David Denman

for Dwight's pepper spray. If you catch my meaning, you know I am bringing on the incredible David Denman today, a k a. Roy Anderson. Now David currently is on one of my favorite shows, HBO's Mayor of East Town, but before that, he spent many years playing an ordinary guy just working in a warehouse. He really has a unique perspective on the Office right because his character was on and off the show for all nine years, and

he went through quite a journey during that time. Today we're going to talk about that, as well as Roy's standout moments, his wedding, the Booze Crews, and much much more. We're also going to bring up some big questions for David. Was Roy a sympathetic character. Do we think he cheated on Pam? And most importantly, what was in his trash bag from the pilot. It's a good question, right, So join me today in welcoming half of Pam and Roy, or boy as no one has called them ever, David

Denman Bubble and Squeak. I love it, Bubble and Squeak on Bubble and Squeaker Cookie every month lift over from the night before, David, what's happening? Brother? What is going on? Oh my god, it's been so long. How are you. I'm good, I know it was weird. Just trying to figure out last time I saw you I think was at your wedding when I don't remember when that was. Gosh, that is just so, that's just disgustingly too long. It's all right, Oh my god. All right, well we are.

We're going to get in to a lot, but I want to start back at the beginning. You're from California. You end up getting accepted and go to Juilliard, which basically what that means to me is you knew what you wanted to do pretty early. Is that true? Yeah? No, I knew I wanted to be an actress. Since I was a kid. I remember I went and saw that movie The Black Stallion when I was a kid, and I must have been six when it came out, I think,

and my dad took me. I never forget it, and I remember going, I want to be that kid, and it was the ongoing joke in the family, like, David, You're not going to be a jockey. It's just not gonna happen. And then uh, shortly after that ET came out and I was like, I want to do what that guy's doing, and uh, my family was just like, what, we have no idea what to do with you? And so yeah, I knew from a young age all these pictures of me dressing up in costumes, running around and

you know, pretend me too. Did you have any family connection, I mean, being from California, did you have any family connection to the business or anything. No, nothing at all. You know, my dad was a draftsman and my mom I'm um worked like as a receptionists. Basically, I had no connection whatsoever. I actually didn't even hear of Juilliard

until I was in high school. And I remember there was a kid named Michael, his adorf, and he was like a real actor because I grew up in Orange County, which is about an hour from l A. And he would go up and do commercials and do bit parts and movies and stuff, and so, you know, I was like, oh, wow, you're really doing it and uh. And he was like, well, I'm gonna go to IM. I'm gonna apply and try to go to Juilliard. And I said, what is that. Okay, so it's an acting school and I was like, there's

schools for acting. I mean, it was that naive. He was like yeah, dude, Robin Williams, Kevin Klein. I was like, what they went there? He was like yeah. I was like blown away. And then I went because I was a terrible student and I knew I wasn't going to go to college. None of my family had gone to college. And then I you know, went down the rabbit hole of like, wait a minute, I can go to school for acting. And so a friend of mine went to

the American Conservatory Theater. They had a summer training congress the summer before my senior year. He was a year ahead of me, a guy named Craig Brewer, who went on to be a writer director of Hustle and Flow and Black Snake Moan and Dolomite is my name another one. Anyway, he's been very successful. But he was an actor when we were in school, and he went and I was like, I'm gonna go there. So my whole senior year was

all about going to a CT summer program. And then once I did that, I wanted to go to the you know, the grad program, but they wouldn't let you in and for two years you had to have two years of college. So I went to junior college for two years, and I was like, I'm gonna do as many plays as I can do here, and I'll do, you know, take some classes and and then I'll apply for a c T. And then I figured, well, from applying there, I might as well apply to all these

other schools that I want to go to. And Juliard was at the top of the list, and an n y U and Harvard had a program, and so I went up an audition for Juilliard and Harvard the same weekend they did it like in San Francisco, and then that monday I got a call from Juilliard saying, hey, we'd like to offer you a spot. And that was like my top choice. So I was like, what, yeah, of course, so I didn't even do the other auditions

and that's awesome. AGA end up getting getting into the Harvard program as well, and I was like, thanks guys, but I'm I'm gonna go here and stand there like good for you. Have fun. That's incredible. So you moved to New York? I did. Yeah, I moved to New York and yeah, I had no idea when I was getting into I mean, like I said, no one in my family went to college, so my idea of college was Dead Poets Society. I was like, I didn't know what New York City was like or what a campus

was going to be like. And I walked into Lincoln Center and I'm like, oh, this is interesting. I mean, this is all before the Internet or you could just look everything up. This is like, here's a pamphlet, here's a couple of pictures of what are the inside of our school? Looks like like, you have no idea. It was definitely not Dead Poets Society. There was no beat of what was that Princeton I think they shot that or something. Yeah, beautiful campus. Right At this point, were

you interested in film and television? I mean you referenced your friend who was going and doing commercials and stuff or or for you was it was it theater? You know? It was theater? Was was everything? I mean, I kind of like. I remember when I was in junior college and having a conversation with a buddy of mine, this guy Todd Kolesack, who we were doing Rosenkrantz and Guildensterner Dead, and I was like, yeah, I just want to do

theater and something. He's like, what are you talking about, dude, why don't you go try to do film and TV? Like I don't know, I don't know. And I remember one of my teachers, I was like reading this play and he was like what do you What are you reading? And I'm like, oh, this new play just came out of New York And he goes, Okay, you need to read more books. I go, what do you mean? He goes, why are you reading a play that somebody else already did?

Why don't you read a book so you can do the the original version of it, you know, and some movie or something. And I was like, wow, I think he's people have a lot more faith in me than I have in myself. And and and those those conversations did start sparking like, well, maybe I'll go and give it a shot. And and then I went to New York. I went to school, which was a grind, and I saw all these really talented people come out and just

get beat up. And I went and did a summer Shakespeare festival in Utah, and there was a guy who had come out of another grad program a few years before us, and he had spent I don't know five ten years out of grad school doing theater and he was just then going to go to l A and try to break in. And he was so impassionate about it. He was like, don't wait, don't wait, I go what he goes. There's one time when you come out of

school where they're all interested in you. I wish I would have capitalized on it when I had the shot, and I didn't. And now I'm starting from the ground up again, and it's it's going to be brutal. And if you get out of school and there's interest, get on a plane and go to l A. And so that was like the summer before my senior year. And so my buddy who would who was also at Utah,

who was at graduating from Yale School of Drama. He had already done the New York thing before he went to before he went to um Yale, and so he was like, I'm going to l A. We should go together. And I'm like, you're crazy, what are you? What are you talking about? And I had family, you know, in Orange County, so it wasn't like that crazy to do. But I just thought I would at least spend a year in New York and like capitalize on all those

theater connections and trying to do some regional theater. And and then I did one play right when I graduated, and like Shakespeare by the Sea, I think it was Shakespeare was on the sound. I don't even know. It's something real Wheaton, Connecticut. We did so many of these same summer things, by the way, that's actually which we've never talked about. But anyway, you did one show. I did one show. I was making like two d and fifty bucks a week. I couldn't even pay my rent.

It was like that was good. I was good. I was like us so excited to get that job finally, and I was like, this is terrible. This is not gonna this is not gonna work, and so I remember July, my buddy I was like, hey, I got to go to this wedding up in Oregon. You want to take a road trip. And I hadn't been home and over a year, and I was like, yeah, yeah, I'm gonna come back and let's take that road trip. So I came back. Luckily I had an agent that had a

West Coast office. Come to find out afterwards that that doesn't mean anything that she had. She had a meeting with me and was like, hey, yeah, if you ever feel like coming out to l A, just let me know. She was like the owner of the company. And I was like, yeah, no, seriously, I'm I'm I'm probably gonna

do that. She was like okay, but she she told me later that she was like, you know what, we just say that to everybody when we're signing them, but like we work as two separate offices, Like if you didn't get anything, I would have sent you back and really like, well, that's just such a lie. She's like, well, you know, what are you gonna do again? This is like before digital and not only tax but even email. I mean this is like right when email is started. Man,

I had a page that exactly. I'd get a pager to say, hey, you got an audition, called the page your number back and be like, what is it? And then I had to go to the office to print out the sides and print out the appointment sheet. But anyway, I long story short, I came in and I booked my first audition, which was for e Er and at the time that was like the number one show on TV. And my agent was like, you should consider staying and uh, and I said, all right, my buddy was already here

and he wanted to stay. He was like, let's get an apartment. So we got an apartment and I never went back. I mean I went back, god twenty years later to work, but never, you know, to go live. You were l a based based immediately. Yeah, within a couple of months of graduating from school. So and then so you get this role on the Er and so things were just really easy from then on out right. I mean you just just you just exactly, It's just you never stopped working. No, it was. It was a

good first year and then a good second year. I got that movie The Replacements about a year after I graduated, and that was the one that was the big shocker when I'm doing that movie and it's a you know, one of those big studio films, and you think this is the life. This is I'm just gonna leave this set and I'm gonna go to the next one and then the next one, and I'm on my way. And then I didn't work for a year, and I was like, oh no, this is this is not gonna this is

really gonna be tough. But you know, you get little gigs here and there, a couple of little guest stars on TV shows and you know, a voice over a commercial that you know, you know, it's just like you someone told me a long time ago. You're like juggling, you know, all these different aspects of your career, and uh, you gotta have all of them going, and because when one of them is down, the other one hopefully is up, and you just gotta keep juggling him until something happens.

So I got lucky. Yeah, you know, it was grateful. So this British show called The Office comes out with Ricky Gervais. Now did you watch the show when it first came out? Available? So I had a buddy of mine from New York who we did to talk with Theater Festival another summer stock. He called me and it was like, David, you've got to watch the show. It's right up your alley. It's hilarious. And I hear they're doing an American version of it. You've got to get

on it. And I was like, okay, And he never does that. He never did that with any he's never done a sense so you were done, Okay, I'll just get on like, I'll make a call. And I did watch it. I was like, oh my god, this is genius. And I called my agent immediately and my agent said, do you want to do that? And I go what I think? Well, they're just looking for like improv comedians, and like I could improv a Juilliard what what do

you talk? Just because I didn't go to UCB or whatever doesn't mean I don't I can't do that or don't want to do that. And in his defense, at that point, that was like the third incarnation of a British TV comedy that was somewhat successful that they had brought over and they've bombed over and over and over again, and so he was just like, here, it's gonna be

another one of those. And uh, I said, just get me an appointment, and at that point they'd already cast John and Jenna and all those guys they were and so he called me back and he was older. There they have the part of Roy. When you want to go in for that, it's a guest star, and I said, yeah, yeah, get me in. So I went in and gave my audition for all those guys, and which people can see on the internet. They call back and give me the job. So you know, I've I've done a bunch of movies

at that point, a bunch of TV. But without a doubt, that's the thing that everything we just shifted. It's like you get on the number one show, even though it wasn't number one right away, it took a long time, but you get on a show that one was talking about and all of a sudden doors opened up and opportunities and talk about that big break. But it's like I had a lot of breaks along the way to get me there, and a lot clear I had more

breaks afterwards. You know, like you gotta keep getting those brakes. They someone's got a smile on you somewhere too, to keep it going, because it doesn't doesn't just keep happening. You know, had you done much comedy at all, or no, I've done comedic movies at all, dramatic television. That was the irony the second I did the Office, all of a sudden, everybody wanted you to come to comedy and I was like, great, I'm happy to do it. And then the thing that drove me crazy and I don't

I don't know if it happened to YouTube. I'm sure it did. I would walk into these auditions and they would go, I had just improv it like to do in the office, and I would go, no, no, no, no, no, no, I'm on the office. So I can tell you for a fact, this isn't all improved. There's actually really amazing writers that are writing all these jokes and they're throwing them at us, and you know what, they're even adding more jokes to it when we do another take. This

isn't all just our genius that made that show work. Hello, guys, like, I'm happy to do that for you, But if you want me to write your show, that's a different job title. I'm happy to perform it, but but it's but don't don't say like they do in the office. There was improv for sure, but the majority of that was scripting. It really well scripted. When you started working on the show, so you you had seen the British version, you were a fan of that, and we start working on the pilot.

What were your first impressions, either with working with people or on how things went during that pilot shoot, because you had way more experienced than me, but more experienced than a lot of the folks, right, so how was it to you? What were your first impressions? Well, you know, I think I only have like that one scene in the pilot, right, come in with the trash bag, which you don't know what is in that trash bag, whether it's human hand or something. It was just for some reason,

the timing wasn't working. Something was off, and I remember Ken Coppas was like, hey, let's take a break and we went downstairs, and of course I was panicking and what happened? What did I do? You know? And John was like, no, man, they're doing this all the time. They're like there, We're constantly taking breaks to just clear the air and then come back at it. And I think a big part of that is because you know, we had those of us who had seen the show.

It's hard not to have that impression, you know. And when you start imitating somebody else you know as well as I do, you're in trouble because you're never going to do it as good as the person who did it originally. Um, So you've got to do your own thing and you've got to find your own voice in it. So I don't know if that had something to do with it or what, or it just happened to be,

you know, hey, let's just shake it up. And so we went downstairs, came back up and did like one more take and it was like, great, we got it. I was like, oh, oh, that was easy. And then it was you know, a year later before were we studied homing. You know, it's like we had to wait to get picked up and then wait and wait. It was like, actually, no, we shot that stuff. It was in the fall. It was a year later that it aired. It wasn't until like April or whatever that we found

out how the show would turn out. Right. Jenna had a conversation with me about backstory. She had a journal about your relationship with the relationship between Pam and Roy and her history. Did you work with her on your initial backstory or were you Were you involved with that at all. I was receptive to her ideas. It was her show more than it was my show. I was just a guest star on it. But we did talk about it, you know, with all of those things, it's

so important to create a backstory. But yeah, we did have to go how long have we been together? And you know when we start dating? And how did it? You know, we did. We did share those conversations, and I don't know that too much of what I said shifted anything. I was just more amenable her ideas, you know,

I was like, yeah, I think that's probably right. I think they probably kind of fell into this thing and then they kind of got into a rut and just kept going along, and you know, clearly they weren't happy in the relationship, or at least Roy wasn't happy enough to propose. And then, you know, the nice the fun thing about that show is those talking heads where you you could hear characters in her thoughts, you know, and so often in television, you're not the characters don't evolve.

They want the same thing every week, and they want to see that dynamic and how it plays out. But they don't see a character make a shift or a change, and so I was lucky enough to have this like, oh no, Roy's gonna lose her, try to win her back, and it was like this different character to play in season three and that was really fun to do. And and then when I found out that he didn't ever really truly evolve by the end of it, you were like,

oh no, the old Roy's back. And then they, you know, they nicely gave me a great little send off in the you know, final season of the Evolved Roy or whatever, which was cool. Right. You talk about how trying to imitate somebody else's performance, right, so it's was Lee in the British version. Did you feel like pretty quickly, you know, the character of Roy evolved from that original British version or became more tied to you and your sensibilities. Yeah,

I think so. I mean, you know, there's also that British the reserve, you know, like that guy could be just stoic and just kind of like, uh and didn't say much that that Lee character was kind of like that and uh. And they gave me more more things to do, more funnier things to say, and be a more of a meat head, you know. And you know, I went to high school with a bunch of meat heads, and a lot of them I didn't like. So this

was my opportunity to make fun of them. I got to carry that with me for the rest of my life, you know. But but yeah, I mean it was they did. They did right to that. I think also the whole show just sort of evolved after those first six episodes. It got its own voice when they didn't have those scripts to to go to and and they had to write for us, and they did, you know, I mean, I'm sure you're at least aware, you know that there has been a lot of sympathy toward Roy actually and

his plight. You know, for a long time what what would you call emotional cheating that she wanted to be with someone else. My question is is that was that a conscious decision? I mean, I guess talk a little bit about the importance of bringing that humanity to Roy, which gave him a depth that maybe on other shows wouldn't have existed. Well, I gotta say, you know that

was Greg Daniels. We had a conversation between season two and three, and he uh said, I want to make Roy more of a rival to Jim, And I said, I don't know how we're going to do that because he's a he's pretty much a meat head, and we've pretty much painted him into a corner that I don't know how anyone would ever want to be with this guy. And he laughed and said, well, I think we can, and I know that you can as an actor, and we're gonna write towards it. We're gonna try to make

it happen. And I said, look, in my opinion, the only way that there's a chance at that is if Roy is able to realize he's screwed up and try to make amends or make it better somehow, and then you might have a shot of rooting for him. Unless he does that, I don't know how you can because he's so thick headed. And he said, yeah, I agree to I agree with that, and that's what I was thinking.

And I said, okay, cool, and then we had it like in this season three, Like first episode there's a talking head of the wedding has been called off and and he just has this one moment where he says, I gotta winner back. Yeah. It was definitely a conscious effort of you know, this guy was you don't realize how much you miss something and until they're gone. And but at the same token, like I don't necessarily know

that they were the right match for each other. I think it's also like you're gonna lose that thing, and so you don't want to lose it. And so you know, he was definitely in the doghouse trying to trying to win her back, and you know, and there are moments that they got to where you're like, oh, maybe this is gonna happen, like maybe they'll push it off for another couple of seasons of them getting together, but no, it was the season three arc. But yeah, you know,

it's funny. I always say, like, because early on, man, I get a lot of hate on the social media. You're such a jerk. I hate you. But I would always say, just please everyone, don't ever forget that, Hey, I'm cheated on Roy. Like he may have been a numb soul and not a great boyfriend, but come on, like, Roy isn't the guy that was doing that. Do you think Roy never cheated I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. That's a good question. I don't know.

I never thought about it, but I never did on camera. You never did on camera. That's that we don't know what that character did. I think Roy probably cheated early on in their relationship. I would be I would guess he just treated her so poorly. Yeah, he didn't really have much respect for her, and I think it was probably when she called it off that all of a sudden did have respect for him, and it was like,

oh okay, right. So in Booze Crows, I mean, it occurs to me as you're talking that it feels like really about you sensing something between Jim and Pam and just wanting to stop it as opposed to really wanting to be with her. Is that is that how you viewed it? Did you talk to Greg about it at all? No? I didn't. We didn't talk about it, but it felt that way, and when we shot it and that it was a rivalry, it was also h I have to do this, you know, and he saw them flirting with

each other and just blurting it out. So yeah, we didn't really talk about it. But yeah, I think that's fair to say that he was more interested in shutting that down than really being so madly in love with Pam I don't think that that was the case. And also he had quite a few drinks, you know, and was like festive and like all right, let's just do this thing, you know, like just do it. We could deal with the ramifications later. I'm sure he woke up the next morning and was like, oh, no, we did

so boy, what do we do? Um? There's fan theories. Do you think Roy Ever cheated on PAM with Angelo? Definitely did not. You know, I don't even think he knew Angela's name. I really don't. I don't think. I don't think he was. It was that invested. But I haven't watched them back since we originally did them, so

maybe there's a lot more in there that they edited. Yeah. Well, but there's also a fan theory that Kevin is a secret genius who embezzled millions of dollars from dunder Mifflin and and he knew what was going on the whole time. So it's certainly possible that that they know more than I do. I do have to ask you about this. It has become, I guess, one of my favorite stories

in life. But right around this time, mid season two, Steve gets nominated for a Golden Globe Award, And do you remember that we met at my house and you drove us too. You drove a group of us to the Beverly Hilton, and my recollection is a Honda Civic and we showed up like the Beverly Hillbillies to the Beverly Hilton for the Golden Globes where we were on

the rooftop, not allowed in the actual room. And we drove up and they were like, you morons, like there's no valet, this is a red carpet and we're not taking your car. And you were like, no problem, guys, I'll go park, and you like had to park miles away and walk back. Do you remember this story? I swear to you I do not, But I'm not surprised. That is an awful answer, don't I wish? I wish

I remember that. I remembered us being upstairs at that party, having quite a few drinks, and when when Steve won, like it was like we won the Super Bowl, like so humped and so excited for him and the show. But now that you're saying, and I'm putting it all together, like literally right now, and I do remember being at your house, you don't remember. I'm sure I did, and I had God, I had an old beat up Honda was a Chord, a Chord. It was a four door. It was old and beat up though, I mean it

was my old, agents old car. My car broke down and I needed a car. I said, can I can? I can I buy your car? And she was like, uh, okay, yeah, just uh just pay me back when you can. I'm like, I need a job and she was like okay, Like she I was driving her car around for a couple of months before I had enough money to pay it off. It was only like or something, but it was like

it was an old, beat up car. So we pulled up like along the side of Wilsher Boulevard and you were like, you guys, get out, I'll go park who always in the car with us, Oscar and Angela At least I can't fully remembering. It's become one of my favorite memories of the time. And um, that line. I wish we knew we were in the good old days while they were happening, because that, for me, it's just kind of just the purity of that no limo, no red carpet. I didn't even know that we were invited

on the red carpet. We may have kind of walked through and people were like, who are they don't you're not allowed in the room. Nobody knew we were. I was surprised that we even got the invite to the NBC party on the roof. You know, so many of those parties, like early on shortly after that, we did get like cars to go to like the SAG Awards and things like that. Right, yes, no, yes, we didn't remember ever driving to another one of those parts. No, that was it. That was it. I think that was it.

I do remember we went to the SAG Awards. I think it was the year later maybe, and we partied so hard. It was like we thought that that party was for us, Like the open bar. We were like, oh my god, this is amazing, and everyone's looking at us like, oh my god, you guys, and we're dancing. We took over the the the dance floor and like it was so much fun. And now when I go to those parties, I always see those like first year

shows and those kids doing the same thing. I'm not doing that anywhere because now I know it's a work party. Have a drink, say hello, everybody you know, and keep your head down. But like, yeah, that innocence of us was pretty palpable and everyone everyone was smiling and having a good time with us. What was it like coming back to the show when you would be gone for

a bit and then you would come back. Well, those early days, because I wasn't in every episode, you guys were so stir crazy, like stuck in that room with the same faces to look at for twelve hours a day, all day long. So when I would come in, you guys were so like, hey, even, oh my god, there's another person here, and you guys were so excited to see me. It was so much fun. Um it was.

It was hilarious. Yeah, you know, that show evolved over time and everybody's evolved with it, and everyone's kind of star broke out in different ways and different things, and it was a different show. It was a different show those later years. Everyone was still very nice, but you were there. We weren't driving to an awards ceremony and your beat up Honda everyone. Yeah, I remember that, Like, what was it, season three? All of a sudden everyone pulls up in new cars and like it was like, oh,

all right, I guess everybody. The st is gonna be around a little bit. Yeah, did you have any conversations with Greg when you agreed to come back with your new fiancee? Uh, and you invite Jim and Pam to your wedding? Did you have any conversations with Greg about what you wanted in terms of resolution to the character? That was all then. I mean I did come to find out like that John was always sort of pitching to try to get me around, uh, stir up some

of that conflict that they had those early years. That was fun stuff for us to play. But no, I mean, you know there was I did that one episode in five and then and then they brought me in for the threat level midnight or something midnight, Yes, and uh, and they cut me out of that episode, so I'm only in the extras of that. And then they called me that was the crazy one. Was that Jim and Pam's wedding. They called me with that crazy pitch that

now is out there. I was shooting a movie up in Maine and they were like, can you come in to do this Niagara false thing? And I was like, I don't know that I'll be able to. Like we had to carve it out of the skin edgule, And so then they did carve it out, and the last second they called and said it's not happening. And I was like at all and they're like, it' not happening. Riding in on a horse in the middle of the way. I mean, it was so crazy. I'm so glad somebody

stepped in. It was like, guys, I think they were jump on the shark here. This is a little bit too much. It did not feel at all like what Roy would have done either when I was being pitched it or told it. But I didn't have any any say in that at all. But I was so grateful that they that they pivoted at the end, and I thought that that episode was a beautiful episode and I

loved how it ended. And sometimes people get locked into an idea and they think that's the best thing, and then and then when when they're forced to pivot on something, all of a sudden, something even more beautiful comes out of it that you don't anticipate often. And I think that's a perfect example of of of an episode that

turned out that way. Yeah, well, it's so crazy because I think that bond of our early times we got so close, Like you know, even when you would leave for a while, we may have jumped to you because we wanted somebody else to look at, but it was never like, oh, that guy is back, like you were always a part of the ensemble. I'm sure that has to do with how the show started and what we were born out of. I've always felt that way. I

couldn't agree more. I did. Never. Yeah, people's excitement was not nothing about like anything other than a new face to look at and talk to me, like what have you been up to? But it was But we did all bund even for me, who was not in all of the episodes. But those early years I remember so much just hanging out and playing video games and the trailers and yeah, I mean, but you know, a big part of that too is who was steering the ship of Steve. You know, he was the most humble guy.

And here he was by the time we shot the pilot and by the time it aired that second season, one of the biggest movie stars around at that on the planet, and he was still the same guy, humble down to earth, excited about the same things. Creatively, would listen to you with you know, it was just like and that's he's still that guy today. I mean I remember I just ran into him, not just but like

right before COVID. We were in the parking lot. We talked for like an hour, like and it was just like like no time had passed between the last time I saw him and then. And I've been in a lot of shows that a lot of people, and people is famous as he is, and that is not always the case at all. He's a special human And I always say he's my favorite actor I've ever worked with and been around because his talent as as he is,

he's just that nice as a human being. Yeah, Basically every single person that I've talked to over the last couple of years up said exactly the same thing. Kind of just doesn't get any better in terms of his talent or just his decency as a person. Had a tremendous impact on not just the show but all of

us individually. And it's hard to it's hard to put that into words with other shows, and people have asked, but I can't put my finger on it other than just being a professional, always showing up on time, doing his job, and always making everyone's day better. Yeah, that is exactly what it is. He always showed up, he always worked as hard as he possibly could and was working harder than anyone else, and was still decent and kind to everyone that he interacted with forever. And you know,

he taught me a really important lesson him. And I mean it's like name drops Central, but Robin Williams as well, this sort of mantra of it takes just as much energy to be nice than it does to be an ass. I mean, it's kind of as simple as that, do your job and do it excellently and at the same time be kind to everyone around you. Yeah, it seems so simple, but it isn't always the case, you know. I know. So after the office, you've been busy, continuing

to work hard and returned to some drama. I wanted just for a few minutes, because this is selfish. I loved your performance and the show, Mayor of Easttown, So congratulations on that show. How was that to work on for you? Just as lovely as you can imagine. Kate is as great as Steve is. Kate's equal part as a human being and as an actress. She's just so down to earth and so great. Yeah, all of those things. You know I just said about Steve, just take them

and dump them right on over to Kate. The thing it was great from talking about background and all that stuff the Jedda was doing with her character from the get go. You know, we had to do all that stuff with our characters because we had twenty plus years of a relationship and a lot of stuff that had gone down that we had to know and had to figure out. And so you know, that was our rehearsal.

That's all we did. We got together and we just talked with her and I and Uh and Jeans Smart and Gawery, with a writer and a director and just flushing out all of that history because you have to have that history to play that subtext. And if you if we're not both thinking about the same thing when she's saying our grandson is blinking again, if we both don't know that's the same thing and our son did, you don't have that history, you don't you can't play that moment. So yeah, we got to do all of

that stuff. And it was a crazy experience just in the sense of we had to get shut down for COVID for six months and then come back and then I had more hair at the beginning of the season than I did at the end. But we shut it all together, and you know it's like stuff like that. You're like, God, this took a lot longer than anyone anticipated. Kate was so so specific about detail, and you know, like she would do these things and it's like most

people wouldn't, you know, wouldn't appreciate it. But as an actor, I'm watching her and I'm just going, oh my god, she's she's doing that, and it's all behavior stuff like she grabs the cheese it and she puts the cheese wiz on and I remember and I just watched her in the moment when we did the rehearsal. She goes, I gotta have I need like, like, what's that cheese spread stuff? Like I need that. I want to put

her like on a cheese it or something. And they were like, Okay, let's find some cheese whiz and and it. I mean, she must have done twenty takes of that, pouring it on and eating it and they never saw her eat it like it cuts right before and I was like, no, she she almost puked that day just to get that bit and you didn't even use it her mind working, you know, in such creative ways of of really digging into that character. And she spent a lot of time with you know, detectives and being in

that area. I I got to listen to accents of people in that region and it was an amazing experience. It was great. It was all the stuff you hope it would be when you sign on to do one of those. Yeah, you talked about behavior, because we've talked about that quite a bit. That character behavior was so much a basis of what The Office was. And I think it's really about the characters and those behaviors and not painting the quote unquote bad guys as bad guys

or the idiots as just idiots. That there's a complexity and a depth to the character that is so vitally important. I think I agree with that sentiment about The Office absolutely. I just love that type of comedy too, that's grounded in reality but makes you so uncomfortable you have to you have to laugh or some people can't take it. I have friends and be like, I can't watch that stuff. It's just too it's so uncomfortable. What he what he says,

those things, and I just eat that up. But it's it's grounded in reality behavior, and it's about also character development and obviously a huge journey and arc with Roy, but so much of the work that you have done over the years that that attention to detail Allen character

is there throughout. And I admire you so much as an actor, and you know want you to know how our even if you don't fully remember our Honda car ride, those early days and the time that we shared and getting to watch you work was always such a pleasure for me. So thank you David so much for your work and and for for joining us today. I appreciate you so much. Right back at you, I've always been a fan and I'm excited for you to be doing these deep dives. I mean, like, it's crazy how long

this thing has lasted. It's a beautiful thing. I'm grateful for it. It's crazy it is. I'll close by asking you, then, why do you think that this show is bigger now than it ever was when we were shooting? Oh boy? I mean I would just go back to something Steve said when we first started doing it, and he was like, this is not going to be everyone's cup of tea. We have to let people find this show. If we try to make it like what's already out there, and it's not gonna work. We have to do our own

thing with it. They had done office comedies before, and they'll do them again in the future, but ours was unique at the time, you know, reality TV was had been in our our our universe, so that we could use that format that I don't think anyone had really used that format that. I think that's that's unique about it. And frankly, because you have streaming, no one is going to try to do this right now, because why would you If you could just go watch the Office, You're

not going to try to do the same thing. So I think he's gonna last. It's going to continue to last, I think, and so many people go back to this like comfort food. It's like me putting on Sports Center to that and just relax, you know. Awesome, Thank you David so much. Thanks for coming on the problem brother. Good to see again. David, You're the best. I enjoyed

that so much. You are an actor's actor, and I for one am fascinated by you and all of the characters you have created with such intelligence, depth and sincerity. So thank you so much, and for talking all about Roy, who I dare say is one of the most overlooked characters on the Office. Thank you for joining me, my friend, it was indeed my pleasure. The rest of you well, see you soon for new episodes in the Brian bamb

Gartner podcast Machine. Is that a thing? I don't know, but anyway, I'll see you next week for another episode of the Office Deep Dive. Until then, be very very well, my friends. The Office Deep Dive is hosted and executive for used by me, Brian Baumgartner, alongside our executive producer Langley. Our producers are Emily Carr and Diego Tapia, and our intern is Hannah Harris. Our theme song Bubble and Squeak, performed by my great friend Creed Bratton, and the episode was mixed by seth Olandski