The BBC Office Pilot with Lucy Davis

Summary

Podcast Summary: Office Ladies – "The BBC Office Pilot with Lucy Davis"

Release Date: July 16, 2025

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Introduction

In this special episode of Office Ladies, hosts Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey dive deep into the origins of The Office by revisiting the original BBC pilot episode. They are joined by a very special guest, Lucy Davis, who portrayed Dawn Tinsley in the UK version of the show. This reunion offers listeners a unique behind-the-scenes look at the creation and early days of one of the most beloved workplace comedies.

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Guest Introduction: Lucy Davis

Jenna Fischer introduces Lucy Davis with warmth and enthusiasm, highlighting her roles in other notable productions such as Shaun of the Dead, Wonder Woman, and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. Lucy herself expresses excitement about being part of the podcast:

Lucy Davis [03:58]: "I’m glad."

The hosts reveal their personal connection, with Angela mentioning that Lucy is a friend and someone she reached out to for this episode, emphasizing the camaraderie among The Office cast.

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Casting and Audition Stories

Lucy shares her audition experience for The Office pilot, providing insights into the casting process alongside Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant. She recounts the initial auditions where she performed a scene where her character, Dawn, is "fake fired":

Lucy Davis [05:13]: "So I just exited the room and went. And then I just heard Ricky, and I was like, apparently that was okay."

Interestingly, both Lucy and Jenna used the same audition scene for their respective roles in the US version:

Jenna Fischer [05:13]: "That's what I auditioned with."

This overlap underscores the shared roots of both versions of the show.

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Behind the Scenes of the BBC Pilot

Lucy delves into the unique aspects of the BBC pilot, discussing elements that were later altered in the US adaptation. One significant change was the use of narration in the original pilot, which was eventually removed to enhance the comedic and storytelling focus:

Lucy Davis [11:15]: "We remade it again and had to. Without him."

She also shares a humorous tidbit about the original theme song being Elo's "Mr. Blue Sky":

Jenna Fischer [11:23]: "We couldn't use that song because another show nabbed it."

The transition to a new theme song marked the shift toward the version of The Office that fans worldwide recognize today.

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Initial Reception and Legacy

Discussing the pilot’s reception, Lucy reveals that the initial audience numbers were dismal, even scoring some of the lowest ratings in BBC history. However, she highlights the gradual rise in popularity as more viewers tuned in:

Lucy Davis [14:14]: "It was a slow build, but it gradually picked up over time."

This slow start contrasts sharply with the immediate success of the US version, illustrating different audience dynamics between the UK and US markets.

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Filming Anecdotes and Bloopers

The conversation turns to the challenges and humorous moments during filming. Lucy recounts numerous takes where Ricky Gervais couldn’t contain his laughter, disrupting scenes and adding a layer of authenticity to the show's humor:

Lucy Davis [22:20]: "He couldn't make you guys stop laughing."

Specific bloopers, such as the infamous scene where David Brent attempts to fire Dawn, showcase the genuine camaraderie and uncontrollable laughter among the cast:

Jenna Fischer [23:09]: "They had to get my reaction that he couldn't be there."

These moments highlight the spontaneous and relaxed atmosphere on set, contributing significantly to the show's natural comedic timing.

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Character Development and Casting Choices

A significant portion of the episode is dedicated to character development and casting choices, particularly focusing on Gareth Keenan, played by Mackenzie Crook, and Tim Canterbury, portrayed by Martin Freeman. Lucy explains how Mackenzie’s selection was initially unexpected but ultimately perfect for the role:

Lucy Davis [35:17]: "Gareth was a little bird guy, but Mackenzie played him so harshly and crudely."

This casting decision mirrors the unexpected yet brilliant portrayal of Dwight Schrute in the US version by Rainn Wilson.

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Wardrobe and Character Aesthetics

Wardrobe discussions reveal the importance of visual storytelling in The Office. Lucy talks about her personal dislike for shopping and how the costume department took charge of her character’s look, ensuring Dawn appeared "officey" yet relatable:

Lucy Davis [30:25]: "I would go and meet with the wardrobe designer, and we would walk around Oxford Street to find the right outfits."

Contrastingly, Jenna shares her own minimalist approach to wardrobe, emphasizing comfort and practicality on set.

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Improvisation and Creative Freedom

The episode highlights the level of improvisation allowed during filming. Lucy praises Ricky and Stephen for their openness to spontaneous creativity, which often led to natural and humorous outcomes:

Lucy Davis [41:05]: "We had the freedom to add things and not add things, and they loved that."

This creative freedom is credited with enriching the show's authenticity and humor, making scenes more engaging and less scripted.

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Comparisons to the US Version

Jenna and Angela draw parallels between the UK and US versions, noting similarities in character names and dynamics. They discuss how certain humorous elements, such as David Brent’s antics, were adapted for the American audience:

Angela Kinsey [35:25]: "The character names are short, one syllable: Tim, Jim, Don, Pam."

This section underscores the thoughtful adaptation process that preserved the original's charm while catering to different cultural sensibilities.

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Emotional Moments and Character Arcs

The conversation shifts to the emotional depth of The Office, particularly focusing on Dawn's unfulfilled aspirations and relationships. Lucy poignantly discusses how Dawn’s character remained with her fiancée, Lee, despite her feelings for Tim, reflecting themes of settling and unspoken emotions:

Lucy Davis [65:36]: "He just wasn’t her person. He’s a decent enough guy, but you just know you don’t want to be with him."

This narrative thread adds a layer of complexity to the show's otherwise comedic facade, showcasing its capacity to blend humor with heartfelt storytelling.

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Legacy and Impact

As the episode concludes, Lucy reflects on the lasting impact of The Office, both in the UK and internationally. She expresses admiration for the show's enduring popularity and its ability to resonate with audiences decades later:

Lucy Davis [72:04]: "The lastingness of it had such an impact."

Jenna and Angela echo these sentiments, celebrating the show's legacy and its continued relevance in popular culture.

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Conclusion

This episode of Office Ladies offers a rich, detailed exploration of The Office's origins, enriched by Lucy Davis's firsthand experiences. From casting tales and improvisational humor to emotional character arcs and the show's enduring legacy, listeners gain an intimate understanding of what made The Office a cornerstone of workplace comedy. The heartfelt reunion among the cast members underscores the lasting friendships forged on set, adding an extra layer of warmth to the discussion.

Notable Quotes:

• Lucy Davis [03:58]: "I’m glad."
• Jenna Fischer [11:23]: "We couldn't use that song because another show nabbed it."
• Lucy Davis [14:14]: "It was a slow build, but it gradually picked up over time."
• Lucy Davis [22:20]: "He couldn't make you guys stop laughing."
• Lucy Davis [35:17]: "Gareth was a little bird guy, but Mackenzie played him so harshly and crudely."
• Lucy Davis [30:25]: "I would go and meet with the wardrobe designer, and we would walk around Oxford Street to find the right outfits."
• Lucy Davis [65:36]: "He just wasn’t her person. He’s a decent enough guy, but you just know you don’t want to be with him."
• Lucy Davis [72:04]: "The lastingness of it had such an impact."

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This comprehensive summary encapsulates the essence of the podcast episode, offering both nostalgia and new insights into The Office's origins. Whether you're a long-time fan or new to the franchise, this discussion provides valuable perspectives on one of television's most iconic shows.

Transcript

[Jenna Fischer]

Hello, everyone. With summer in full swing, you might be getting that familiar urge to refresh your closet. But maybe you don't want to waste money on pieces that you're only going to wear for one season. And that is where Quince comes in.

[Angela Kinsey]

I mean, quince is my favorite. Oh, and I got all my tennis ladies in on quints now, so I bought this one top. You guys, it's so cute. It's like, like a white kind of linen and it's got blue stripes. It's so, so airy because, you know, it's hot out. I don't want to be sweaty.

[Jenna Fischer]

No.

[Angela Kinsey]

And it was not expensive. It looks great with jeans. You can dress it up, you can dress it down.

[Jenna Fischer]

You know, My favorite tab on quints is all the housewares. But listen, give your summer closet an upgrade with Quint. Go to quint.comofficeladies for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns.

[Angela Kinsey]

That's Q-U-I-N C E.com officeladies to get free shipping and 365 day returns.

[Jenna Fischer]

Quince.com officeladies Listen, we're in July now.

[Angela Kinsey]

But there's still a lot of summer left. And Macy's Summer favorites sale has everything you need to get the most out of it. There are 20 to 50% off some favorite brands.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, I'm gonna go shopping because I want more T shirts. Lady, I'm gonna say it. I want to go into the crop.

[Angela Kinsey]

The crop.

[Jenna Fischer]

The crop T shirt. Like, I've been wearing my T shirt super long and I don't think it's doing the right thing for my proportions.

[Angela Kinsey]

We need a waist.

[Jenna Fischer]

I wanna crop it up.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah, crop it up. Well, I just got some big designer sunglasses.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, I love this.

[Angela Kinsey]

I do. Okay, they're sort of big, square and chunky sunglasses. They're not normally what I would wear, but I think they look really cute, especially by the pool.

[Jenna Fischer]

Shop your summer favorites now@macy's.com and get 20 to 50% off from July 18th through through the 20th.

[Angela Kinsey]

Shop now at macy's.com or in store.

[Jenna Fischer]

I'm Jenna Fisher.

[Angela Kinsey]

And I'm Angela Kinsey.

[Jenna Fischer]

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

[Angela Kinsey]

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

[Jenna Fischer]

We're the Office Lady 6.0.

[Angela Kinsey]

Hello, everyone. Welcome to Office Lady 6.0. Today we are Going back to the very beginning of the world of the Office. And we have a special guest to help us travel back in time.

[Jenna Fischer]

Angela, that is such a poetic way to describe this episode.

[Angela Kinsey]

I'm sorry I got here early. I had a lot of free time on my hands. Maybe I overthought that one. You know, I don't know what got into me. I love an origin story. What can I say?

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, it is true that today we are stuck starting at the beginning. We have rewatched the BBC pilot of the Office, and as it turns out, I have a connection to someone from the BBC Office and they're joining us today.

[Angela Kinsey]

You do Tell them who it is. Ladies, my lady friend just texted Lucy Davis because they're pals. Lucy plays Dawn Tinsley in the BBC the Office. She's joining us in the studio today to give us all the behind the scenes details of how the show began.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, you know Lucy from the Office, and she was also in Shaun of the Dead, Wonder Woman and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina. She's just the loveliest person and very, very funny.

[Angela Kinsey]

We are so excited to have her here with us, ladies. She is the original Office lady.

[Jenna Fischer]

She is. So I think we should just jump right in. Here we go. Hello.

[Angela Kinsey]

We have such a fun guest here today, Lucy.

[Lucy Davis]

Hello.

[Angela Kinsey]

It is Lucy Davis.

[Jenna Fischer]

You guys, Dawn Tinsley from the original.

[Angela Kinsey]

Office, the UK version of the Office.

[Jenna Fischer]

Why have we ever had jobs in the first place?

[Lucy Davis]

Oh, I'm glad.

[Jenna Fischer]

This is down to me.

[Lucy Davis]

Okay, good, good.

[Angela Kinsey]

Thank you.

[Lucy Davis]

We can leave Ricky and Steve way out of this.

[Angela Kinsey]

Well, they're not here today. They are.

[Lucy Davis]

So there we are.

[Angela Kinsey]

There you go.

[Lucy Davis]

The show is mine.

[Angela Kinsey]

That's right. That's right.

[Jenna Fischer]

You know, we're so excited to have you on today.

[Lucy Davis]

Same.

[Jenna Fischer]

We're gonna break down the pilot episode of the BBC's the Office.

[Lucy Davis]

Yep.

[Jenna Fischer]

You're gonna take us through it. We're gonna ask you questions.

[Lucy Davis]

Yep.

[Jenna Fischer]

It's pretty cool. But, you know, we always like to kick things off by asking people, how did you get your job on the Office?

[Lucy Davis]

Ooh, I tell you, when. It was 1999 and it was just everyone was breaking up for Christmas, and I had auditioned for a bunch of comedy pilots, none of which I had particularly gelled with. It was still in a time when those, you know, live audience comedies were very, very broad. And nothing against that. I just didn't fit easily into that. And so I went in and I auditioned. Ricky Gervais wasn't there then, and I auditioned. Then I got a call back and then Ricky was there and Steve Merchant, and we were in a tiny room with an extremely large table, so you had to kind of shimmy your way around it. And I did a scene which stayed in the pilot, where dawn gets fake fired.

[Jenna Fischer]

That's what I auditioned with.

[Angela Kinsey]

It is what I auditioned with.

[Lucy Davis]

Oh, my. Okay.

[Angela Kinsey]

But that's so funny. That was our audition scene.

[Lucy Davis]

Yeah, that's mad. Yeah. And originally, I don't know what was in yours, but in ours originally, when dawn then is crying and breaking down, Ricky tries to explain it's a joke. She says something to him and walks out the room, but trips and falls. So when we were in this audition room, I was thinking, I'm not gonna trip and fall because it just feels so weird and uncomfortable in this room. Not uncomfortable in the good uncomfortable way.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah, right.

[Lucy Davis]

So I didn't. And then at the end of the scene, Ricky kept going as David Brent, and so I kept going. And then after a while, I was like, yeah, I'm probably gonna run out of things to say, so what do I do? Oh, I know. I'll just leave the room. So I just exited the room and went. And then I just heard Ricky, and I was like, apparently that was okay. And then I got it, and I was really pleased. And I had to sign a contract, I think, for six years. And that was very new in England. And I remember, isn't this awful? I remember thinking, six years. I don't want to be doing the same thing in six years time. And now, of course, I couldn't be more glad to have got this job. It was a joy. And the fact that no one said, don't forget this is a funny line, so really make it funny. And everything had to just be as real as possible was my comfort zone. And my. Like, no one had ever asked me to do that before. It was all like, be a good actor, but it's acting. And now this is just being.

[Angela Kinsey]

You were so good, though, your timing. And when I watched it the first time, you know, years before the US Version, I really didn't think it was scripted. I was one of those people that thought they just. You know, I thought, well, David Brent is a crazy character of a person, but I'd also worked for some really weird bosses, and so I kind of bought it, but I thought you were just in the moment.

[Lucy Davis]

Yeah, it was really a joyous freedom. I don't know if you felt this just to, you know, what's happening is also funny, but you just get to be. You just get to Be real. No one's trying to make a big thing about a joke and making sure you have three laughs a page and all of that kind of stuff, right? And I. That was a freedom for me. I loved it.

[Jenna Fischer]

The rhythm of it, like what Angela's saying and what you're talking about. When I saw it again, before I ever even knew I was going to audition, before I even knew there would be this American version, right. I was just completely struck by how funny it was to be off rhythm.

[Lucy Davis]

Right.

[Jenna Fischer]

And to sit in things for awkward amounts of time. And it was a new comedic rhythm that you guys just invented together. It was so cool.

[Lucy Davis]

There was a show in England that had already started airing called the Royal Family, R O Y L E. And that was a similar style. And if you've never seen the Royal Family, please see it. If you guys have never seen it. It's so good. It's so uncomfortable. And it's really just a family on a couch in a living room and.

[Angela Kinsey]

Anyway, I can't wait to check it out.

[Lucy Davis]

Yeah, check it out. Or I'll send you. I'll send you a link. Yeah. But, yeah, it was that. When I watched that, I remember thinking, that would be a fun role as an actor to play. So doing the Office. Oh, it was. Yeah. Ever since then. I did my first multicam a couple of years ago, and I knew, of course, that the style isn't going to be the Office or whatever. But it was interesting for me and a strange experience to have to make so much of the comedy lines. I was like, but if they're funny, they're funny. You don't have to bell and whistle on it.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah. So, yeah, I came from sketch comedy, so when I. My first scene, you know, the first, like, few lines I had, I thought, oh, I'm getting fired. Cause I was doing so much. But I was. Cause I was doing that da, da, da, da. You know? But it is such a different style. You guys did it so well. But I have a question. When you were filming the pilot, did you feel like, oh, we've got something here, like, this is gonna be a hit? Because we felt that way. We didn't know if I would ever say a hit.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, no, but I thought.

[Angela Kinsey]

I thought it was something special.

[Jenna Fischer]

Amazing. I didn't think anyone was gonna watch it.

[Lucy Davis]

That's how I felt.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah, that's the thing. I was like, if people will watch this, it's gonna be a hit. I don't know if they're gonna watch it. Is that. That was Your experience.

[Lucy Davis]

That's how I definitely felt. I just remember really praying that it would go because I loved doing this so much. And we made. I think I told you this, Jenna, that we actually made a pilot and then we remade the pilot.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes.

[Lucy Davis]

And the original pilot. There was some different things, but the biggest difference was there had been this documentary reality show in those very early days called. I think it was called Airline. And it was just cameras following an airline in a smallish airport in England. And it became huge. And suddenly, like, these people were, like, famous. And there was an actor called John Nettles who narrated the documentary. So we had him narrate the pilot. Oh, yeah. To make it as real, like kind of this genre and this style. But then I think. I believe this is such a long time ago now, but I believe they felt that it took time away from story and comedy. So we redid it again and had to.

[Angela Kinsey]

Without him.

[Lucy Davis]

Without the narration. Yeah. Yeah. And the original theme tune just for that pilot was Elo's Mr. Blue Sky.

[Jenna Fischer]

I remember what that was. Our original theme song. Yes.

[Angela Kinsey]

Is that.

[Jenna Fischer]

I never knew that.

[Angela Kinsey]

Did you know that?

[Jenna Fischer]

No. I end up getting chills. I did. Greg knew that. I don't know if Greg knew that, but when Greg gave us a screener of the pilot and we all got together and we watched it, the theme song was Mr. Blue Sky.

[Lucy Davis]

We have to ask him if he knew that. That. Cause Nas, obviously it never got aired.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah, same. But we couldn't. Greg told us, oh, we can't use that song because another show nabbed it.

[Angela Kinsey]

So then he had a friend who composed the song that we ultimately used.

[Lucy Davis]

Is a great song, though.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yours is a great song too.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Lucy Davis]

Cuz obviously ours was Ste. Ste Stereophonics and Less Than this, which is fine. They didn't give us permission to use their song Handbags of Glad Rag. So it was kind of rewritten to be that. And then when it got big, they said that we could use it, but we liked our. Ours by that point. And originally with Mr. Blue sky, the opening credits weren't images of Slough. It was David Brent walking into work all proud and pompous in his suit and his briefcase and stuff. So, yeah, it was pretty different.

[Angela Kinsey]

I love the opening images and same. We were in London a few years ago. We actually crossed paths. Jenna. It was so fun. But I was on a train with my husband and kids and I didn't realize that we were gonna go through Slough. And so I said to them, we have to get off and they're like, what? This isn't our stall? And we jumped off really fast just so I could get a picture. And then we jumped back on the train.

[Lucy Davis]

Did you post the picture?

[Angela Kinsey]

I did, I did.

[Lucy Davis]

Go look for it. Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

So I remember a story that Steven Merchant told when they first came to visit the set.

[Lucy Davis]

Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

He said that after the very first episode aired, he was sitting on the train and he overheard a woman asking her friends if she had seen the documentary about the crazy guy in an office.

[Lucy Davis]

Oh, God.

[Jenna Fischer]

And that the friends said, oh, that's not a real documentary, that's a comedy show. And that the woman said, oh, well, then it isn't very funny.

[Lucy Davis]

Oh, that's great.

[Jenna Fischer]

But what was crazy was he said, like, she loved it when she thought it was a documentary. And then when she found out it was a comedy show, she was like, oh, no, no, I don't care for it. But what was the reaction when it came out? Do you remember?

[Lucy Davis]

It was slow. We were on a network called BBC2, which tends to have a lot less viewers, I think. I think Stephen Ricky told me that the pilot got only just a few more viewers than women's bowls, bowling or bowling.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah, they told us that too.

[Angela Kinsey]

I actually read that it was. In fact, some scored one of the lowest ratings in BBC history.

[Lucy Davis]

Yep, yep. But that was the great thing about. I mean, in England they do this more. Cause A. We only did six episodes, so our whole season. So they're already shops. You may as well air them, I guess. And it was. BBC2 is not as big a channel as BBC1, so I think it was always just gonna air and it just gradually picked up and over time. But a lot of people did say, I thought it was a documentary at first. Yeah. Did you ever have that?

[Jenna Fischer]

No, I think because we were on, like, NBC Must See tv.

[Lucy Davis]

Right? Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

And your show had been so popular.

[Lucy Davis]

Right.

[Jenna Fischer]

That everybody knew. I mean, the big hill that we had to climb was living up to the original. Like, there were so many critics and fans who were like, sort of, I feel like actively rooting for us to fail because they didn't want to take anything. They didn't want us to, like, tarnish the reputation of your show.

[Lucy Davis]

I will say there have been times, and certainly back then, where people would say to me, back then, as if I would want to hear this. Oh, it won't do very well. And I was like, but wouldn't it be great if it did? Like, doesn't affect me one way or the other. What it does. Oh, that's so nice of you, but why would anyone. I find it's just strange when anyone wishes some failure on anyone. I remember getting a pilot once and I got let go before we even taped it. And it's very hard to be let go from a pilot. But when they got picked up, I couldn't have been more happy. And I emailed everyone and said, congrats, it's just life. Just move through it. You don't have to hope that someone fails so that you feel better about yourself. So it was quite fascinating that. And I bet you did have that a lot. But I will tell you that I've watched every episode of your show through 10, 12 times. I bet I know it more than you do.

[Angela Kinsey]

Really?

[Jenna Fischer]

That is so wild to me. When you told me that, that I was like, I mean, well, what did you think? Like, do you remember the first episode you saw?

[Lucy Davis]

The first one? It was the pilot. Yeah. I watched it straight from. I can't remember. So I would have been living in England still when it first aired. And I do know if it came out over there. Cause I think I watched it over here first. So I feel like you might have had a couple seasons out by the time I was watching it. So then I just started watching it. And at first it might be a little strange because you go, oh, that girl's playing my character and that guy's playing his character. But you have to go, no, they've got to find their own.

[Angela Kinsey]

Well, especially the pilot, you know, is almost a shot by shot remake. Which when I rewatched the BBC pilot this week, I'd seen it a while back, but I couldn't believe how much of a remake we did.

[Jenna Fischer]

I couldn't believe how much of your performance I stole from you when I watched it.

[Lucy Davis]

Delight. I couldn't be. I've stolen so many performances. Someone ever stole any of mine. I'm delighted can die happy so much.

[Angela Kinsey]

I mean.

[Jenna Fischer]

And I also noticed, like the scene with. And we'll get into a bigger breakdown, but I noticed the scene with Tim and Lee at the desk when you walk away. I was like, oh, my gosh. Like the three of you and then me and Jim and Roy. I was like, oh my gosh. Like down to the. Like carrying in an odd box.

[Angela Kinsey]

I know what's in the bag. Exactly what's in the bag. But when I watched it, I always thought there was a bigger story to the big trash bag box thing. And I was like, no, there's nothing in both pilots. In both pilots, no that's true.

[Lucy Davis]

I'd forgotten that. You'll know it more than I. I'll know yours more than I'll know mine, I'll tell you that.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, maybe we should take a break and when we come back we'll start going through the scenes.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah, let's do it.

[Lucy Davis]

You can remind.

[Jenna Fischer]

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Apply to Europe United today and take the first step toward achieving the career you want. Visit europe.org to learn more. All right, we're back and here we are. We're talking about the Office, Episode one, Season one. The title of your episode was Downsize. It was written by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant and directed by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant. They wrote all of them and directed all of them, right?

[Lucy Davis]

Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

How did that work? Um, well, I mean, I guess so.

[Lucy Davis]

I mean they. From certainly from my point of view, everyone, they seem to get on very well. Obviously I don't know how you could do that if you don't get on well. They were both extremely. I mean. Cause Ricky was acting in it as well, obviously really extremely generous. And Ricky kept. Oh, my God, he made me laugh. And there were times when I'm like, you're ruining your own show because we would do things. I remember having to come into the scene was I come into David Brent's office. I think I have to open a drawer for something. And every single take, Ricky had left me a fresh obscene drawing. And I'm supposed to carry on. And I'm like, but I can't because it's new. I'm responding. And. And as soon as Ricky knew he was doing something unexpected that would make you laugh, it would just get bigger next time until. Just so you couldn't keep going. And one time I was actually sent out the room in a scene. It was when there was Jennifer Taylor Clarke, who was the boss.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah, yeah.

[Lucy Davis]

And we were sitting in. Oh, that might have been the pilot. Was it when she said, where's the faxes?

[Angela Kinsey]

Faxes, yes, that's the pilot.

[Jenna Fischer]

I saw these bloopers.

[Lucy Davis]

Yes.

[Jenna Fischer]

It was like every time you came in to take notes, Ricky had a different bit. He was saying at the top.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, yeah, I saw these, too.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes. And it was like 20 takes of you just. You couldn't even start the scene. You were just trying to enter the room.

[Lucy Davis]

I was.

[Jenna Fischer]

And he couldn't make you guys stop laughing.

[Angela Kinsey]

And then you hear Steve off camera say, all right, just stop it.

[Lucy Davis]

Just stop it.

[Angela Kinsey]

Just say it the way it is. Just stop changing it.

[Lucy Davis]

And so after a while, I don't think I might have. I think I had a line or two. But after a while, once it got to close up for Ricky and Jennifer, it was like, lucy, maybe you would like to maybe stand out here. And I said, am I being exited from the sea? Yeah. Highlights.

[Jenna Fischer]

I had a few of those.

[Lucy Davis]

You did?

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes, I had a few. There's a. When Michael Scott is doing the Running man to Pam.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, forget it.

[Lucy Davis]

Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

They had to get my reaction, which is me not laughing. They had to get my reaction that he couldn't be there. No, actually, I guess that's the opposite. They had to make him glee. Him glee so that I could do it with nothing there. Cause I couldn't do it otherwise.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah, we did. We had a bunch of those. When I had to ask her if Roy had ever mercy killed an animal because, you know, poor Sprinkles was in the freezer that we, Jen and I couldn't get through it. They actually were like, we're going to go to lunch because you guys are.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah. We need a shift in energy.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah. We felt the room turn against us. We're like, oh, no, we're not going to mess up everyone's lunch.

[Lucy Davis]

Really find it hard to not laugh through what I call this big group. Things like when Andy Bernard comes in singing Sweeney Todd. I love that opening.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

So fun.

[Angela Kinsey]

So fun, that one. You know, they'd put so much work into that. I mean, I would just not make eye contact. Cause I'm like, I can't mess this up.

[Lucy Davis]

No. Yeah, yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

But a conference room scene when we were there all day and we would just get loopy.

[Lucy Davis]

Yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

And we'd all go. We'd all start just dropping in.

[Jenna Fischer]

Laughter.

[Lucy Davis]

Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

All right, let's talk about how this episode opens.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yes.

[Jenna Fischer]

David Brent, who is the manager of Wernham Hog Paper Company's Slough branch, is interviewing someone about a forklift position.

[Angela Kinsey]

The guy doesn't know how to drive a forklift, though. He doesn't have his license.

[Jenna Fischer]

But it's not gonna work.

[Angela Kinsey]

It doesn't matter. It doesn't matter.

[Jenna Fischer]

No. He's gonna call his friend Sammy, who he's just gonna push him through, basically, is how this is.

[Angela Kinsey]

Can I point out one thing?

[Jenna Fischer]

What?

[Angela Kinsey]

That was cracking me up.

[Lucy Davis]

What?

[Angela Kinsey]

There are probably eight outlets behind David Brent in this whole scene. I'm like, how many? They go up the whole wall, Like.

[Jenna Fischer]

A strip to plug things in.

[Lucy Davis]

Yes.

[Angela Kinsey]

I'm like, how many things are you plugging in this office?

[Lucy Davis]

Was anything plugged in them?

[Jenna Fischer]

No. Unused.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

Now, is it true you guys shot in a real office and that I heard a story that, like, at one point, the business next door came over and told you guys to quiet down.

[Angela Kinsey]

Like, literally, you were sharing the wall space with an actual business?

[Lucy Davis]

We were, yeah. So this part of the office was disused, not used. I don't know how to speak. And so it was decorated for us. In the original pilot, Brent's office was actually what became our recreation room. And so they kind of switched those around. Yeah. So we were asked to keep the loft down. And I was like, is someone actually complaining about Joy? Yes. Is someone actually complaining? Cause someone's having. If we were fighting and screaming and calling each other names. Sure. Okay. Have a go. This? No.

[Angela Kinsey]

What were they doing? What was the other business? I'm like, if you're really grumpy at your job and all you hear is people laughing, you might come to you.

[Lucy Davis]

I Do you know? I don't know. That's a good question.

[Jenna Fischer]

I don't know, but was it Ricky's laugh? Because Ricky's laugh is really loud.

[Lucy Davis]

It's loud.

[Jenna Fischer]

It's really, really loud.

[Angela Kinsey]

It's a cackle.

[Lucy Davis]

They must know we were filming. I mean, like, maybe it was part of the scene.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes.

[Angela Kinsey]

Doesn't matter. They didn't like it.

[Jenna Fischer]

Did you film all the episodes at that same place?

[Lucy Davis]

Except obviously, anything on location, like the nightclub or.

[Angela Kinsey]

Sure, right.

[Lucy Davis]

Yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, I'm curious, like, you know, the first season aired and then became very popular, and then you had to go and do the second one and you had to do the Christmas special. Did people figure out where you were filming? Did fans come, or did this other business suddenly become enamored with you?

[Lucy Davis]

Yeah, I don't think they complained in season two. I don't remember any press or any fans coming to the studio.

[Jenna Fischer]

That's good. You still had privacy.

[Lucy Davis]

Yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

We wanted to ask you about the front reception desk where you sit, because we were asked by Greg and our director, Ken Kwapas, to personalize our desk to bring things in from home. So it really felt like your workspace. So we brought pictures and little tchotchke kind of things.

[Jenna Fischer]

There's a great shot when, you know, in the next scene, David Brent comes over to introduce you, and there's a great shot of your desk, and I made a list of what's on it.

[Angela Kinsey]

I took a picture of it.

[Jenna Fischer]

You have a monkey calendar, a snowflake cup. You have two telephones.

[Angela Kinsey]

Two telephones?

[Lucy Davis]

Oh, that's greedy.

[Angela Kinsey]

Mm.

[Lucy Davis]

That was nothing to do with me.

[Jenna Fischer]

I don't know why you have two telephones, but you do. So did you put anything on that desk, or was it all there for you?

[Lucy Davis]

I didn't put personalize it in terms of what's seen on camera, but I had a ton of stuff that I bought in. I was a bit of a medicine desk for people. It was like, oh, have you got a, you know, paracetamol, which. Like Tylenol or Tums. Or Tums or. Yeah, I just had. I don't know why I had so much.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, my gosh. You're the medicine lady. Angela's the sauce lady.

[Lucy Davis]

Are you.

[Jenna Fischer]

If you need, like, a. She literally today brought in three little ketchup packets and a salt packet that she saves, and then she puts them in a drawer for us.

[Angela Kinsey]

When you walked in and the first person you saw was Jenna, and you guys hugged, and I stood there holding my ketchup packets. Cause you walked in right as I was putting them in the drawer, and I was, like, wondering if you saw me holding ketchup packets.

[Lucy Davis]

I didn't. But I do have a cupboard at home with things like that in. Oh, yeah. Because I do love making a packed lunch.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yes.

[Jenna Fischer]

And you need. You need a portable.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yes.

[Lucy Davis]

I get very happy when I go, oh, I really need some. I've got it.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Lucy Davis]

I've got a sachet of ketchup.

[Angela Kinsey]

Do you remember when, like, all of a sudden you couldn't get, like, the sriracha sauce? Remember, like, it was, like, in the stores. Anyone else? Sam? Sriracha sauce.

[Lucy Davis]

I remember this.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yes, you remember it. Thank you, Sam.

[Lucy Davis]

I've never eaten sriracha sauce.

[Angela Kinsey]

Well, let me tell you who has sriracha packets. And they're not easy to come by. I have a drawer. I have some Sriracha packets. I kind of COVID them in my sauce drawer.

[Lucy Davis]

At least it's not an expensive habit you have.

[Angela Kinsey]

Thank you. Thank you.

[Jenna Fischer]

Do you remember, like, what was the first scene you shot? Was it this scene where, like, did you kind of shoot an order, like, him coming up to your desk, or. No. What do you remember from that scene?

[Lucy Davis]

Sure. We did film it in order, except for, like, you know, so here's a scene at my desk, and then there might be a scene in Brent's office, and there might be a scene in the rec room. So we wouldn't necessarily have then gone in order, but we definitely went as in order as possible, which was why for me to play dawn at the end, where I get together with Tim, the nice thing about that is everything was played so much in order that it felt like the story that you were playing it out yourself. And that was actually pretty nice.

[Angela Kinsey]

That is really nice.

[Lucy Davis]

I loved that.

[Angela Kinsey]

I was curious about your wardrobe, your costume for dawn, because I wore my own clothes in the pilot.

[Lucy Davis]

Oh, wow.

[Angela Kinsey]

For ours, and I didn't really have a business suit. I just kind of threw together what I had in a color palette of gray.

[Lucy Davis]

Wow.

[Angela Kinsey]

But I didn't know. Did you have any input in your look for the show?

[Lucy Davis]

I mean, I don't think anyone came up and said, I think it was just, like, you know, you've really got to just look officey. And so that might pretty much be a suit, skirt, and a shirt. And it's dawn, so it's not. I'm not like, the boss, like Jennifer Taylor Clark, so it wouldn't be as smart or as expensive or as cute, you know? What? I mean, it was, like, soft colors. And so we used to. Before the season started, I would go and meet with the wardrobe designer, and we would go and walk around Oxford street and look for. I hate shopping. Hate it. And so wardrobe was always my least favorite part of any job because now I have to go round the shops and find. So when I came here to America and I was like, they go to the shops for you.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, you went with delighted. Yeah. Oh, my goodness. I'm just putting that together.

[Lucy Davis]

Yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

That is so wild.

[Lucy Davis]

Trying on 80 million things and spending the whole day. I'd be like, anything. I'll wear anything. You just tell me and I'll wear it.

[Angela Kinsey]

So is that standard? Like, if you book a show in the uk, you go with the costume department.

[Lucy Davis]

I can't remember a job I've done in the UK where I haven't. Yeah. Wow. Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

I did a show in the UK for Sky tv.

[Lucy Davis]

Okay.

[Jenna Fischer]

But my character was in prison and all right.

[Lucy Davis]

So that might be different.

[Jenna Fischer]

Most of the. In, like, a prison jumpsuit.

[Lucy Davis]

Got it. Yeah. You said it was your Gap for that.

[Angela Kinsey]

You said it was the happiest, like, wardrobe you had ever on a show.

[Jenna Fischer]

When I realized I would be wearing the same thing for most of the show that I wasn't changing, I didn't have multiple fittings. I was so delighted.

[Angela Kinsey]

And it was like pajamas. It was, like, nice and, like, cozy and didn't hug anywhere.

[Lucy Davis]

Yeah. That would be a dream. You don't have to look at a ton of clothes.

[Angela Kinsey]

But that does explain why you didn't go shopping for a prison jumpsuit.

[Jenna Fischer]

Correct. Yeah.

[Lucy Davis]

They might not do that now. It's been a while. It was 2009 when I last worked in England, so. Well, no, it wasn't 2009, but it was 2009 when I last did a British job. I did Wonder Woman in England in 2016 or something. But again, that was period wardrobe. So you weren't. And they were all made by hand, so you weren't going shopping for it. Yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, so maybe period wardrobe.

[Lucy Davis]

Yeah, yeah. Oh, yeah. Period wardrobe. I wouldn't. But regular wardrobe. I've never not been out to shop for it. Yeah. Wow.

[Jenna Fischer]

Side tangent. Would you come back sometime and talk about Wonder Woman with us? Because I'm also a huge Wonder Woman fan and love you in it and would love to have that conversation as.

[Lucy Davis]

Well in my little curly ginger wig. Yeah. I love that look. I love that look. Of course. Yay.

[Angela Kinsey]

Put that on our list, Cassie. Well, in this scene at Front Reception. David Brent is telling Don about sort of his drunken night out, and he's going on and on. And, you know, we talked about the timing of how things are said, but for me, it was also about things that were just left out, like. And not said.

[Lucy Davis]

Right.

[Angela Kinsey]

And one of my favorite quotes from this whole episode is David Brent telling you what professionalism is. Telling Don that. And I think we should hear it.

[Lucy Davis]

Because I'm a professional and professionalism is. And that is what I want.

[Jenna Fischer]

Okay.

[Lucy Davis]

That's all.

[Angela Kinsey]

That's it. And professionalism is.

[Lucy Davis]

And he has no idea what he does. Yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

And that is what I want.

[Lucy Davis]

Was that the scene or is that episode where he says every guy has woken up at the crack of dawn?

[Angela Kinsey]

Crack of dawn, yes. And you're like, what?

[Lucy Davis]

Because I. That's the thing that's quoted to me the most.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, no, really?

[Lucy Davis]

Is Dawn. You must get sentences that you've said or something that's quoted to you.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes.

[Lucy Davis]

Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

I think we had. But we might have cut it. Our version of that line, which I think might have gotten cut by Standards and Practices. I'm trying to think is, every man has sprayed on Pam.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, yeah, that was cut. Yeah, that was cut.

[Jenna Fischer]

Like, Pam was like, you know, a spray that put in your pan, of course, before you cook.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Lucy Davis]

Yes. I'd forgotten that.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah. There was this line sprayed on Pam.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Lucy Davis]

Oh, those standards of practices.

[Angela Kinsey]

That didn't get past them for sure. You could have said it would have to be bleeped or something.

[Jenna Fischer]

All right, so next up, we're going to meet some more people in the office. We're going to meet Gareth Keenan, who was played by Mackenzie Crook. And also we're going to meet Tim Canterbury, played by Martin Freeman, who I read originally auditioned for Gareth, which is so funny because John Krasinski originally auditioned for Dwight.

[Lucy Davis]

Ooh, look at that. That's interesting.

[Jenna Fischer]

And the similarities.

[Angela Kinsey]

There are a lot of similarities, especially, too, with character names. Like, everything's like one syllable. It's like Tim, Jim, Don, Pam.

[Lucy Davis]

That's true.

[Angela Kinsey]

And then you have two lead characters with first names, Michael Scott and David Brent.

[Lucy Davis]

Yeah, yeah. Well, Gareth was originally written as a large man who was like, kind of a big drinker, red in the face and very crude. And they auditioned many, many people, all who they thought were. There were some wonderful auditions, but something just wasn't sitting right. And the casting director, Tracey Gillum, said, what about mackenzie Crook? And they were like, well, we love Mackenzie Crook, but it couldn't be more opposite than what we were originally wanting. But eventually they auditioned him and it was just like that. And he said the great. I think Ricky said his words were something like. The great thing with Mackenzie Crook is cause he's got such little bird like, features. You can make him much more crude and harsh. And harsh.

[Angela Kinsey]

Because he's a little bird guy. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

That makes sense. Yeah. And it's going against what you're expecting 100%. And I think it's really fun how, like. And this was true of the Dwight character on our show too. But like. But especially with Mackenzie playing the character is just, you know, the military, like, the interest in like all of the order and all of that. It's like.

[Lucy Davis]

And the need. I mean, same as David Brent, really. That importance in ego, in. In how he comes across and how he's perceived. And, you know, assistant to or assistant. Yeah, Mackenzie was very funny. He made me laugh a lot. We all did.

[Angela Kinsey]

Well, they start the scene with the scene that we have. It's the whole wasap. He actually hits Tim in the back of the head with his newspaper as he comes in.

[Lucy Davis]

I'm like.

[Angela Kinsey]

I was like, any wonder the rest of the episode. Tim's trying to block his view of him. This guy's such a jerk.

[Jenna Fischer]

It's so true. Also, at 6 minutes and 1 second, the character of Tim is holding a very tiny dictionary.

[Angela Kinsey]

I saw that too.

[Jenna Fischer]

He's working on something on his computer and he's holding a teeny tiny dictionary. And I thought. I looked it up. Cause I'm like, when did this episode come out? It came out in July of 2001. And I was like, does he need a physical dictionary to check his spelling?

[Lucy Davis]

I think I would have used one at that time, maybe. So, yeah, I did a lot of crosswords and I use a dictionary.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, our shows, you know, they predate Internet stuff. Nice.

[Lucy Davis]

Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

Our desks had working computers.

[Angela Kinsey]

Not at the beginning, though.

[Jenna Fischer]

Not at the beginning, but eventually.

[Lucy Davis]

Did you play a lot of solitaire? You know, we did.

[Jenna Fischer]

And Minecraft.

[Lucy Davis]

So much solitaire. I didn't play that or not.

[Jenna Fischer]

Minecraft. Minesweeper.

[Angela Kinsey]

Minesweeper. Very stressful. Minesweeper would stress me out.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah.

[Lucy Davis]

Sometimes I'd be getting into it and be annoyed if I was having to stop to film and work. Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

All right, so now we're gonna meet David Brent's boss, who, like you said, is Jennifer Taylor Clark, who is played by Sterling Gallacher.

[Lucy Davis]

Sterling Gallacher, Yeah. Wonderful woman.

[Angela Kinsey]

She's so. No nonsense. And she just does not care about any of David's shenanigans. She stays focused. She doesn't take the bait for any of his jokes.

[Lucy Davis]

And isn't she brilliant at it?

[Angela Kinsey]

Yes.

[Lucy Davis]

Sterling. Yeah. Sterling became a dear friend. And we. She's in England now, so I don't really see her, but. But we are on Instagram. One of them anyway.

[Angela Kinsey]

On one of the chats.

[Lucy Davis]

On one of them. Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

She's so wonderful.

[Lucy Davis]

Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

This is the scene we were talking about earlier where Ricky kept improvising the opening line.

[Lucy Davis]

Yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

About his tie.

[Jenna Fischer]

About his tie. Random. But she's trying to talk to him about the agenda for the day. But of course, he made you throw it away. But then we get into the news, which is there's gonna be redundancies, AKA downsizing.

[Angela Kinsey]

Downsizing.

[Lucy Davis]

Yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

And these two branches are gonna have to merge. And she hasn't decided who's gonna merge with the other one yet. They've gotta sort of prove themselves.

[Lucy Davis]

Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

And then Chris Finch leaves a message in the middle of this meeting. I mean, so much happens. Also, David Brett is completely panicking. She's like, don't panic, David. David, don't panic. She's like, you just have to sit through all of it. I remember doing our version of that scene with Jan and Michael and me sitting in the chair. It's one of my favorites from the series.

[Lucy Davis]

Took a long time.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah, I did.

[Lucy Davis]

To do we can get through that. But Ricky saying, did no get an agenda? Yeah. Was every time. I don't know that I could. I think that was the bit where I was fired from the scene.

[Angela Kinsey]

Anytime I got to watch Steve as Michael and Melora as Jan, like Spahr, I almost became an audience member. I would lose my place in the scene. So I can't even imagine how fun that was to be in those scenes.

[Lucy Davis]

Yeah, it was.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, now, even though these branches are merging and people are going to be let go, David Brent has hired a tempo.

[Angela Kinsey]

Right.

[Jenna Fischer]

And I was going to show him around the office.

[Angela Kinsey]

I did have a question for you, because, you know, there's been several David Brent talking heads by this point. And we used to every once in a while in our talking heads. Cause we would get multiple alts for the same talking head. They called them the candy bags.

[Lucy Davis]

Yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

We would get to improvise a little bit here and there in those. And I was wondering what your talking heads were like. Did you get to play around at all, or were they really scripted?

[Lucy Davis]

I mean, everything was scripted. We would do a lot of things like on action, we would often already talk. Especially the fewer the people, the easier that would be. He would say, talk your way into the scene.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Lucy Davis]

And then when the scene was finished, he wouldn't shout, cut. It would carry on. And I don't ever remember. I mean, I'm sure the poor continuity lady had a nightmare because I don't remember anyone coming up and saying about continuity. So. Yeah. So really, we just got to, like, chat, and nothing was exact. And you could add things and not add things, and they loved that. And what Ricky did, he would, you know, when adding things and doing new things, he would do the most of. But for sure, we had the freedom to do that. Oh, yeah. I bet you guys, when I watched you guys, I was like, you know, I bet they have that freedom as well. You can tell with the bloopers, you know, the amount of times a line will change. Just on take two or three or four.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

In this sequence where David Brent is showing this temp named Ricky, who was played by Oliver Criss, around the office. This is also when we're kind of starting to get background reactions from people. We're seeing the scope of the space, the scope of the office. And I was really curious how you guys shot. I looked up. Your cinematographer was Andy Hollis. And I love how the show is shot. We obviously stole so much from that with, like, the low angles and the spy shots and all of that. We had two cameras going at a time.

[Lucy Davis]

Right. We mainly had the one.

[Jenna Fischer]

Okay.

[Lucy Davis]

Unless, I mean, you know, menopausal here. Unless. I literally don't even remember that I was in it at this point. Probably when we did bigger scenes out, like at the pubs or the nightclubs. We may have had more than one, but I remember one.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah, well, in the pilot, it does look like you're following one camera around. You don't have sort of like two angles of the same scene. You don't have a wide shot and a tight shot. It looks like just the one.

[Lucy Davis]

Yeah. And I know because obviously, like, with yours, the office is one big area. So even if you weren't in a scene, like, speaking or part of it, you'd still be in it because you would be caught in the background. So you had to be careful. You didn't look like you were playing solitaire.

[Angela Kinsey]

Right.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, ladies, why don't we take a break? Because when we come back, David Brent is going to introduce the accounts department.

[Angela Kinsey]

Those three over in the corner. All right. If you're like me, you want to look put together, but you don't have a lot of time to put into your routine to try and look put together?

[Jenna Fischer]

I'll give it 15 minutes. I want to look polished in 15 minutes, and I'm talking. That's everything that is skincare and makeup.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah. Well, Merit helps you simplify what it takes to get ready.

[Jenna Fischer]

Merit is designed for people who want to look put together without spending a ton of time on their routine. AKA me and Angela.

[Angela Kinsey]

That's right. Merit is a minimalist beauty brand that has curated sets to create easy to use routines for you.

[Jenna Fischer]

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[Angela Kinsey]

Okay, okay, I'm listening, Merit. I am listening.

[Jenna Fischer]

It's time to simplify your morning. Head to meritbeauty.com to get their signature makeup bag free with your first order. All right, you all know that back in the day, I talked on the POD about how I would bring my lunch for the podcast, and it was the Factor Meals. We said they're not a sponsor, but we wish they would be. Guess what? They're a sponsor now.

[Angela Kinsey]

They are.

[Jenna Fischer]

They sure are.

[Angela Kinsey]

Thank you guys so much. We have signed up for our Factor Meals, and in fact, today I brought lunch for everybody. I brought Factor Meals for everyone.

[Jenna Fischer]

I was so excited because I left my house without a lunch. And then you gave us all lunch. I had garlic and herb chocolate, and, you know, it had a side of, like, chopped broccoli, but y' all just mix it all together into, like, one big, like, broccoli chicken mash bowl. It was so good.

[Angela Kinsey]

Sam had one. And then I had a vegetarian option for Cassie too.

[Jenna Fischer]

I know.

[Angela Kinsey]

And you guys, I've also started doing their juice variety pack. I just had the apple kale wheatgrass yesterday.

[Jenna Fischer]

Get [e-mail] OfficeLadies 50 off and use code OfficeLadies 50 off to get 50% off plus free shipping on your first box.

[Angela Kinsey]

That's code [e-mail] OfficeLadies50OFF for 50% off plus free shipping. FactorMeals.com OfficeLadies 50 off this show is sponsored by BetterHelp.

[Jenna Fischer]

Lady. Did you know that workplace stress is now one of the top causes of declining mental health? With 61% of the global workforce experiencing higher than normal levels of stress?

[Angela Kinsey]

I did not know that.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, we can't just say goodbye to these things, you know, we can't just say goodbye to work. But you can start a focus on wellness.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yes. And that focus on wellness can come in many forms. It can be, for me taking a walk.

[Jenna Fischer]

You could reach out to a therapist on BetterHelp. With over 35,000 therapists, BetterHelp is the world's largest online therapy platform. They've served over 5 million people globally.

[Angela Kinsey]

It's convenient, too. You can join a session with the therapist at the click of a button.

[Jenna Fischer]

And as the largest online therapy provider in the world, BetterHelp can provide access to mental health professionals with a diverse variety of expertise. Unwind from work.

[Angela Kinsey]

With BetterHelp, our listeners get 10% off their first month at betterhelp.com officeladies that's BetterHelp.

[Jenna Fischer]

H-E-L-P.com officeladies.

[Angela Kinsey]

Well, we are back, and David is showing the tip over to the accounting nook.

[Jenna Fischer]

Now, there's only an Angela and a Kevin over there. There's not an Oscar.

[Angela Kinsey]

There's not. Yeah.

[Lucy Davis]

Who did we have over there? We had Keith. We have the Keith. Yeah. And Jane, I think.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah. And they have a little moment, and they definitely have that same vibe that we completely copied, which is when David comes over and is like, look at this crazy corner, you know? And it's just like the most drab expression, people.

[Lucy Davis]

Plus, you're in accounts.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah, you're in accounts. What's happening over there?

[Jenna Fischer]

Gareth is going to continue to bother Tim while David is pointing out all of the just genius details he's added to the office. He makes a big show of a plant.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah, we had a plant.

[Jenna Fischer]

We had a plant. Planty planty. Yeah. Then he shows off, like, a big mouth bass, which we had as well.

[Angela Kinsey]

It came in Daryl's office years later.

[Lucy Davis]

I feel like I remember that.

[Angela Kinsey]

Little Easter eggs there.

[Lucy Davis]

Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes. And then David is gonna introduce Ricky to Gareth. And we get into the assistant regional manager. Assistant to the regional manager.

[Lucy Davis]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

And Gareth is really upset because Tim has pulled another prank on him. He has put his stapler in Jello. And we both had a question about this scene we did.

[Jenna Fischer]

At 14 minutes and 39 seconds, the camera swings over to Tim and he is eating. You guys called it jelly. We call it Jell O. But he's eating jelly out of a box.

[Angela Kinsey]

Out of a box. And it's like.

[Jenna Fischer]

Is that a thing? It looks like one big square and it.

[Lucy Davis]

How do you make Jello, then?

[Jenna Fischer]

In a cup.

[Angela Kinsey]

Cup with, like, Water. And you have the little packet and you mix it up.

[Lucy Davis]

Is it powder?

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah, powder.

[Lucy Davis]

Oh, no. So ours is. It's like a rubbery hard thing that you put in a bowl and pour boiling water on. And then it melts.

[Angela Kinsey]

The rubbery thing melts.

[Lucy Davis]

The rubbery thing melts.

[Jenna Fischer]

So the thing he's eating, he's eating the.

[Lucy Davis]

But you can eat it. I used to when I ate. Cause it's not vegetarian. When I ate meat, I would eat it raw. I loved it raw.

[Angela Kinsey]

Does it taste different than once you've put the hot water on?

[Lucy Davis]

It tastes the same. It's just. It's harder.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, my God.

[Lucy Davis]

Just sort of like tug at it like you're eating an eraser.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, my God.

[Jenna Fischer]

This is fascinating.

[Lucy Davis]

I loved it.

[Angela Kinsey]

We both were like, wait, what is he eating in the box?

[Lucy Davis]

It's like, I would buy it just to eat that rather than make the jelly. Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

So this is interesting because in our episode when we did this in the pilot, and they swing over to Jim, he's eating some Jell O out of like a little cup that you. Cause they make like pre made cups, but they're just for eating. You could put them in like a kid's lunchbox.

[Lucy Davis]

Yes. Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

But it's not as good of a tell, I don't think, because, like, Tim is eating the ingredient. It would be like if Jim were holding a box of powdered Jello and.

[Angela Kinsey]

Then poured it into his mouth.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes, exactly. That's what I'm trying to get at. It's very clumsily, but yes.

[Lucy Davis]

Yeah, yeah. And yeah. Cause I remember that he was like. Wasn't Tim saying something about. I have no idea what happened as he's eating it. Yeah, yeah. I wonder how many people have put their staplers in Jell O and tried to do that since.

[Angela Kinsey]

So many.

[Jenna Fischer]

I think a lot.

[Angela Kinsey]

So many. We see so many pictures. Not only that, I got as a gift a little mini stapler that had been put in a yellow mold. That was soap. And so you use the soap and.

[Jenna Fischer]

Slowly you get down. That's really cute.

[Angela Kinsey]

I know. People are really creative.

[Lucy Davis]

It is, I have to say. Yeah. Soap. Jeez.

[Jenna Fischer]

All right, so now we have a scene coming up. This is where dawn is on her lunch break. She's trying to read a book.

[Angela Kinsey]

She's eating a sandwich.

[Lucy Davis]

Oh, is this in the pilot?

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes.

[Lucy Davis]

Oh, I thought that was later on. Oh, that was really hard to do. That was really hard to do. Because what you can't tell on camera is the close proximity with Which Ricky was standing next to me talking about testicular cancer and grabbing his balls.

[Jenna Fischer]

And, like, since you're seated and he's standing, your face is Exactly. Even with his crotch. Yes.

[Lucy Davis]

Yeah. And I didn't. And because it was the pilot, we weren't so used to, you know, how this was gonna play out and how this was going to be. So when I sat there and I had already this bit of brie sandwich in my mouth, that's another line. I get a lot of. Bit of brie, bit of brie, bit of brie. And I turn. What? You can't. You just can't. You know this. You just can't tell it on camera. Cause, you know, on camera, you have to stand closer to someone than you would in real life.

[Jenna Fischer]

Right.

[Lucy Davis]

In real life, it would be like. It's so awkward that you were this close, but for camera, you have to. Who was close? I'm not gonna lie. And I didn't have to hold the brie sandwich in my cheek. It just wouldn't go down. But it was a wonderful, wonderful little moment of a scene.

[Jenna Fischer]

We shot that same scene for our pilot. That was my other audition scene. So I had the fake firing scene as my audition scene. And then I had this eating lunch scene, but ours got cut. I know it didn't make it in for time because we had to get our episodes down to, like, 21 minutes, 30 seconds.

[Lucy Davis]

That's. We were like, 29. Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

You guys had extra time.

[Lucy Davis]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

But this sort of, like, physicality where you're in someone's space awkwardly, I feel like, just kept coming back. Especially for Michael Scott. Like, he would talk to Jim and put his foot up on the desk, like, basically lean in. So it's just, like, crotch facing you. And there are a lot of moments like that.

[Lucy Davis]

I love those things, though. And especially when if they're not in the script and you're not expecting them at all. I mean, obviously this brie scene was scripted, so I knew what the script was and the lines were, but I just didn't plan on having Ricky's crotch quite so clear to my brain.

[Angela Kinsey]

It didn't count for that one ball to be so close to your skin, which. No, speaking of not being able to swallow your Brie and breaking, you know, we broke all the time, but there were a few people that broke the most. Rainn Wilson cracks himself up. He broke his Dwight a lot. Mindy broke in almost every scene.

[Lucy Davis]

And I remember Mindy doing the character, doing the cabbage soup diet and looking awful. And Then I will do this now, and I'll know who. If someone watches your show. Well, because she'll go. Gonna look amazing. Oh, I love it. Okay, so Mindy cracks up a lot.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yes, yes. But so on your set now, we know you had to exit a scene, but was there someone that broke the most? Was it Ricky?

[Lucy Davis]

Probably Ricky. But he broke because he would more. Because he would see us breaking or trying not to. There was a scene, I think you might have seen it in bloopers, where Ricky and Martin are doing a scene. It's the job evaluation scene. And I came in to do my job evaluation scene, and they were already nowhere near finished. And so we went over and over to lunch and then had to go back to it over lunch. And so we. Because they couldn't. They couldn't get through it.

[Jenna Fischer]

I saw that blooper. And they keep, like, clacking the clacker, and it was like, upwards of, like, 30 takes.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, my goodness.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes. And there was this moment that I remember from watching the show that was breaking them up. And it's so funny, it's just a gesture that. Where Ricky is saying, like, you know, if you play your cards right, someday you might be in this chair. You might be in. Yeah. And he does this, like, point down to his seat and he, like, bites his lip. He's like, mm, yeah. And the first time he did it, they both broke and they're like, no, no, no, we gotta get that. We gotta get the. Do that again. Do that again. But they never. I don't know how they ever got through it. It was especially as it was bigger.

[Lucy Davis]

I remember doing a scene later where Ricky is playing the guitar for me in his office.

[Jenna Fischer]

It's so funny.

[Lucy Davis]

It really is. And that was hard. I had written a song. My God, when I was 15, where I played the piano and sang this song. It was for my GCSE music, which is, I don't know, whatever exams you take here when you're 16. And I got an A for my music. It's the only thing I ever got an A in. It was so bad because it was also kind of good. But it was a really cheery ditty that I was at. Ditty. And yet it was about the most horrific things. Pedophiles.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, no.

[Lucy Davis]

And I'm not religious at all. But in the chorus, it would be like at the end of the Worry in terror. There's heaven not far away. And I remember telling Ricky and Steve this, and they were like, we have to have this in our show. And they worked their asses off in season two to try and get it in and couldn't find a way to legitimately get it in. It was so bad, and it was so good because it was so bad.

[Angela Kinsey]

It was cracked upstick.

[Jenna Fischer]

This was. I feel like this story is why you were destined to be cast on this show, because your senses of humor were so aligned. This idea of, like a song about all the things you kind of aren't supposed to sing, say, or discuss in.

[Angela Kinsey]

A peppy manner in, like, a peppy.

[Lucy Davis]

Show tune never entered my head at 15. It was like a peppy show tune that could have opened a sitcom.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes. And about the darkest stuff.

[Lucy Davis]

Yep. About the darkest stuff. Not. Not religious at all. And Isaiah and Micah prophesied a friendly world of peace. What did they. I have no idea.

[Jenna Fischer]

But you got an A. I got.

[Lucy Davis]

An A. I got an A. So bar was low.

[Angela Kinsey]

They might have just been in shock. Didn't know what to make of it.

[Lucy Davis]

I think it was like, poor girl, she's going nowhere in life. Let's give her something.

[Jenna Fischer]

All right, there's gonna be a conference room meeting.

[Angela Kinsey]

We have to discuss conference room scenes with you.

[Jenna Fischer]

David Brent is going to discuss these rumors of downsizing. How was this to shoot?

[Lucy Davis]

Okay. Probably very like your conference scenes, which they take a long time.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yep.

[Lucy Davis]

And at first, you are genuinely trying to, like, be professional. Let's get it done, guys. Come on. Do you know what I mean? This is fine. And then, of course, as Rick is doing his speech and all of this, he'll change his speech. And so you're listening and so you're doing it. And then I have one bit where I was doing. I had a line something like, well, Jennifer. I say something like, well, Jennifer said there might be some job losses or downsizing.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yes.

[Jenna Fischer]

Thank you. He calls on you, hoping that you're gonna save the day, but he said, you make it worse.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Lucy Davis]

And Ricky was sitting and Steve was sitting at the monitors for me doing this line. And I did it. The note was a little less soap opera loose. Oh, okay. I think because I had this one line in this long scene, I think I might have been trying to really make it last.

[Angela Kinsey]

Make a meal.

[Lucy Davis]

Yeah. So I made it less soapy.

[Angela Kinsey]

That made me just have a question. So was he the one usually yelling things off camera to you guys? Was he. They co directed. But was Stephen Merchant more the one sort of like yelling action, giving notes and stuff like that?

[Lucy Davis]

Yeah, I think Steve would have done action more or our first ad more. So If Rick is in the scene. If he's not in the scene, he's usually changed back into his sweats and chomping on a sandwich watching the monitor. But yeah, so that would be Steve normally.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah, yeah, that makes sense. I mean, because it's kind of fun.

[Lucy Davis]

Like co directing and acting in the thing that you've written. That's really cool.

[Jenna Fischer]

Really? That seems so stressful to me. You would like that, Angela, I feel like. Cause you have the all creative brain. I don't. I can't direct.

[Lucy Davis]

I don't know if I could direct, actually.

[Angela Kinsey]

I would love that. But I would love to have you there with me, Jenna, because then what am I doing? You're doing what Stephen was doing.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, I'm. You're Stephen Merchant.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yes.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, I do that.

[Angela Kinsey]

Exactly. So you could sort of like be the eye outside the scene and I'm in it.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, now I'm directing again, which I think I can't do.

[Lucy Davis]

Okay, Well, I don't know if my brain goes there to direct. I like producing.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Lucy Davis]

I really enjoyed that side of my career and I obviously love acting, but yeah, the directing, I'm like my little brain. I don't know if I could take it all in. You've got to be aware of every single area ever going on.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Lucy Davis]

And I think my brain, brain would explode.

[Jenna Fischer]

I'm also such an inside out performer as an actor. So like, I'm very much about, like, what am I feeling, what do I want? What's motivating me? And I'm not really aware of my surroundings. Like, I'm not good at decorating a room. Like, I don't know where to put the chair and the couch and the things. And my husband, who's a director, like, he's really good at that. Like, he knows how to build a visual picture.

[Lucy Davis]

Right.

[Jenna Fischer]

I just know how to like, come from like sort of an emotional place.

[Lucy Davis]

Got it. Yeah. I think. Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

So that's why I think I can't direct.

[Lucy Davis]

Maybe.

[Angela Kinsey]

I don't know. Don't say never, lady. Don't say never. Well, I did sign us up. I did sign us up to direct a show together, me and you. No, I'm kidding.

[Lucy Davis]

We'll all direct something together, but we'll really leave it to Angela.

[Jenna Fischer]

I like this idea.

[Lucy Davis]

And we can sit and have coffee.

[Angela Kinsey]

Like, how many directors do you have? So three.

[Lucy Davis]

Three. Technically one, but.

[Jenna Fischer]

Okay, we have to talk about this moment where Don is attempting to fix.

[Angela Kinsey]

Tim's hair and you have like these great fingernails and you're kind of going through his hair.

[Lucy Davis]

Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

How much of that moment was improvised.

[Lucy Davis]

Between the two of you?

[Angela Kinsey]

All of it.

[Lucy Davis]

Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

So what was the idea? The idea was like, okay, we need to see you guys be kind of flirty.

[Lucy Davis]

Flirt. Like. Yeah. Just watching, you know, that moment, you know? Well, you know, when you fancy someone, but you've never acknowledged it between you. So really what you're trying to do is engage in some way. And, of course, touch is always a nice thing to kind of get in. And I'll do anything for someone. I mean, I remember improvising a scene, and I said to Tim, play with my hair, like, in the scene. And. And I was like, oh, this is a great way of getting, like, a massage.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Lucy Davis]

Just telling him to do it in a scene. But, yeah, a lot of our scenes like that were improvised. Just play together. Martin really helped me in those because I wasn't as confident then. Now I'd love to do things like that. And I've done a lot of improvit. Not groundlings. Ucb.

[Angela Kinsey]

Ucb. Yeah.

[Lucy Davis]

But I used. I was much more nervous of it then, and Martin was just great chatting. Chatting away. So I really. I relied on him, and I'm grateful to him for that. Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

Did you guys have to do, like, chemistry reads as part of your audition process?

[Lucy Davis]

No. Really? Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

So you. How did they know you guys were.

[Lucy Davis]

Gonna be so great together?

[Jenna Fischer]

That's a really good point.

[Lucy Davis]

I mean, I did two castings, and the last one was with Ricky and Asher Teller, our producer, and Steve and casting, and that was it. Yeah. Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

You guys, the chemistry between you two, and it's just so like.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, my gosh.

[Angela Kinsey]

You're just rooting for Don and Tim. You're just rooting for them.

[Lucy Davis]

Ah, it was a really. But Ricky always said people come for the comedy, but stay for the story. And I think that's probably good in any comedy show. I mean, you guys have so many great stories playing out your relationship with Dwight, and you remember that the Office is funny, and you come for that and you laugh your head off. But you see all of these stories with characters you love play out and have time and have lengths of time to do it, and it's why you keep coming back, I think.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah, for sure.

[Angela Kinsey]

That's. For me, I'm like, what is the heart of the show? It's the people and the connections they make. Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, unfortunately, Don's fiance, Lee, is gonna arrive. This is a big shock. We're not expecting it.

[Angela Kinsey]

Lee, with his giant Garbage bag. Box thing.

[Jenna Fischer]

Box thing, yes. Because Tim was just suggesting that y' all go out and get drinks and so all of our hearts are swooning, of course. But no. And then they have that awkward, awkward silence.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, it's so good. And then. And then Tim says, what's in the. And he goes, just tell her I'll be outside. So awkward. He's like, I'm not gonna talk to you, man.

[Lucy Davis]

And I love that they never made the character of Lee a bad person. He's never a baddie. You know, part of you might think, well, maybe he beats her or, you know, maybe he's cheated on her. No, he's just not someone you want her to be with.

[Angela Kinsey]

He's not her person.

[Lucy Davis]

He's not her person.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah.

[Lucy Davis]

And you could call him things like a loser and blah, blah, blah, but he's not. He's decent enough. But it's one of those things where so many people settle because maybe they're looking for marriage and some kind of continuity or consistency, and they settle. And that's what dawn has done for all of her life until the very end. You know, she didn't pursue her dream with the drawing. She didn't pursue Tim, and she stayed with this guy just. Cause it was easier to stay than go, I think.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Lucy Davis]

And how many. I mean, I've done it before.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah, yeah. No, and I. I do like that Lee's not a bad guy. And I liked that Roy wasn't a bad guy. And one of the things I did love. Of course, we had many more seasons in time to show this storyline than you guys did, but I love that Roy found his person. Right. And learned how to play the piano for her at her wedding. Like, I mean, it just goes to show that he was meant to be happier, too, just the way that Pam was. And. But yeah, so I did like that they didn't make him, like, sort of this villain person. He just wasn't her person.

[Lucy Davis]

Yeah, he just wasn't her person. And he wasn't a bad person. You just looked at him and knew, please don't end up with him.

[Angela Kinsey]

Right.

[Lucy Davis]

Please don't. Because he's just going nowhere and he doesn't have any. He doesn't encourage her in any kind of dreams whatsoever. Yeah, he doesn't have dreams for himself. And I think that's a shame for anyone.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, she lights up around Tim and her light goes out around Lee, like, you know, and you just see it in how you played the character. And. And when I talk about stealing Things from you that was like, something that I really noticed in your performance. And I thought, okay, yes, I like this. I like this way that you have different body language around these two different people. And so. Yeah, yeah.

[Lucy Davis]

I remember doing the scene at the end of the Christmas specials where dawn goes home in the taxi with me.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Jenna Fischer]

And then she's giving me chills just thinking about it.

[Lucy Davis]

She opens the paints.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes.

[Lucy Davis]

Just never give up. And just before we filmed that, Steve Merchant came up to me and said, I'm going to tell you how I'm going to. I'm imagining the scene. I went, okay. And he said, imagine you open it and then we're gonna, like, pull in on you with the camera and just one solitary tear comes down your right eye. And I went, geez, Lou. I said, have a word. Go home. But I think one did. Weirdly, I don't know how many takes we had to do for me to, like, do that. Sometimes I can cry naturally, and sometimes I have to stick Vic in my eye.

[Jenna Fischer]

Same. Yeah, same. In this scene where David Brent fake fires you and you have to break down crying. How many times did you have to do that? Do you remember? And was that more like. Did you get yourself really crying? You look like you're pretty upset.

[Lucy Davis]

I didn't really cry in that scene. I think I put my head in my hands. Right.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah.

[Lucy Davis]

I think I did that probably to disguise the fact that I wasn't crying.

[Jenna Fischer]

I know that trick. And then you get the breathing and you're like, yeah, and the sniffling.

[Lucy Davis]

Maybe the end of my pointy nail will stab my eye and then it will cry.

[Jenna Fischer]

It's watering a little.

[Lucy Davis]

Yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

Also, when I really let myself go and cry in a scene, it's not attractive. Like, I don't have the single tear. It's just a big blubberfest.

[Lucy Davis]

But I quite like that. I like seeing Will crying. Emma Thompson always says, you have to earn your cries. And, you know, don't just. I've done shows where, you know, everyone's crying all the time. I'm like, aren't we. Aren't we desensitized to it? And I remember her in love, actually. I don't know if you've seen I Love Love.

[Jenna Fischer]

Actually, you're speaking Angela's language.

[Angela Kinsey]

That's with Joni Mitchell. And she opens it up, she thinks it's gonna be the necklace. And then she makes the bed and has this resolve that she's gonna go and go to the kids Christmas play.

[Lucy Davis]

And her dignity crying.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, so good.

[Lucy Davis]

Yeah. I have to say, just her story with Alan Rickman in that movie alone was worth watching it for.

[Angela Kinsey]

Oh, my goodness.

[Lucy Davis]

And I was like. Yep, you weren't. You cry.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah. Oh, yes. Well, listen, I want you to come back and I want us to do the Christmas episode. Oh, wouldn't that be so great? Because now I want to watch it again. We're talking about it, and I want to watch it again.

[Lucy Davis]

And also by that time, I've got things that I can certainly bring you guys. You can't show it on here. But I. Because I didn't. I went to look, but I don't have the pilot script. But I do have some scripts still from the show and some really cool photos. We didn't then have. I didn't. But we didn't have cell phones where you could take a million photos.

[Angela Kinsey]

No, no, we didn't either.

[Lucy Davis]

No. So I do have some really cool pictures and stuff.

[Jenna Fischer]

Oh, I would love to see those.

[Lucy Davis]

Yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

We'll have to do a Christmas episode. Okay, done.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, the episode ends with the David Brent talking head where he's talking about how the most important thing about a company is not, you know, it's not the building, it's not the stock, it's not the turnover, it's the investment and the people. We did a very similar Michael Scott talking head. It has the same sort of joke where he's like, gonna be a godfather.

[Angela Kinsey]

To someone's child and then fires him.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes. This didn't work out.

[Angela Kinsey]

Didn't work out.

[Jenna Fischer]

That kind of completes the episode. But before we go, I have to ask, what has it been like for you to be part of this legacy that is the Office? People ask us this all the time, but, I mean, for you, it's like you started it all.

[Lucy Davis]

It's an. I think also because we only did the 14 episodes where you guys. How many episodes did you do?

[Jenna Fischer]

200.

[Angela Kinsey]

201.

[Lucy Davis]

Joy.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Lucy Davis]

Oh, my God. That's where I envy you guys. I'd have loved to have done just to that have been my life for several years. So obviously, to some degree, because we started much before you, and we only did 40 episodes. To some degree, it's a blip in the ocean, but it isn't because of the impact that it had.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes.

[Lucy Davis]

And I remember the first time we were nominated for awards, it was for the comedy awards in England, which are quite big award show and a really fun award show to go to. And we were nominated for best comedy and Ricky for best actor. We were like, what? We've been nominated for the Comedy awards. And I remember chatting with Ricky on the phone that night when we'd heard, and he was like. He said, God, I really hope this will become my cult following. Like, and he gave. I can't remember what comedy he gave an example of. And we're like, wouldn't that be amazing if, like, people actually watched us more and stuff like that? So we just never saw this. Yeah. And that lasting ness of it.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yeah.

[Lucy Davis]

But, yeah. I mean, again, I will know your show more than I will know mine, but that's partly because I don't watch myself hardly ever now. And I've done things that I've never seen, but obviously I've watched all the Office. I just don't remember a lot of it. And I wrote a little diary through one of the seas at least once.

[Angela Kinsey]

You had a journal?

[Lucy Davis]

A journal. And I wasn't a big journal writer, Lucy.

[Angela Kinsey]

You know, I read from my journal that I kept while we were filming the Office on here. They love to make fun of me because I. My journal writing, I write like. I don't know, what would you say a fourth grader who it's for.

[Jenna Fischer]

It's like you're writing it to your future self so you don't forget things. But with like. It's like you're writing a letter. You'll be like, guess what I did today.

[Lucy Davis]

Oh, that's great.

[Jenna Fischer]

You'll never guess. Rain came by my desk. He farted. It was so stinky gross.

[Angela Kinsey]

And then I'll say, and then I'll write something like this story for later.

[Jenna Fischer]

Gotta go.

[Angela Kinsey]

Story for later. Like, to myself.

[Jenna Fischer]

To yourself.

[Angela Kinsey]

That's what it's like I'm telling myself. Like, diaries. But anyway, you're gonna come back, we're gonna break down the Christmas episode, and you're bringing your journal.

[Lucy Davis]

Mm.

[Jenna Fischer]

I like this plan.

[Lucy Davis]

Okay, I'll do that after we. I remember I did it for a few jobs, and I remember thinking it needs to be written so that if, God forbid, it got into the hands of press or something. It's nothing bad. It's just my day to day or something funny that happened or whatever that is. Yeah.

[Angela Kinsey]

I can't wait to hear your journal voice.

[Lucy Davis]

Thank you.

[Jenna Fischer]

I'm really looking forward to what I'm feeling like. I mean, you are an office lady.

[Lucy Davis]

Mm.

[Jenna Fischer]

You're the original office lady.

[Angela Kinsey]

You are really.

[Lucy Davis]

I can't tell you how excited I was to hear from you. And I was like, I wanted to go on this show for ages. Yes.

[Jenna Fischer]

What?

[Angela Kinsey]

Yes. Oh, My goodness. Yes.

[Jenna Fischer]

Well, thank you so much. I mean, we should tell people how we met.

[Lucy Davis]

Yes.

[Jenna Fischer]

You were doing a show, A pilot. Yes. Here in la. And my manager had another client on the show, and she said, jenna, you were just catching on the pilot of the Office, and I think it would be really neat for you to come and meet Lucy Davis, who originated the role.

[Lucy Davis]

Oh, my God.

[Jenna Fischer]

And I did. I came to your set, and I think I watched your taping.

[Lucy Davis]

That was the Aisha Tyler project, I think.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes.

[Lucy Davis]

Produced by Lisa Kudrow. Dan Kaczynski.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yes, that's right. And I mean, I was so starstruck, I didn't even know what to do. You took a picture with me backstage.

[Angela Kinsey]

She showed us the picture. When she came to set, I remember.

[Jenna Fischer]

We were all abuzz. It was my graph that I had met you.

[Angela Kinsey]

She was like, oh, my gosh.

[Jenna Fischer]

And you were so sweet, and you just were so encouraging. You said, like, I wish you all the success. I mean, everything you were saying at the beginning of this podcast about, like, there's room for all of us and you can be just as big of a success with your version. And it just, you know, we were so nervous about doing it, and that really helped.

[Lucy Davis]

And that's the office of our office. We were all rooting for you. We just. We were certainly. No. God.

[Jenna Fischer]

Yeah, you said that, and that meant something so much, and that gave me so much confidence. So thank you. I am so happy to be back in touch with you.

[Lucy Davis]

Same. Yeah, me too. It's lovely to meet you, lady.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yes. So lovely to meet you. And I can't wait to meet the Journal version of you.

[Lucy Davis]

Oh, my God. Yes.

[Jenna Fischer]

Lucy, thank you so much for coming by.

[Angela Kinsey]

Yes. What a wonderful day. Thank you. Thank you.

[Lucy Davis]

Bye, ladies.

[Angela Kinsey]

Bye, original lady. How lovely was that?

[Jenna Fischer]

I mean, I love that I'm back in touch with her. We've been texting up a storm again, and it's just, you know, this podcast, we get to reconnect sometimes with people, and it just makes me so grateful, and I'm so grateful that she came in. She was so excited.

[Angela Kinsey]

She's just such a wonderful person. Like, the minute you're in the room with her, I just was like, when are we hanging out again?

[Jenna Fischer]

I know.

[Angela Kinsey]

All right, well, thank you so much, Lucy, for coming in today, and thank you guys for listening. And we'll see you next week.

[Jenna Fischer]

See you then. Thank you for listening to Office Ladies.

[Angela Kinsey]

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

[Jenna Fischer]

Angela Kinsey, our executive producer. Is Cassie Jerkins. Our audio engineer is Sam Kieffer. And our associate producer is Ainslie Bubaco, Odyssey's executive producer.

[Angela Kinsey]

Executive producer is Leah Reese.

[Jenna Fischer]

Dennis Office Ladies was mixed and mastered by Bill Schultz.

[Angela Kinsey]

Our theme song is Rubber Tree by Creed Bratton.