Second Drink: Halloween with Creed Bratton

Summary

Office Ladies Podcast Summary

Episode: Second Drink: Halloween with Creed Bratton
Release Date: January 13, 2025
Hosts: Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey
Guest: Creed Bratton

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Introduction

In the second episode of the Office Ladies podcast titled "Second Drink: Halloween with Creed Bratton," hosts Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey dive deep into one of The Office's most beloved episodes. Released on January 13, 2025, this episode focuses on the Halloween festivities within Dunder Mifflin's Scranton branch, highlighting the complexities of workplace dynamics when personal lives and corporate decisions collide.

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Episode Overview

Plot Summary:

The Halloween episode centers around Michael Scott (Steve Carell) being informed about corporate cutbacks, necessitating the firing of an employee within October. True to his character, Michael postpones the decision until the last day of the month—Halloween. Simultaneously, the office staff dresses in elaborate costumes for the annual Halloween party, creating a juxtaposition between festive celebrations and the impending uncertainty of job security.

Key moments discussed include:

• Michael's Delay: Michael's procrastination leads to tension as employees anxiety over who might be next.
• Costume Dynamics: The clash of costumes with Michael's impending decision adds humor and poignancy to the episode.
• Jim and Pam's Air High Five: An improvised, unscripted moment that became iconic among fans.

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Behind-the-Scenes Insights

Costume Challenges:

Angela shares her struggle with her cat costume, detailing issues like malfunctioning ears (03:08) and a cumbersome tail that made sitting difficult (03:35). Jenna adds humor by recalling how these wardrobe malfunctions led to broken cookies during a pivotal conference room scene (04:15).

Improvisations and Unscripted Moments:

One of the standout discussions revolves around the first-ever air high five between Jim and Pam. Jenna reveals that this moment was entirely improvised, with no mention in the script (05:00). The chemistry between Jenna and Angela allowed this spontaneous gesture to resonate deeply with audiences, highlighting the natural rapport between the actors.

Creed Bratton joins the conversation, reminiscing about his initial interactions on set and the challenges of expanding his role. He shares how his character's lines were subject to last-minute changes, leading to moments of improvisation that added depth to his portrayal (12:00).

Deleted Scenes and Casting Mysteries:

The hosts delve into a deleted scene involving Toby and Michael, where Michael attempts to fire Toby. Although initially thought to contain improvised humor that made actor Steve Carell crack up (06:16), it's later clarified that the scene remained as scripted. Additionally, they explore the introduction of recurring background characters like Hank the security guard, played by Hugh Dane, emphasizing the show's attention to detail in character development (54:25).

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Notable Quotes

• Angela Kinsey (02:20): "Season 2 Halloween is ranked as the number one Office Halloween episode."
• Jenna Fischer (03:19): "I found my old MySpace blog for this episode. And there were several tidbits that we never shared."
• Creed Bratton (12:00): "I walked back like that after they told me this and put my hands up and said, okay, here it is. And I said, I've come this far. I'm gonna do this."
• Jenna Fischer (16:04): "Greg Daniels wrote this episode, and he told me that the inspiration for this episode was to explore the boss's perspective on firing someone."
• Creed Bratton (50:03): "I feel like we're in a special moment."
• Angela Kinsey (57:31): "He just breaks your heart with his vulnerability."

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Costume Rundown and Production Details

Costume Breakdown:

• Michael Scott: Two-headed costume, representing his dual personas.
• Angela Martin, Phyllis, and Pam: Cat costumes, each with unique quirks such as Angela's malfunctioning ears and Phyllis' three whiskers (32:14).
• Jim Halpert: Three-hole punch costume, humorously incomplete when Felicia Day's costume is paired with his (31:15).
• Dwight Schrute: Sith Lord ensemble, adding a Star Wars twist to his character (38:12).
• Kevin Malone: Dunder Mifflin superhero outfit, blending mundane with fantastical.
• Creed Bratton: Vampire attire, aligning with his mysterious persona.
• Devin: Hobo costume, contrasting the office's otherwise polished appearances.

Production Anecdotes:

The hosts discuss the meticulous planning behind costumes, such as the extensive meeting about Pam's hair (19:47) and the spontaneous addition of Angela's oversized purple fake eyelashes, which were not pre-approved (21:20). These decisions highlight the collaborative and sometimes chaotic nature of sitcom production.

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Emotional Beats and Character Development

Michael's Vulnerability:

A significant portion of the discussion focuses on Michael's emotional depth during the episode. The scene where Michael sits alone on his couch, feeling lonely, is juxtaposed with the arrival of trick-or-treaters, showcasing his desire for connection despite his flawed demeanor (56:10). Jenna emphasizes how this moment encapsulates Michael's struggle between maintaining his persona and revealing his genuine self.

Jim and Pam's Relationship:

The improvised air high five between Jim and Pam not only became a fan favorite but also served as a foundational moment in their evolving relationship. Angela and Jenna reflect on how this unscripted gesture underscored their on-screen chemistry, making the moment resonate authentically with viewers (06:23).

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Guest Appearance: Creed Bratton

Creed Bratton's participation adds a unique layer to the episode's analysis. He shares personal stories about his character's initial days on set, his background in music, and his interactions with fellow cast members. Highlights include:

• Character Introduction: Creed recounts his first lines and how his role was expanded from background appearances to a more substantial character (11:09).
• Musical Pursuits: Insights into his musical career and experiences, including jamming with renowned artists like Butch Trucks from the Allman Brothers (40:12).
• Performance Challenges: Detailed account of performing complex scenes with Steve Carell, emphasizing the collaborative effort required to bring authentic emotion to Michael's character (50:13).

Creed's emotional performance during the episode's breakdown, coupled with his live performance snippet, underscores the enduring impact of The Office's legacy on its cast.

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Conclusion

"Second Drink: Halloween with Creed Bratton" offers a comprehensive exploration of one of The Office's standout episodes. Through engaging discussions, behind-the-scenes anecdotes, and heartfelt reflections, Jenna Fischer, Angela Kinsey, and Creed Bratton provide fans with an enriched understanding of the episode's significance. From costume mishaps to unscripted moments of genuine emotion, this episode of Office Ladies encapsulates the magic that made The Office a beloved classic.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Angela Kinsey (02:20): "Season 2 Halloween is ranked as the number one Office Halloween episode."
• Jenna Fischer (03:19): "I found my old MySpace blog for this episode. And there were several tidbits that we never shared."
• Creed Bratton (12:00): "I walked back like that after they told me this and put my hands up and said, okay, here it is. And I said, I've come this far. I'm gonna do this."
• Jenna Fischer (16:04): "Greg Daniels wrote this episode, and he told me that the inspiration for this episode was to explore the boss's perspective on firing someone."
• Creed Bratton (50:03): "I feel like we're in a special moment."
• Angela Kinsey (57:31): "He just breaks your heart with his vulnerability."

(Note: The timestamps are based on the provided transcript and correspond to specific moments discussed in the podcast.)

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Additional Insights

• Creed's Musical Contributions: The episode concludes with Creed performing a snippet from his latest album, reinforcing his dual identity as both an actor and musician (60:51).
• Impact of Improvisation: The air high five and other improvised moments highlight the natural chemistry between cast members, contributing to the show's authentic feel.
• Character Evolution: Discussions shed light on how characters like Michael Scott and Pam Beesly evolved over time, deepening their relationships and personal growth within the series.

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This summary captures the essence of the Office Ladies podcast episode "Second Drink: Halloween with Creed Bratton," providing an in-depth look into both the episode's narrative and the rich experiences shared by its creators and guest.

Transcript

[Angela Kinsey]

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[Jenna Fischer]

Stylish the other night. You were out on the town. You went to see Rainn Wilson in his play Waiting for Godot and you had a fashion moment.

[Angela Kinsey]

You guys, I am not good at putting together an outfit. It's something I struggle with. But I went to Quint's and I got the cutest black dress. I was trying to find a black dress that felt a little bit like more cocktail but not too cocktail. Do you know what I'm saying? It is such a great dress. It's also it doesn't wrinkle. What do you call that wrinkle?

[Jenna Fischer]

Free.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yes. But it was silk. It's amazing. And it was a really reasonable price.

[Jenna Fischer]

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[Angela Kinsey]

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[Jenna Fischer]

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[Angela Kinsey]

Hello.

[Jenna Fischer]

Hi there.

[Angela Kinsey]

Hi. Welcome to our second drink of Halloween. So guess what, Jenna? According to pretty much every online poll in Fact, I didn't find one where this wasn't true. Season 2 Halloween is ranked as the number one office Halloween episode.

[Jenna Fischer]

I don't doubt it. I think it's my favorite.

[Angela Kinsey]

I loved our breakdown of this episode because we had Creed in the studio for the entire episode, and he shared so many fun things.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, Ange, I agree. And I actually panicked because I couldn't think of anything that we hadn't already shared about this episode. You guys, Angela and I have been dividing up taking the lead on second drinks, and I was assigned to Halloween, and I did not know what we were gonna do. I really felt like we shared it all. But then, guess what.

[Angela Kinsey]

What?

[Jenna Fischer]

I found my old MySpace blog for this episode.

[Angela Kinsey]

Old tech.

[Creed Bratton]

Yes.

[Jenna Fischer]

And there were several tidbits that we never shared. Are you ready?

[Angela Kinsey]

I'm so ready.

[Jenna Fischer]

All right, first off, Ange, in our breakdown, we talked about your cat costume and how your tail was very hard to sit in. But according to my blog, one of the ears on your costume kept falling down, and it was ruining takes. Do you remember this?

[Angela Kinsey]

I do remember this because sometimes I could feel it fall and it'd be flat on my head, and other times I couldn't. And so I would start talking, and Oscar would be like, your ear is gone. I was like, what? But I had completely forgotten about that till you reminded me, and I was like, oh, yes. It was driving us crazy.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, I also shared that you broke several cookies in that scene that we had together in the conference room. You know, the one where you ask me what I brought, and I say brownies, and you're like, really pissed off because you're like, same category. She brought cookies.

[Angela Kinsey]

And then I, like, slammed the tray down.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes. In my blog, I wrote this quote. Angela kept slamming them down on the plate in disgust during the scene.

[Angela Kinsey]

I actually remember us breaking. I remember laughing because I broke them. And it's gotta live somewhere in some blooper land.

[Jenna Fischer]

It must. I mean, we talked about how that was a hard scene to get through, but I failed to mention that you.

[Angela Kinsey]

Were destroying cookies with one ear.

[Jenna Fischer]

Now, this episode also features the very first Jim and Pam air. High five.

[Angela Kinsey]

Mm. I know we talked about it because I love it.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes, we discussed it, but we did not talk about how that was an improvisation. That was not scripted, lady.

[Angela Kinsey]

So wait, it wasn't in the shooting draft?

[Jenna Fischer]

No. I can't believe I didn't share this the first time. In fact, there wasn't any description in the script for how Pam reacts to Jim pretending to be Michael Scott on the phone, he does this impression of Michael. Cause they're tricking Dwight. And when he hangs up, we do the air high five. But in the script, it says nothing. It doesn't even say, Pam looks delighted. And my memory is that John suggested that we air high five to give it a little button at the end. We nailed it the first time, and everyone freaked out on how cute it was.

[Angela Kinsey]

It was super cute. It's also the no look. The no look. Air high five. It's special. It's like, uh, oh, these two are in sync. What's gonna happen with these charact.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, this is where it all began.

[Angela Kinsey]

I love it.

[Jenna Fischer]

And then, Angela, According to my MySpace blog about this episode, Paul Lieberstein improvised a line in his scene with Steve that made Steve break. And I wrote that it took Steve two full minutes to recover. And I'm like, wow, how did we not talk about this? I checked our breakdown, and sure enough, we had not discussed it. I went back, I watched the episode. There are not any scenes between Toby and Michael. It's a deleted scene.

[Angela Kinsey]

No.

[Jenna Fischer]

I must have written this MySpace blog before I knew what the episode was actually gonna be when it aired.

[Angela Kinsey]

Right, Right.

[Jenna Fischer]

So there's this deleted scene where Toby asks Michael for the name of the employee that is gonna be fired so that he can start the HR paperwork. And Michael tries to fire Toby. I found it and I thought we should listen to it.

[Angela Kinsey]

Okay.

[Creed Bratton]

Michael. What? What?

[Jenna Fischer]

Michael, do you have the name of.

[Creed Bratton]

The employee you're letting go?

[Jenna Fischer]

I'd like to start working on outplacement.

[Creed Bratton]

Fine.

[Angela Kinsey]

If you are so anxious to see.

[Creed Bratton]

A head roll, it's you there. You brought it on yourself. Too bad. Can't say that I'm sorry.

[Jenna Fischer]

It's a relief I don't report to you, Michael. I report to the head of HR in New York.

[Creed Bratton]

You'll. You asked for a name, I gave you a name.

[Jenna Fischer]

Now you're not doing your job.

[Angela Kinsey]

Why don't you just resign?

[Jenna Fischer]

They would just send someone else.

[Angela Kinsey]

You need to have an HR representative.

[Creed Bratton]

Just know that if I could have fired you, I would have.

[Jenna Fischer]

I know, Michael.

[Angela Kinsey]

What line made him laugh?

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, that's the thing. I said that it was some improvisation that made Steve lose it. I was clearly sitting in the background at reception observing this whole thing be shot. But I checked the script, and it's exactly as scripted. So I guess maybe the improv didn't make it in the cut. But I do know that if anyone could make Steve break, it was Paul.

[Angela Kinsey]

I feel like it's the moment. Just very resigned. He says, I know, Michael. That's my guess.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, finally, Angela, I shared in my MySpace blog that rain, John, and Brian held their first ever PlayStation 2 boxing cont during our downtime for this episode. But I guess the episode finished shooting before they could finish the tournament. I noted that Rain and John were down to their final fighters.

[Angela Kinsey]

That just brings me right back. I know those guys. We'd be in a scene and they'd be like, okay, last take, last take. We gotta go. Like, guys, are you doing your boxing match or are we doing the scene?

[Jenna Fischer]

Pretty much.

[Angela Kinsey]

Well, that's a really fun second drink, lady.

[Jenna Fischer]

Thank you. I was very excited. Well, everyone, we hope you like this breakdown of Halloween. Like Angela said, it's with our dear friend Creed Bratton. It's really good one.

[Angela Kinsey]

Creed is so fun. You're gonna love it.

[Jenna Fischer]

All right, here it is. Enjoy. 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 rewatch podcast just for you.

[Angela Kinsey]

Each week we will break down an episode of the Office and give exclusive behind the scenes stories that only two people who were there can.

[Jenna Fischer]

We're the Office ladies.

[Creed Bratton]

I love it.

[Jenna Fischer]

Creed is here. Creed is here.

[Angela Kinsey]

Creed is here. Creed is here.

[Creed Bratton]

Creed is in the house.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah. This is so amazing.

[Jenna Fischer]

Creed's gonna be with us for the whole episode, guys.

[Angela Kinsey]

Okay, Creed, you are our first in house visitor, right? I mean, we've had people call in, but you're our first in house guest.

[Creed Bratton]

I'm the first one. I might not. I might have a bathroom break or something. I won't be here for the whole thing, but I'll be in and out.

[Jenna Fischer]

We can provide you with.

[Creed Bratton]

That'd be good.

[Angela Kinsey]

We can do bathroom break.

[Creed Bratton]

I'm old school. Well, I'm old, so that's part of it.

[Jenna Fischer]

You know, I need everybody to know that I've already teared up twice since Creed has been here. Oh, you've said two touching. Well, first of all, just seeing you almost burst into tears. But then you've said, like five amazing things that have touched my heart.

[Creed Bratton]

Well, as soon as I get together with you, it's just back. We're back on the set, you know, and it's all like, oh, I know. I miss you girls.

[Angela Kinsey]

Creed lives down the street from me. I think everybody who knows this, don't.

[Creed Bratton]

Give my address, please.

[Angela Kinsey]

I won't. Creed's address is. His hidden key is. Yes, yes, yes. We are neighbors. And it's one of the joys of my life that we're neighbors. I love that you're right around the corner. I love that we have.

[Creed Bratton]

We see each other walking. We see each other hiking around the street. We do.

[Angela Kinsey]

You were walking. Was it your daughter's dog? Your son's dog?

[Creed Bratton]

My son's little Yorkie.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah, you're little Yorkie. And I hear, hey, pumpkin. And I turn around, it's Creed. And we've also maybe had some adult beverage and red soda.

[Creed Bratton]

We may have. We may have.

[Angela Kinsey]

And we like to do a little bit of what we call the sauce trail and walk around having a glass.

[Creed Bratton]

Of wine and watching documentaries.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, yeah. Creed loves anything where, like, animals go crazy. Like planet Earth.

[Creed Bratton]

Yes. All that stuff. I just love it.

[Angela Kinsey]

All right, well, we are really excited to have you here. We are discussing the Halloween episode.

[Creed Bratton]

Yes, right, right.

[Jenna Fischer]

Season two, episode five. This was written by Greg Daniels and directed by Paul Feig. And it is the first episode that Creed speaks.

[Creed Bratton]

Well, I actually spread out University Day in diversity. I had lines with Phyllis.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yes.

[Creed Bratton]

I told her, and they paid me afterwards. Well, the first ad. Remember that girl? We had the first AD the first season. She thought I was part of the cast at the time. So she came in with her little hands, and she said, now you and Phyllis just start talking. And Phyllis said, wait. I said, Never mind. It's okay. Never mind.

[Angela Kinsey]

Phyllis was gonna out you.

[Creed Bratton]

Phyllis was gonna out me, so never mind. It's fine. And so we started. I started talking about sacrificing goats or something, you know, trying to tell her.

[Angela Kinsey]

What was on her head was sacrificing.

[Creed Bratton]

Goats so you can hear me in the background. And then later. And they said, wait a minute. Creed's talking in the background. And I said, oh, shoot. How did that happen?

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah, how'd that happen, Creed?

[Creed Bratton]

So they paid me on the side, but they didn't say, but we can't. I said, no, it's fine. It's fine. And then not off camera. Then I also was the voice for the ride.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes, for the mining ride.

[Creed Bratton]

For the mining ride. You know, I think they paid attention to that one.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah, you were so funny as the voice of the mining ride. And Isabel was watching that episode with me, and she said, mom, I know that voice. I know that voice. And I was like, wait, you're. Oh, my gosh. She was like, I think it's Creed.

[Creed Bratton]

She. How discerning is she?

[Angela Kinsey]

She is. I mean, I didn't catch it. And then I looked. It Up. And I'm like, isabel, we do know that voice.

[Jenna Fischer]

It's Creed.

[Creed Bratton]

Yeah. But anyway, this is the first time where I actually had some serious lines. It was six and a half pages. I remember Kent Zabornak threw the script down and said, okay, here it is. This is your moment. And I had memorized it forwards and backwards. I had set a timer on a little recorder at night, subliminally, at 2 and 3 in the morning, that would go off and play the lines while I was sleeping.

[Angela Kinsey]

Crazy.

[Creed Bratton]

I had it backwards and forwards. No joke. I had it backwards. Wow. I knew this was the Rubicon. This is the place that I was going to get because my intuition said, this is it. And then, of course, we walk in the office and Greg came in and said, by the way, we made changes, of course, to the lines. We've reversed them around and added some new stuff. You okay? Steve goes, yeah, fine. I go, cool.

[Jenna Fischer]

Because they used to do that to us all the time. We would come in and you just get new pages and then shoot the scene five minutes later.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah. They would hand you the pages. And sometimes we've talked about this, the pages would be hot because right off the copier. Right off the copier, and we'd drop them.

[Creed Bratton]

Somebody go, ow, ow, ow, ow, ow.

[Angela Kinsey]

Now change your lines. Yes, now change your lines that you have learned. And you've been having a tape recorder play at three in the morning to you.

[Creed Bratton]

Do you remember the backdrop? They're right off of where my desk and Kate's desk was and the screen there. So you can walk. You could sneak around the back and get to the green room from behind it. That's set up like that. I walked back like that after they told me this and put my hands up and said, okay, here it is. And I said, I've come this far. I'm gonna do this. And once we started, though, with Steve, it was like, into battle. And there was some improvisation on that scene because I was paraphrasing my lines because I was desper.

[Angela Kinsey]

Well, you knocked it out of the park, Creed.

[Creed Bratton]

Yeah, yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, Creed, you started out as a musician.

[Creed Bratton]

Yep.

[Jenna Fischer]

And very long, successful career as a musician. How did you even end up on the show in the first place as our stand in slash, background person.

[Creed Bratton]

Background person. I was working on Bernie Mac, and Ken Kwapas came on to direct an episode and they'd been using me for all these little vignettes and where I was doing funny. And if you ever watch old Bernie Mac, you'll see me all the Time in the background, mugging up.

[Angela Kinsey]

I want to see that.

[Jenna Fischer]

I want to go back.

[Creed Bratton]

I'm always in the background doing some stupid stuff. They just allow me because I made Bernie laugh. I made him laugh. And so Ken was talking about, this guy's funny, and he heard from Joe Moore, the first ad that I was in the grassroots. So he sent to Amoeba for some albums for me to sign because he was a big grassroots fan. And we started talking and talked about music, and he's very knowledgeable. Then I found out that he was doing the Office American Workplace, and I was a big fan of the Ricky Gervais show, so he gave me his number. Now, I've never, ever called anybody like that before, but I called him as my intuition said, this feels right. This feels right.

[Angela Kinsey]

And Ken would not have given you his number. I feel like Ken is so discerning. Oh, my God.

[Jenna Fischer]

If he didn't mean call me.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah, yeah.

[Creed Bratton]

So he did. And so he talked to Greg, and then I talked to Ken Leiter, and he said, well, I talked to Greg. I told him, you're a very interesting and funny guy. And he said, well, what we'll do. And this is his words, Greg's words. We'll put him in the background and see if we can work him into the mix. In that first time that was working in the mix. That's all I need to hear. That's why I took liberties. Just kind of like pretending that I was part of the. Part of the group. And that paid off, you know? Yes.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, I love that.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, that is so cool.

[Jenna Fischer]

That is awesome. What's next?

[Angela Kinsey]

Should we do a summary? Jenna, do you have one?

[Jenna Fischer]

You know I do. Yes. So in this episode, Halloween, Michael is told that he must fire someone during the month of October due to cutbacks at Dunder Mifflin. But in true Michael fashion, he waits until the very last day of October, which also happens to be Halloween. He also has no idea who to fire. He has not made a decision. He spends the entire episode trying to figure out what to do while the rest of us are dressed in our costumes for the Halloween party. I love that so much.

[Angela Kinsey]

I love the juxtaposition of that someone is gonna get fired while wearing a ridiculous costume.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes.

[Angela Kinsey]

And they're gonna have to go home fired in that outfit.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, I have a fast fact about this episode. Fast fact number one. Greg Daniels wrote this episode, and he told me that the inspiration for this episod, that he had always wanted to do a story about someone being fired but from the point of view of the boss rather than the employee, he felt like we always see stories of people being fired and how they're wrestling with having been fired. But he was like, you never see what it does to the boss. That's the genius of Greg Daniels right there.

[Angela Kinsey]

Absolutely.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, the problem that this plot presented for Greg was that he was going to have to fire someone on the show. He was gonna have to pick a Dunder Mifflin employee to be part of the plot.

[Creed Bratton]

Yes.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, he couldn't fire any of the series regular characters. Cause we all had contracts and he didn't wanna fire any of the supporting cast. Even though at this point you guys still did not have your full time contracts, right?

[Angela Kinsey]

No, we didn't become series regulars till booze crews. So listen, we were all on the chopping block.

[Jenna Fischer]

Were you a little worried when you lose?

[Angela Kinsey]

Well, maybe.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, Greg didn't have any intention of losing them. He didn't wanna lose anyone in the warehouse. But he also told me he didn't want to hire someone new that you'd never seen on the show just to fire them. He felt like those stakes would feel very manufactured. So he turned to our two background actors, Creed and Devin.

[Creed Bratton]

Creed and Devin.

[Jenna Fischer]

And he was like, well, these guys are very well established on the show at this point. And this is where I'd like to know what happened, because I know the end of this story, which is that Greg found out that Devin had a theater contract coming up, that he was gonna go on tour with a play. And so that.

[Creed Bratton]

That's what Devin said.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah.

[Creed Bratton]

At the time, though, they told us one of you guys are gonna have to go.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, man.

[Creed Bratton]

But we don't know yet. We're just gonna do that. We're gonna shoot you both and we're gonna see how it works out, you know?

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, my God. Wait.

[Jenna Fischer]

They're gonna shoot the scene two ways.

[Creed Bratton]

They know that we're gonna shoot the. The thing. Because they could have gone back and changed it, I'm sure.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, because Michael could have said, you know what I said? It was Creed and it's Creed. You can't change my mind.

[Creed Bratton]

But it was going to be one of us. They said there was going to be one of us. And I remember being a little nervous. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And Dev and I were friends. We'd become friends by this time.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, sure.

[Creed Bratton]

And by the way, you know, on the finale, jumping ahead a lot, I don't know if I could kind of jump ahead.

[Jenna Fischer]

You can.

[Creed Bratton]

When Greg brought me into the office to find out what I wanted to do for the Creed character. I said, well, one thing I'd like to do is sing the song. Sing. But I. My song. But I also think we should have Devin back on the show. Yeah, yeah. Because we get together sometimes, you know, have coffee and stuff like that. I was feeling nervous because I kind of was feeling bad that I might have to go, but also that Devin might have to go, too. So it was so mixed blessings and all that stuff.

[Jenna Fischer]

All right, fast fact number two. This is the first time we see Pam's hair down instead of her usual half up, half down hair clip.

[Creed Bratton]

Look at that, to me, is so important.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, well, then Creed, then Creed, you're gonna love some of my note cards. If that's important, buckle in.

[Jenna Fischer]

But this was a huge deal. Kim Ferry, our hairstylist, and me and Greg and Paul Feig, we all had a meeting about Pam's hair and if we could let her hair down. And it was. I mean, it must have been 30 minutes. We talked about it. There was a lot of concern that she might look too pretty with her hair down. And I can't remember how we got permission. Kim was delighted. I mean, Kim had been putting my hair in a hair clip now for like, 12 episodes or something. She was so thrilled to be able to scrunch it, do something different. Anything. Yeah, anything different. And it was kind of a big deal, so.

[Creed Bratton]

Well, they were playing down both your beauties all the time with the way they dressed you and put you in style.

[Jenna Fischer]

That's right. Did everyone hear that?

[Creed Bratton]

Did you fight? Did you fight?

[Jenna Fischer]

Creed says they played down our beauty toward the end.

[Creed Bratton]

Did you guys lobby for. Come on, Just let us show a little bit of. You know.

[Angela Kinsey]

I remember really wanting lip gloss.

[Creed Bratton]

Yeah, something like that.

[Angela Kinsey]

So what's funny to me is that that was a 30 minute meeting about your hair. Meanwhile, I go to hair and makeup, and they put on full, enormous purple fake eyelashes on me. If you look at me as this cat, I have big purple eyelashes. They were so huge. I had a hard time, like, even navigating them. Like, I look when I watch the episode. I look a little sleepy. I think it's because I couldn't open my eyes.

[Jenna Fischer]

No meeting?

[Angela Kinsey]

No meeting. They just put. I was like, are you sure? They just put them on me. And then one of the writers walked up to me, I can't remember who, and was like, do you have purple. It's probably Mindy. She's like, do you have purple lashes on?

[Jenna Fischer]

I'm like she might have been jealous.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Creed Bratton]

Yeah. She wanted them.

[Jenna Fischer]

She would want those purple lashes.

[Angela Kinsey]

No one said anything. Why is Angela Martin putting on purple fake eyelashes?

[Jenna Fischer]

Everyone was too busy meeting about my hair.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Creed Bratton]

Yes. Yes.

[Jenna Fischer]

All right, fast fact number three, Creed. I don't know if you remember this, Angela. I think maybe you do. The week we shot the Halloween episode, Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant visited one day. I know this because I have a photograph with them.

[Angela Kinsey]

In your cat outfit?

[Jenna Fischer]

In my cat outfit. And Jim is three hole punch Jim. But you can't really see the holes because he's got his arm around someone. So it's a whole picture of our producers and Ricky and Steven and me and John. And I am the only person wearing a costume. I like to imagine that they came to see me in a play where I played a cat or something.

[Angela Kinsey]

Your one act play.

[Jenna Fischer]

Because we look like we're standing like backstage.

[Creed Bratton]

And you're the cat. Yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

You're the only one in a costume. Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

This is how I know this, because I only have two pictures of myself with Ricky and Steven and one of them is me in a cat costume.

[Creed Bratton]

I remember that they were there because my ears still hurt from that high castralto of Ricky Gervais. The laugh.

[Jenna Fischer]

That's such a good impression.

[Angela Kinsey]

He laughed.

[Creed Bratton]

He laughed at everything.

[Angela Kinsey]

He was laughed at. Some coffee.

[Creed Bratton]

Oh, by the way, ladies and gentlemen, he is the sweetest man and just a joy.

[Jenna Fischer]

All right, those are my fast facts. That's our summary. Maybe we should do we need that bathroom break? Let's do a bathroom break.

[Angela Kinsey]

Let's do a bathroom break.

[Jenna Fischer]

I could use one.

[Creed Bratton]

By the way, I just wanna say, I just love these fast facts.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, well then if you love the fast, get ready for the note cards, Creed.

[Creed Bratton]

Oh, my. I can't wait. Be still, my throbbing heart.

[Angela Kinsey]

Okay, it sounded a little weird when you said it like that.

[Creed Bratton]

It started to be weird and then I drifted away.

[Angela Kinsey]

Okay, go to the bathroom. This podcast is sponsored by Squarespace. You all know we love Squarespace. It is a all in one website platform for entrepreneurs to stand out and succeed online. And you know, whether you're just starting out or you're managing a growing brand, Squarespace makes it easy to create a beautiful website, engage with your audience and sell any. Anything from products to content to time. It's all in one place. It's all on your terms, built just the way you want it.

[Jenna Fischer]

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[Angela Kinsey]

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[Jenna Fischer]

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[Angela Kinsey]

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[Jenna Fischer]

Where'd you get those shoes?

[Angela Kinsey]

Easy. They're from DSW.

[Jenna Fischer]

Because DSW has the exact right shoes for whatever you're into right now. You know, like the sneakers that make office hours feel like happy hour, the boots that turn grocery aisles into runways, and all the styles that show off the many sides of you, from daydreamer to multitasker and everything in between. Because you do it all in really great shoes.

[Angela Kinsey]

Find a shoe for every you at.

[Jenna Fischer]

Your DSW store or dsw.com.

[Angela Kinsey]

All right, let's get into some note cards.

[Creed Bratton]

Can we?

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes.

[Angela Kinsey]

All right.

[Jenna Fischer]

Let's get into the episode.

[Angela Kinsey]

Let's do it. I Have a note card from the cold open.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, what is the cold open of this?

[Angela Kinsey]

Okay, so the cold open is you say that Jan called, and he's like, oh. And Michael has to go in because he knows he has to fire someone.

[Creed Bratton]

Right.

[Angela Kinsey]

And? And so he calls Jan, and her assistant Sherry answers the phone.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes.

[Angela Kinsey]

And Sherry has so much good sass. She's like, okay, well, who are you going to fire? And he goes, well, I'm not really sure. And she's like, we just need the name.

[Jenna Fischer]

Jan needs the name.

[Angela Kinsey]

Jan needs the name. And then he's like, who would you fire? And she's like, just give me the name. And then. And then he thinks he's hung up, and he's like, I'd like to fire you. And she goes, still here, right?

[Jenna Fischer]

He's like, I wish I could fire Sheri.

[Angela Kinsey]

Sheri. I mean, I want to know who Sherry is. Who is Sherry?

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes. I thought the same thing. So the first thing I did, I went to IMDb Internet movie database.

[Angela Kinsey]

I did, too.

[Jenna Fischer]

I looked up this episode. Uncredited.

[Angela Kinsey]

Uncredited. Who is Sheri?

[Jenna Fischer]

Who is Sherry? I reached out to Dave Rogers. He was the editor for this episode, you guys.

[Angela Kinsey]

He knows everything about the Office.

[Jenna Fischer]

He didn't know that.

[Angela Kinsey]

Is saying something. Cause he is like the bible of the show.

[Creed Bratton]

He's an encyclopedic memory cat.

[Angela Kinsey]

No one knows.

[Jenna Fischer]

Listen to what Dave did. Dave reached out to Allison Jones, our casting director, who went to her storage facility.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, my Lord.

[Jenna Fischer]

Found the contracts for this episode, looked it up.

[Angela Kinsey]

Wow.

[Jenna Fischer]

Alison, thank you.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, my gosh, Alison, you're like an episode of the Pelican Brief. An episode?

[Jenna Fischer]

This is the Office.

[Angela Kinsey]

You're like the Office.

[Jenna Fischer]

It is Lisa Malone.

[Angela Kinsey]

Okay.

[Jenna Fischer]

And by the way, this was shot on September 13, 2005.

[Angela Kinsey]

Wow. Well, Lisa, you were fantastic. As sharing.

[Jenna Fischer]

You killed it. You killed it as Sharon.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, man. And, Alison, thank you, thank you, thank you for being our CSI the Office.

[Jenna Fischer]

I want to go back, Angela, because I have a note that precedes your note card.

[Angela Kinsey]

Is it at 5 seconds?

[Jenna Fischer]

Is it the shot of Devin and Creed at their desks?

[Angela Kinsey]

The establishing shot?

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes, yes, I noticed it, too. The second shot of this episode is Creed and Devin at their desks. I have to imagine this was not an accident that they wanted to drive home Devin and Creed, since we know that one of these.

[Creed Bratton]

Well placed.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah. It's Phyllis putting on makeup. And then it goes to Devon and Creed at their desk.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, the scene with Michael and Pam, do you guys remember how he's wearing the Second head.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yes, yes.

[Jenna Fischer]

And he. Pam goes in his office and he tells her that he needs to fire someone. And then he sort of implies maybe it could be her.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, I have two cards from this scene.

[Jenna Fischer]

And so Pam decides to quickly start flattering him. She pivots hard about his costume, and then she just gets out of the room as quickly as possible. I could not get through that scene. It. Listen, Steve is funny enough on his own, but Steve, with that extra sheave on his shoulder, it was too much. And it wobbled in a sort of weird way. He was wobbling it over. He loved it. He loved wobbling that.

[Angela Kinsey]

He loved it.

[Creed Bratton]

Anytime you give a cat.

[Angela Kinsey]

Come on, guys. That was a great. That's what she said. Come on.

[Jenna Fischer]

He loves wobbling things.

[Angela Kinsey]

He loved wobbling that thing.

[Creed Bratton]

Oh, that's what she said.

[Jenna Fischer]

Hey, we got it back.

[Creed Bratton]

We got it back.

[Angela Kinsey]

We got it back.

[Creed Bratton]

We got it back.

[Angela Kinsey]

Creed, what did I write at 3 minutes, 12 seconds.

[Creed Bratton]

Oh, my God. Pam is diabolical. Her turn to flattery when she realizes Michael would fire her.

[Jenna Fischer]

Wow. Diabolical.

[Creed Bratton]

Diabolical.

[Angela Kinsey]

I'm seeing a real devious streak in Pam.

[Creed Bratton]

I wanna just comment, if I may, Please. The brilliance of Steve Carell, the pain and the anguish in his face when he's trying. When he's getting ready to fire someone. You can just see it, though. He's just dying. He's absolutely dying. He's not acting. He's like. To me, he looked like a man just suffering. Suffering. Preeminent death.

[Jenna Fischer]

It's interesting you bring that up, Creed, because we've talked a lot about how Michael wants to be popular. He wants to be friends with people. He wants to be the life of the party. But I think this episode goes beyond that. That it isn't just that he knows that it's gonna be. He's gonna not be well liked by the person he fires. I think it really, like. I think it touches on something. He really doesn't want to hurt someone else.

[Creed Bratton]

Yep, that's exactly right.

[Jenna Fischer]

So it's deeper than that. Just unpopularity.

[Creed Bratton]

I was moved by his performance in that.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah, same. I mean, yeah, he. He crushed it.

[Jenna Fischer]

I get more pictures at Halloween of Pam as a cat and Jim as Three hole punch. I think that is the most popular Halloween costume that I get sent to me.

[Angela Kinsey]

I get myself, well, Angela Martin in an argyle sweater, like, with a turtleneck and a headband, holding a stuffed animal cat, next to some guy in a mustard shirt with a tie and his hair parted down the middle. What about you, Creed.

[Creed Bratton]

I get the joker. The joker walk in as the joker. And then when Brian comes. Damn it, Creed. And he hip checks. You know, that's a later episode.

[Jenna Fischer]

Later when you guys are both.

[Creed Bratton]

But she dressed in the same costume, knocks you over.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, yeah.

[Creed Bratton]

I howl every time I see you.

[Angela Kinsey]

That's a recurring thing.

[Creed Bratton]

Brilliant. Brilliant.

[Jenna Fischer]

Angela, I want to talk to you about your costume, please. Okay. Michael comes over to accounting. You're dressed as a cat. There's three cats. Phyllis is a cat. I'm a cat. You're a cat.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yes. Actually, we could do really quickly the rundown of costumes. Kelly is Dorothy. Phyllis, Pam and Angela are cats. Dwight is a Sith Lord. Kevin is the Dunder Mifflin superhero. Creed is a vampire. Oscar is a lady.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah. I don't know if he's a character lady or just a lady.

[Jenna Fischer]

I think he's a lady.

[Angela Kinsey]

He's just a lady. Jim is three hole punch. Jim Stanley, no costume. Ryan the Timp. No costume. And of course, Michael has the two heads.

[Creed Bratton]

And Devin was a tramp.

[Angela Kinsey]

And Devin was a hobo.

[Creed Bratton]

Hobo, yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

Angela, why does your cat only have two lines for whiskers and not three?

[Angela Kinsey]

Jenna? I don't know. Why does my cat have purple fake eyelashes?

[Jenna Fischer]

Why does your cat have weird cat ears? I mean, you. I just want to say that as the resident cat lady of the office, I think you had the worst cat costume.

[Angela Kinsey]

Why do I have a fuzzy white skirt?

[Jenna Fischer]

Why?

[Angela Kinsey]

With a giant tail that was almost impossible to sit in? It was so. And the skirt didn't quite fit me, and it kept, like, heading south. I had to keep, like, grabbing it and yanking it up.

[Creed Bratton]

It almost ruined the whole episode. That who.

[Angela Kinsey]

I think now there was such a big meeting about your hair that my cat costume was just like, eh, just put this on her.

[Jenna Fischer]

But you ended up wearing that costume, like, two times for years. And it's the worst one. It really is. I have a vague memory, a very, very vague memory of being in makeup and having them discuss how they were going to differentiate the three different cats. And it was decided that Phyllis and I would have three whiskers on each cheek and you would only have two.

[Angela Kinsey]

My cat was maimed.

[Jenna Fischer]

I feel like that happened. I don't know if we can ask Laverne. Laverne was our makeup artist. I don't know.

[Angela Kinsey]

I don't know.

[Jenna Fischer]

But I mean, right? I just think you have.

[Creed Bratton]

You were smaller than. You didn't deserve three.

[Angela Kinsey]

They decided to give me less. I have to wallow There's a height reference. Yeah. While we're talking about this scene in accounting, I have to point out that we don't often. Our camera guys didn't often do, like, a full character slow panned, you know, and they do such a hilarious one. They start at Kevin's feet and they go all the way to his head while he's filing to get him in full red leotard with his socks all.

[Creed Bratton]

Missing and, like, bulging in wrong areas.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, my gosh.

[Creed Bratton]

That's great. It's great.

[Angela Kinsey]

There's a great slow pan of Kevin.

[Jenna Fischer]

We should say we loved dressing up in these Halloween costumes because our outfits normally were pretty boilerplate. It was almost like we wore uniforms in a way.

[Angela Kinsey]

And our wardrobe people loved, loved the wardrobe crew, loved getting to dress us because it was just like, gray turtleneck.

[Jenna Fischer]

Angela, give us a note card.

[Angela Kinsey]

All right. At 5 minutes, 23 seconds. Creed. This is a runner. This is a reference to a runner. But this is a really big deal.

[Jenna Fischer]

What?

[Angela Kinsey]

Kelly has braided, like, pigtails. Her hair is down.

[Jenna Fischer]

Her hair is down.

[Angela Kinsey]

Her hair is down.

[Creed Bratton]

Oh, my God.

[Angela Kinsey]

It's not in a bun. Mindy had a bun for, like, the whole first season. And then about.

[Jenna Fischer]

I guess it was like a twist, a French twist, I think.

[Angela Kinsey]

I mean, she looked. Her character really changes her look. And then she starts having her hair down. She gets a little sassy. But this has been a big thing. We've been wondering, when did they change her hair? This is the beginning.

[Jenna Fischer]

I see. I don't think this counts. Cause it's a Halloween costume. What? Yeah. I'm sorry.

[Creed Bratton]

No, no, I agree. I have to say, I'm with Jenna.

[Jenna Fischer]

Thank you.

[Creed Bratton]

It doesn't count.

[Angela Kinsey]

Well, I don't know if I like you here, Creed. All of a sudden, I have someone to veto. Two gets one. Oh, fart. Well, I got pretty excited because her hair was down.

[Creed Bratton]

But it was a costume, though, wasn't it? Rebride. Encourage her thing.

[Jenna Fischer]

That's what I'm saying.

[Angela Kinsey]

By talking to Jenna or Creed. I don't know anymore. All right.

[Jenna Fischer]

You know the scene where Pam and Jim set up a resume for Dwight to get a job someplace else? I have a fan question about that. RCJH asked. What were you typing on the computer when you and Jim were working on Dwight's resume? I was typing what we were saying.

[Angela Kinsey]

Of course you were, Jenna. Of course you were, because you're so method.

[Jenna Fischer]

I was very method.

[Angela Kinsey]

You're like, I am a responsible person.

[Creed Bratton]

You would type out your lines around the computer. While you were doing it?

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah. Because Jim would say, like, I would say, what should we say here? And then he would say what we should say, and I would type it. And I. See, here's the thing. I'm very proud of my typing skills.

[Creed Bratton]

We know. We know.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

Creed, do we know or do we know? I know.

[Creed Bratton]

We really know. I'm back on your side, Angela.

[Angela Kinsey]

Thank you, Creed.

[Jenna Fischer]

Is this how it feels?

[Creed Bratton]

Yes.

[Jenna Fischer]

Is this how it feels?

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah, we know.

[Creed Bratton]

If you walk in this thing with just your fingers, you'd be sitting there, we'd be talking about stuff at Craftser, and your fingers would be going like your typing.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, now, that is not.

[Creed Bratton]

It was too much. It was too much.

[Angela Kinsey]

Tone it down. And then you would tell us about your typing speed and your level of accuracy.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, you should know I was typing our actual lines.

[Creed Bratton]

Well, I think that's pretty great, though.

[Angela Kinsey]

Because she could and I can and I will.

[Creed Bratton]

And you're fast, too.

[Angela Kinsey]

That's very fast.

[Jenna Fischer]

Michael's scene with Dwight, when he calls Dwight into his office and he tells Dwight that he has to fire someone. And Dwight starts naming all the people he should fire. But then Michael implies maybe it should be Dwight. And then Michael's second head starts talking to Dwight. Do you remember. Do you remember Steve and Rain laughing during that scene? Because I do. I remember. They could not get through that scene. I'm sitting out at reception in the background, and they were cracking themselves up in there.

[Angela Kinsey]

Rain was literally doubling over. Cause he was, like, kind of leaning forward, and he would just kind of collapse into himself. He was laughing so hard.

[Jenna Fischer]

There must be deleted scenes of that scene.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, man, I would love to see that.

[Creed Bratton]

I would love to see that.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah.

[Creed Bratton]

That is a funny scene.

[Angela Kinsey]

Well, Paul Feig called in when we did Office Olympics, and he said one of the things he loved about directing episodes of our shows is that you could really find a shot that was cool and you would have the support of Greg to just kind of go with it. And he sort of found that shot where Dwight, as the Sith Lord, has his, like, hood. Kind of like, it looks like it's straight out of the movie, you know?

[Creed Bratton]

Yes.

[Angela Kinsey]

And they just loved it.

[Creed Bratton]

And shot from the side, right?

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah, shot from the side. And they sort of just found that and went with it. And Greg was totally supportive of it. And Paul was talking about, like, how fun that was to have that creative freedom and find those little nuggets. And it's so cool looking.

[Creed Bratton]

We had a lot of shots like that that just weren't the cookie cutter or stereotyped, you know, sitcom stuff. And we'd get to interesting shots because the cameramen were so great.

[Jenna Fischer]

And something that we haven't talked about on the show yet is the idea of actor marks. So usually on a television show, so that they can get these shots, they put a little piece of tape on the ground. And if you. For example, if Jim had to walk up to Pam's desk, there would be a little mark on the ground, and he would have to stand exactly on that mark. And it's really hard to do. I mean, do you guys find it hard to do? I'm always. I feel like I'm always looking down for the tape, and then I get to my spot and I look up. It's like a hard thing to manage. Well, on our show, we did not have that. They would just let us wander. They would say, just walk up in this general area and the camera will find you. It was so Loosey Goosey, so amazing.

[Angela Kinsey]

Didn't you say you were in a band called Loosey Goosey?

[Creed Bratton]

I was in a band called Loosey Goosey. I was in a band. You were not with Peter White, who used to play with Al Stewart, and he probably still does. We had a band with Dave Camp on sax. And I remember we played the rap party for this movie I did with. Worked on with Bo Bridges at the beach house at Lloyd Bridges House. Lucy Goosey played out there, and they were dancing out there like Annette Funicello and the surf and stuff. Lucy Goosey.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, my gosh. Creed, we just need you to just sit here and tell us about all your stuff.

[Jenna Fischer]

Creed, you have literally the most interesting life. I have a fan question for you.

[Creed Bratton]

I'm a fascinating character.

[Jenna Fischer]

You are.

[Creed Bratton]

And humble, too.

[Jenna Fischer]

This is a fan question from Todd Myers, and this feels like a good place to ask it. Who is the biggest rock star you ever partied with during your touring days?

[Creed Bratton]

Oh, wow.

[Jenna Fischer]

Maybe it doesn't have to be the biggest.

[Creed Bratton]

It can be.

[Jenna Fischer]

What's the most interesting?

[Creed Bratton]

I lived for a while at the Camrose Highland Estates, and Linda Ronstadt was there. Laura Nero was there. Jackson Brown used to. There was a lot of people playing at this place and lived there, and they would play their instrument. You hear the instruments going around the Cameron Highland, Cameron Highland Estates. And Butch trucks from the Allman Brothers was there. And one night, Butch came over.

[Angela Kinsey]

Wait, wait, wait. I'm so sorry. You all lived together?

[Creed Bratton]

No, we lived at the estates in little bungalows. You could rent these bungalows at the Camrose, Highland Estates. Now, it's been fixed up a little bit. It's right next to the veterans foreign war place. I think they're right on Highland Boulevard. Right on Highland Boulevard. Right off the. Get off the freeway. It's right there.

[Angela Kinsey]

And, like, a lot of artists.

[Creed Bratton]

A lot of artists were living there. So Butch Trucks from the Allman Brothers came over one night, and Griffin from Bread and Jesse, Ed Davis, who used to play with John Lennon, came over one night, and we. And we jammed. We jammed for hours and hours and hours and hours, and there was a lot of heavyweight guitar players there at that night. I remember Butch wanted me to go back to Alabama and be the lead singer for this group, Cowboy. But that never happened.

[Jenna Fischer]

Creed, your life is amazing.

[Angela Kinsey]

Jenna, I don't know that we would have been hip enough to hang out there.

[Jenna Fischer]

We would not.

[Angela Kinsey]

Well, I have a card right here.

[Jenna Fischer]

Tell me.

[Angela Kinsey]

Seven minutes, 44 seconds. Creed. We have some PPC raw. Oh, boy.

[Jenna Fischer]

I've got it down.

[Angela Kinsey]

Pam versus Angela.

[Jenna Fischer]

Angela Sass.

[Angela Kinsey]

Angela Sass. But also. Same category. Same category.

[Jenna Fischer]

What?

[Angela Kinsey]

I get this. So my character says, what? You brought brownies? Like, what did you bring? And you're like, I brought brownies and, like, but I brought cookies. Same category. Yeah, same category. You should have brought something savory, you know?

[Creed Bratton]

Andrew, is that what you say in the thing? Same category.

[Angela Kinsey]

I say, same category.

[Creed Bratton]

I remember that.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, I mean, I feel like there's a backstory missing here. Did you assign me something other than brownies?

[Angela Kinsey]

I. Sure I did.

[Jenna Fischer]

That's your implication.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yes.

[Jenna Fischer]

Your implication. Implying that I went rogue and brought brownies instead of chips and dip.

[Angela Kinsey]

I clearly, at some point.

[Jenna Fischer]

Don't you say, where's the chips and dip?

[Angela Kinsey]

Or something?

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes.

[Angela Kinsey]

I clearly, at some party planning committee meeting, said, all right, I will make sugar cookies. Why don't you bring the dip and chips? And then you show up with these freaking brownies. How dare you. Wait, Sam, can we see that those aren't chips and dip?

[Jenna Fischer]

No, I made brownies. What?

[Angela Kinsey]

I'm just trying to figure out why you're sabotaging things. I made brownies, and I made cookies. Same category.

[Jenna Fischer]

All right, after watching that clip, I will admit I think Pam did go a little rogue. Clearly, you assigned me chips and dip.

[Angela Kinsey]

Thank you.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

Thank you. Same category.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah, same category.

[Angela Kinsey]

All right. I needed to hear that, because I think, Jenna, if it was your house and you were having a party, you would this. Like, you would be like, hey, come on.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah. All right, guys, I think we should go to a break and then we'll come back and finish the episode.

[Creed Bratton]

All right?

[Angela Kinsey]

Creed, how are you doing?

[Creed Bratton]

I'm doing wonderful.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh my God. I love having you here, Creed.

[Angela Kinsey]

I do, too. Start fresh in the New Year as you set resolutions for 2024, consider how learning a new language can enrich your life, whether through travel, career advancement, or cultural appreciation. Keeping in mind everything you've learned over the last year, it's time to build on that. And learning a new language can help you connect with others and explore new cultures. With that in mind, there's no better tool than Rosetta Stone, the most trusted language learning program available on desktop and mobile. Rosetta Stone immerses you in the language so you truly learn to think, speak, and understand it naturally. With Rosetta Stone's intuitive approach. There are no English translations, you're fully immersed, and the built in Truaccent feature acts like a personal accent coach, giving you real time feedback to make sure you sound just right. Don't put off learning that language. There's no better time than right now to get started. Start the new year off with a resolution you can reach today. Listeners can take advantage of this Rosetta Stones lifetime membership for 50% off, visit RosettaStone.com Rs10. That's 50% off. Unlimited access to 25 language courses for the rest of your Life. Redeem your 50% rosettastone.com Rs10 today what is DAX? Are you tracking all our cars on.

[Jenna Fischer]

Carvana Value Tracker on all our devices?

[Creed Bratton]

Yes, Kristen, yes I am.

[Jenna Fischer]

While I've been looking for my phone for In Dax's domain we see all.

[Creed Bratton]

So we always know what our cars are worth.

[Jenna Fischer]

All of them.

[Creed Bratton]

All of them. Value surge trucks up 3.9%.

[Jenna Fischer]

That's a great offer.

[Angela Kinsey]

I know.

[Creed Bratton]

So sell Track your car's value with Carvana Value Tracker today. This cold and flu season, Instacart is here to help deliver all your sick day essentials. Whether you're in prevention mode and need vitamins, hand sanitizer, and that lemon tea your Nana swears by, or you're in healing mode and need medicine, soup and a lot more tissues. Simply download the Instacart app to get sick day supplies that reinvigorate or relieve.

[Angela Kinsey]

Delivered in as fast as 30 minutes. Plus enjoy.

[Jenna Fischer]

Zero delivery fees on your first three orders.

[Creed Bratton]

Excludes restaurant orders. Service fees and terms apply.

[Angela Kinsey]

And we are back with my delightful neighbor and an office favorite, Creed Ratten.

[Jenna Fischer]

Thank you Creed. We're making you come back on this podcast all the time. I hope you're Ready?

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah. You know what? We could carpool.

[Creed Bratton]

We could.

[Angela Kinsey]

I could swing by and pick you up. You're like, oh, my God. Angela. Lurking, lurking. These office ladies, you guys, do you.

[Jenna Fischer]

Remember the scene where Jim takes a phone call from a potential employer for Dwight and he does a Michael Scott impression? It's really good. John does a very good job.

[Angela Kinsey]

It's at 8 minutes, 34 seconds.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, you've got the time code. Guys. Is this when we find out that Michael's middle name is Gary?

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, is this the first time it's said?

[Jenna Fischer]

Because he says Michael G. Scott. Michael Gary Scott.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

I don't know.

[Creed Bratton]

Because later it was when we had the scene where we show him as a little boy and he didn't get all the love that he wanted because he wanted a family. That's later, right?

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Creed Bratton]

Okay. That was Gary. We knew Gary there. That might be. That might be the first time.

[Jenna Fischer]

I don't know. I'm putting it out there.

[Angela Kinsey]

Our fans will let us know for sure. I loved the scene. I just thought that John crushed it as Michael Scott. And it also had the Jim and Pam air high five.

[Jenna Fischer]

The first air high five.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yes.

[Creed Bratton]

I'm getting. Creed's getting misty eyed.

[Angela Kinsey]

I got. I literally, when I saw it, I think I audibly said out loud to no one, aw.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah, super cute.

[Angela Kinsey]

Okay, so I have a question about the air high five.

[Jenna Fischer]

Say it.

[Angela Kinsey]

So I was trying to do the air high five with my daughter Isabelle. Now, granted, she's 11, I'm 48. Maybe our timing's off. We couldn't get it.

[Jenna Fischer]

It's difficult.

[Angela Kinsey]

You guys did it perfectly.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah. And you know what? We kind of did it perfectly the first time. It was meant to be. It was meant to be. That speaks to our chemistry, I believe. So shortly after this momentous air high five, very sadly, Pam tells Jim he should go for the job at Cumberland Mills, but the job is in Maryland and he is so hurt.

[Creed Bratton]

This happens a lot with you guys?

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah.

[Creed Bratton]

Him going off to do a job. Recurring theme, Right.

[Jenna Fischer]

It is because he's, you know, later he's gonna go off to the other.

[Creed Bratton]

Branch and then later to New York and do that stuff with the sports thing. Right. Kept happening.

[Angela Kinsey]

And then you go to art camp or school?

[Jenna Fischer]

Art camp. I went to a university, thank you very much. And then she goes to art camp.

[Creed Bratton]

Plaster of Paris making place.

[Angela Kinsey]

She. But yes, they constantly are being pushed together and pulled apart. Right?

[Creed Bratton]

Yeah, they are. Always. Yeah, always.

[Jenna Fischer]

It's true. But sometimes, just through a comment, we're seeing in this second season, in each episode, there seems to be a really sweet moment with Jim and Pam and then a moment where someone gets their feelings, their feelings hurt a little bit.

[Angela Kinsey]

So many feelings.

[Jenna Fischer]

So many feelings.

[Creed Bratton]

Feelings.

[Jenna Fischer]

But then at the end, Jim admits that if it weren't for Pam, he would take the job at Cumberland Mills because the pay is twice as much. It's a better job, yada yada.

[Angela Kinsey]

So why is he staying? He just basically admitted why he stays at this job.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes.

[Creed Bratton]

Yeah. What was the one where he admitted that crabs are his favorite food? So he was going to go to this Maryland. Was that Maryland? But that was it last episode. That was the crab thing.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

Soft shelled crab.

[Creed Bratton]

Soft shelled crab.

[Angela Kinsey]

Apparently one of his favorites.

[Creed Bratton]

Yes. Who knew?

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, he eats that tuna sandwich every day for lunch, so he is a seafood fan.

[Angela Kinsey]

So he just stinks all the time.

[Creed Bratton]

I guess Andy could have called him crab if he wanted to, but, oh.

[Jenna Fischer]

Crabby Jim eats tuna sandwiches and Pam eats sour cream and onion chips.

[Angela Kinsey]

They're a matchmaker.

[Creed Bratton]

And I eat mung beans, apparently.

[Jenna Fischer]

Wow.

[Creed Bratton]

What is there?

[Jenna Fischer]

The smells in this.

[Angela Kinsey]

I know.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah. Oh, dear. All right, so finally, Michael asked for Jim's help and he wants to do some role playing where he tries to fire someone. And that is just a delicious scene. Did you enjoy that one?

[Angela Kinsey]

How did John get through it? Is what I want to know. When. When, like, Steve is. Michael is like, why are you doing that?

[Jenna Fischer]

I'm gonna kill myself. And he's like, wait, is this you as you or who are you right now?

[Angela Kinsey]

What is happening?

[Jenna Fischer]

John has to check in. And this brings us to your big scene.

[Creed Bratton]

Oh, here we are.

[Jenna Fischer]

After that scene, he calls you in and tell us, break it down for us. What was it like to sit in that chair? And now you're gonna launch into five pages with Steve Carell, right?

[Angela Kinsey]

I mean, I never had five pages with Steve Carell or six and a half. You said six and a half.

[Creed Bratton]

Six and a half originally. They may have cut it down, but it took a long hours to get through that thing.

[Angela Kinsey]

And I mean, I never had more than a few lines with him one on one. So, yeah, let's hear about it.

[Creed Bratton]

Well, first of all, there was a scene where I slowly take out the teeth, you know, and I resolve myself. I gird my loins, as it were. I stand up with an irresolute, and I march in like Nesferatu, you know, with a purpose.

[Jenna Fischer]

Are these some of your notes that you wrote in your script for intention?

[Angela Kinsey]

This Is just him storytelling, Jenna. This is the B storytelling.

[Creed Bratton]

I'm into the story right now. Yes, yes, exactly.

[Angela Kinsey]

So you march in.

[Creed Bratton]

So I march in, and then I remember, I sit back like this, and I put my. Cross my feet, and I kind of hatch down, and I have my arms crossed because I'm protecting myself from attack. Like this. And he goes, well, Al, Creed, I just don't like this. I said, well, you want to leave? And he says, no, No, I don't. No. Yes, you do. No, No, I don't.

[Angela Kinsey]

You're the hardest person to fire ever.

[Creed Bratton]

No, no.

[Jenna Fischer]

Really.

[Creed Bratton]

No, I know. I'm very happy here. He says, creed, I've got to fire somebody, and it's got to be. Well, then fire Devin. You know, he's horrible at his job. You know, I'm so much better at my job. And I'm doing the Creed voice right now, too. It goes up a bit, you know, and then I just fought. I just fought for my survival. And we kept doing it over and over and over, and finally. And Steve is so great. It's like you have all done scenes with people where it's forcing it. It's so hard to get through a scene. Working with Stephen was like that. He kept tossing me, like, these big beach balls. I had a Nerf bat, which is easy. It was easy to hit those things, you know, God bless him.

[Angela Kinsey]

He's a very giving. He's a very giving actor, you know? And when you're in scenes with him, he's so eager for you to get the laugh. He doesn't. Some actors, guys out there, they want to get the laugh. They want that moment. And Steve is so eager to share it. And really, just what makes the scene work is what he focuses on.

[Creed Bratton]

But Dave Rogers later, he said, what made him laugh the most is when I stood up and said, no, no, you're doing a good job. Good for you.

[Jenna Fischer]

I love that.

[Creed Bratton]

I pointed my finger, and now, again, all that stuff was just off the top of my head.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah. When I rewatched it, I was like, oh, that is Creed. That is classic. That is just Creed being Creed.

[Creed Bratton]

Yeah. Yeah, that is, actually.

[Angela Kinsey]

Cause I feel like you've left me voicemails where you're like, hey, pumpkin.

[Creed Bratton]

I was just stuttering perhaps, too.

[Angela Kinsey]

But you were doing a bit.

[Creed Bratton]

I was doing a bit, yeah. No, but still, I look at that with fond memories. It was a great. And I thank Steve so much for being so gracious as an actor to work with, you know?

[Jenna Fischer]

So after that scene, Michael does fire Devon.

[Creed Bratton]

Right.

[Jenna Fischer]

In a much shorter scene, Devin gets so angry, he announces to the office if anyone wants to join me at Poor Richard's Bar. Poor Richard's Bar? Is this the first mention of Poor Richard's Bar?

[Creed Bratton]

Well, he says he gives him a chili. He gives him a.

[Jenna Fischer]

She says Michael gives him a Chili's coupon.

[Angela Kinsey]

A nice nod back to the Dundees, and he rips it up.

[Creed Bratton]

He rips it up.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah, but have we. Because we end up mentioning Poor Richard's Bar over and over again. And we go there eventually. But have we mentioned it yet? Oh, in the basketball episode, I think Daryl suggests that we all get drinks at Poor Richard's.

[Angela Kinsey]

Okay. In that scene, though, where Devin invites everyone to Poor Richard's, there's three people he does not invite.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, yeah, you're right. He lists a bunch of names. Who does he.

[Angela Kinsey]

It's very personal. It's personal.

[Creed Bratton]

Who are they?

[Angela Kinsey]

He does not invite Michael.

[Jenna Fischer]

Of course.

[Angela Kinsey]

He does not invite Dwight. He does not invite Angela.

[Jenna Fischer]

He doesn't invite you.

[Angela Kinsey]

Why?

[Creed Bratton]

There's nothing. They just made this arbitrary. Arbitrary?

[Angela Kinsey]

I'm sure I've been, you know, bitchy to him at some point. He didn't. I'm sure.

[Jenna Fischer]

Or maybe he just knew you wouldn't go.

[Angela Kinsey]

Maybe. So.

[Creed Bratton]

He might have a crush on you too.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, come on.

[Creed Bratton]

Oh, he might have. You never know.

[Jenna Fischer]

So he leaves and he smashes a pumpkin.

[Creed Bratton]

There we go. Pumpkin.

[Jenna Fischer]

And when we go downstairs, we see Hank, the security guy at the security desk, who was played by Hugh Dayne.

[Creed Bratton]

God rest his children.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes. Who passed away a couple of years ago.

[Angela Kinsey]

He was so nice, just a sweetheart. And so great as Hank. His delivery was always perfect.

[Creed Bratton]

Amazing.

[Jenna Fischer]

Is this the first time we see Hank at the security desk?

[Angela Kinsey]

I think so.

[Creed Bratton]

It has to be.

[Angela Kinsey]

You guys leave, you know, for to go to the dojo.

[Jenna Fischer]

I don't think we saw him, though.

[Angela Kinsey]

You don't see him? No.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, it's brilliant because there he is and he's sitting there. And it's another example of introducing a character in an episode where they don't speak. But they will eventually. Yeah, they will come back. He did that with so many people. He did that with Craig in the warehouse, in the Alliance. You just see him in the background watching Dwight pop out of the box. Creed, of course, you were in the background forever. And then now Hugh Dane in the background is the security officer.

[Angela Kinsey]

Just so thoughtful. And. And this thing that I love about our show and we've talked about, Creed, is that Greg had the audience just start in the middle. He doesn't explain things to you. You discover it as you go. It's not spoon fed information.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes.

[Angela Kinsey]

I love that. Well, I don't think we can end this episode without talking about Michael's list of former costumes.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, please list them.

[Angela Kinsey]

Okay. He's really, really bummed the camera crew wasn't there the Halloween before when he was Janet Jackson's boob. Very topical. He's really bummed you guys missed it. When he was Monica Lewinsky's twice dress. Yeah, twice. And then he was Monica Lewinsky the year before.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes.

[Angela Kinsey]

And then before that he was O.J. simpson. So where does he pick these very topical, great costumes that he was really sad the camera crew missed. I know you're gonna want to talk about very in with Michael and the trick or treaters because it's just that was such a touching moment.

[Jenna Fischer]

Every time I watched it.

[Angela Kinsey]

I did too.

[Creed Bratton]

I did too.

[Jenna Fischer]

Every time.

[Creed Bratton]

I was loving the show. And then when it got to that episode, he just killed me. I said, oh, my God, this is a perfect episode. One of the great ones, you know?

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes. At the end of the episode, Michael goes home and you see him sitting alone, very lonely on the couch. And then the doorbell rings and there are trick or treaters at the door. And there was a big debate on set about how exactly this scene should play out, about whether or not the kids should be nice to Michael or if they should be annoyed by Michael, how Michael should be with the kids, should he be off putting, should he be kind? And the writers and producers also. Well, they also discussed if he should be happy or sad while handing out the candy. And they decided that they were going to start on that spy shot of Michael looking sad and lonely all alone on Halloween night. But when he gets to the door, I'm gonna cry saying it. He lights up, he makes his silly jokes, the kids laugh.

[Angela Kinsey]

The kids love him, love him, they.

[Jenna Fischer]

Love him and it ends on him making a connection. I just think it is the most kind and heartbreaking, wonderful scene. I think it's moments like this that make the Office so special. We just spend an entire episode kind of laughing at Michael Scott or finding him annoying. But then in the end, he just breaks your heart with his vulnerability.

[Creed Bratton]

Take them all. Don't they drop him, don't worry. Take them off.

[Jenna Fischer]

Take them all, take them all and they're all yours.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Creed Bratton]

That's the first time we saw him just so loving, really. Don't you think so at that moment, we saw his heart. We saw his Heart come out there at that moment.

[Angela Kinsey]

Well. And you tore me up. Tore me up. And you have to think that Michael is somewhere being a great dad. Yeah, he's a great dad. And I wish we could see that. That's the one thing when we talk about a reunion, obviously, you know, we don't want to tread on hallowed ground. That is the office. And we don't want to mess with anything that everyone loves so much. But, boy, I would love to see where some of these people are and I would love to see Michael as a dad.

[Creed Bratton]

Yes, yes.

[Jenna Fischer]

Do you agree that when you watch that scene, I think more than any other scene I can recall, I see Steve.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yes.

[Jenna Fischer]

That is candy.

[Creed Bratton]

Absolutely.

[Jenna Fischer]

That's the kind of just kind hearted gentleman that he is.

[Creed Bratton]

Sweet, sweet man.

[Angela Kinsey]

And I think that's part of the reason too, why it hits you that hard, Jenna. Because we see our friend and we see the kind person he is that gets to shine through, which often as Michael Scott does not.

[Creed Bratton]

No, he is not.

[Angela Kinsey]

This is true. Well, I have one little final piece of trivia.

[Jenna Fischer]

All right.

[Angela Kinsey]

In the credits at the end, as it rolls over the Deedledee logo, which Deedledee is Greg's company. His daughter Haley actually drew the picture that says Deedledee when she was little. You hear? And it's the only time it ever happens. Dwight's voice say, quiet you. Oh, really, Angela?

[Creed Bratton]

Do we know why that happened?

[Angela Kinsey]

I think they loved it. They pulled it from earlier in the episode when Dwight is the Sith Lord.

[Creed Bratton]

Is that the only time that it's.

[Angela Kinsey]

The only time there's dialogue over Deedledee?

[Jenna Fischer]

Wow.

[Creed Bratton]

Oh, I'm kind of moved by that.

[Angela Kinsey]

That's kind of cool, right?

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

Quiet you.

[Creed Bratton]

Quiet you.

[Jenna Fischer]

We did it, guys.

[Angela Kinsey]

We did it.

[Jenna Fischer]

That was the Halloween episode.

[Creed Bratton]

Creed, thank you.

[Jenna Fischer]

Thank you so much for coming. But before you go, will you tell us what are you up to now? What are you doing? You have an album and you're touring.

[Creed Bratton]

I'm touring. I was in Europe, UK and in Scandinavia for. For a month touring and doing shows. Had like seven, so I'm bragging now, seven sold out shows in the UK went great. I'm off to Australia, New Zealand in.

[Angela Kinsey]

February and then you did the whole east coast because I was texting with.

[Creed Bratton]

You then I did the east coast. Had a great tour there too. And the fans. And I want to thank all the office fans for coming out and supporting my character and my music. And it truly means a lot. I'm having my second childhood now doing this and by the way, I have a surprise for you ladies. What I brought, which I think may be the single. If there's going to be a single from my. I'm gonna play you a little snippet if you'd like.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes, please.

[Creed Bratton]

Of the album. Can we do this in there? Can I play it right now for you?

[Angela Kinsey]

And you guys, before he plays his song, I just want to encourage you. If Creed is coming to a town near you, go see his show. It is fantastic. And apparently he also makes fun of me during it quite a bit.

[Creed Bratton]

Angela.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yes. And we are trying to. To figure out one of your locations where I can come on stage and give it to you right back.

[Jenna Fischer]

Where do people find the schedule?

[Creed Bratton]

Creedbratton.com we love you, Creed.

[Angela Kinsey]

All right, let's hear it.

[Creed Bratton]

Here we go. And the ride you tell you taught me how you taught me then how I could one day be your friend it's not so hard just don't lie don't control then by and by Whippy side by side we'll be side by side Forwards left to the right. All right, that's that song. There it is, gang. What do you think?

[Jenna Fischer]

Well. Angela sobbing I'm.

[Angela Kinsey]

I just start crying. The song is so beautiful, Creed. But also. And I totally am emotional, but. Oh, my God, it might be too emotional. Oh, well, you know what? It just. Do you ever have just, like, a wave hit you where you're like, you know, you're in a special moment?

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah.

[Creed Bratton]

Yes.

[Angela Kinsey]

And it just hit me.

[Creed Bratton]

Well, I want to contave with the two of you today.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Creed Bratton]

I feel like we're in a special moment.

[Angela Kinsey]

It just felt really special and like something I'll always remember. And I'm facing my best friend, who is now my boss, lady, business partner. And I'm so proud of us and. And this journey we've taken together. And then. I just love you, Creed.

[Creed Bratton]

You're like, I love you, sweetie.

[Angela Kinsey]

You're like, you know, well, now I'm family and.

[Creed Bratton]

Well, I, I, I, I. Ladies and gentlemen, when I. The last album I did, I had a song called more than you know, and I. One of the first people I ever played it for was for you and Josh, you know, at your house, you know, I came over and acoustically played it, you know, and you got. And she started crying.

[Angela Kinsey]

I started crying.

[Creed Bratton]

I knew I had a winner then.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, Creed, some of my favorite memories on the set were at lunchtime when you would play guitar and Ed would play banjo. Ed's trailer was next to mine. You'd go in his trailer, and the two of you would play through my.

[Creed Bratton]

Lunch, and you guys would call you. You'd come over and stick your head in and listen.

[Angela Kinsey]

We'd come over and hang out for years. My alarm clock is banjo music because it would make me think of you guys. And sometimes, especially when I was pregnant, if we had a little break, I might take a cat nap and I'd wake up to banjo music. And it was, like, so pleasing that I made my alarm clock banjo because I thought, oh, maybe I won't wake up. Grumpy.

[Creed Bratton]

Ed and I had so much fun. He's a great banjo player. I haven't played with him in a long time because we're working all the time, but I would love to.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, yeah. You guys were great together. Well, thank you again.

[Creed Bratton]

Thank you so much for having me. My dear friends.

[Jenna Fischer]

Creed, can we end with a final fan question?

[Creed Bratton]

Yes, of course.

[Jenna Fischer]

This is from Tim Blair. Tim asked, do you have a favorite Creed line from the whole show?

[Creed Bratton]

Which one's Pam? Which question? Pam? Gosh, I don't know. It probably would be someone making soup or which one's Pam?

[Angela Kinsey]

Or someone making soup.

[Creed Bratton]

But I think actually I would have to be. In the 60s, I made love to many, many women, often outdoors in the rain and the mud. It's possible a man slipped in. There'd be no way of knowing.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes. Yes. Applause from the booth. And that is how you end an episode, my friend. Thank you, Creed. Oh, everyone, please join us next week when we will be talking about the fight.

[Angela Kinsey]

The fight.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

We'll miss you, Creed. You have to come back.

[Creed Bratton]

Well, I'd love to come back.

[Angela Kinsey]

Okay.

[Jenna Fischer]

Thank you for listening to Office Lady's second drink.

[Angela Kinsey]

This episode was initially created in collaboration with Earwolf.

[Jenna Fischer]

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

[Angela Kinsey]

Our executive producer is Cassie Jerkins, and our audio engineer and associate producer is Daniela Silva.

[Jenna Fischer]

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

[Angela Kinsey]

Office Ladies is mixed and mastered by Chris Basel.

[Jenna Fischer]

Our theme song is Rubber Tree by Creed Bratton.