so crazy. Yeah, yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

Well, Jenna, you know earlier I said I made up a quiz about Michael Scott.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes.

[Angela Kinsey]

I was just trying to find like, sort of like interesting tidbits that maybe aren't just in your normal Google search. And I thought we could play it today. Sam, Cassie, it's just five questions. All right, all right. And then maybe everyone listening, you guys can play along too. And you can yell at your radio. Do I say radio?

[Jenna Fischer]

I don't know your headphones.

[Angela Kinsey]

And you can yell at your answers out and be like Angela, that one's so easy. Oh my gosh. Well, the first one got covered in the show bible. So you guys should all get this correct cause you just heard it. Sam, Cassie, what cologne does Michael wear?

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, it's a perfect smell alike for Drakkar Noir.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yes.

[Jenna Fischer]

And it is from the drugstore and it is Night Swept.

[Angela Kinsey]

Ding, ding, ding. Correct. It is from Rite Aid. It is called Night Swept.

[Jenna Fischer]

Great job.

[Angela Kinsey]

I will share you guys. When I watched it, I thought Ryan said Night Sweats, which I thought was.

[Jenna Fischer]

A horrible name for that's what I do every night.

[Angela Kinsey]

Now that's the menopausal cologne.

[Jenna Fischer]

Exactly. Okay, I can promise you no one wants me to wear that either.

[Angela Kinsey]

No one wants night.

[Jenna Fischer]

I don't want it.

[Angela Kinsey]

Night sweats.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

Okay, number two, what snack does Michael say is his comfort food? Hint. I brought some Today. And we're all gonna try it.

[Jenna Fischer]

That is his comfort food.

[Angela Kinsey]

Did you just Google that?

[Jenna Fischer]

No. Oh, yeah. Did you seriously know that it is mayonnaise and black olives?

[Angela Kinsey]

Ugh.

[Jenna Fischer]

Why did you bring it, Angela?

[Angela Kinsey]

Because we're gonna try it.

[Jenna Fischer]

I am not eating it.

[Angela Kinsey]

I am gonna try it.

[Jenna Fischer]

I'll try some.

[Angela Kinsey]

Thank you, Sam. All right. Are you trying some? Cassie, you do not have to.

[Jenna Fischer]

I am not trying it because I have still not completely recovered from Stanley's three by five or whatever that was. And I am not gonna eat mayonnaise with olives in it. I can promise you that.

[Angela Kinsey]

Let me just tell you. Let me tell you how disgusting this looks. I got two forks, Sam.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, good. Do we ever see it in the show? Like, is it that much mayonnaise? It is, because Jim mistakes it for ice cream.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah. Yeah. It looks like a bowl of ice cream. Okay, ready? Oh, God. I'm just going to get. I'm just getting one like that.

[Jenna Fischer]

I can't believe you put that in your mouth.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, my God.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, no. That's what she said. Oh, guys, it's making me sick just looking at you as advertised. Oh, God. Why would it be good?

[Angela Kinsey]

It's, you know, it's a little tricky mistress. Because there was one moment I liked it. What?

[Jenna Fischer]

And then what moment?

[Angela Kinsey]

Quickly. Didn't like it when it hit your mouth? Yeah. I was like, mayonnaise. When I got to the olive, I was like, okay, I got this. But then more mayonnaise came through.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah. Help me with the phrase tricky mistress.

[Angela Kinsey]

I don't know. Did I just have a Michael Scott moment?

[Jenna Fischer]

No, I like this phrasing. It's a bit of a tricky mistress.

[Angela Kinsey]

I don't know. I just made that up, I guess. I don't know.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, my gosh. I retired from the business of trying disgusting things things after I drank that iced tea.

[Angela Kinsey]

Wow. That is pretty disgusting. It's a tricky mistress, y'all. Woo. Oh, gross. Grody, gross. Okay, I gotta take some iced tea. One second. Okay, question number four.

[Jenna Fischer]

I thought we were on number three. That was number two.

[Angela Kinsey]

Sorry. That one took everything out of me.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah, sorry. What's question three?

[Angela Kinsey]

Question number three. Oh, sorry. I just burped a little bit of mayo.

[Jenna Fischer]

You should have made this number five, Angela.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah. Why did I make that so early in my list? Ugh. Okay, question number three. I feel so gross. I have such a bad aftertaste. I need another. It really coats your mouth.

[Jenna Fischer]

My entire tongue is a nice mayonnaise coating.

[Angela Kinsey]

That's that's the truth. Okay. Why? What is Michael Scott's greatest weakness? He shares it in the job. The episode the job. That's your hint?

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, he shares his greatest weakness. I think I know it. Doesn't he love too much? Yeah, he loves too hard.

[Angela Kinsey]

It's close. Oh, he works too hard and he cares too much, y'all. Yeah, that's his greatest weakness. All right, number four, what is Michael's ringtone in season one?

[Jenna Fischer]

Mambo five. Sam. Yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

Sam, you are crushing it.

[Jenna Fischer]

Good job.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah. It is not my humps. That's later. That's in branch closing. And number five, it's about Michael Scott's suits. Okay.

[Jenna Fischer]

Mysterious.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah. No.

[Jenna Fischer]

Am I jumping ahead?

[Angela Kinsey]

I found the actual suit that Steve wore because it's being auctioned off, and so I found out who makes it.

[Jenna Fischer]

Okay, but how would we know?

[Angela Kinsey]

You guys aren't gonna know that.

[Jenna Fischer]

Of course you're not.

[Angela Kinsey]

Maybe I'll just tell you how many. Help Bakery, Men's warehouse, Stafford essentials. Oh, doesn't that sound fancy?

[Jenna Fischer]

That sounds right.

[Angela Kinsey]

Navy blue polyester wool. There you have it. That's who makes Michael suits. That's my quiz.

[Jenna Fischer]

That was the worst quiz I've ever been. I'm so sorry, Sam, you won.

[Angela Kinsey]

Sam, you were the clear winner.

[Jenna Fischer]

There's an entire bowl of untouched.

[Angela Kinsey]

You win a can of black that's in the fridge and a jar of mayonnaise. I don't recommend mixing them, but maybe on their own they'll be okay.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, I think that's a pretty great way to end this episode. I would like to share this final thought before we go. It is an amazing Michael Scott haiku from Cat M in North Carolina. Are you ready?

[Angela Kinsey]

Yes. I mean, a Michael Scott haiku. Come on.

[Jenna Fischer]

A boss with no tact who just wanted a family. We cried when he left.

[Angela Kinsey]

Aw.

[Jenna Fischer]

Kind of sums it up.

[Angela Kinsey]

Really does. Well, in doing research for this episode, there was just so much fun stuff online about Michael Scott. In addition to all of the episodes we have and shooting drafts and candy bag alts, I love this character. He's just amazing. But I wanted to share one fun thing I stumbled across. It's a really great article if you love all the props on Michael's desk. It is titled the ultimate guide to Michael Scott's desk toy collection. It lists all the toys on Michael's desk and gives you a link where you can buy them.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh.

[Angela Kinsey]

So if you want to recreate your very own Michael Scott desk, I will put that link in stories to the article.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, I feel like we could do six episodes on Michael Scott. There's so much we didn't even talk about.

[Angela Kinsey]

I know.

[Jenna Fischer]

But I do think we uncovered some really fun new stuff about his character. I really enjoyed this.

[Angela Kinsey]

I did, too. And I'm excited to do this for other characters.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah. Let us know. Who should we do next? We do not have to go, like, in any particular order, right?

[Angela Kinsey]

Nope.

[Jenna Fischer]

We don't do whoever we feel like. That's what she said. A big thank you to Steve Carell, Greg Daniels, Jean Stupnitsky, Lee Eisenberg, and Rob Burnett for helping us get all the dish on Michael Scott.

[Angela Kinsey]

And thank you to Allison Jones for answering our question and to Michael Scott Souza for sharing with us about having the same name as Michael. And really, just a huge thank you for everyone who wrote in questions about Michael Scott, their observations about this character. You really helped us make this episode. We love you so much. And before we go, I just wanted to say thank you to people who have shared with me that they're going to watch my Hallmark Christmas movie, you guys, this weekend. Yes, it's this Sunday. It's Sunday evening. Check your local listings. I think it's either 7pm or 8pm depending on where you are. It is called Confessions of a Christmas Letter. Brian Baumgartner has a fun, fun cameo in it. It was so great to work with him again. And it's just a really sweet Christmas movie. If you watch it, will you tag me? I want to share. If you get together with friends and family, we're going to get together and watch it.

[Jenna Fischer]

I can't wait.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah, we're having a viewing party and it's going to be just super fun. So thank you guys and, yeah, I'm excited.

[Jenna Fischer]

All right, well, we will see you next week when we break down the accountant's webisodes. And don't forget, you can watch the webisodes on YouTube before you listen to our breakdown. And when you put them all together, it's about 20 minutes long. It's kind of like an episode of the Office.

[Angela Kinsey]

We'll put a link in our stories about where you can watch it as well. And we can't wait to see you next week. Have a great rest of the week.

[Jenna Fischer]

Bye.

[Angela Kinsey]

Bye.

[Jenna Fischer]

Thank you for listening to Office Ladies.

[Angela Kinsey]

Office Ladies is a presentation of Odyssey and is produced by Jenna Fisher and Angela Kinsey.

[Jenna Fischer]

Our executive producer is Cassie Jerkins, our audio engineer is Sam Kiefer, and our associate producer is Ainsley Bubaco.

[Angela Kinsey]

Odyssey's executive producers are Jenna Weiss Berman and Leah Reese.

[Jenna Fischer]

Dennis Office Ladies is mixed and mastered by Chris Basil.

[Angela Kinsey]

Our theme song is Rubber Tree by Creed Bratton.