Top 10 Things You Never Knew About The Office
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Do you know these Dunder Mifflin secrets? Welcome to WatchMojo.com and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the top 10 things you never knew about “The Office.”
For this list, we’ll be looking at lesser known facts about the US version of “The Office.”
Throughout all nine seasons of “The Office,” the characters can be seen in the background apparently working on their computers. Unlike most on-set computers, these all actually had functioning internet. At first, this was because the first season was shot in a real office building in Culver City, California. But later, once they moved to a sound stage, it was likely kept to help aid in the illusion that the employees were really working. This allowed the cast to surf the web at their leisure and probably made what could have been tedious background acting much more fun and convincing.
Angela Martin and Pam Beesly rarely see eye-to-eye, seemingly clashing over nearly every subject. They particularly butt heads on the party planning committee; largely due to the former’s less than agreeable attitude. However, in real life, Angela Kinsey and Jenna Fischer are the best of friends, frequently hanging out, attending award shows together, and having adorable Twitter “feuds.” Jenna Fischer is even godmother to Kinsey’s daughter. The duo may have gotten along like cats and dogs on “The Office,” but in truth they’re as thick as thieves and as playful together as a pair of kittens.
While we’re on the subject of characters who often clashed, Ryan Howard and Jim Halpert were also often depicted as being at odds, but the actors who play them actually have quite the history. As children, John Krasinski and B.J. Novak played Little League baseball together and they also attended the same high school in Massachusetts. It was during this period that Novak cast Krasinski in the school play, which he also directed him in; possibly setting him on his acting path, which may have led to their reunion on “The Office” years later.
The cast of “The Office” is one big family and the way they gelled with each other made for a fantastic viewing experience. But several roles very nearly went to different actors. Creator Gregg Daniels initially considered casting Pam and her boyfriend Roy as African American, Adam Scott of “Parks and Rec” fame was nearly Jim, and Bob Odenkirk was initially slated to be Michael Scott; though several other actors, including David Koechner and Alan Tudyk were also considered. Steve Carell got the role only after his then-current show was cancelled. The show even makes passing reference to this, with Odenkirk playing a Michael-like character in season 9.
Not only was the cast of “The Office” fantastic in front of the camera, some of them worked behind the scenes as writers and vice versa. Mindy Kaling, who plays Kelly, B.J. Novak, who plays Ryan, and Paul Lieberstein, who plays Toby, each started out as writers and wrote around a dozen episodes for the show, with Lieberstein even directing a few. Writer Michael Schur, who plays Dwight’s weird cousin Mose, also wrote for the show. Some of the actors tried their hands at writing too, with Steve Carell contributing several scripts, including the pivotal “Casino Night” episode.
Although filmed in California, “The Office” is set in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Though the show rarely featured the town itself, due to the cost of flying the actors and production team across the country, the beginning of the intro theme does feature on-location shots from Scranton with several landmarks, including the welcome sign and a real local paper company. These were filmed by John Krasinski, who plays Jim, before production on the series started. Krasinski taped parts of the town while on a roadtrip with several friends, filming from the sunroof of a Jeep; explaining their rough, handheld look.
As we’ve already seen, several members of the crew and staff eventually found roles in front of the camera, but possibly the most unusual case was that of Phyllis Smith. Originally one of the show’s casting associates, Smith was cast herself, as the similarly named Phyllis Lapin - a soft-spoken, yet surprisingly adventurous saleswoman. After watching her demeanor and her rapport with all the cast members during read-throughs, producers decided to create the role specifically for her. Smith’s understated and undeniably talented performance contributes nicely to the show’s ensemble.
Dwight Schrute is among the more bizarre characters in “The Office”... if not television in general. And the origins of most of his odd behavior can be traced back to his weird Amish/Pennsylvania Dutch family. But the family itself and its many eccentricities were inspired by three main sources – actor Rainn Wilson’s own trailer park family, creator Greg Daniels’ Polish, beet farming grandparents, and writer Michael Schur’s love of an Amish reality show. While Dwight’s family may have taken inspiration from reality, it’s truly unreal just how peculiar they are.
During the season 3 opener, Michael and Dwight go on one of their typically ill-advised misadventures and try to find out who in the office is gay, eventually outing accountant Oscar Martinez. With the naturally awkward fallout, Michael attempts to make it better and, typically, makes it so much worse. During a meeting, he tries to show how “open-minded” he is by kissing Oscar. Steve Carell reportedly improvised this on the spot, making Oscar’s reaction, and that of the rest of the office, completely genuine.
Before we get to our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:
Creed Bratton Is Actually Creed Bratton
Jenna Fischer Got a Lot of Hate Mail
Jim and Pam’s romance is among the most beloved by fans. From their will-they-won’t-they beginnings to marriage to starting a family together, they always had us rooting for them with their irrefutable chemistry. It’s a romance that the actors behind the characters loved as well, as Jenna Fischer kept Pam’s engagement ring as a memento after the series concluded. However, contrary to online rumor, Fischer doesn’t wear it all the time and the ring is not a real or valuable one - it’s just a prop. It’s not the monetary value that matters though, folks, it’s the memories.
For this list, we’ll be looking at lesser known facts about the US version of “The Office.”
#10: The Computers the Cast Used Had Internet Access
Throughout all nine seasons of “The Office,” the characters can be seen in the background apparently working on their computers. Unlike most on-set computers, these all actually had functioning internet. At first, this was because the first season was shot in a real office building in Culver City, California. But later, once they moved to a sound stage, it was likely kept to help aid in the illusion that the employees were really working. This allowed the cast to surf the web at their leisure and probably made what could have been tedious background acting much more fun and convincing.
#9: Angela & Pam Were Frenemies on the Show But Best Friends in Real Life
Angela Martin and Pam Beesly rarely see eye-to-eye, seemingly clashing over nearly every subject. They particularly butt heads on the party planning committee; largely due to the former’s less than agreeable attitude. However, in real life, Angela Kinsey and Jenna Fischer are the best of friends, frequently hanging out, attending award shows together, and having adorable Twitter “feuds.” Jenna Fischer is even godmother to Kinsey’s daughter. The duo may have gotten along like cats and dogs on “The Office,” but in truth they’re as thick as thieves and as playful together as a pair of kittens.
#8: B. J. Novak & John Krasinski Went to School Together
While we’re on the subject of characters who often clashed, Ryan Howard and Jim Halpert were also often depicted as being at odds, but the actors who play them actually have quite the history. As children, John Krasinski and B.J. Novak played Little League baseball together and they also attended the same high school in Massachusetts. It was during this period that Novak cast Krasinski in the school play, which he also directed him in; possibly setting him on his acting path, which may have led to their reunion on “The Office” years later.
#7: The Cast Could Have Looked a Lot Different
The cast of “The Office” is one big family and the way they gelled with each other made for a fantastic viewing experience. But several roles very nearly went to different actors. Creator Gregg Daniels initially considered casting Pam and her boyfriend Roy as African American, Adam Scott of “Parks and Rec” fame was nearly Jim, and Bob Odenkirk was initially slated to be Michael Scott; though several other actors, including David Koechner and Alan Tudyk were also considered. Steve Carell got the role only after his then-current show was cancelled. The show even makes passing reference to this, with Odenkirk playing a Michael-like character in season 9.
#6: Some of the Writers Were Also in the Show
Not only was the cast of “The Office” fantastic in front of the camera, some of them worked behind the scenes as writers and vice versa. Mindy Kaling, who plays Kelly, B.J. Novak, who plays Ryan, and Paul Lieberstein, who plays Toby, each started out as writers and wrote around a dozen episodes for the show, with Lieberstein even directing a few. Writer Michael Schur, who plays Dwight’s weird cousin Mose, also wrote for the show. Some of the actors tried their hands at writing too, with Steve Carell contributing several scripts, including the pivotal “Casino Night” episode.
#5: John Krasinski Shot Part of the Opening Credits
Although filmed in California, “The Office” is set in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Though the show rarely featured the town itself, due to the cost of flying the actors and production team across the country, the beginning of the intro theme does feature on-location shots from Scranton with several landmarks, including the welcome sign and a real local paper company. These were filmed by John Krasinski, who plays Jim, before production on the series started. Krasinski taped parts of the town while on a roadtrip with several friends, filming from the sunroof of a Jeep; explaining their rough, handheld look.
#4: From Casting Associate to Cast Member
As we’ve already seen, several members of the crew and staff eventually found roles in front of the camera, but possibly the most unusual case was that of Phyllis Smith. Originally one of the show’s casting associates, Smith was cast herself, as the similarly named Phyllis Lapin - a soft-spoken, yet surprisingly adventurous saleswoman. After watching her demeanor and her rapport with all the cast members during read-throughs, producers decided to create the role specifically for her. Smith’s understated and undeniably talented performance contributes nicely to the show’s ensemble.
#3: Dwight’s Ridiculous Amish Family Had Its Roots in Reality
Dwight Schrute is among the more bizarre characters in “The Office”... if not television in general. And the origins of most of his odd behavior can be traced back to his weird Amish/Pennsylvania Dutch family. But the family itself and its many eccentricities were inspired by three main sources – actor Rainn Wilson’s own trailer park family, creator Greg Daniels’ Polish, beet farming grandparents, and writer Michael Schur’s love of an Amish reality show. While Dwight’s family may have taken inspiration from reality, it’s truly unreal just how peculiar they are.
#2: An Unexpected Kiss
During the season 3 opener, Michael and Dwight go on one of their typically ill-advised misadventures and try to find out who in the office is gay, eventually outing accountant Oscar Martinez. With the naturally awkward fallout, Michael attempts to make it better and, typically, makes it so much worse. During a meeting, he tries to show how “open-minded” he is by kissing Oscar. Steve Carell reportedly improvised this on the spot, making Oscar’s reaction, and that of the rest of the office, completely genuine.
Before we get to our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:
Creed Bratton Is Actually Creed Bratton
Jenna Fischer Got a Lot of Hate Mail
#1: Jenna Fischer Kept Pam’s Engagement Ring
Jim and Pam’s romance is among the most beloved by fans. From their will-they-won’t-they beginnings to marriage to starting a family together, they always had us rooting for them with their irrefutable chemistry. It’s a romance that the actors behind the characters loved as well, as Jenna Fischer kept Pam’s engagement ring as a memento after the series concluded. However, contrary to online rumor, Fischer doesn’t wear it all the time and the ring is not a real or valuable one - it’s just a prop. It’s not the monetary value that matters though, folks, it’s the memories.
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