John Krasinski - Pt. 2

in for a treat because this time we go deep. Okay, we always go deep, but seriously, I made him blush. I made him cry. Well, he didn't quite cry, but he did go into details of the way he cries, which is all in like everything else he does. I even got to well or I was forced to hear his sexy voice in my brain, and if I'm honest, I would be okay never hearing that again. But maybe

you'll feel differently now. If you've been listening to this podcast since the very beginning, you've heard me talk about how the Office is a family a few times. Well, John really gets into why that's the case and why the Office is not just a family. For the cast and crew who were there, but for you too, Yes, you,

the person listening to this right now. So few shows have been able to cross that threshold where it really feels like you know the characters that you're watching on screen and not to tute our own horns, but I really think with this show we achieved that. And that's why, no matter how many movies he directs, or how successful he becomes, how many billboards he is on, John Krasinski will always be Jim Halpert, Everyone's favorite goofy haired prankster.

So please join me in welcoming back, my old friend and yours, John Krasinski. Bubble and Squeak, I love Bubble and Squigan. Bubble and Squeaker cook at every month lift over from the Night Before. The Office was constructed in the opposite way than most comedies, or certainly television comedies, where typically the leads are the young lovers and then you've got a crazy uncle or the crazy boss that that is back in the corner coming No um. This

show was the reverse which which is which? Which was putting and specifically the moments and examining like why Jim and Pam, like why that relationship became so important to people? And so charged was people weren't watching a half hour of it. They were just stealing a moment from the corner, which makes you like, I want to lean forward. And the other thing was there's an idea that when you generalize, it becomes more universal, right, like this is generally who

this guy is from this midwestern town. But the amount of specificity and reality both in those moments between Jim and Dwight and Jim and Pam. The opposite is true that the more ccific you get, that the character has become infinitely more real and therefore universal and relatable. To me, that idea is is interesting. No, I think it's I think it's really true, and I think that's sort of the magic trick of the show is. And I don't I don't know the specifics of why it's so huge now.

I mean, it's mind blowing to me. A four year old came up to me at the airport and was like, it's my favorite show and I was like, do you get any of it? And they're like, yeah, like it totally universal, like you said. But I also think that the stakes were set up so wonderfully because that's real life, right. I think when you're in love with someone, especially someone

at work. You very much look forward to those interactions at work, but that means that when you go home, in your home life with your friends or whatever else you're doing, you will not see that person. So you are sort of, I don't know, tantalized by the idea that like, when I get that moment, I'll savor it. And I think that's real life, and that's what did in the show. I particularly, I'm thinking right now about

the relationship with Roy, you know what I mean. It's like it's like lighting a fuse that might blow six weeks from now, but it was a very specific fuse, right, So the first time you saw me and David together, people were like, oh, okay, so you just told me that this is a potentially explosive thing, and then we

didn't go into it. You'd reference him a couple of times, and it was very specific references, and she said that he brought me to the game and left me at the arena, like things like that, where you're just slowly leading the breadcrumbs back to the trigger, and then by the time he comes in and pushes me, you're so invested in that. Not in a television way I think in like a like these people are my friends, Oh right, my friend as much as I love them together, is

trying to go after a girl who's taken. That's real life steaks rather than TV steaks. And I think that's what made it like the first time that we accidentally kissed at Dundees and like that's real life, whereas a regular television show would have a big, huge kiss sing like they finally got together and it was I remember reading that script and being like, man, that is so smart that have the audience be like did they just kiss? And it's and not give them what they thought they want.

It was so because that's how I felt. I felt like, oh my god, I thought we're gonna do some huge kissing and instead she just did it at Dundees and you're like, oh my god. And of course I would have stewed on that for months and been like was that did that count? Was she just drunk? Rather than if it was a big kiss scene where I took her out back and like, you know, made some huge overture, you'd be like, oh good, I'm being entertained by this moment.

But I don't feel anything. I'm not connected I don't know if any of that made sense. No, that's so smart, I think. I um, I think people see themselves in the show, and it's a combination I would imagine of every character, you know. I don't think you look at one character and you go like, oh, I'm Michael. I hope you're not Michael. But it's more like, oh, man, I have a co worker that loves cats, and I have a coworker that drives me insane. I don't know.

Maybe that's it, And certainly people have bosses that are crazy, right, Yeah, it's what you were talking about, I think is so true. I had a conversation with Greg where traditional sitcoms there's a rhythm, there's a rhythm to the joke. It's it's totally on the beat. And I think that in the relationship between Jim and Pam, everything happened off of the beat, not at the time you expected, right from moments way early,

like right like in terms of like the progression. But then also what Greg talked about a little bit was once it got to a certain point that he was like, well, we need to get them together, Like I'm not going to create artificial impediments that make everybody go like, come on right, because I think he had brought this audience in to a very seemingly realistic relationship. So if you started doing weird things that felt fake, then people wouldn't relate to it anymore. I'm saying, like, I love I

can admit on this podcast. I was never like a casting No. I wasn't really great with dating, and I feel and I think that's what's so great about the show is how do you go about that? Like how do you start a relationship with someone who's already with someone? It's a great place to start, and then just you know, slowly,

you know. I remember also how bold it was that when you thought you would do something, you know, like proposed to her, he would write an entire episode where you're like, oh man, and at the end, this is gonna be the proposal because again in TV, you know that like the big scenes are coming, and he wouldn't do it. And then when I did propose, I love that talking head where I was like, I've been planning

on this forever, like I love that, you know. Um, I've said to people that nothing shut down production like an important gem and pan moment, like when there were moments between the two down. No, I mean like shut it down right right, like like like you're blushing right now. But it's I mean like Casino night and not and not just one, two different moments in Casino Night because the relationship was so important to the two of you and getting it right totally. I remember those two moments

very well. I remember the parking lot Yeah, it's funny now that you say that, Yeah, which must have been frustrating for you, Like, oh, you'd be like, oh, please just get me out of here before they filmed this, or it's going to be seven hours. Well we were in there that seven hours. But again I had never experienced anything else, so that was weird for me. Was I remember like there was an energy around those moments. I remember. I remember so many different things, but I

remember that parking lot scene. I remember not knowing where Matt was and Ken wouldn't tell me, and he was like, don't worry about it, just do the scene or whatever, you know, and I thought that was cool. And then certainly I remember the like the big moment, the big kiss that was shut down, like that was nobody was on set, nobody was around the craft service table, but

I didn't know that was happening. So I walked on, you know, ready to joke with folks, and they were like not wanting to make eye contact with me, and I was like, what happened? I feel like I said something to you, like I was going on. I know. I kind of remember that too. And then it made me more nervous because then they were like, all right, now, maybe you should go out the door and whenever you're ready,

come in. And I was like, what's happening. There is no I'm gonna call action, and they're like, no, man, well do you remember that night? I remember, I remember because you were so frustrated you were still there. No,

I just I remember it being so big. I think the thing that I am most proud of artistically he is not blowing your top in that moment in the shot in the show was every single shot where the camera was positioned, just the discussion about are the cameras in the room, Are the characters aware the cameras in the room, How does that change behavior based on the fact that the cameras are in the room or if they think that they're alone. And I think that at

that moment, specifically, at the end of Casino Night. You see the slats in the blinds and them shooting and catching you guys that they're such an intimacy, you know. It's like Randall and Matt were to my favorite people on Earth and I couldn't see them, and like, I don't even think I got to see the set before

I went up, you know what I mean? Like it was also weird, and I'm sure for a better actor you'd think like, oh, that's what you need, right, And so I was like I am a terrible actor because I don't know, I'm nervous, and maybe that was the intention, but I was like, I don't even know. Remember, Randall wasn't anywhere, and usually I was like what are we doing? Like what what? What? What? How? Where do you want me to be? Whenever? And it was really weird. I

was so freaked out. And I remember I was on set for a while before Jenna got onto because Jenna was taking her moment, which is fine, but again I was so not knowing of that world that I didn't know that I could take thirty minutes in my trailer to prepare. Mentally, I was like, mentally, what's happened? And then I got so much more scared, and I was like, you know, then you start to think, like, oh god, I didn't do my homework and she's doing her homework. Right.

Were you on board with the trajectory of Jim and Pam's relationship, like just in terms of the timing, did you have concerns about it happening to soon? No, it sounds like a hallmark version of Greg, but I truly and Greg I trusted. I could tell that he had to beat on it. He was always so nice to involve Jenna, and I remember that he would tell you kind of when things were going to happen, and he

would remind you in scenes, you know, don't worry. This isn't the moment that's going to lead to this, that

will happen later, like he he had it all tracked out. Also, we were what in season five or six by the time that I was in that motel with that other girl and stuff like that, And that's the only time I remember putting whatever, put my foot down, not really, but I remember I got that was the only time I was very much against because he was saying, you're going to actually make out with her in this scene, and that was the episode I directed. Yes, that's right,

that's the bed Bucks And I don't remember. It might have been an earlier version about you guys making out, but I remember that was the only time we had like a it was like a bad, negative moment. But I remember being in a room and it was like I remember finding myself kind of saying things that I never thought i'd say before, like I'm not going to shoot it. I remember Paul Lieberstein was in the room. He was like, no, you you will do it in an aggressive way, but it was like he saw the

benefit of doing it. And I remember saying to Greg, there's a threshold with which you can push our audience. They are so dedicated, we have shown such great respect to them. There's a level of messing with them that you've done, like in a great way. I mean like you've messed with them by the whole kiss happening too early. And I think there's a moment where if you push them too far, they'll never come back. And I think that if you show Jim to be cheating, they'll never

come back. Yeah, And I what did you think? That's right? You directed? What what was your field? Well? My recollection, Well, It was never that you were going to make out, but it was about there was what was the line? How far can we go? I was supposed to kiss her in that bathroom. I remember that's what they were pitching, and I was like, I don't know that that's going

to go well for us. But even just you being in a room him with her, you know, how would you behave even if you didn't think the cameras were there, because the cameras were shooting from outside and they weren't in the room except when Dwight came in. Um. Anyway, the whole point is the passion for which you fought and Jenna fought and Greg like that. Everybody was collaboratively. Oh that's why it wasn't a negative fight. It was

a big conversation because again it was so important to everybody. Yeah, but also I had trusted Greg up to that point, and it was really hard for me to say, I think we're actually making the wrong decision, right, so Steve, Well, I'm gonna start with us. When you found out that Steve was leaving, Oh yeah, what did you think was the greater loss, Michael or Steve? Jesus, It's like a existential crack right there in the Yeah, my brain literally just melted. Oh my god. I mean, it's weird, right.

I think there might be one of those esoteric, kind of actory bogus things that happened, which is we kind of started blending ourselves and our characters because we spent so much time together, and Steve and I had a really wonderful relationship We started because we were both from Boston and we really had a great friendship, and even though we didn't hang out all that much, I felt very deeply connected to him, and he was always so nice.

So I think that I think I have to be honest and say it was losing Steve because as much as he was so good on the show, his presence on the set was fantastic and mean he was. He was as professional as it gets. He was your clean up hitter, just crushed everything that he was thrown. And so I think I'm saying I think what I'm getting at is, in that moment, it felt like the end of an era. It felt like the the end of

something more than even losing Steve or losing Michael. It felt like the end of our show in a way, or that evolution of our show. It's like when you graduate college, your life isn't over, but that version of your life will never come back. You'll never have your college years again or your high school years again. Um, that's what it felt like. I felt like we were graduating college that day. I'm trying to figure it out in real time. Why I cried so hard when we

did that scene. I also remember him crying, and I was not expecting that. I thought that he was so good at comedy that he was able to be like, it's just a scene, then will cry after or not or whatever. And the energy in that room was so thick and palpable that when they called action or go ahead, I remember Steve tiered up right away, and that was so unlike him. Not that he was an emotionless but it was like it was so unlike him to let real life bleed into the moment, right. I think, I think,

I actually remember. The actual number was seventeen takes of not even speaking, just just dribbling crying. For me, it's I mean, you talked about it, you were waiting tables. I was doing theater for you know, some class, sometimes seventeen people you know or whatever, Like everybody we all grew up together, and there was like Greg as like our on set dad, but like Steve as like the

greatest brother you could have. Yeah. Yeah, it was like the steady brother, you know, whether it's like John Steinbecker, Arthur Miller, like there was always like a steady brother and we were all the crazy people and he was always really steady. Yeah no, But I mean I was twenty three years old when we started shooting season one, and I look back and I'm like, I basically graduated college, had two and a half years. Like I was shot out of a literal canon, because my my life wasn't

real life. I was living in a fantasy camp because every day I was going to work on something I loved and something that was edgy and fun, and I would have watched in anyway. But like you said, we were also intermingling in a way that was such perfection. I've never been on a job since where every single human being, from crew member to you know, actor was so in tune and such a family. I always felt bad for the guests actors. Did you feel that? And

you had to pop in for one episode? Oh? And I thought that must be awful, because here I am being like, right, who you picking up in the second round of fantasy and like They're like, no, this is a big show, and I'm like, it's not. It's fine. I mean of your m and m's are like just goofing off and then like throwing things at each other in the middle of scenes, and people were probably like, dude, this is my big break. We were trying to throw stuff at each other when the camera, when the camera

wasn't on us. We were throwing a football in the middle and I remember there were a couple of people who were like, did not like the football throw? Yeah, stop you jackasses, And I was like, what's the big deal? And yeah, like Amy Adams, I thought did the best job of it. She came in and somehow felt like she was always on the show. Remember she wasn't the

original purse girl did kill someone else. And then all of a sudden Amy showed up and I was like, oh, there's been a recast and she was not nervous, not scared, came in and was like yeah, I'm I'm not taking this too seriously either. I'm just super good at my job and then crushed. It was one of the best

storylines we've ever had. I love that storyline because I loved how she ended her character where she was understanding of how much I loved Pam and you're like that was also Rob Wriggle, Right, that was Riggles Booze, Cris Riggle god, one of the funniest human beings I've ever met in my life. Do you remember anything about that? Speaking of boost Cruise, the twenty seven seconds of silence, that was a big deal for the fans. I remember

was there a discussion when we were shooting. I remember I felt it was a big deal when someone gave me the number of twenty seven seconds, because if someone counted it surely wasn't us, and so it had aired and someone timed it, which meant that it was a big enough deal to time it rather than remember how silent they were. I remember that. I also remember, do you remember we had shot to like the wee hours and the sun was cracking and we drove back on

a boat and it it conked out. It conked out, Yeah, And we were in pitch black water, like terrifying, scary, shark infested, shark infested water, and we were just kind of crapped out on a tiny boat and we were all exhausted and the other boat got there just in time. They had left and we were like, this is gonna be a while. Remember that was terrifying. Yeah, I remember Phillis was on our boat. It was you Phillis. It wasn't coopas he got off on the good one. Was

it Angela? I think Angela was there anyway? Was that season two? Well? And that was the episode. As we're filming, you know, seven pm to seven am. I wake up from like sleeping all during the day and have like seventy four messages from my agents saying the office wants to make you a serious regular. Where are you? I remember that. I remember being in the parking lot before we went to the boat, and you were very nice to say, I want to talk to you about this

and get your take on it. And we talked a lot about it. You took none of my advice, No, none of them. Um, did you think the show could go forward? When Steve laughed, I knew the show could go forward. I didn't know what the plan was. I couldn't see through the trees. Um. But again that's where I really trusted Greg. I remember when they came to us for season nine. I had a very honest conversation with Greg. He called me about season nine and said, what do you think? And I said, you have to

end the show. I was like, I don't want to negotiate because we none of us had contracts. Since I was like, this isn't about a negotiation. You have to end the show before they end it for us, because I was like, it's coming to an end regardless. You don't want to be the one that like. And he by the way, it wasn't. I wasn't telling him anything. You didn't know. I just felt with the landscape of what other shows were on and whatever that like. And again keep in mind we were not even as popular

then as we are now. It's like I remember that feeling of like we don't want to be taken out back right, I think I'll go up behind the shed. I don't want too for sure. That is a lesson you everyone should abide by. Um what did you think did you want to did you think we should have

kept going? I remember being conflicted, but ultimately I felt like that was the right decision, and I mean conflicted just that you did well, that it that it could have well I think what was inevitable was and I just call it the e er syndrome, Like, I think the writing was there that people were going to begin to leave, and so it's like, oh, okay, are we going to e er this? And are we going twenty? To me, there was sort of like are we going

to stop at nine or we going twenty? It totally could have gone twenty because everybody would have slowly cycled out and we just kept the reality of it. My question is would people have wanting to see that, not not that people are leaving, but that they would be like I am now aware of the fact is the TV show and we ended it before you Technically you gave them that respect of saying, you guys have been so good to us. We don't want to be taken out back behind the shine the wood shed. No. I think.

So here's what I know that I believe that that story, like the idea that this documentary is actually going to air and these characters are going to watch it, that had to happen right then or that never happens. I think because you can't do that after twenty years, when you're on your and your third cast. I think that's that's really true. Um, finale comes. I mean you mentioned that you you felt like we needed to end, and you were clear with Greg season nine. Once the finale

finally comes, are you prepared for it? No? No, But I I don't know. I might have an issue that I need to look into, which is like I I think I tried to disengage from things and then they kind of catch up to me later. So while we were shooting, I was very disengaged to the fact that that also meant that it was ending, that we had called our shot, which I loved in theory, but I didn't really let my brain be like, oh my god, only two weeks left, only two episodes left, only two

scenes left, only you know whatever. And I think a big thing that helped was when we went to Scranton. I think that getting together and having some version of a life experience that felt like we were memorializing it helped because I don't know if I would have been good having the finale just come out. What do you do? Do you do? I like call you and be like, so, what what do you think about last night's episode? You know what? I mean? Like there, I didn't know what

to do, so I think that really helped. When we went to Scranton, that felt really Um, that was a really special experience for me. Right, I want to show you something? Is it me behind the bar? I don't why Why would you ruin something when I'm god, I'm trying to like, I know you took a picture of me behind the bar because I got paranoid about it. Um, my favorite picture of me and you and Jenna behind the bar. Behind the bar in Scratton. That was so much fun and nothing that I would have thought I

would be doing. But I remember you had told me you had done this before, and then you told me how awesome it wasn't how amazing all the people were Unlike anything else I've been a part of. The fans of the office had this incredible warmth. I don't know that I ever would have done that if the love for the show didn't always feel so warm. It never

felt fanatical. Everybody in that bar felt like they respected the fact that they got to have this moment where we were all celebrating the show together, cast and fans alike, we're all together, felt so organic, rather than like a PR stunt. Were like and if you come down at seven, like I loved. I remember the decision to get behind the bar. There was only like fifty sixty people, and then by the end they were like five hundred. Maybe

I'm not remembering. I remember even Steve stuck around for the end and he kept saying, like, dude, look at this. Like imagine being at home right now and being told like, dude, you should probably come because Denzel Washington is bartending. Like I would if I was a kid in high school, I would be like, what you know what I mean. And the fact that they were like, dude, the cats from the office is bartending right now. And Steve got back there, didn't He sure did. Yeah, I remember that

being just so special. I remember they're like they're going to be in a parade and we're gonna have the top down. I was like, top down, Like what's happening? And then Jenn and I got into a car with the top down, like a straight like a convertible. Yeah, and drove up to the starting area and we saw some people, like a lot of excited people, and then we made that bend. We took a left down some main street and it was like thousands of thousands of people.

I thought it was going to be the town of Scranton came out and thought it was cool that you shot in their town. It was people who had driven or flown like people traveled to be at that moment, and that I think was so moving to me. I was like, I knew our show was successful, but again, I always was moved by the success of the interpersonal connection that people had. That it wasn't fandom for the successful show. It was the feeling of connectivity that we

were all part of this show. And so I guess that was even that late in the game, it was still not clear to me how big our show was in that level. Yeah, yeah, I mean to me, what did you what did you take from the from the set? What did you take on the last day? Um, I got a story. I bet jarv Eminem's smart. There you go jarb Eminem's and the name plate jarv Eminem's took home. Put it on my desk. Six months pass, a year passes, I look and I realized that the Eminem's were going down.

I'm like, mm hmm, that's odd. I'm definitely not eating them. I know how old they are. Nobody in my house. Only solution I came up with was that my house cleaner every week was coming in walking into my office, cleaning my desk and grabbing a handful of looks, it looks like something that she could do. So I realized I potentially was poisoning her. Yeah, so I took them, panicked, I threw them away. So I have the you are

still there are no Eminem's. You should have put the You should have put that on a shelf or something, because you'd want the Eminem's from the set right. Also, it's a great science experiment. Eminem's lasting for a hundred years is probably something we should look into. We probably should. But no, I was like, I'm I'm poisoning her. I have to throw them away because what the The only solution is to say to her, I know you're stealing

Eminem's from yea, by the way, you're poisoning yourself. Way, what if it wasn't her and you're just a horrible person that accused her. What if she's like, actually broke into my house. Maybe I'm just saying it seems like you're leading the witness there and I don't like it. I'm just saying, what if you asked her and she goes, oh, I'm allergic to chocolate, and then you're like com com and then the lawn order starts for the Eminem's thanks for asking me what I took? Um, what did you

take from the set? Well, it's funny. I'm only think about it now. I think it's the only time I ever lied to Greg. So well, you remember the last moment, right, That was vicious. That was vicious. That was hard. Nobody saw it? Oh boy, god, what was hard? Um? That Greg, unbeknownst to us, knew what the last shot of the day would be the last shot ever of the show,

but we didn't know. We're all goofing off and we were leaving the office, which was very poetic, and of course he's smart enough to have planned that, and we were like laughing and having a great time, and then we came back in for a reset and he was standing there weird in the middle of the room and he was like, that was the last take of the office. And I was like, what I mean, like a bus hit me. It was so intense, wasn't it, man? And I was like amazing and brilliant, but also, how dare

you I think I bent over? Like I was gonna puke. I cried very hard. Did you cry? You were? You were like a stoic cryer, like a like a Gary Cooper kind of cry, whereas I was I cry like I laugh. I just it's it sounds like just way

too much, just way too much. But anyway, so I remember that moment, and then everybody was going back to their trailers and stuff to change to go to the warehouse to do like a big presentation of a gift or something, right, and as Jim, I didn't have like a ton of stuff on your desk, yeah, and like I took the nameplate for sure, but I was like,

I want something that is undeniably from our set. And so I remember, like I think I lied to you, Like you were like, so what time, because remember we went right to the party and I super shadily ran back in the five minutes that everybody was gone and stole the dunder Mifflin sign that we always used to walk by and do the talking heads and get this.

So then I was like, I'm a little ashamed that I didn't tell anybody, but I really wanted it, and I was like, you know, I'll look back on this and it'll be like, you know, a bad high school kid decision. So I get to the party and I was like, Greg, what did you take? And he goes, I'm really bummed someone took the dunder Mifflin sign. That's what I wanted. And he goes, do you know who took it? And I went no, and I legit to his face, was like no, that is terrible who took it.

I was like, if you want it, that should be yours and he was like right, And I was like, well, good news days. You got tons of other stuff. And remember he was talking about like we were going to donate the set to the Smithsony or something. He had that plan, so I was like, he has plenty. But then the longer I thought about it, I was like, you lied to your TV dad. Do you have it on your wall now? Oh? Yeah, it's in my office. Yeah. I got it framed like it looks great. Oh look

good for you. The way that night I hit a speed bump and the eye and under Mifflin flew off and I almost oh, I almost lost my mind. And then Phil Shay emailed him like a year and a half later, and I was like, bro, that's I won't go back, and I don't want to, you know, kind of like I don't want to be the one to put it up because it's like you being the one to add paint to a famous paintings. He was like, I'm gonna send you an eye, like the same type

of foam and everything. I'll just send it to you. And I was like, great, and he sent it to me. That's amazing. And then later he sent me the Adventures of Jimmy Halpert comic my actual bag. I thought you were going to say, the bag is what you took when I think of you. Yeah, I'm talking like five years later. I asked for it and he sent it. I don't know how he knew where that was, but it was the comic. It was my dundee, and then my bag, and then maybe my watch. I think I

had a watch that he put in there. Anyway, That's all I have now. That was the greatest decision props wise, that I ever made on that show, was not asking for a watch early on. So I'm not having to do with that problem beginning and the end. For you, it's like learning not to eat on camera. That's that's again. You're trained. You're a trained actor. I don't know about that. I just had to learn it the hard way. Yeah, you obviously wildly successful. When people approach you, Now what

percentage of it is about the office? Oh, large majority. Again, I think it's the difference between fans who feel like they're a part of something and fans who have watched something. I think there's very few things that I watched when I was a kid that I felt so connected to. It was more like, oh, I like the movie e T. But there were very few things that I felt like if I ever saw that person, we shared a life

moment together. Had I ever met Chris Farley, I would have said that because I watched Tommy Boy so many times that he didn't know he was my best friend, but he was my best friend. So I think that thing is like I shared so much in my life with that show. That's why I think that people, you know, people have seen other things, which is great. Certainly recently, like I think Quiet Place, Jack Ryan people are coming

up a lot more. But I I think our fans see me and instead of going up to an actor to get a picture or something, they're actually seeing a friend of theirs. Is my point. My long meandering point is no one looks at Jack Ryan. I was like, oh my god, my buddy, Jack Ryan, Oh my god, you're an actor. I didn't realize they do think that with Jim and I've had my favorite experiences with fans is when they think we've gone to school together or something.

That's my favorite. Like I I had one where a woman said we know each other and I said do we and she goes, we went to school together and I was like, I don't. I don't think we did, and she went, yes, we did. And it was like that thing of like why am I being awkward about it?

And where did you go to school? And she said some school and I went, I did not go to that school and she went, yes, you did, and like I was like okay, and then I left and I could see that either else someone else has been like, you don't know that person. You just thought that it was at the airport bookshop, and then through the window you saw them being like in silence, being like, oh no, god it was. But I think that that's such a credit to the show that you don't just like the show,

you actually think you know those people. Yes, because I I by the way, I'm not necessarily comparing you to Ted dancing in exactly the same way. No, But I just mean like Ted Danson was doing a lot of stuff and immediately after Cheers, but there was something about Cheers sam alone that everything else, not even that other things wouldn't have been as good or better, but Cheers was what I shared because there was a purity to that experience that you had watched the same with me.

I mean, I was. I grew up in Boston, like Cheers was a form of like television religion or something. Yeah, I will take a comparison to Ted danceing anytime. Then I won't do that agoin God damn it. Here, put on these airphones. I want you to hear something. I'm playing something for everybody. Boy, we should have had these on the whole time. I would have. I would have changed my voice. Um, don't ever, ever, when I have earphones on and I have your tone right in my ear,

don't talk low like that. My voice slips and Nope, I just would have slips around. I don't like that in my head. I don't like your voice slipping around in my ear. Um, we play clip six for me? Clip six? I thought it was weird when you picked us to make a documentary. But all in all, I think an ordinary paper company like dunder Mifflin was a great subject for a documentary. There's a lot of beauty

and ordinary things. Isn't that kind of the point? So Gregg wrote that clearly for him, that was the point. What did you think the It was the point of

what shooting the show? Sorry, my brain just exploded again. Um. I think that that is so beautiful that writing, and I would only suspect that it came from someone who created the show, because someone who creates the show and doesn't just act on the show would have to have in their head a beginning, middle, and end, and you're shooting for something, and I love that that's what he was shooting for. What are you most thankful for? Oh my god? Everything? I mean, are you asking me as

a person? Well, I mean, without sounding hyperball, it's it is my everything. I mean, that show changed my entire life twenty three when it started, so I hadn't even really formed an identity of who I was, and so that show not only from a career perspective, where I've had more opportunity than I ever would have dreamt of having for one day, I have for an entire lifetime. Is all due to that show. I never would be doing any other thing that you've seen me do, writing, directing, acting,

and something else if it wasn't for that show. But as a person, I think it sort of gave me this very quintessential building block that I got to stand on to build the rest of my life. Yeah, you're you're about to say, that's all crack of ship? What what? What?

What would you say? I think it's very similar. I think I was processing what you were saying that because of the people who were working on it, not just the actors, but the writers who are like all showrunners now from the early season, you know, who are extremely successful, fun good shows. It's but also our crew. Like you said, like you know again in a very probably lame, cliche, hallmark way, like I don't know that as a person I would be able to have the luxury forget you know,

success or fine dance or anything. It's the luxury of being who I wanted to be. I didn't know who I wanted to be. And because of such a warm environment where if everyone had a color, people were splashing their experience and their colors all over me. I got exposed to everything I wanted to be and then got to choose to move forward with my life in a way that I not only didn't know existed, but that

I could sustain. Like that you could, you could do fantastic fun stuff every day for ten years of your life. And genuinely, I've been asked. I'm sure you get asked all the time, what year were you guys? All over it? Like when were you guys? Like, we're over it? And I genuinely am trying not to look back with revisionist history. I don't remember one moment where I was like, such a job. Yeah, would you do a reunion? I'm asking the questions, what are you? What are you doing now?

I just feel like we're you picked up pencil, You're like doodling. No, I just wanted I was thinking about writing some questions down for you, and then I started do doling my Um, what was your question? Would you want to do a reunion or a show like a reunion show? Yeah? I don't know that you want to be on a reboot, right? I think that I think with the right idea because clearly the show is bigger now than it was. Sure, and that's all great. That's

again that's the that's the business side of it. I think that for me, it's really simply down to wouldn't that be fun? Like just throw an episode out there, almost like they did the Christmas specials for the British one. What I like about the idea is that it doesn't have to be better or worse than any of the episodes we've ever done. It would actually be cool to just tell a story just like no stakes. Yeah, um, thanks blood, You're welcome. Is it over? Yeah? I mean,

do you have anything else you want to say? I mean, we feel like we covered a lot of topics, we covered a lot of ground. I don't know what I said. Um, John, I love you so much and I appreciate you coming and talking to me. This is great. But also it's just so good to see you. It's so good to see you. I feel like I just went to a therapy session. You did, you did great? Which you don't

cut yourself out of this, you you You'll get my bill. Um. We still have headphones on, which allows me to do that. I don't want to slip around. I don't want your slipper I don't want to slipping around in my brain or ear. Um are we done? Can I please get him out of here? All right? Ali? Guys, dude, thank you, welcome dude, Thank you John. Why do you always have to ruin everything? Just the slippering? I'm just kidding. That

was incredible. Thank you so much for coming on the show, and to all of my listeners, thank you for making us a part of your day. Well, we'll be back soon with another tantalizing conversation, big word and a very big announcement. What could it be? But until then, make sure to leave us a review and just you know, have an amazing week for me. We'll see them the Office. Deep Dive is hosted and executive produced by me Brian Baumgartner,

alongside our executive producer Langley. Our senior producer is Tessa Kramer. Our producers for this episode are Liz Hayes, Emily Carr, and Diego Tapia. My main man in the booth is Alec Moore. Our theme song Bubble and Squeak, performed by my great friend Creed Bratton, and the episode was mixed by Seth Olandski