Fly on the Wall with Jenna Fischer

Summary

Office Ladies: "Fly on the Wall with Jenna Fischer"

Podcast: Office Ladies
Hosts: Jenna Fischer & Angela Kinsey
Date: August 20, 2025

---

Episode Overview

This special episode of Office Ladies features highlights and commentary surrounding Jenna Fischer’s guest appearance on Fly on the Wall with comedians David Spade and Dana Carvey. The episode is a heartfelt and hilarious journey through Jenna’s experiences on and off The Office, her passion for theater, memorable encounters with SNL legends, her friendship and partnership with Angela, and a deep dive into the mechanics and magic of the show that has meant so much to millions. The conversation moves seamlessly between showbiz anecdotes, life lessons, and the personal decisions behind balancing art, career, and family.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Behind the Mic: Life Changes and the Office Ladies Team

(02:32 – 08:09)

• Jenna shares about her move to Chicago for her play Ashland Avenue at the Goodman Theatre and the challenges of balancing an intense rehearsal schedule with podcast recording.
• Angela reflects on how the Office Ladies team (including producers Cassie and Sam) all rally to support one another’s creative pursuits.
• Both hosts speak candidly about the importance of taking space for meaningful, sometimes "bucket list" creative work, and how life experiences (including recent personal challenges for Jenna) shape their choices.
• Quote (Jenna, 06:10): "While I am not worried about kicking the bucket, I saw the bucket. And it really put my life in focus. And when this opportunity came along, I thought, I want to do it now."

2. Jenna’s Appearance on Fly on the Wall: Setting the Stage

(08:09 – 10:00)

• Angela discusses how she missed joining Jenna for the Fly on the Wall interview due to a commercial shoot, and their mutual admiration for Spade and Carvey.
• Jenna jokes about old rumors of dating David Spade and describes her nerves and excitement at meeting Dana Carvey.
• Jenna recalls a 30-minute private post-interview chat with Dana, calling it "a highlight of my life."
• They tease the upcoming interview content: The Office, SNL, and more.

---

Fly on the Wall Interview - Highlights with Jenna Fischer, David Spade & Dana Carvey

3. Life Before and After The Office: Humble Beginnings and Car Stories

(15:22 – 20:45)

• Jenna describes driving cross-country in a beat-up car with no radio and why she prefers driving in silence.
• Each shares their first "big paycheck car" story, including the realization that Los Angeles traffic makes fancy cars mostly useless.
• Quote (Jenna, 18:18): "The problem with LA is that you get this awesome car, and then you can only go like 32 miles an hour in it because you're always stuck in traffic…"

4. The Art of Collaboration & Podcasting Partnerships

(22:54 – 24:37)

• Spade and Carvey probe about working as a duo—could Jenna have done Office Ladies solo for double the money? Jenna insists she couldn’t imagine it without Angela’s humor and quirkiness balancing her own spreadsheet-like approach.
• The group agrees that true friendships enhance their podcasts, making the chemistry authentic for listeners.
• Quote (Jenna, 23:26): "People are always very surprised to learn that we are best friends in real life. I could not have done the podcast without her… So Angela brings all of the funny and quirky and weird observations. We’re a pretty good pair."

5. Molly Shannon’s Life-Changing Advice: Persistence and Payoff

(25:27 – 29:53)

• Jenna recounts sneaking into a Television Critics party, meeting Molly Shannon, and getting the advice: "Don’t give up. It took me 10 years to get on Saturday Night Live."
• The story comes full circle when, exactly 10 years later, Jenna shares this moment with Molly at the Walk Hard premiere.
• Quote (Jenna, 27:49): "She looked at me, took me by the shoulders, looked me deep in the eyes and said, 'Don't give up. Whatever you do, don't give up. It took me 10 years to get on Saturday Night Live…'"

6. Sex Scenes & SNL: Blades of Glory and Comedic Legends

(31:17 – 32:31)

• Discussion of Jenna’s notorious sex scene with Will Ferrell in Blades of Glory—the oddity and discomfort, noting the extensive wardrobe required for modesty.
• She shares the humor and professionalism on set, poking fun at the pre–intimacy coordinator era in Hollywood.
• Quote (Jenna, 31:29): "That was terrifying. And Will was so polite when we shot that scene. He had to like, grab my boobs several times...but I probably had on more clothes in that scene than I normally wear. I felt so covered, it was crazy."

7. Revisiting The Office: New Insights and Enduring Appeal

(33:09 – 38:56)

• Jenna reflects on rewatching all 201 episodes for Office Ladies and realizing the show was strong throughout, even after Steve Carell’s departure—a narrative that wasn’t always shared by the cast.
• She discusses the structure, meticulous writing, and the collaborative, improvisational energy on set.
• Quote (Jenna, 34:12): "My biggest takeaway from having rewatched it was that it's really good the whole time...some of my favorite episodes were in seasons eight and nine after Steve had left..."
• Reveals the show’s famous “documentary” style was achieved by ex–Survivor camera operators, led by Randall Einhorn, and real-time, shoulder-cam shooting.

8. Improvisation vs. Script: The Office’s Unique Approach

(37:20 – 38:56)

• Jenna clarifies that while improvisation was encouraged, 90% of what ended up onscreen was tightly scripted, down to the beats for camera whips.
• Heavy emphasis on subtle, nonverbal acting and allowing "mistakes" (boom mics, missing marks) to lend authenticity.

9. Jim & Pam, John Krasinski’s Genius, and Post-Office Life

(47:22 – 48:29)

• Interview touches on the Jim-and-Pam phenomenon and how John Krasinski’s move into successful directing ("A Quiet Place") surprised no one on set.
• Jenna predicted John "would be our Tom Hanks"—an actor whose TV roots would be a mere footnote in his versatile career.

10. Humble Jobs, Psychic Readings, and Real Life

(48:48 – 51:35)

• Jenna humorously recalls working as a car wash attendant, at Long John Silver’s, and receiving her “psychic” prediction of becoming famous in "the world of religion."
• Both hosts and guests riff on the oddness and unpredictability of creative career paths.

11. Ashland Avenue and the Joy of Theater

(52:01 – 56:10)

• Jenna’s upcoming play, its world-premiere at the Goodman Theatre, and her deep love for live theater.
• Describes plays as uniquely magical: "You get to tell the whole story and go on the character’s journey every night…Each performance is slightly different and you have it. And then just like, only the people who were there got to see just is, like, really magical to me." (Jenna, 52:31)
• Discusses the bittersweet transition from Pam to new characters, and being typecast.

12. Balancing Career and Family: The Artist-Parent Dilemma

(57:10 – 61:44)

• On the “necessary selfishness” of art, and the conscious choice to be a “kid-centered” parent versus a “parent-centered” home.
• Shares therapy advice about family structure, illustrated with an eloquent river/stream metaphor.
• Quote (Jenna, 60:43): "She said, imagine your family is flowing like a river. Rather than diverting the whole river to the movie, you just take a little stream by yourself, do the movie, and then rejoin the river later. But the goal is to keep the river doing its thing."

13. Pre-Show Rituals, Live Mishaps, and the Thrills of Live Performance

(62:55 – 66:32)

• Jenna, Spade, and Carvey swap stories of stage mishaps, pre-show superstitions, and the exhilaration of connecting with a live audience.
• Jenna recounts improvising onstage when another actor missed his entrance—“The playwright said people thought I wrote those lines; that was just terrible improvisation!”
• On the difference between theater and TV: the audience is your partner and every show is unique.

14. Landing the Role of Pam: “Dare to Bore Me”

(67:06 – 69:21)

• Casting director Allison Jones’ unusual advice for the audition: “Dare to bore me”—to which Jenna attributes her success. She played Pam’s honesty and restraint instead of flashy humor.
• Quote (Jenna, 67:14): "Don't come in looking hot. Don't come in all done up...my advice is, dare to bore me."
• Jenna reveals her minimalist audition—“Do you like being a receptionist?” Pause. "No."—won her the role.

15. The Healing Power of Comedy: How The Office Got Jenna Through Hard Times

(69:43 – 70:41)

• Jenna shares how Larry Sanders Show was her own comfort watch after a serious injury, and how meaningful it is now to know The Office is that for others.
• David Spade ties it back to Ricky Gervais’s Larry Sanders connection, creating a showbiz full-circle moment.

16. SNL Dream Fulfilled: Nerves and Nostalgia

(72:19 – 73:25)

• Jenna describes being a "groupie nerd" guest on SNL for Steve Carell’s monologue and the awe of seeing Lorne Michaels at work.
• Her proudest small-talk moment: 30 minutes discussing prepping for the apocalypse with Lorne at the after-party.

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Jenna on the importance of creative fulfillment:
  "You just kind of realize that life is short and that things can change at any moment." (06:09)

• On Angela & Jenna’s friendship:
  "I could not have done the podcast without her...My version would be very informative, but way less entertaining. Angela brings all the funny, quirky, weird observations." (23:26)

• Molly Shannon’s advice:
  "Don't give up. Whatever you do, don't give up. It took me 10 years to get on Saturday Night Live..." (27:49)

• Jenna on awards and self-doubt:
  "Some of the award nominations stopped after season three so I think maybe we got in our heads and thought, oh, I guess we're not creating as great." (35:19)

• On growing as an actor:
  "There's a type of selfishness and self involvement that is necessary for being an artist...But that lane is not compatible with the kind of parent I want to be." (57:10)

• Jenna on The Office's enduring appeal:
  "It's just amazing. Amazing thing to have been a part of. I still can't believe it. And just what it means to people, too. Like, that's so cool..." (69:43)

---

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Topic | Timestamp | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------- | | Discussion of Jenna's theater schedule and Office Ladies team | 02:32-08:09 | | Setting up Jenna's Fly on the Wall interview | 08:09-10:00 | | Car stories: Humble beginnings & Hollywood purchases | 15:22-20:45 | | Angela/Jenna partnership; podcast chemistry | 22:54-24:37 | | Meeting Molly Shannon: "Don't give up" | 25:27-29:53 | | Blades of Glory, Will Ferrell, SNL anecdotes | 31:17-32:31 | | Rewatching The Office: Surprises & insights | 33:09-38:56 | | Improvisation & filming technique on The Office | 37:20-38:56 | | Jim & Pam, John Krasinski's directorial rise | 47:22-48:29 | | Early jobs, psychic readings, life paths | 48:48-51:35 | | Ashland Avenue: Theater passion | 52:01-56:10 | | Work-life balance, parenting, family structure | 57:10-61:44 | | Play rituals, stage mishaps, live theater stories | 62:55-66:32 | | Auditioning for Pam: "Dare to Bore Me" | 67:06-69:21 | | Comedy as comfort, connecting with fans | 69:43-70:41 | | SNL backstage, meeting Lorne Michaels | 72:19-73:25 |

---

Episode Tone & Takeaways

The episode is marked by warmth, humor, gratitude, and a candid exploration of both the glamorous and mundane sides of creative life. Jenna’s blend of heartfelt vulnerability and eager curiosity shines, while Spade and Carvey balance with comedic timing and seasoned industry wisdom. Angela’s admiration and friendship overflow throughout. The episode is a must-listen for Office fans, creatives, and anyone navigating the intersection of ambition, art, and everyday life.

Transcript

[Jenna Fischer]

Hello from my Airbnb. I am staying in an Airbnb while I'm in Chicago doing my play.

[Angela Kinsey]

That's right. You said it was great because your family was joining you for part of that time and you wanted a home.

[Jenna Fischer]

I did. Because we're going to be here for a little while. But you know, I have used Airbnb for shorter trips as well.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah. Are you ready for this?

[Jenna Fischer]

What?

[Angela Kinsey]

So one of my mom friends at the school, she went to Iceland with her kids and they got an Airbnb in Iceland. In Iceland.

[Jenna Fischer]

Wow.

[Angela Kinsey]

I was like, okay, you're gonna have to tell me which one that is. Cause that looked amazing.

[Jenna Fischer]

Some trips are better in an Airbnb if you're traveling with a big group of friends, maybe a larger extended family if you wanna get into a more local experience. I like it for this reason.

[Angela Kinsey]

And here's the thing also, if you've got a great space that you know people would love, you can Airbnb your home while you go and stay somewhere else.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes. And who knows, maybe I'll come stay in your place. Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how [e-mail] host.

[Angela Kinsey]

You know how it goes. Getting super into something that can lead to watching it, listening to it, reading about it, maybe even picking up something to go with it. That's where prime comes in.

[Jenna Fischer]

Amazon prime isn't just fast free delivery, though to be honest, that's a lifesaver. It's also prime video, Amazon music, and so much more.

[Angela Kinsey]

Whatever the interest, it's on Prime.

[Jenna Fischer]

Lately there's been a dive into new recipes, catching up on lifestyle documentaries, and building the perfect playlist to match. And prime has been part of it all.

[Angela Kinsey]

It's like a one stop shop for any passion, whether it's fashion, food, family, or discovering the next favorite show.

[Jenna Fischer]

So for anyone always exploring something new or rediscovering something meaningful, prime is right there.

[Angela Kinsey]

Whatever you're into, it's on Prime.

[Jenna Fischer]

From streaming to shopping, it's on Prime.

[Angela Kinsey]

Visit Amazon.comprime to get more out of whatever you're into.

[Jenna Fischer]

Amazon.comprime 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. Hello, everybody.

[Angela Kinsey]

Hey there.

[Jenna Fischer]

Okay, so by the time you Are listening to this. I will be in Chicago. Chicago. I will be in rehearsals for my play Ashland Avenue.

[Angela Kinsey]

Woo.

[Jenna Fischer]

Now, something we want you all to know is that we really did our best to record a bunch of Office Lady 6.0 episodes and second drinks ahead of time so there wouldn't be any kind of, like, big break in our schedule while I went to do this play.

[Angela Kinsey]

We truly did, you guys. We worked our butts off to make as many new episodes as we could. And here's the thing, Jenna. I feel like you need to explain your rehearsal schedule for this play because it's so intense and you were explaining it to me, and my first thought was, there's no way that you can be recording a podcast while you're in these rehearsals. Where are you going to do it from, the bathroom?

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah. I mean, okay, so we rehearse six days a week. It's Tuesdays through Sundays from 10am to.

[Angela Kinsey]

7Pm Are you loopy by the end?

[Jenna Fischer]

You are. Yes, you are. You only get one day off, which is Mondays. And that's true when you're in performances as well. You do eight shows a week, Mondays are off. And of course, you know, when we're not in the room rehearsing together, you're expected to be, like, memorizing your lines, going over your work from that day, coming up with new questions for the next day. There's also, like, press obligations to get the word out about the play, and, of course, being a mom, all those things. And, you know, at first I thought, well, I'll just. I can do it all. I'll just do it all.

[Angela Kinsey]

Because that's what we do. We all are like that, y'.

[Dana Carvey]

All.

[Angela Kinsey]

We're all like, we got this.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah. But when I physically was handed my schedule and I read it, I was like, oh, basically. Not to mince words.

[Angela Kinsey]

Well, you know, I remember what it was like when I was doing my Hallmark Christmas movie. It was all consuming. I mean, I. I had an hour drive, I got up real early, had an hour drive, got to the set, I was in every single scene. That's how you are in this play. You're in the whole thing. And then by the time I would get home, I would literally just roll right into bed.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah. I mean, the etiquette of doing a play is, like, if you aren't actively rehearsing, if you're not up there blocking, you sit and watch your other actors because you're all living and breathing the story of the play. So, yeah, I think there's like, one Scene that I'm not in, I have to sit there.

[Angela Kinsey]

You have to learn the whole world.

[Jenna Fischer]

That's part of the process. So, yes, lady, when I showed you my schedule, you were wonderful. You were like, lady, this is what.

[Angela Kinsey]

We do for each other.

[Jenna Fischer]

We have to have a talk.

[Angela Kinsey]

You guys move things around so I could go off to Vancouver and do that movie. This is what we do. And just another reason why I'm so thankful for this podcast and this office Lady's family we've built.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, you said. And I'm so grateful to you, you said, lady, you need to take this space. You need to press pause on some things and take this space. And I want to say a big thank you to you and to you, Cassie, for working so hard to plan ahead. And, Sam, thank you for all of our double recording weeks. Cassie and Sam, you've been doing all this extra editing. Oh, my goodness. Okay, here's the thing. And I'm gonna just get a little emotional, but you guys know that getting back on stage has been a bucket list item for me. And I kind of figured I would just wait until my kids were up and out of high school before I took that next big acting project, you know? But after everything I went through, you just kind of realize that life is short and that things can change at any moment.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

And while I am not worried about kicking the bucket, I saw the bucket, and it really put my life in focus. And when this opportunity came along, I thought, I want to do it now. So I'm very grateful to you guys, to our office, ladies, community, for helping me take the space to do this thing that I really needed to do for my soul. Yeah. Thank you.

[Angela Kinsey]

Of course. I mean, I think there's gonna be moments in our lives, especially in our work life together, where there are gonna be those moments.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

I know what this means to you. I know what it means to you. It gave me nothing but joy to make this space for you. I gave it so wholeheartedly. You did that for me? Look. Hallmark Christmas movie. I know some people will be like, oh, oh, it's a Hallmark movie. But I never got to be number one on a call sheet. I never got to have that, I don't know, sense of worth in that way to a huge project. And you saw that I needed that, and you made that space for me. But I would happily do it again. I would happily do it for Sam, for Cassie. Cassie, when you make the wnba, I will come to all your games. I will be the mascot. And Sam, I was Just talking to Josh about you, and he was saying how much he enjoys whenever you pop on the podcast and what a great voice you have, what a great presence you have. When Jen and I went and did the SHRM conference, we mentioned you. The audience applauded at the mention of your name. And anyway, we're a team effort here, and I'm thankful for it, and we're so happy we could do this for you.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, the reason that I just shared all of that today is that in order to help with this goal of giving me the space, today, we are going to run an interview that I did with David Spade and Dana Carvey for their podcast, Fly on the Wall and Lady. I love these guys.

[Angela Kinsey]

I love them, too. I follow their podcast, Instagram. I love it.

[Jenna Fischer]

I love their podcast. And I was so giddy that I got to do this interview. Angela, you were supposed to do it with me, but you booked the AT&T commercial.

[Angela Kinsey]

I know. And I was so bummed. They asked me my availability, and I only had one day where I said I had a conflict, and that was the day we filmed.

[Jenna Fischer]

I know.

[Angela Kinsey]

And so I missed Fly on the Wal. So excited for people to hear it. This is such a great interview, and it just sounded like you had such a great time.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, my gosh. Well, I've known David Spade casually for years. There was even this rumor for a little while that we had dated.

[David Spade]

Mm.

[Jenna Fischer]

But in fact, we had never met. And we finally did meet, and I was like, oh, hey, how are you, my boyfriend? And we laughed about this, and it was very, very funny.

[Angela Kinsey]

I was so wanting to ask him. There's a lore in my neighborhood, and I don't know if it's true.

[Jenna Fischer]

Okay.

[Angela Kinsey]

That David sp once purchased my house that I live in.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes.

[Angela Kinsey]

For his mother. And I don't know if it's true or not. That's not who I bought my house from. But one of my neighbors told me, oh, yeah, you know, David Spade bought your house one time years ago for his mom. I was so excited to ask him that. But, you know, next time.

[Jenna Fischer]

But you gotta go on. They're great. And, you know, I had never met Dana Carvey, but I just know how much Steve Carell loved him because Steve worked on the Dana Carvey show, and Steve would tell us stories about how amazing Dana was. And so one of the coolest things was, after this interview, Dana stayed on the Zoom with me for, like, 30 minutes.

[Angela Kinsey]

Get out.

[Jenna Fischer]

And we chatted, and I did not want it to end. It's like, A highlight of my life that I got to have this conversation with him. Yes. I mean, I'm a big Saturday Night Live nerd. I love all those guys.

[Angela Kinsey]

Me too.

[Jenna Fischer]

But listen, I really hope you enjoy the interview. We talk about all kinds of stuff. We talk about the Office and Saturday Night Live. And thank you all again.

[Angela Kinsey]

But wait, you have to tell everyone how to get tickets to your show.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, yes. Okay. You can go to goodmantheatre.org and the play is called Ashland Avenue. And previews start September 6th.

[Angela Kinsey]

I'm going.

[Jenna Fischer]

You sure are. Yay. Thank you.

[Angela Kinsey]

All right, here is Jenna on Fly on the Wall. This show is sponsored by Squarespace, and as you guys know, we use Squarespace to do our Office Ladies website.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes. And you know, we've been making some little Updates to the OfficeLadies.com website. We've had to add new links to our TikTok pages and our YouTube pages.

[Angela Kinsey]

That's right. We now have a dropdown just for our books, for the book Jenna and I wrote together, for Jenna's book that she wrote about acting, and for my cookbook.

[Jenna Fischer]

It's very exciting. And. And thanks to Squarespace, making all of these changes and updates has been super easy. Squarespace gives you everything you need. They have cutting edge design tools. I mean, honestly, if I can use it, you can use it.

[Angela Kinsey]

And Squarespace has domains. You know, they make it easy to find the best name for your business at one fair, all inclusive price, no hidden fees or add ons required.

[Jenna Fischer]

Check out squarespace.com officeladies for a free trial. And when you're ready to Launch, go to squarespace.com officeladies to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain.

[David Spade]

Risk is the podcast where people tell true stories they never thought they'd dare to share. Like our episode after all, where Ken Cole and Tom Belay share about the night their son had a psychotic break. And at that point, I didn't actually know I had been stabbed all over my arm. I was in shock. Find the Risk episode, after all, on the Free Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Angela Kinsey]

Good advice is one thing. Actually putting it into practice is another. But, you know, with Acorns, it's easy to make healthy money habits automatic.

[Jenna Fischer]

Listen, we can't be experts of everything, right? I mean, I like to think, lady, that we're pretty good at podcasting, but I can't also be, like an expert money manager. And Acorns makes it easy to start doing more with your money. In fact, you can Start automatically investing with just your spare change and you.

[Angela Kinsey]

Don'T need to be a finance whiz. Acorns puts your money into an expert built portfolio to make sure you're investing wisely, not wildly.

[Jenna Fischer]

Sign up now and Acorns will boost your new account with a $5 bonus investment.

[Angela Kinsey]

Join the over 14 million all time customers who have already saved and invested over $25 billion with Acorns.

[Jenna Fischer]

Head to acorns.com officeladies or download the Acorns app to get started.

[Angela Kinsey]

Paid non client endorsement compensation provides incentive to positively promote Acorns Tier 2 compensation provided investing involves risk. Acorn Advisors LLC and SEC registered investment advisor.

[Jenna Fischer]

View important [e-mail] OfficeLadies.

[David Spade]

David Jenna Fisher.

[Dana Carvey]

Jenna Fisher, the lovely Jenna Fisher, who's pretty universally liked out there. I mean, very sweet, very talented, very fun and charming, famous for the Office.

[David Spade]

She's done a lot of movies and a lot of other things, but she was Pam on the Office, the smash.

[Dana Carvey]

For all 98 seasons. Yeah, that show just kept grinding it out and I, yeah, there's a spin off now we talk about, we don't only talk about the Office. Of course we have, she does plays. She's doing a new one. We're talking about, she talks about, I asked about Nick Swartz and about Will Ferrell. She loves snl. And I hit her up after the interview and you know, I think she had what we had. She's always like, she's like, exactly. We say, did we ask the right questions? Was I interesting? Was I? And we, we always finish and going, I think we did that wrong. Whatever. But she's very sweet about it. She wanted to do a good job. She listens to the show. She has her own show, the Office Ladies.

[David Spade]

And she, she tells some really funny stories, interesting stories about her struggles before she got on the Office. And there's a whole arc of story involving Molly Shannon. And that's a very interesting story.

[Dana Carvey]

I like that story. Yeah.

[David Spade]

And sometimes when we finish the podcast, we keep our laptop open. So I ended up talking with her for a half hour afterwards. She's very easy.

[Dana Carvey]

Well, she's easy to chat.

[David Spade]

So anyway, I hope you enjoy this one.

[Dana Carvey]

Jenna Fisher.

[David Spade]

I was just asked by our producer and it's a profound question. When you're driving around a long drive, two hour drive, whatever, what's your, what's your entertainment? XM news, music, podcasting, or just rap phone calls to pay back. You have 10 seconds.

[Jenna Fischer]

Ooh, it's not music. I do not listen to music. My first car did not have a working radio, and I just got used to driving in silence. And it's my preference, but now I would say news podcasts or phone calls.

[David Spade]

So I love the idea that you literally could go, like, just the silence. Two hours, three hours, just.

[Dana Carvey]

Jesus.

[David Spade]

Silence.

[Dana Carvey]

Jesus.

[David Spade]

It's chasing you, by the way.

[Jenna Fischer]

I don't know. I drove from St. Louis, Missouri, all the way to California with no radio, just open windows in the trunk. My first car was really just. It just moved you from one place to another. There was no luxury involved in all. But. Yeah.

[Dana Carvey]

What year of car?

[Jenna Fischer]

I don't remember. I think it was like an 86. I mean, it had originally, when it was built, had these features. They just didn't work anymore.

[David Spade]

So you do the office all those years, and then you buy a used Buick from 1988. I mean, I'll talk to Correll if I have to. Or, no, I'm gonna call Grant. Okay, go ahead.

[Jenna Fischer]

No, no, no. So I had a Mazda 323 hatchback.

[David Spade]

Sweet.

[Jenna Fischer]

And that was the car I drove across the country.

[David Spade]

Okay.

[Jenna Fischer]

And then I upgraded to a Volkswagen Jetta, which was my favorite car maybe I've ever had. It was awesome. But then when I got my big office paycheck, I got a stupid car.

[David Spade]

Oh, okay.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

Rolls Royce, it was. I walked into a Mercedes dealership, and they had a little sedan. They only made, like, seven of these. And it had, like, the engine of a race car, but in, like, the body of, like, a C class Mercedes. So it was, like, cute and compact, but it. I was 100% an asshole driver, like, because I could cut around anyone I could. It was. Oh, it was great.

[David Spade]

Did you keep it?

[Jenna Fischer]

And I leased it, and I gave it up after the lease.

[Dana Carvey]

Lease.

[Jenna Fischer]

And I went more practical.

[David Spade]

We all have that story. You want me to go first, David, because it's similar to yours. Okay. Got a little money, some movie, whatever. Got extra money, went to a Mercedes dealership, bought a. Oh, my God. Convertible, little Mercedes coupe. Like, oh, wow, this is awesome. Drove it for three or four days and realized when I had the canopy up, I was looking through a plastic windshield in the back. So took it back, traded in for a SLE or a big. A 420 SLE. And then I started getting people paying attention to me. I lived in the Valley when I would go to, like, 711 or a gas station. So then I went to Honda. I just wanted a lo Fi car. That's my story.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, the problem with LA is That you get this awesome car, and then you can only go, like, 32 miles an hour in it because you're always stuck in traffic. So it's kind of like, after a few years, I was like, oh, the best I can do is, like, whip down the on ramp.

[David Spade]

Yeah. 300 horsepower, and you're just.

[Jenna Fischer]

And then that's exactly. Yeah.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah. When I moved out, I got something when I first paycheck, and I went, and I had no car, so I got a car. Dana knows this story. $6,000 Honda. I didn't go flashy. I only had six. And then I drove it to the Improv, and then I brought it out. I brought my buddy out to show him, and it was stolen.

[Jenna Fischer]

What? How long you had it for, like, a night. One day you went one place, and.

[David Spade]

Kevin Nealon drove a car eerily similar to that. I'm not saying he had anything to do with the robbery, but it was kind of weird. But my first car was a Volkswagen Bug. Are going to go to first car or first car when you got extra paycheck?

[Jenna Fischer]

Me?

[David Spade]

No, you are. We know your story.

[Jenna Fischer]

We know my story. Yeah.

[David Spade]

David, you got.

[Dana Carvey]

Oh, I. I had my fair share because I do like cars, but I. I. My neck gives me trouble. So every time I get a car I love, it just starts. It's just too painful. And like Jenna said, when you're starting and stopping all day, it's not like you live in the Midwest and you can floor it. And there's big parking lots. Like, when you go to Wendy's in Arizona, there's, like, 300 parking spots. And when you go here, there's one at Kmart, and you go, are we all sharing this? You can't believe when you get to la, how little there's. Some businesses have absolutely no parking, so I don't know what we're supposed to do. So that. That kind of threw me. And I realized they didn't need big, fancy cars. I could just tell people I had them. I didn't really need them.

[Jenna Fischer]

My first car was also a manual transmission.

[Dana Carvey]

Oh, boy.

[Jenna Fischer]

And my left foot would, like, truly ache at the end of, like, driving all day in la because you were constantly just going, like, in and out of third and fourth gear. There was, like, you never made it to fifth gear in this car.

[Dana Carvey]

God, no one has a stick anymore.

[Jenna Fischer]

No, it's a. You know, this was the cheapest car. Like, the manual transmission was the cheapest car. My dad's very practical. He was like, you'll get this car now teach you how to drive it.

[David Spade]

Firm, but it's all you need.

[Dana Carvey]

You don't need any frills.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah, Yeah.

[Dana Carvey]

I mean, St. Louis.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah. So do you. You've been to St. Louis, I bet.

[Dana Carvey]

I'm going to St. Louis to a show.

[Jenna Fischer]

Have you had pizza in St. Louis?

[David Spade]

Pizza in St. Louis? No, but I like it as a town. I like walking around. I like. The stadiums are really close in, you know?

[Dana Carvey]

Janet, do you know what Chesterfield is?

[Jenna Fischer]

Chesterfield is where I grew up.

[Dana Carvey]

Oh, is it really?

[Jenna Fischer]

Chesterfield is where my family lives now.

[Dana Carvey]

Uh.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, yeah. I actually grew up in, like, Manchester slash Chesterfield in an unincorporated area, but, yeah, Chesterfield for sure. Why?

[Dana Carvey]

Because that's where I'm going for my tour. And they said Ice was with Nikki Glazer this weekend, and she's from St. Louis, and she goes, why don't they put on your tour? St. Louis? No one says Chesterfield. And I go, oh, I don't know. I don't even know where I am.

[Jenna Fischer]

I mean, if you're from St. Louis, you know what Chesterfield is.

[Dana Carvey]

You'll know.

[Jenna Fischer]

Okay, good. It's not like. Yeah, it's not downtown. I mean, St. Louis is downtown. You're going to be in the burbs. You're in the suburbs.

[Dana Carvey]

That's fine with me. And I think it's a great place. I've been there before. I think it's new. Anyway, we'll set up comps for everyone you know from high school. Other than that.

[Jenna Fischer]

Great, Great.

[Dana Carvey]

You know what?

[Jenna Fischer]

You say my high school ladies are gonna come out for your show.

[Dana Carvey]

It's super fun. Dana and I had a question. First of all, I'll tell Dana a little pre question that you don't know.

[David Spade]

All right, let's try. When I keep our. Our guests off balance, like, with questions she's not asked all the time.

[Dana Carvey]

Oh, yeah. We're here to.

[David Spade]

We want to surprise you.

[Dana Carvey]

She's gonna come out here.

[Jenna Fischer]

I love it.

[Dana Carvey]

So great.

[Jenna Fischer]

Everyone loves that. In an interview.

[Dana Carvey]

I thought of doing this with Dana, and then I called Jenna. Right. Jenna, do you remember this?

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes, of course. Yes.

[Dana Carvey]

And you were very sweet. You took the call, and you kind of walked me through how it works and what you did, and it really gave me a little boost to say, this might be fun. And if it has to be a Dana, it has to be. That's fine, whatever. And so. And then Dana had a question of, do you really need a part?

[David Spade]

Has it ever gone through your mind? I could have done this by myself. And then the money doubles has that ever gone through your mind? Or maybe Angela, but that Dana and.

[Dana Carvey]

I think about that all day, every day.

[David Spade]

People always ask us forever, why? You know, why us? Why now? Are you really friends? Do you get that? I mean, you guys are famously, really close friends, but with Spade, and I was like, what, the Tommy boy guy and the Wayne's World guy?

[Dana Carvey]

I don't know. Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah. Well, I mean, also because Angela and I were frenemies on the Office, our characters were not friends. And people are always very surprised to learn that we are best friends friends in real life. I could not have done the podcast without her. I am all, like, structure and order and spreadsheets. My version of Office Lady's podcast would be very informative, but also way less entertaining. So Angela brings all of the, like, funny and all of the quirky and all of, like, the weird observations. So we're actually. We're a pretty good pair of.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah, I think that's smart that you did that, because there is kind of safety in numbers. Dana is way better at this, and I don't think I could do myself. I think Dana really, really drives it and makes it easier to do it for me. But jokingly, it's fun to joke around with him too, because he's funny guy, obviously, and we have a good time with that. And I think you guys have a real friendship, so people like to hear that you're friends, even though it doesn't seem like it on the show.

[Jenna Fischer]

You guys, I love your podcast. Like, you have no idea how excited I am to be on your podcast right now. I listen to you guys. I think you are so good together. Dana, I can't believe you're talking to me right now. That's kind of blowing my mind. I'm a huge Saturday Night Live nerd. The greatest part about being on the Office and being on NBC was that I got to breathe the same air as Seth. Saturday Night Live, people, this is like, that we would have to be at the same corporate parties together. And I was a total groupie. That is who I gravitated toward. It was just the coolest. But that's going way back. I actually have a crazy story from my very early days in la.

[David Spade]

Let's hear it.

[Jenna Fischer]

And Saturday Night Live. Okay, so I made my living when I landed in LA as a typist and a transcriber. And you know how you'd have to go to those events? They're called, like, the Television Critics association. And you would sit on a panel as a cast, and you would introduce new cast members. This would be for any show. Well, my job was to go and sit in that room and take notes and then go back to a hotel room, a hot hotel room filled with like 12 people and 12 computers, and then listen to audio and transcribe these, like, press events.

[Dana Carvey]

Wow. These conversations. Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes. And if we got our work done on time, by that evening, we were allowed to go to the quote unquote parties, which, as you know, are really just cast members of TV shows mingling with reporters who are trying to get sound bites. But we would get to go. We'd get to eat the food, drink the drinks, and just watch all the famous people. Well, all I wanted more than anything was to go to the Saturday Night Live party. I wanted it more than my little new heart in LA could stand it. And so I knew what night it was coming up, and I started planting the seed. The day before. I started pretending like I didn't feel good because I was gonna make an excuse that I was sick so that I could get off work on time and then sneak into this party. But I needed the hours, you know, So I planted that seed. The next day. I was like, man, I'm still not feeling good at 3 o'. Clock. I'm like, I'm so sorry. I gotta go. I gotta go home. The guy was like, fine. I had planted a change of clothes in my car. I went, I changed into a cocktail dress. I sneak into the party and I can't even tell you. It was amazing. Norm MacDonald, I'm looking at him in the flesh. I can't. My mind is blown. Then I see Molly Shannon and I think, I'm gonna do it. I'm gonna go say hi to Molly Shannon. And I walk up to her, she's giving sound bites to the press, and I say, molly Shannon, I am a new actress in la and I just admire you so much, and I just wanted to tell you just what you mean to me. You know, the stuff you say.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah, sure.

[Jenna Fischer]

She looked at me, took me by the shoulders, looked me deep in the eyes and said, don't give up. Whatever you do, don't give up. It took me 10 years to get on Saturday Night Live. And my best advice to you is just know it'll happen eventually if you just stick with it.

[David Spade]

Okay, you guys, Sounds like the Molly we know.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah, I was about to say, right, amazing.

[Jenna Fischer]

And I went and I. Like, I had this encounter with her, and then I turn around and my boss from the transcription room is standing there along with Everybody else who got off work on time and they came to this party, and I was like, am I fired? And he goes, you are fired.

[David Spade]

I was like, okay.

[Dana Carvey]

What?

[Jenna Fischer]

He fired me. But it was fine, guys, because I met Molly Shannon and she gave me that advice. And I went home and I told my mom. And every time I had a hard day for the next 10 years, my mom would say to me, jenna, don't you forget what Molly Shannon told you. She said, don't give up. She said, it took you. It took her 10 years. You guys wait for it. 10 years later, I'm at the premiere of Walk Hard, the movie Walk Hard that I did with John C. Reilly.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah, right.

[Jenna Fischer]

I shit you not. Guess who's at that party?

[David Spade]

Molly Shannon.

[Jenna Fischer]

Molly Shannon, your boss. And I got to go up to her and I got to say, molly Shannon, here's this story you told me 10 years. And she was like. And look, it's 10 years later, and here you are, and I got a picture with her. I made the photographer come over and, like, take a picture of us. Is that the greatest thing ever?

[David Spade]

Does Molly know as she heard this story or did you just.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes, I told her that night at the Walk Hard premiere.

[David Spade]

Wow.

[Dana Carvey]

Unbelievable.

[David Spade]

But now.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes. And I wrote about. I wrote a book, and I wrote that story in the book. And I have the picture in the book, too. Mm.

[David Spade]

Well, when I met David, he was 19. I said, you hang with it and in six months. Don't give up. Because in six months. No, David was out of the blocks fast. If it was a sprinter. He was like, boom.

[Dana Carvey]

Dana said, you're gonna move to la, and in six months you'll get crabs. And I go, okay.

[David Spade]

Police Academy. Hello. He got a movie at. Well, he's had a. I got a movie early on.

[Dana Carvey]

That's the Police Guy movie that I made. I had $6,000 to buy the car that got stolen. So I was back to zero.

[David Spade]

Wow.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah.

[Dana Carvey]

Great story. You still type 85 words per minute. That's nothing to sneeze at.

[Jenna Fischer]

I do.

[Dana Carvey]

I do 90. Accuracy.

[Jenna Fischer]

It's all in the accuracy. Anyone can type. Garbage.

[Dana Carvey]

You're 90, right?

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah. I mean, right? You want to type words. Anyone can just type.

[David Spade]

My father was teaching a typing teacher, my father, for decades.

[Jenna Fischer]

Can you type? Can you guys type with all your fingers or are you like two finger typers?

[Dana Carvey]

I can't do anything.

[David Spade]

If you see a non taught young person, like in their 20s, they. They're really fast. And I don't know if it's technically all using all their fingers. You know, we picked it up later, but I. I'm fast, but I don't.

[Dana Carvey]

Jenna, I have a good question that ties into sounding live. What is it you did? Blaze of glory. You wound up getting to have sex with Will Ferrell, right?

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes, that's right. I had a sex with Will. Oh, my gosh.

[Dana Carvey]

That's one of the best all time goats of snl for sure.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah, that was nuts. But also, by the way, Amy Poehler was in that movie.

[Dana Carvey]

Oh, that's right, Amy.

[Jenna Fischer]

So just playing my sister.

[Dana Carvey]

Wowee.

[Jenna Fischer]

And Will Arnett was in that movie. Yeah. I mean, that was. That was terrifying. That was terrifying. And Will was so polite when we shot that scene. Cause he had to like, grab my boobs, like several times. But what was crazy about it was I probably had on more clothes in that scene where I look like I'm just in like a nightie than I normally wear. Like they. Cause they put you in like spanx and then a corset and then a thing. And they painted my body with makeup. I mean, I felt like so covered. It was crazy.

[Dana Carvey]

He has a go and grab your boobs through your stuff. But it's like that kind of thing. You can't even feel it because you've got 18 layers of.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah, it's like I was wearing body armor, so I was kind of like, maybe like, wink when you grab them because I can feel nothing.

[David Spade]

This was pre dates, intimacy coordinators. There was no one there.

[Jenna Fischer]

There was no. There was just.

[David Spade]

Okay.

[Jenna Fischer]

It was just like, just a director.

[David Spade]

Going, let's do this.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes, exactly.

[Dana Carvey]

Was swartzing in that. You know, Nick Schwartz in that Little Fool.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes, yes, he was.

[Dana Carvey]

Oh, my God. We were friends with Nick. And you know, it's a real roller coaster, Jenna.

[Jenna Fischer]

I'll tell you it is. I found him lovely on the film, but what do I know?

[Dana Carvey]

No, he's great. He's so funny. All pass. We haven't even gotten to the goddamn Office.

[David Spade]

About the Office.

[Jenna Fischer]

What is it?

[David Spade]

The question is, is for you and your partner re watching all these episodes and talking about them.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah.

[David Spade]

What. How is your perception, if it at all changed about the show or what did you learn about the show or. Or if anything, because it is now officially a phenomenon in the way it travels around and then explodes again. It's evergreen and it's a. It's a unique show. And yesterday I was watching the Office with Ricky Gervais. Very different. I mean, it. You know, you say it came from that office, but it Went it. It has its own complete original thing. Greg Daniels, one of the great writers. So what did you guys. What, what do you feel about that thing? After doing hundreds of podcasts? Did you, did you go through every episode at some point?

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah, every single episode. All 201 episodes. And then a lot of interviews with cast and crew.

[Dana Carvey]

Writers.

[Jenna Fischer]

Writers, exactly. My biggest takeaway from having rewatched it was that it's really good the whole time because I think there was this lore, especially among the cast and the creatives, that maybe we hit our peak in season three or season four. And also this belief that like the two seasons after Steve left, we were just treading water and maybe they weren't as good. But when I watched everything, like some of my favorite episodes were in seasons eight and nine after Steve had left, like there were still these amazing storylines. And also, I have to say now when I look back, some of my favorite episodes were also in seasons four through six. Like Dinner Party was season four. Michael Scott, Paper Company. That whole arc was in season five. And that's just great tv. But yeah, I think, you know, some of the award nominations stopped after season three. So I think maybe we got in our heads and thought, oh, I guess we're not creating as great.

[Dana Carvey]

I think that just happens no matter what.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah, you're not the new shiny object anymore.

[Dana Carvey]

Exactly. And they kind of slow down.

[David Spade]

I mean, when you're watching yourself and you're watching the thing and then you come on and stuff and it's something you did years ago. Do you ever. Sometimes, because you sound like you're a normal actor comedian, that's sort of like a little self critical. How was I? Do you ever kind of look at yourself in a scene and go, damn, I nailed that. Why did I feel insecure or. Or what's that like?

[Jenna Fischer]

I mean, I have both reactions. Sometimes I watch it and I'm like, I'll never do work that good again. Shit, that was great. But then there's other scenes where I just cringe where I'm like, oh, God, I remember how I struggled with that and I couldn't do it. And now here it is for everyone to see and I guess I just have to move on. So I've had both reactions and I.

[David Spade]

Don'T know the complete specifics of this, but first of all, it was always an ensemble. How great Carell is in that part is, you know, everybody knows that, but it always was an ensemble. And so many people came out of it now have these long careers, but it's I forgot my train of thought. Sorry.

[Dana Carvey]

Do you ever have something, Jenna, when you can watch it and say, I was in the pocket? Because sometimes you watch it and you go. You're just in. In the pocket of going, this is a great scene. This whole idea of this episode's working. And they whip the camera back, get a great look, whip back to you, perfect timing, get a great look. And when you see it, you go. Because you know you can only feel the camera when you're shooting, and you don't really know. And then you go, God, they nailed that. Boom. Boom. Edited. Well, everything about this is just. That's why people really get enchanted by. I mean. And also just your face is so part of the office, and it's so cute. And they always cut to you and you. And you have these little storylines. It's really. I see why people get hooked on it. No matter when you turn it on, you can just grab any episode.

[David Spade]

I remember what I forgot, which is, was how much, if any improvisation was there, because it comes off very improvisational in totem. But I know there wasn't completely improvised. I know that's pretty cool word, right? So were you allowed to kind of go, you guys, could I try this? You know, do you mind if I do? You know, that kind of stuff?

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah, it was really collaborative. And, you know, so many of the writers were also actors on the show, so they were with us, and they would be sometimes pitching alternate jokes right there on the stage.

[Dana Carvey]

That's kind of fun. Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

So that was neat. And we did a lot of improvising, but I don't know how much of it actually made the cut. We got to play and have fun. But I would say, like, 90% of what you see on the screen was written on the page down to, like, they would write in ellipses for our speech. Like, so you knew to kind of pause because they knew they were gonna whip the camera during that pause and so they could get back to you. So there was a very elaborate choreography of whipping the camera a little too late so that it seemed. And you'd have to give handles. Yeah.

[David Spade]

So it seemed like they didn't quite do it right. Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes, exactly. And so a lot of times when we would do a rehearsal, they would say, jenna, will you give a handle before your next line so we have time for that camera whip? So that would be. We would add things like, well, they'd find you. So that they could find you, like, in the right timing, but so great.

[Dana Carvey]

But it also seems very real.

[David Spade]

A lot of the nonverbal acting and those cutaways to a character that isn't saying a line but just sort of non verbally doing some kind of attitude and stuff, it was immediately just felt so new. I'm not going to say fresh. David would use that word a lot. But immediately, I think for comedians as well, watching it going, this looks cool, this looks fun. This looks different and really funny. It doesn't push at all, you know, it's the angle.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, we had two camera operators with cameras on their shoulders and both of these guys were from Survivor. So these guys had like walked through the whatever, the wilderness with the Survivor people capturing Survivor. So this is where they came from in the documentary world. And camera A. Randall Einhorn, who was also our cinematographer, who went on to be a director and is now, you know, the executive producer of Abbott elementary and all those things. Randall was our A camera and his job was to get all of the dialogue. And then Matt Sohn, he was our B camera and then his job was to get all of those things you're talking about, Dana. All of the acting that was happening in the background. So whenever a scene was happening, we were all in the background of each other's scenes all day long on set, the full 12 hours, Steve Carell included. I can't tell you how many times Steve Carell had to sit in Michael Scott's office just to be in the background of Jim and Pam looking at each other. Yeah. Cause we're gonna see a piece. We're gonna see a. Is like something we could put on a mug. That'd be. Actually be a great cast gift. Yeah. And so he would grab and push in on all of the, you know, anyone who was in the background of a scene and get their reactions in real time. It was such a cool way to work.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah. And you have to stay alive, though. You do every scene, but it keeps.

[Jenna Fischer]

Your energy up, you know, because that's the hardest thing for me about acting in movies is like the long amounts of downtime between when you're actually acting. It just like, oh, God, I gotta ramp up again.

[David Spade]

Yeah. And it's just I. You know, I don't know if this is the correct way to say it, but if you feel like if you're discovering something new in the moment, it's really nice. It does keep your brain alive. And in traditional movies, what I was doing, you know, you do the three masters at 7 or 8am or whatever and then by 5 or 6 o' clock you start and, well, don't you in the Master 8 hours ago, your left elbow was up and you opened the car door. At this point, it's the antithesis of what you guys had. At least the way it felt, it popped.

[Jenna Fischer]

It felt real, you know, for sure. And we did not have marks, you know, those. The. For people out there. Like, you put tape on the ground and then you have to stand on it because that's how you're going to be in focus. But we had no marks. And if the boom dipped in shot, we just kept it in because, you know, it worked in the world. And when I finished, when I, you know, going back to Blades of Glory. Blades of Glory was the first big movie I did after being cast on the Office. And I repeatedly kept looking down the barrel of the camera. Like I would do a scene with Will and Amy and then I would, like give a look to camera. I'd be like, fuck, I can't do that. And also, I suddenly had to hit a mark. And I was. I was so stiff. It was really stressful. Cause I'd been in this other world.

[Dana Carvey]

You can watch when people on movies sometimes. Have you ever watched someone looks down when they walk in, look for their mark and they look up?

[Jenna Fischer]

I love it.

[Dana Carvey]

So horrifying. I want to say also, I was gonna say the show is fresh, but it's funny that the term fresh is stale.

[David Spade]

But also, I'm gonna bring it back. This was fresh. And the new one called the Paper. Yeah, Peacock. Have you seen that? Do you know much about it?

[Jenna Fischer]

Okay, I haven't seen it, but I got to go to the set. Angela and I got special access to the set and got to talk to all the actors. We got to see it. It's really cool. But we're not allowed to see anything. Oh, yeah, I think it's in the can. Like they finished it. It comes out in September.

[David Spade]

Oh, interesting.

[Dana Carvey]

September on where?

[Jenna Fischer]

Peak?

[David Spade]

I don't know.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, Peacock. Right, Peacock.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, my gosh. What if you just realized your business needed to hire someone yesterday? What are you going to do? How can you find amazing candidates fast? Easy. We got the answer for you.

[Jenna Fischer]

Just use Indeed.

[Angela Kinsey]

When it comes to hiring, Indeed is all you need. You don't need to struggle to keep your job. Post seen on other job sites. Indeed. Sponsored jobs help you stand out and hire fast.

[Jenna Fischer]

I mean, here's the thing. If you have a job opening, who's doing the work while you're looking for the new person?

[Angela Kinsey]

That's right.

[Jenna Fischer]

Maybe you.

[Angela Kinsey]

Maybe you. You don't need Another thing on your plate. You need help hiring the person to help you take care of that extra workload.

[Jenna Fischer]

Outsource to Indeed. In the minute we've been Talking to you, 23 hires were made on Indeed. There's no need to wait any longer. So speed up your hiring right now.

[Angela Kinsey]

With Indeed and listeners of this show will get a $75 sponsored job credit. To get your jobs more visibility@ Indeed.com officeladies just go to Indeed.com officeladies right now and support our show by saying you heard about Indeed on this podcast.

[Jenna Fischer]

Indeed.com officeladies Terms and conditions apply.

[Angela Kinsey]

Hiring Indeed is all you need. We're going to talk to you a little bit about Instacart.

[Jenna Fischer]

I'm very passionate about Instacart, so buckle in.

[Angela Kinsey]

I would say almost every single time Jenna leaves me a message after a trip, we always let each other know if we landed, if we made it safe. Yep, Jenna's like, lady, I landed and I'm just doing my Instacart so that when I get home, my groceries are gonna be there so I don't come home to a house with no food. And we've had a long travel day. And so you'll talk to me while you're doing your Instacart.

[Jenna Fischer]

This was one of my favorite discoveries because when you travel and then you, like, are coming home, sometimes you get home really late, especially if there's been a travel delay. And that can be very stressful because you're thinking, I have no milk for tomorrow, right? Well, with Instacart, you can get everything you need. And then I get home groceries. Yay. We go to bed, wake up the next morning, fridge is full. Instacart brings convenience, quality, and ease right to your door so you can focus on what matters most. Download the Instacart app and use code officeladies20 to get $20 off your first order of $80 or more.

[Angela Kinsey]

That's code officeladies20 to get twenty dollars off your first order of eighty dollars or more. Offer valid for a limited time. Excludes restaurants. Additional terms apply.

[Jenna Fischer]

Summer break is always a really fun time. You get that break from school. But during that time off school, a lot of kids can lose reading proficiency and they can struggle with their mental well being too. And that is why Macy's is partnering with Reading Is Fundamental and NAMI in their mission to keep kids reading over the summer and to help young adults find the mental health resources they need.

[Angela Kinsey]

Macy's believes it's crucial to support nonprofits dedicated to helping kids prepare for their best school year ever. And that is something I really like. When you shop at Macy's, you can donate at checkout, in store or online. It's super easy right now. Your donations will go to Reading is fundamental and NAMI through September 14th.

[Jenna Fischer]

Head to Macy's.compurpose from July 1st through September 14th to shop and donate to RIF and NAMI through in store Roundup or online donation to support reading proficiency and the mental health of kids and youth.

[David Spade]

So with John Krasinski, like the Jim and Pam narrative became such a big thing. I talked to some people in The Earth, early 20s today, told him I was going to interview you. And on the office they go, I go, she was Pam. Oh, Pam. You know, this is like a famous character. And Jim and Pam. I'm just kind of curious because John Krasinski, I find it really, really interesting how he came up with that horror film the Quiet. What was it? The Quiet.

[Jenna Fischer]

A quiet place.

[David Spade]

Quiet place. And it's interesting when actors just all of a sudden you see them like, wow, this guy can really direct. And did you see any seeds of that in him intellectually or just the way he was around? Was that a surprise to you when he came out directing it?

[Jenna Fischer]

It was a surprise to none of us.

[David Spade]

I didn't think so.

[Angela Kinsey]

John.

[Jenna Fischer]

I would always say to John, I think you're gonna be like our Tom Hanks. Like, remember how Tom Hanks did Bosom Buddies? And he was like a very famous, successful TV show. But like, when you think of Tom Hanks, you don't think of Bosom Buddies. You think of everything else Tom Hanks has done. And I was like, I think the office is going to be your bosom buddies. Like, you're going places. It's very clear.

[David Spade]

And did he look down at his, at the ground and go, oh, shucks, Jenna. Or how did he did.

[Jenna Fischer]

He's very, yes, he's very humble in that way. You know, like, that would be. If I say that to him, that's very embarrassing to him. You know, like he doesn't want to be like fussed over like that. But I was like, no, it's true.

[David Spade]

Mr. Well, it's a herculan task to direct a movie. I mean, just physically and mentally.

[Dana Carvey]

But Dana fusses over me all the time.

[David Spade]

Fusses?

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah, you fuss over me. I want to hear more about you being a telephone psychic when you got. Yeah, she worked as a car wash.

[Jenna Fischer]

I did work at a car for three summers and that was my best job. I worked at Long John Silver's. That was my first job. I worked at an ice creamery serving ice cream. And then I got the job at the car wash. All of those were on this road called Manchester Road in St. Louis out in the suburbs. And I got fired from Long John Silver's, I got fired from the ice creamery. And my dad would say, oh, you're just looking to get fired from every business on Manchester Road? I guess. But the car wash stuck and that was great. There was great money. I was outside just drying off the cars.

[David Spade]

You know, how big are tips in that world? Cause I try to tip well, but.

[Jenna Fischer]

Okay, this is like gorgeous, Jenna. Yeah, like back then. Well, and by the way, they would always make me give the gentlemen back their cars. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You gotta stand at the car and wave.

[David Spade]

Yeah, oh yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

You know, in your little shorts and your little cut off shirt and like, your car's ready. I'm sorry, I'm not, you know, not to brag, but I would get a five. Sometimes I get five bucks.

[David Spade]

Fiverr.

[Jenna Fischer]

But then I had to put it in like the group bucket.

[Dana Carvey]

Oh no. Pooling tips.

[Jenna Fischer]

Pooling tips, yeah.

[David Spade]

You're in your.

[Jenna Fischer]

I mean, a few of them made it into my pocket, I'm not gonna lie.

[Dana Carvey]

Now what percentage of you is really a psychic, do you think? Some of you, I would say zero percent.

[David Spade]

But do you believe in psych? The potentiality of psychics at all? Or do you think it's all just.

[Jenna Fischer]

They creep me out. Like I don't want a psychic to tell me what's going to happen to me. I like to believe I have free will, you know, I don't want to have that. That just will give me nightmares. I saw one psychic one time and it still haunts me.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah, it will change what you'll do. The second they tell you something, you'll make a different decision. That's what I feel like. You will do this and this. They go, okay. They'll say, oh, random example, you'll get married within the next 10 years. So you meet someone and maybe you give them a different chance than you would before. You're like, I think this is the guy I'm going to marry.

[Jenna Fischer]

You know, that's exactly right.

[Dana Carvey]

It's weird. You change. Every little thing changes a little bit. So you can't really get the same outcome.

[David Spade]

It feels.

[Jenna Fischer]

I went to a psychic in college and my big question for her was, am I going to marry this guy I have a crush on? I was obsessed with him. Am I gonna marry him. I can marry him. She said, no, you're not. You're not gonna marry him. She said, but you're gonna be famous one day. I said, I am. I wanna be an actress. I'm gonna be famous. She said, you're not gonna be famous for acting. You're gonna be famous in the world of religion.

[David Spade]

Hmm.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah. She said I was gonna be a famous religious leader.

[Dana Carvey]

She had it with acting. She should have said it'.

[David Spade]

But office ladies is a religious experience. This was from the St. Louis dispatcher. No, I made that.

[Dana Carvey]

Dispatch. Dispatcher.

[David Spade]

If you want to have fun, you have a play.

[Dana Carvey]

By the way, you've done plays. It looks like from your prep here, you've done plays, but you have another one coming up. Ashland Avenue.

[Jenna Fischer]

Ashland Avenue. World premiere at the Goodman Theater in Chicago. Yeah, I'm heading out there in August for rehearsals, and then the play opens in September.

[Dana Carvey]

Tickets go on sale in June on 27th. Now doing a play. Dan and I were just talking about this before you came on. Doing a play, is it more exciting, or is it just something? I couldn't even imagine you wrapping my head around the full script that you have to memorize. Does that take days, weeks, or are you good at that?

[Jenna Fischer]

It takes weeks. I think I'm okay at it. Plays are my favorite thing. I was a theater major. There's no money in doing theater, but it's where my heart is. And what I love is that you get to tell the whole story and go on the character's complete journey every night. You don't have to prepare it, and then you shoot it out of order. And I also just love that it lives and breathes with the audience. And each play can only be seen one day. Like, each performance is slightly different and you have it. And then just like, only the people who were there got to see just Is, like, really magical to me. And I love it. It's all I want to do moving forward. I want to just be a theater actress.

[David Spade]

It's interesting. I've gotten more into plays the last 10 years, just in London. I'm not an intellectual in New York and stuff. And it's interesting. The curtain call, and then they stand and there's a standing ovation. And then you can tell by their body language how they felt, especially when they're walking off. Like, sometimes they're slumping. And sometimes you see someone literally twirl around, almost like, we. Or high five.

[Dana Carvey]

We nailed it.

[David Spade]

Know that you saw one that had that chemistry. Like you said, they're not always at that level. That's why you have.

[Dana Carvey]

Right. They're like fingerprints. Dana, you. I think you'll agree, Stand up is. You know, I go on the road, going mostly to places Jenna lived, but when I go on the road, you do a show and everyone goes, oh, I saw your show. I saw your show. But you remember that city? And you go, oh, that one went pretty well, even though it's just microscopically different.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah.

[Dana Carvey]

But, you know, sometimes you get off and you go, I could not get it going perfectly. And some nights you're like, from the second I went out, it was perfect. I set everything right. I had the right attitude. And so plays are like that, where whoever comes is going to see that night's experience, and it will be a hair.

[David Spade]

The audience is the partner in many ways. Is it. Is it a drama they steer, or is it a pure drama or.

[Jenna Fischer]

It is a. It is a comedy, but it will also break your heart into a million pieces. So what it's about is it's about a guy who owns an old, like, TV shop in Chicago on Ashland Avenue. And he's a guy who used to have a dozen TV shops in Chicago, but, you know, mom and pop shops have gone away for the big box places. And so. And so he's being honored by the city of Chicago for being a small business owner. I play his daughter. And basically it's a play about this man dealing with being in his 70s. And basically life is kind of telling him, we don't. We don't really need what you have to offer anymore. He's like, dealing with his own relevancy. Like, the thing that he's good at is owning this TV shop and selling people TVs. But it's like, well, you know what? We don't need that anymore. And so what do you do with that when the world is kind of done with your skill? So it's kind of heartbreaking, but it's also a comedy. And then as his daughter, who has grown up just being in this TV shop as well, and it looks like it's going away, I have to decide, well, I'm kind of getting a chance here to do something else with my life and strike out on my own. And what does that mean to me?

[David Spade]

Do you feel like they. The audience is obviously, they're familiar who you are from the office, and then they want to come see you. And so how different is this character compared to Pam?

[Jenna Fischer]

This character is different from Pam for sure. And that's something like, you know, that's my whole career since Pam is that most people just want to see more Pam. It doesn't totally bother me, but I think I'm going to be. I think you'll be able to go on this journey even, you know, I think it'll be okay.

[David Spade]

I would say, you know, because I'm doing stand up. They do want to see characters that I did on SNL and I just totally. I, of course I'll do them. They're my hits. The only thing worse than not than having hits or a hit show is not having a hit show. So there it is.

[Jenna Fischer]

That's right.

[David Spade]

Yeah. So it's a good problem to have. And I think that from reading your prep, guest prep, you know, you've just done a lot of stuff since the Office. So it certainly was a starting point for you. Do you still just love it? Do you just love performing like you said?

[Jenna Fischer]

I do, I do, I do. I think I'm a mom now. I have two kids. And one of the things that was really hard though was just the amount of focus and frankly, self involvement that is necessary to be an actor or a performance artist. But it's true, you don't want to go all the way into narcissism because that's a real bummer. But there is a. There is a type of selfishness and self involvement that is necessary for being an artist because that's how you create. That's how you get in the space to create. But that lane is not compatible with the kind of parent I want to be. I want to be a kid focused, kid centered type of parent. And so I have changed the things I've said yes to or the things I do acting wise since I had kids mostly so that they were kind of like more softballs, you know, like things I could do without getting too dark or self involved or selfish. Things that I could completely leave at work. I wasn't bringing anything home with me that was gonna like bleed into their lives.

[David Spade]

Oldest time, oldest show business, all those kind of conflicts. And one thing that occurred to me recently, why sort of emotional or personal? Like I have a lot of good friends who maybe real estate agents or different type of jobs, but we are our product, our physicality, our voice, who we are. And so it's a personal thing. You're out there doing the play and if you're, if it's not going well, you didn't feel had enough time to prep. It's just personal. So I think it is really common and difficult to balance the emotion with the family versus just how personal it is as a performer and artist.

[Dana Carvey]

It's like, like, and when kids come along, you're just now suddenly it's their world and you're, you can't even help it. It just goes away. You're like, now I'm lasered on this and I can't be like, I was.

[Jenna Fischer]

You know, that's exactly right.

[Dana Carvey]

It, that's like in part of your life where it changes.

[David Spade]

There are some people in show, I think Beyonce has her daughter touring with her who's like 12. There are some people just take. Do that kind of lifestyle.

[Dana Carvey]

But who's richer than me?

[David Spade]

That's different than giving your kids kind of a stable old fashioned lifestyle, you know?

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, I remember I talked to a family therapist like early on because I like therapy. And I was talking about wanting to have kids and trying to figure out how am I going to balance that with, you know, being an actor. And she said something that really stuck with me. She said, well, there's kind of two types of families. You can have parent centered homes or child centered homes. And she's like, and there's no, there's no judgment which one you want to pick. But in a parent centered home, if you have a career, your children will orbit around you and your career. And if you go to a movie, you bring them with you and you have tutors and they sort of like just go into your life. She's like, but in a child centered home, you know, you center it around the children. And if you need to go do a project, she was like, imagine like your family is flowing like a river. And rather than diverting the whole river to the movie, you choose just you take a little stream by yourself, you do the movie and then you rejoin the river later. But the goal is to keep the river doing its thing. And I really liked that. And I thought, yeah, I want to do that one.

[David Spade]

Could you, I don't know if you want to do it publicly, but could I get the number of that therapist or.

[Jenna Fischer]

She's great.

[Dana Carvey]

Solid bullet points.

[David Spade]

That's a pretty good little help us. What do you call that? An analogy, A metaphor. I know, it's one of those things.

[Jenna Fischer]

It was great. It was great. She also said like, you know something that's hard though is she said when you, she said when you pick the person you want to have kids with, she's like, you're going to want a person who agrees with you. Because there's nothing worse than one parent who wants a parent centered home. And another parent who wants a child parents, you know, a child centered home. And then she also said people who have grown up in parent centered homes have a very hard time creating kid centered homes because they're like, hey, wait a second, I'm the adult now it's my turn.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

So it's right. Right. Like you grew up, like, revolving around your parent, you. And then if you revolve around your kid, you're like, when was my shot? Yeah, I thought that was. It was just so much to chew on. Right?

[David Spade]

Yeah. Well, the 60s was so different, you know, I guess it was a parrot century. It was. You just were so much more independent. Like, I was walking to school at age 5, you know, and there were no helmets, you know, thing. And so it's become very child centric. You know, it used to be children should be seen but not heard. And now it's, adults should keep their mouth shut when we're watching, you know.

[Dana Carvey]

And Dana, you wear a helmet now, though, when you go to the mailbox. But that's his own choice.

[David Spade]

That's my. My own choice.

[Dana Carvey]

It's a fashion choice. Jenna. Two, one, two more things before. Before we let you go. But one, I thought when you do a play, I think of this. When I do stand up on the road. When you do a play, I think what would scare me is you have to feel good every day. Like you have to go there and prep yourself. It sounds stupid, but. But to stand, to sit, to go through, to be fully alert for those two hours, whatever, that's kind of a hard thing. Does it ever even cross your mind or you're always just kind of popped to it?

[Jenna Fischer]

No, I mean, I have a bunch of, like, rituals and superstitions that I do.

[Dana Carvey]

Oh, yeah, you do?

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah. Do you guys? I have, like, I have like, a vocal warmup. I have like a body warmup. I have a meal that I like to eat because I know that it's not going to make me feel too full or too hungry or sick or anything.

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah. You don't get stomach ache?

[Jenna Fischer]

No, I'm definitely not experimenting with any kind of new food.

[Dana Carvey]

Yep, yep.

[Jenna Fischer]

Do you have that?

[Dana Carvey]

Yeah. I mean, Dana and I were just talking last week, like, before we went on stage. I get an eyelash in my eye once in a while. It happened last week again, Dana. And anything can happen right before you walk out. You're like, I can't pee. I can't eat, I can't do anything. I have to feel good for the next hour straight. There can Be no distractions. And it's very weird because your life, you can always poke at your phone. You can look at this, you can. And go, restroom. And you go, this. And it plays even longer. And just to feel like you got a grumbly stomach or your back hurts or something, you're like, oh, can I do this? Do I call in somebody? You know? So weird.

[David Spade]

I had a shooting pain in my left leg, kind of inside my left leg, like. And so all of a sudden, my left leg was inoperable. I was playing in front of 2,000 people, and I was in a. And I'm like, okay, can't. Gotta go with this. You know, Incorporated into the act, you know, and then it worked itself out what I was interested in also. Besides, we all do that. I think it's great. You have the certain show day prep, but the gentleman who is playing your father. What is his name?

[Jenna Fischer]

Fran Guinan.

[David Spade]

So Larry David was just talking about when he does. Usually whatever he's doing. I don't know if he does stand up or whatever. It's just the fatigue goes away once you. There's the audience, you know, Know. And then I think in a play, you're holding on to him, he's holding on to you. And that connection can hopefully make the part of your brain going, how am I doing? How's it going? All that go away at times. Right. That's the electricity of it. If you get so involved in the scene with your partner that it feels exhilarating. Right. When you know you're connecting and the audience is with you, that's what you live for, right?

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah. I mean, that's the dope of the. The whole thing of live performance. I mean, that's the thing we're chasing. That's the high. You're chasing it.

[Dana Carvey]

Right.

[Jenna Fischer]

Every time.

[David Spade]

And even if your prep doesn't go as well as you want, or you ate too much, you still always have that possibility of that happening.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes, yes.

[Dana Carvey]

And also, if they get something wrong, the audience doesn't know this. They could misalign you cover form. There's little things that are like teamwork, things that are fun to do, that. That you get through the end. And someone's like, hey, you saved me. I spaced out. And the audience doesn't really know what's going on. But you guys, you forgot a prop. There's little things that keep it alive. But that's kind of the fun teamwork of it all. Like in a show also.

[Jenna Fischer]

That happened to me during a show. I did a Show Off Broadway. And me and this other actress were on stage, and we're only on stage for, like, four lines because we don't like each other. And we're waiting for the same guy. We like the same guy, and we're waiting for him to walk in and break the tension. And he didn't come on stage. He didn't come. He just missed his entrance. And we're. And so I started improvising, which then the playwright was like, oh, my God, I can't believe people thought I wrote those lines. That was just, like, terrible improvisation. I'm like, what were we supposed to do?

[David Spade]

We're just.

[Jenna Fischer]

Just sitting there. No one was coming on.

[Dana Carvey]

It's an art piece. If you sit in silence for 12 minutes, waiting while they find the guy at the deli next to him.

[David Spade]

I like it when someone has. Didn't silence their phone or is talking the phone. And then the actor in the Broadway show breaks character. He's in some kind of clown suit or dress as a bear. I will kill you. You know. You know, just that clown suit. It's live. Yeah.

[Dana Carvey]

Now, Jenna, my last thing for you is. I like that when you audition for the Office, Allison Jones, who's a casting director, we probably all three have run into along the way. The best said, dare to bore me. I think that's interesting.

[David Spade]

I read that.

[Dana Carvey]

I like that because, yeah, most people are trying to give you the biggest pizzazz of a lifetime in an audition.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, I had been auditioning for Allison for about five years before the Office. I got my first speaking role on a television show. It was Spin City, the Charlie Sheen Years. And I had three lines as a waitress, and then she would bring me in for other little things.

[Dana Carvey]

Sure.

[Jenna Fischer]

And finally, when it was time for her to cast the Office, I had a good enough relationship with her that I could say, hey, Alison, do you have any advice? I really want this one. And she said, yeah, my advice is, don't come in looking hot. Like, don't come in all done up. And by the way, usually the note was, okay, you're playing a pediatric nurse, but, like, hot. Or like, you're playing a school teacher, but, like, really hot. So, like, usually the note was, look.

[Dana Carvey]

Hot, mortician, but hot.

[Jenna Fischer]

But super hot. Like, she's really, really hot. And I'm like, okay. So she was like, don't come in, like, looking hot. Don't come in with a bunch of makeup Overdone. Yeah, we want real people. And then she said, we're gonna have you improvise during the audition. And my advice is, dare to bore me. Oh, I love that. And I was like, okay, great. So I went in and I read the scene, and then Greg Daniels said, okay, we're gonna improvise. I'm gonna just ask you some questions as if I'm a documentary filmmaker. And I had that note in my head, and he said, do you like being a receptionist here? And I just paused and I said nothing. And then I said, no. And that's all I said. That's funny, because I thought it would be funnier to watch me think of all the things I wasn't gonna say than to say any of them. And then also, though, she's, like, a deeply honest person, so she can't lie and say she does like it, but she's also not gonna say anymore. And I think that's what got me the job. Greg told me that's what got me the job.

[David Spade]

That is so cool. Dare to bore me. That was.

[Jenna Fischer]

Dare to bore me. It was so scary. It's so scary because you want to.

[Dana Carvey]

Just go for the fences.

[David Spade]

I know.

[Jenna Fischer]

It's so hard to just have restraints. That's like, for me, the hardest thing about acting is just holding in silence.

[Dana Carvey]

You really are working with people that are all doing it, and it's so fucking funny.

[Jenna Fischer]

It's amazing. It's just amazing. Amazing thing to have been a part of. It just. I still can't believe it. And just what it means to people, too. Like, that's so cool. I know that the Office has gotten people through hard times in their lives. And, you know, once, long ago, I fell down a set of stairs in New York at Budokan. It was during, like, an NBC event. I was there with Fred Armisen, actually, and I fell down this set of stairs, and I broke my back in four places.

[Dana Carvey]

Oh, Jesus.

[Jenna Fischer]

And while I was recovering, I watched the Larry Sanders show, and it was, like, better than any pain medicine. So, like, the fact that I can, like, I can be part of something that is that for other people. Like, I know what it means to have a thing that, like, gets you through something. It's really cool.

[David Spade]

Wow. That's full circle. Because I believe that Ricky Gervais felt like he was influenced by the Larry Sanders show. And then he does the British Office, and then you could do the American Office, and then. Then you break your back, and then you're watching Larry Sanders. I don't know where this keeps going, but it's. There's something kind of cool about that. That was a show Magic. We were both on it. Were you on it, David?

[Dana Carvey]

We were on Larry. Also, we all worked with Greg Daniels, who is a shout out to him, who's a great writer, that obviously snl.

[David Spade]

I remember when Greg Daniels and Conan o' Brien walked into the offices at SNL fresh out of Harvard. Look like they were sophomores in high school, little haircuts, kind of nervous, looking around. Yeah, great. Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

And they were roommates.

[David Spade]

Yeah, I know, it's amazing, really. And you know, the SNL years you.

[Dana Carvey]

Liked, it's like we were propped up by guys like that and. And Bob Odenkirk and Smigel and Downey and Frank.

[David Spade]

Yeah.

[Dana Carvey]

There's so many good writers there.

[David Spade]

It's kind of nice when. And I'm sure you just do this. You're not. Not trying to get kudos about it. But if someone says to you later, because not everyone is really friendly when you walk into an environment like that, and they'd say, oh, you were so nice to us. I go, really? I was. I think I was just like, how you guys doing? Or something. But some people are like, ah, more competition. We don't need you. You know, it's a little. It can be a little cold at snl. No one's really telling you where you should stand or what you should even do. That's what we learned. A lot of people are like, they didn't even know. No one told them anything, you know, about the show. And they just had to figure it out for themselves.

[Jenna Fischer]

But anyway, well, it's an interesting environment. I got to be on the show as part of Steve Carell's monologue once. I remember that. And I was. I mean, again, like I told you, I'm a Saturday Night Live groupie nerd. And so this was. I don't even remember what I had going on. I got like 24 hours notice. Do you want to come fly in? And I was like, yes. I came in on a red eye. I was like, anything. And to be in the bowels, to like get to be there for the rehearsal and then how like, oh, my God, it really does change from the rehearsal. That was nuts. And just, it was so scary. And my line changed and then the cue card changed and then how we went all. Went into Lauren's office and you're like sitting on the floor, like, waiting to hear like, what. What things made it and what didn't. And I couldn't believe I was invited. I was like, I'm just the. I just have like one sentence in the opening Monologue. But I was, like, privy to all of the inner workings. It was so awesome.

[David Spade]

It is great.

[Jenna Fischer]

And then that night at the after party, I held Lorne Michaels focus for 30 solid minutes.

[Dana Carvey]

Whoa.

[Jenna Fischer]

And I still, to this day, it is one of my best, like, small talk moments ever. Because I'd met him many times. I had come and I saw when Christina Applegate hosted and when Jon Hamm hosted, I came as our guest, and I would sit and I would run into him and shake his hand and all this sort of stuff.

[Dana Carvey]

Oh, John.

[Jenna Fischer]

But for whatever reason, at this particular after party, I got in a whole chat with him about how I like to prep for the apocalypse. And he was very interested in this topic. And we spoke for, like, a solid 25 minutes. And I wanted to keep talking to him. I wanted to keep going, but I knew that I had to say goodbye. And I did it. I left at the right time. And I'm so proud of myself.

[David Spade]

That's interesting.

[Jenna Fischer]

And now I never want to speak to him again. I will never speak to him again. I will not ruin it.

[Dana Carvey]

Six years there, I didn't get 30 total.

[Jenna Fischer]

It was.

[David Spade]

That's pretty.

[Jenna Fischer]

I'm telling you, I'll never. I'm never, ever want to run into him again.

[David Spade]

That was a good subject matter for him. Something that he would be like.

[Dana Carvey]

Just doesn't talk about every day.

[David Spade]

You first have to make sure that you procure a fair amount in the event of apocalypse.

[Dana Carvey]

I put triskets.

[David Spade]

I mean, did he respond at all? I mean, you really talked about your preparation for the apocalypse, like, for 30 minutes straight for.

[Jenna Fischer]

For a good amount of time. But then we also talked about the movie the Edge, which is my favorite movie. And, you know, it's a survivalist movie. I love movies where people have to survive things.

[David Spade]

I've seen it at least five times, and that's a movie. And we told Alec Baldwin that. That friends come over or relatives, oh, let's watch a movie. And. And once in a while, I go, if you've seen the Edge, they go, no. I go, it's just kind of a surefire, great, entertaining film. No one cannot lie, Dano.

[Jenna Fischer]

What one man can do, another can do. That. That's from the movie what one man can do, Another can do. I'm telling you, that's gotten me through, like, big life moments. I love this movie. And so we talked about the Edge, which ended up leading into survivalist stuff, into prepping. And he was really interested in my currency plans. Like, what were my plans for Currency. During the apocalypse. Did I have gold bars? And you know what? That I, to be honest, I hadn't thought of it. I hadn't gotten as far as currency.

[David Spade]

Funny. When I was there in the fall doing Biden, just behind his desk, I saw this whole duffel bag, you know, it's really big, you know. And then when he lets go back to the bathroom, it was just all this survival stuff in there.

[Dana Carvey]

He goes by and he pushes a wall and it spins around and disappears down a slide.

[David Spade]

I want to be ready.

[Jenna Fischer]

He was influenced by my, by my.

[David Spade]

Prep that Tony Hopkins had that line right. One man can do another man can do. Is that Tony Hopkins? Hawkins?

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes, correct.

[David Spade]

And Al.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah, Al.

[David Spade]

Bald one as Al Baldwin was great in that. So was Tony. Oh, yeah. People change names. Jen. Jen was great on our Jen Fisher.

[Dana Carvey]

Does anyone call you Jen?

[Jenna Fischer]

No, no one's ever called me Jen.

[David Spade]

Well, get ready for it because we're, we have a lot of follow, by the way. People may not know we're on the same network. It's almost like television now. So that's kind of cool. Cool.

[Dana Carvey]

This is Sherry duty for Jen and.

[David Spade]

I, just for people who are watching this or might want to see it. So are you in a studio somewhere?

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah, I'm at your New York studios. Yeah, I'm here in New York this week and so I came into the New York studio and Are you and.

[David Spade]

Angela usually in different places when you do the podcast and sometimes together or always?

[Jenna Fischer]

No, we're usually together. Odyssey, our company that we both work for, has a studio in Hollywood and we usually record there person together. And you guys are all set up at home. Like, you guys have cool setups, but.

[Dana Carvey]

We sometimes go in person. We've been going in person.

[David Spade]

I, I kind of feel I like in person or something. It changes a lot. When I was doing snl, I was just in a hotel room doing it. That's one of the advantages of this, is that you can do it remotely, you know. But David has a little studio, you.

[Dana Carvey]

Know, I just have stupid mansion. Yeah, man. But Jenna, thank you for joining us. Tell Angela hello and we appreciate your time.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, guys, I don't want it to end. I love you. I love you both. I love your podcast. This is so cool. This was a highlight for me.

[Dana Carvey]

Well, everybody.

[David Spade]

Enjoy talking to you. I, I just find I, I, you're.

[Dana Carvey]

Always sweet and fun and just like.

[David Spade]

Like you would think podcasters, actresses, and all kinds of things you do, but if you do this, I think you do get a little more inep or adept at doing it, you know, conversing and letting it go where it needs to go and asking questions. So usually we have a podcast or on. It's. It's an easy show, you know, I. Yeah, right.

[Jenna Fischer]

Because you know what you're hoping to get when you're doing it yourself.

[David Spade]

Yeah. And it doesn't have to be electric every moment. You don't have to push it. It's just. It just is what it is, you.

[Dana Carvey]

Know, so if we seem rusty, it's because we've only done 2,000 of these. Okay. Ashland Avenue. Ashland Avenue is the play. And she's doing it in Chicago.

[Jenna Fischer]

In Chicago.

[Dana Carvey]

Tickets on sale June 27th. And it starts when?

[Jenna Fischer]

In August, you said, I think a September 15th.

[Dana Carvey]

Okay. Yeah, September 15th.

[David Spade]

All right.

[Dana Carvey]

Thank you very much. Bye, sweetheart. Very good.

[Jenna Fischer]

Thank you, guys.

[David Spade]

Don't hang up.

[Dana Carvey]

This has been a presentation of Odyssey. Please follow, subscribe, leave a Like a review. All this stuff. Smash that button, whatever it is. Wherever you get your podcasts. Fly on the Wall is executive produced by Dana Carvey and David Spade, Jenna Weiss Berman of Odyssey, and Heather Santoro. The show's lead producer is Greg Holtzman.

[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 Kieffer, and our associate producer is Ainslie Bubico.

[Angela Kinsey]

Odyssey's executive producer is Leah Rees Dennis.

[Jenna Fischer]

Office lady was mixed and mastered by Bill Schultz.

[Angela Kinsey]

Our theme song is Rubber Tree by Creed Bratton.

[Jenna Fischer]

As a young adult, finding the right path to your future can feel overwhelming.

[Angela Kinsey]

It starts with Year Up United's tuition free job training program, Career Pathways.

[Jenna Fischer]

If you're without a bachelor's degree but have a high school diploma or ged, you can get skills first training to succeed in the industries you're passionate about, all while earning a weekly educational stipend to offset basic expenses.

[Angela Kinsey]

From there, you'll have access to internships and hands on experiences with Fortune 500 companies. And with Year Up United's job placement services and personalized coaching and mentorship, you can put your knowledge, skills and most importantly, confidence into practice.

[Jenna Fischer]

Apply to Europe United today and take the first step toward achieving the career you want. Visit europe.org to learn more.