Ellie Kemper

Apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Hi, this is Ali went Worth hosted Go Ask Alli. My listeners want more, so we are digging in comedian Amy Schumer. As far as cancel culture goes, I think that the people who are the most afraid and complaining about cancel culture are the ones who are in danger of being canceled, and they need to take a look at themselves. I agree with you. You know I'm not worried about it because I know my intentions and I know that I'm

like open to evolving. Listen to Go ask Alli every Thursday on the I Heart Radio app, Apple podcast or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, it's de Lipa I'm here to tell you about my brand new podcast, Delepa at your Service. I'll be sitting down with the world's most inspiring minds to uncover what makes them tick and what they've learned from the obstacles life has thrown at them,

including Sir Elton John. After a lot of upsets, a lot of disappointments, a lot of betrayals, It's turned out to be the most wonderful life right now that I've could ever imagined. Listen to do Alipa at your Service on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hi. I'm Ellie Kemper and I played Aaron Hannon on the Open. Hello there everyone, here, Here we are. We're back another episode of The Office Deep Dive. I am your host, Brian bomb Gartner, and

I'm just so happy you're here. So welcome. Uh. Today's guest is someone really dear to me. I love her and we share a special bond that only comes after one person has sat on the other person's shoulders in a pool of lukewarm water for eight hours straight. I mean we all have that friend, right, Yes, you guessed it. It's Ellie Kemper. Now, listening back to this one, this was a bit of a trip for me because I spoke with Ellie in April of Does anyone remember something

that was going on in the world around that time? No, not murder hornets, No, not not Kanye running for president. Now, it was the early days of the global pandemic known as coronavirus. So I talked to Ellie over zoom. This was back when zoom was still a new thing. I didn't even know what a zoom was at that point, but you're gonna hear us trying to figure out the technology talking about quarantine. We were so naive back then. Anyways,

enough about that. Let's just focus on our conversation, our great conversation, and the great episode that I have for you. So sit back, relax, and listen to the soothing sounds of me and the hilarious Ellie Kemper. Bubble and Squeak. I love it, Bubble and squeak on Bubble and Squeaker Cookie every month lift over from the nut before. Am I in the meeting? Oh Ellie, you are in the meeting. Can you hear me? Okay, I actually don't know. I can hear me? Okay, can you hear me? Okay, I

can hear you crystal clear. God, that's so great, Ellie. It's so nice to hear your voice, Brian, I have been looking. It's so nice to hear your voice. I have been looking forward to this for many reasons. I mean, originally this meeting is being recorded. Okay, we got it, and I was looking forward to it, of course for obvious reasons. And now during this unimaginable time, it is so nice to hear your voice. I know. Are you all okay? Yes, we are hungering down. You guys just

decided to get out of New York. We were actually in Montreal when like mid March or whenever everything started shutting down, so so we were already out of New York. We decided better to avoid going back there. So that's why we came to see Louis, which is where I'm Do you know him from here? Yeah? No, I know, No, I know Jenna Phillis. Yeah, all of you guys, have you seen Phillis or no? Because you're social distancing, social distancing,

I've seen have you seen I've seen no one. I feel like I don't know how to interact with humans. Anymore beside my family. Is that going to be weird? I think it is. Well, we were once going to do this in person, we were, but it's so nice to hear from you, I mean over the phone. Yeah.

I just can't believe it. Like, what was it two months ago when we were trying to meet up in New York and it seemed like a very normal, Like it was just like logistics that gotten the way, But it was like, oh, yeah, I'm going to be New York. Oh great, You're flying to New York on an airplane with other passengers and I'll meet you down down and I'll give you a hug and like lick your palm. Yeah, there won't be any issues with those things. No, exactly, U L So what were you doing? What were you

doing before the office? What was I doing? Okay, so I was about to say very little, but that's not true. I was doing commercials. That's how I was earning money through commercials. In terms of I guess creative opportunities. I was doing mostly unpaid work at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater, and I was doing two person shows and one person shows and actual improvisation and um. But professionally. It was

mostly commercials up until that point. I think I had I had, like, oh, I I did something on a show called Daily Pops, which I think was on MTV. It was like an eight series, eight episode series. Um, I want to say that Kim Kardashian made a cameo, and I'm technically Kim Kardashian's co star. I think she made a cameo in one of these Daily Pops. You work together, We worked together, you worked together inspired her. But yes, um, I mean obviously The Office was my

enormously big break. Did you watch The Office, Brian did? I watched The Office. I devoured The Office. I was an enormous Office fan. You don't know what this is like because obviously you were on it from the start. But I loved The Office. I watched it every week. It's very strange to go from watching a television show that you happen to love and then being in the room with everybody. I actually the first day, of course, felt surreal for many reasons. But it's it's weird when

you I think maybe anyone has had this experience. If you watch someone on a screen and then you see them in person, it feels otherworldly, and particularly because I already loved everyone on it and admired them so much, it felt even stranger because yeah, I was a huge fan. It's very weird. I really tried to play it cool. Well, So, wait, literally, you watched it Thursday night? Yes, yes, I did. I lived in New York at the time, and we always

my my whole family was out of the Office. Have I told you that mos Mike Sure reminded us of my older brother John college, like when John was in college, So we had like a big joke about that. But yeah, I lived in New York and I watched The Office every Thursday. And had you met Alison Jones before? No, So I met with Greg and Mike, Greg Daniels and Mike Sure. I think I was meeting with them for

Parks and Recreation. This was before Parks and Recreation was had aired, and I think that's what it was about. I really don't know. It was sort of just a general hello. And after that I met Alison when I actually read for Parks and Recreation, which it wasn't called Parks and Recreation, it was like untitled Make Sure Project. And then I didn't get a part on Parks and Recreation. But then they called me back later for the office and your first day on set? Were you nervous? I

was so nervous. I first, okay, I can't remember the actual very first person I met. I remember telling John Krasinski, who I had read was an intern at Conan and I had been an Internet Conan because my first scene, John is making a Jim Jim, excuse me, it's making a copy at the copy machine, and I'm like sitting there and I was like, like, in between takes, I was like, so, um, yeah, um, you've in turn to Conan? Right? Why did I feel they need to strike up conversation?

I am the new person. I think I should stay quiet until spoken to. But I was unusually bold and he said, oh, yeah, you know Conan and I said I had turned there too. That was it. I don't know if somebody walked away, somebody saved me, because I wouldn't have. I wouldn't have kept that conversation going very well. And then and then the big news Brian, I had

to dye my hair that day. I have red hair, and as soon as I got there, they were like, you have to dye your hair brown and I remember, Mindy, I saw in the morning, and I saw in the afternoon, and I had brown hair in the afternoon, and she said, why did you let them do that? I would never let anyone dye my hair like, uh, because in my first jobs ever, they can do whatever they want. Anyway, why did they dye your hair? Well, you know, I

still don't know. I think the reason was they said it looked that this new character's hair looked too close to Pam's color. But I Pam, never Jenna. But I mean the character Pam. Pam didn't have red hair, did she like? Was it jest study? Yeah, I guess I'm not real good at hair. I'll be honest with you, honestly.

Apparently neither of mind. But anyway, Yeah, first day memories are sort of blurry because I was so I don't know, I don't think you can relate to this feeling, because, like I said, you were there from the start, but it was just so it was first day of school, but to the millions of degree because it was like I already I'm like in awe of all these people, and I'm the new girl. Don't mess anything up. Yeah, I did fairly recently, actually, I had a similar experience.

It was not such a CULTI show, but being a guest are is a very difficult thing. It doesn't matter who you are. It's tough. It's tough. It's just because you, like you just said, it doesn't matter who you are, because in that moment, you're the guests, and so it's like their home. And so I think it's nerve wrecking to start any new job, but when it's already in motion and you're the you're the thing that's being added,

it's totally nerve wracking. And especially I don't know what your arc was like they for The Office, it was written as a four episode arc, So I felt like, Okay, this is finite amount of time, and you want to do an excellent job, but you also want to be deferential to the people who have already you know, the regular cast, like the family that's already there, right, So that's what I was going to ask you. So when you showed up, it was originally just for four episodes,

that was that was what your understanding was. That was my understanding. Pam was going to work at the Michael Scott Paper Company and they needed a temporary receptionist in the meantime, and then Pam ended up getting promoted to salesperson and that's why my character state which I couldn't believe that that had happened, but yes, that's how I have always perceived it. I think that's what happened. And when did you get an idea that you might be

around a little bit longer? I truly think because it was ow Man Brian, I was worried this wou happened. I was like, I don't know if this happens to you. I'm like along by my memory sometimes because it can be so fuzzy. Okay, few it's bad, and like right now, I can't remember if those four episodes were the last four episodes of that season or if there were a few more. Maybe they added it right, it was the end.

I didn't find out until that season had wrapped that they were going to keep my character on, So I don't think I got any angling that it might be longer than four episodes. I think it was just like, okay, just do this for a month and then get out without messing anything up. Well, I want to share with you something that Claire Scanlon actually told me. What Claire said was that a lot of people would come in and it was basically up four to six episode audition.

And she remembers watching you in one of your early episodes and you had some scenes with Steve, and she remembers in the editing bay watching that and saying to herself, Oh, she's going to be around for a while. Oh, you're gonna make me right. That is That's the sweetest compliment. That's the biggest compliment, because there's no higher praise and something like that, because I so admire the work that you guys do and how you set up the show.

So anyway, that's very kind of you this year with me. But of course you the actor never feel sure of anything because he's like, this could all go away tomorrow. What do you think that Aaron, the character of Aaron brought to the office. Well, I feel, you know, I felt like my own difficulty was playing Aaron would just be that some of the things she said were so cartoony and so uh sort of cartoony, I think is

the word. Because I don't want to say she was flaky or did see or anything like that, because I do think she was smart. But she said a lot of things that a more grounded person wouldn't say. At the same time, you know, she had these very serious arcs with Michael and these serious arcs with Andy, and you know, there was some real depth to this character. And so I felt like what she brought to the office was deferently some levity. She was such such an odd bird, but that she also um, I hope she

brought some sweetness. And I think she wanted to be very good at her job, and she was very earnest about it. But I also think that unintentionally she was sort of funny, not not knowing that she was being funny, because you know, not totally grounded, right. I think Paul fig directed one of your first episodes, and he talks about directing a talking head that you were giving, and he was taken with you and your energy and the character and how different it was from everybody else on

the show. It's a bunch of disgruntled, put upon office workers that are you know, I have to deal with this crazy boss that makes them crazy, and all they want to do is punch in and punch out and go home. And why would anyone want to work in a paper company? Whereas Aaron's energy was very positive and she just loved being there. Yes, that I feel, and you hit it on the head. You know. Family maybe a little bit over it, Oscar maybe over it, but

Aaron lived for it. She loved being there. Like you can imagine her getting ready for work in the morning. She wanted to excel at her jobs. You wanted to do a very good job, you know. I believe, within like thirty seconds in the audience, meeting this new character, she agrees to go by her middle names, like yeah, yeah, I'll go by Aaron, like she just wanted to be there. Right. It occurs to me, however, that Aaron agrees to change her name on the first day, and you agreed to

change your hair color on the first day. This is where I get worried, because you're right, and I worry some things Aaron would say. I'm like the writer, are is making fun of me? Ellie here, I might say something that dum do. You could not be more And I'm sure when people meet you they assume, oh, he's going to be like Kevin, when you are the polar opposite of Kevin, like the polar opposite. Well, I feel like i'm a little sim more. Well, you're infectious energy,

Oh good, wow, and positivity positivity. I hope that I share Parens positivity. But yeah, how what do you think? I feel like there's some characters in casts who do sort of overlap a bit. I mean, I know this is that you were asking the questions, but I feel like you overlap with Kevin not at all. I hope the least see the least. I hope, I hope the least. Is there anything? I don't think there's anything anyway. I well, I enjoy sports, there's something, yes, And I might be

a little childlike at times. Well who is. It's a hard time for hiring, So you need a hiring partner built for hard times. That's Indeed. If you're hiring, you need Indeed because Indeed is the hiring partner where you can attract, interview, and hire all in one place, and Indeed is the only job site where you're guaranteed to find quality applications that meet your must have requirements or

else you don't pay. Instead of spending hours on multiple job sites hoping to find candidates with the right skills, you need one hiring partner that can help you do it all. Indeed partners with you on every step of the hiring process. Find great talent through time saving tools

like Indeed, instant match, assessments and virtual interviews. With instant Match, as soon as you sponsor a post, you get a short list of quality candidates with resumes on Indeed that match your job description and you can invite them to apply right away. Plus, you only pay for quality applications that meet your must have requirements. Join more than three million businesses worldwide that use Indeed to hire great talent fast.

Start hiring right now with a seventy five dollar sponsored job credit to upgrade your job post at indeed dot com slash office Deep Dive offer valid through March thirty one. Go to Indeed dot Com Slash office deep Dive to claim your seventy five dollar credit before March one. Indeed dot Com slash Office Deep Dive terms and conditions apply. Need to hire you need Indeed. Did you know that on the day doctor King was shot, the all black

security detail normally assigned to him was called off. They're the ones who would not allow him to stay at any hotel with balconies. That security union was reassigned. There was a man there, And did you know that on the day, doctor King was shot, two black firemen stationed across the street, and one black police detective who was surveiling King. We're all taken off the job. Well, the emergency that caused usually moved. She also, did you ever

ask what this was all about? This is the MLK Tapes. The first episodes are available now. Listen on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. From the creator of The Bright Sessions, comes a new fiction podcast for all ages. Jump back to and follow MAXI Miles as she starts high school in the picturess town of Hastings, New Hampshire. Fall is the season in which this small town shines apple cider, pumpkin patches farmers markets.

It's idyllic for adults and boring for Max. But suddenly Max's school year starts to look a bit more interesting when a fellow student vanishes with the help of her missingthrop the classmate Ross, Max starts to look into the disappearance. Her investigation draws her deep into the dark woods around Hastings, even deeper into the secrets and lies the course of

the veins of the sleepy town. This New y A mystery from writer director Lorn Shippen is an audio drama with heart and wit that involves the audience in a way no fiction podcast ever has. Listen to Max and Miles on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your favorite shows. So you had a number of relationships throughout the show. I mean probably in some ways your your central relationship you brought up is

was your relationship with Michael. It's almost a father daughter thing going on in a way, as like a mentor someone you look up to. You're probably the only character that looks up to Michael Scott like she never felt like beaten down by him or rolled her eyes at him,

you know what I mean, Oh my gosh. No, on the contrary, she she adored him like he was I think an inspiration to her and just like he was just the tops I think to Aaron, because I remember when Aaron meets Holly, She's just like so it's almost like she's territorial. She's like, this is the lady who's stealing Michael's heart. She she's just so skeptical of this woman because she feels like no one is good enough for Michael Scott, which is really funny, and it definitely

felt like a father daughter relationship. I thought it was very tender and very sweet and very well written. The way they the writers crafted that whole relationship was it was really sweet. Why do you think they bonded all? To use your word, I think they are both a little childlike. I mean, you're word about something else entirely was just a word. I just heard that. I said, you didn't describe it as a child like what you just said? That word and now I love it. I

think that they both are a little childlike. I think that they're they're both odd. And I think that um, Aaron didn't have and she never ever had a stable frontal figure in her life, and certainly not a strong male figure in her life, and I think that she found that in Michael. I mean, just by definition he was her boss. I think there was this thing of like admiring him and looking up to him. But that also when she got to know him a little, I think that she I think he was kind to her.

I don't think he I don't want to say mistreated, but I think he was like fair and respectful to her, and so I think she just sort of clung to that, and like I said, I mean, well, although my favorite episode for Aaron is Secretary's Day and when she when Aaron is like even weirding out Michael, she like out weird Michael Scott. They're having lunch together and Michael just can't take it anymore because She's so strange. That's when

I felt like, oh wow. Also, yeah, so even he seems much more grounded in this in this world than she is. That was one of the best days of my life that I just remember. We we sat that restaurant scene on a Friday, and I was like, I couldn't believe how lucky it was to be able to be in a scene speaker al like that that It was just MINDI wrote it, and I believe Steve directed that episode and it was just like the real because like, who on the planet is like and there's no one really.

So yeah, again, you started from day one, so I don't know if you ever had that feeling of like did it all Wait? Well, I will do my separate interview with you where I asked the question, but I'm so curious to know how it felt to you, guys, because I had such a different experience. Obviously, because I came into it midway and it was like, my whole time there felt like I felt a little bit giddy. I don't know if if you had that you were

there from the beginning. Well, if you listen to this podcast, then you will at the full detailed answer, but the short the short answer would be nobody was famous before it started, and nobody nobody knew enough. But immediately his ability to improv in the moment on topic is I don't know. I think he's maybe the best person on

the planet at that Oh I do too. And to be honest with you, Brian, sometimes when like the director would say, okay, now you know, like fun run whatever, I was like, guys, I would think to myself, I'd be like, let's just let Steve have a fun run because he's um. Do you think that you sorry? Do you think that Aaron and Andy were a good match? I never thought so. Is that terrible to say? I don't know. I felt like and he was a bit

too childish. I don't think he was ready to um take care of Aaron the way she needed to be. And I and I think Aaron was ready to take care of him. But I felt like it was uneven in that respect. So yeah, I I I love Ed. I love that we got to be in so many scenes together, but that actual it never felt quite fair to me. That relationship. I feel like it was uneven. Well. And then she chose to Gabe. Was he a better match? Who should Aaron be with? I don't know, I don't know.

I don't think that was a better match. And I adore Zach, but I do not. I mean, that was a very strange mass. And then I also felt like with Jake Lacey, I didn't feel that was quite right either. I don't know. It seems like she I don't know who Aaron should be with, but someone like odd but also able to take Again, when I say take care of her, I don't mean she needs to be taken care of, but I mean how a couple takes care

of each other. So I don't know. I didn't feel like she have quite got the right match in that show. Do you know that I pitched Kevin and Aaron getting together, Ah, Bryan, I think that would be a pretty reasonable relationship. I went up to the writer's room and I said, if Kevin could mature just a little, there was something about

their energy that I thought was right. It's almost like the static being and the hummingbird that goes around, but somehow still their energies matched in a weird way that actually makes perfect sense to me. I love that pitch. I'm sorry I wasn't there for it. I should have should have called you Anne. What I had in that writer? Um, I don't think I ever went to the writer's room. What did you have? Any favorite moments? Some of the favorite things when and really, like you know, like lived

out how crazy she was. I loved those moments. I loved Cafe Disco. I loved that episode. I loved Dancing with Mindy and it was just like a weird episode that was so funny. I loved that episode. And um, oh my gosh, I loved the bus episode directed by Brian Cranston. Brian, you remember we all almost died? Yes, yes, we almost were given carbon monoxide poisoning to name one of many ways we almost died. I at the time, I don't think I was enjoying it, And now in retrospect,

I'm like, that was fun. Um Oh, Brian, You'll remember I went my pants on that bus during the Shibuya roll call. Um it was like, I don't know what you guys were doing, but I got a case of the giggles and I went my pants and I was like, how long can I had this first? I just fessed

up right away. And I did fess up right away, and all the ladies were like, oh, you need know the skirt, Like nobody was face and literally all the guys because I had said it sort of loudly because there was no word to the guys, didn't understand it. But the women, the ladies had my back. Um, how do you feel like things changed with Steve leaving? Oh? My gosh, O wait, sorry, a baby is crying. It's the monitor. I'm going to turn down the bit I

promised someone is watching the baby. Isn't it scary how you can just turn down the monitor and then it's like, the baby isn't crying anymore. That my husband's blessing I swear. Okay, Um, it's embarrassing how upset I was about Steve leaving. And I feel like there was one moment when my grain was like, why are you sad? Because I was like, I think how long? I guess he was on for two seasons while I was there, and then there were

two seasons? Were there two seasons after he left? Yeah, so it's not like I shared nearly the amount of time that you guys did with him, but I felt so it felt like a very bitter sweet time. I don't know how did you feel, Oh, I was incredibly difficult. I'm glad you say, what do you think? What do you think the greater loss was. It's not a trick question, Okay,

Steve or Michael Ryant? That's a very good question. Oh well, of course I have to say Steve because he was such a leader, and he was such a quiet leader, and he was the backbone of the whole show, and so you know, he was just like hard working, never complained, kind, quiet, did his job, generous, selfless. I feel like he's the supreme example of how a person should behave And so it was of course an enormous loss when he left. I mean, everybody carried on, Okay, it's not like everybody

went crazy. But who was it? I feel like, um, it was Kelly Cantley, one of our assistant directors for those of you just joining us at the end, and she said something like I think it was her who said that he kept everyone, and like he was the head duck and he kept all the little duck laings in line. And it's true, like when he was gone, I feel like, okay, well Dad's not here, and maybe you know, people wouldn't come to set right on time

or whatever, like a little very tiny transgressions. But yeah, I felt like that was a real that was an energy that was really you know lost. But yes, as an office I feel like Michael was when he was a backbone of that workplace as well. So of course the whole D'Angelo Vickers, I mean, that was brilliant. That eased the transition. I thought with Will Ferrell, oh my gosh, right, yeah,

that was great. Well, and there were, you know, in the end, a lot of big guest stars that came onto our little show that we weren't supposed to have known people right like Cathy Bays, James Spader that was more than a guest star. I guess, yeah, how do you think that their energy she changed things? That's a

good question. I mean I feel like they you know, they're all such excellent actors that it I mean that's in a in a complimentary way that they blended into the um energy of the office, but on a personal level, I felt like, oh, I can't believe these giants are in this room with us, because it is such a drab, everyday office and then you have these I feel like it's always steel surreal because you have these huge people coming in but they're not in the world of the office.

I I loved Robert California. I thought that he I thought he was such strange, but I thought that his addition to the office was actually great, and that he was never going to be a replacement for Michael Scott, but that it was just a different energy altogether, and I thought it suited the office. I mean dunder Milin like pretty well, where it was just I mean, he was strange, Brian that character. Yes, I do remember Pool part.

That's the episode that I referenced being when people are like, what was your least favorite or what was the hardest episode, I always say Pool party, and it was I don't remember the pool being particularly like a great temperature, and I feel like it was it felt like many days in that pool, right, Yes, many days in many many days. Yeah, yeah, I always I don't have I don't have like traumatic

memories of that, but I just remember that. I was like, this is It's just always an episode that I remember. I guess because it was it distinbuished itself by being Also, I feel like the week before is when we got the heads up like, oh yeah, you guys are going to be in a pool for the next week. At the table read, they were like, oh yeah, do we not mention you you're gonna be in in the pool for a week? Swim right? Right? Do you know? I'm Emilia on this podcast. I'm taking you on a certain a

search for love. Emmy hard working Latina seeks cool, down to earth guy. Swipe swipe swipe. It's hard out there for a girl to find Mr Wright. I have to meet a lot of Mr Wrongs. He'd invite me over to have dinner with his family. I knew he didn't tell them that it was transgender. Dating as a trans woman can be complicated, but there were other reasons. I

felt like I couldn't always beat myself. And he's asking me things about my family, like my mom's in prison, my grandmother was arrested for working with the Mexican drug cartel. This scrumbs my love story. It's a show about the things we set up for and the bits of ourselves that make us who we are. Listen to Crumbs as part of the Michael la podcast Network, available on the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get

your podcasts. Adoption of teams from foster care is a topic not enough people know about, and we're here to change that. I'm April Dinuity, host of the new podcast Navigating Adoption, presented by adopt us Kids. Each episode brings you compelling, real life adoption stories told by the families

that lived them, with commentary from experts. Visit adopt us Kids dot org, slash podcast, or subscribe to Navigating Adoption, presented by adopt Us Kids, brought to you by the U S Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, and the ad Council. Hey Dana, goodyear. Here. Have you ever wondered how a true crime podcasts like Lost Tales gets made? How we unearthed secrets and tease out the truth and deal with complicated characters while tackling

sensitive subjects like violence, trauma, and deception. Now's your chance to find out. Join me and Jake Calpern, host of Pushkin's Deep Cover podcast on March sixteenth for a digital conversation on true crime storytelling. Get your tickets now at moment house dot com slash d c l H that's m O M E and t House dot com slash d C l h M. The finale of the show, we come back for Dwight and Angela's wedding. And there's

also a Q and A that we do. Yes, there's a Q and A. The cast of the documentaries, you know, answering questions from the documentary that aired. I know personally that's when Aaron her parents who are in the audience, asking questions. And what a like beautiful, beautiful end I thought for Aaron anyway, like a beautiful end to her arc. Aaron never really had a permanent family like growing up, she was in foster homes. And I just loved that the writers arranged that for Aaron at the end, to

meet her birth parents. That was so And of course you couldn't gotten too better. It was Ed Begley Jr. And Joan Cusick, who you're like, By the way, do you know I still have Joan not to creep you out or jes out, but I still have her card. Again, she gave me her card again. I said something like either complimented her card again, or I said it smelled so good or something that is on the last day, so you can have it. She took it off and

she gave it to me. Well, but did she give it to you to use for a minute or was she like, no, you take this, she said you can have it. You know, maybe she literally just meant you can borrow it and I never gave it back. All right, well, yeah, it's very possible I misinterpreted that. That would seem about right. Oh my gosh. By the way, do you remember that was during the finale obviously, remember we had to work like two saturdays in a row, and we were like,

oh my gosh, I can't believe it. That was the only I think Saturday I ever worked on that show. No, I think I enjoyed just every minute of it. I don't know what you're talking about. I will share this with you. We don't have this on tape anywhere, but I will at this with you. We were very very well behaved cast some would say churchly, but you know, there were a few of us that were maybe visited Kevin's bar that he had In the finale, that maybe had a little bit too much to drink on set.

There you go and well committed to tape. Okay, we haven't recorded, but it took until the finale to do that, right, Yes, exactly, a very well behaved guest until Kevin's Bar. Yeah exactly. Did you go to the Rat Party in Scranton? Yes? First of all, the Rat party that night. Like to remember, we wrapped on a Saturday, and I believe I met you and Angela. I just remember that we drove to the Rat Party together. And then yeah, that was so

much fun that night. I just remember the l A Marathon was the next day and I was like, how is anyone running? Because we were absolute But um, the Scranton Rap Party was one of the best week of my life. That was phenomenal. And do you remember how Christina it was. Brian, it was like there was not a cloud in the sky. A baseball game, Brian, did we throw? Wait? What happened? Why were we at the

somebody who threw out a pitch? Somebody did know? We were just doing a Q and A in the baseball stadium because they needed the biggest venue that they could find. Oh my gosh. And then we went to It was at the backyard Fence, Backyarddle House. Oh and then we just like we're behind the bar. That was unbelievable was that the most special weekend ever was the best and the people who lived there are so welcoming and warm and kind. That was really an amazing event. Have you been?

Oh wait, you told me where you were on your way there when we couldn't meet up in New York. I just went yes. I went back to the to the ballpark, I went back to the backyardale House to revisit some sites and to talk to some of the folks there, I mean, and really talking to them about how crazy it is that The Office was big when it was on, and it seemingly has only grown in popularity since two thousand seventeen. It has over a hundred

and fifty three billion minutes watched streaming. Oh my god, that's with a B. It with a B. I mean that I again as a fan, because I have this perspective, it makes perfect sense to me. It's a comforting show. It's a healing show. It's not cynical. It's like a really kind show. And and I think when you're watching it, you feel like, you know these people intimately and like And what I love is kids who were too young

when it was first on and watch it now. I mean, these kids are in middle school, they're in high school. They don't know what an office workplace is, but they know what school is and they know And I think that's how they relate to it, is that it's it's any it's any situation where you're with the same people day and day out, and everyone has these very distinct personalities and it's an infinitely relatable show. But so I understand why people watch it so much because I did too.

And it's like, I think with Netflix, no one could have ever predicted how many people would view this show, don't you feel I feel so lucky that we got to be well again as a newcomer. I feel so lucky that I got to have any parts in it. But it's really cool, Like how how how people are still watching it? Yea, it is. If it weren't for The Office, where do you think you would be? Now?

Oh my gosh, Actually I take that back because on the same day that I auditioned for the Office, I also auditioned for a show called Cophouse and cop House was a pilot written by the brilliant Adam Resnick, who I adore. I don't think that the show was ordered to series, but I think I would have been in a pilot called cop House, and from there, I don't know what I would have done. That's very interesting. You

were almost on Cop House. I was almost the star of Cop House, so I would have done that, and then oh, I don't know what. Yeah, I don't know what. That's a great question. I hope I would have found work somewhere else, but nowhere would have been, of course, of course, as special as the office. Ellie. It's so great to hear your voice. I'm only sorry that I'm not seeing you in person and probably won't until two two when there's a vaccine, but it is so thank

you for talking to me. It is so wonderful. I, like I said, I've been looking forward to this, just like selfishly as it picked me up separately. We need like a two hour long just personal catch up. I know I would love that, and I will tell you that. At some point, I think Rain posted a text exchange between you and him on the internet and I saw it and I was like, oh my god, why aren't Ellian I texting like that because it just really made me smile. I don't know why we're not texting like that.

And also Rain Wilson, I was like, he didn't tell me he was going to post that to his millions of followers, like luckily everything was fine, but yeah, he wasn't. Again, just tell me the joke because they don't make me laugh. What was I can't remember it either. I don't think about what it was about money, dude, We'll have to look it up. I think totally. I feel like it was bordering on inappropriate and then it was actually fine.

Rain is so weird, like when he says he's I feel like he and Dwight are weird in such specific ways and wildly different ways. But they're both very weird people. But except Rain is actually like extremely kind. Well I guess White was tiny, but it is the funniest thing he no text out of the blue, the most insane thing, and it makes me so happy that I know. But anyway, yes,

he posted that exchange. We need to start texting. Let's do not a regular occurrence with Rain and what it happens is like but don't you feel that way with so many people from the office where like you don't hear from them for a while, and then you do and it's like no time is past. I totally I totally feel that way. All right, Ellie, I will talk to you soon. Thank you so much, Thank you, Brian. This is what a bright spot in this otherwise bleak time.

So so good to hear your voice. Once everything is calmed down, we're having the biggest like celebratory dinner out in a restaurant. It might be five years from now, but we're doing it. Sounds perfect alright, alright, by bye. Oh there you have our Ellie kemper Ellie. We are on. We are so on for that dinner. I just hope it's not five years. Please let's not have it be five years. Thank you Ellie for your wit, for your insight. I always have the most fun talking to you and

to my dear listeners. I had so much fun bringing you this interview. So please come back next week and join Ellie and I for that dinner. We'd be happy to have you. Um. But in the meantime, before the dinner happens, like subscribe review us on whatever platform you see fit. It helps us so much so thank you in advance and have an excellent week. The Office. Deep Dive is hosted and executive produced by me Brian Baumgartner, alongside our executive producer Lei Lee. Our senior producer is

Tessa Kramer. Our producers are Emily Carr and Diego Tapia. Our social media producer is Liz Hayes, and our intern is Hannah Harris. My main man in the booth is Alec Moore. Our theme song Bubble and Squeak, performed by my great friend Cree Breton, and the episode was mixed

by seth Olansky. Hi, guys, I'm Jade Iven and I host Tell Me About It, the podcast that is the antithesis of a success story podcast, where we leave things like girl Boss, energy and Lucky breaks at the door and instead celebrate and commiserate about all the things that make us human. This is the podcast manifestation of those conversations you have with your best friend at four am. We have all kinds of women from all different walks of life, like Gwen Stefani, Steph sche Amanda Knox, La

La Kent, Raven Simone, and Jojo. Listen to Tell Me About It with Jade Ivan on the I Heart Radio app, Apple podcast or wherever you get your podcasts. Hi, I'm Arden Marine from Insatiable and then will you accept this

Rose podcast? And I'm Julianne Robinson, an Emmy nominated director of Bridgeton And we are the hosts of Lady of the Road, a funny and inspiring podcast where we have conversations with influential women about their lives and we get self help advice because we are always looking to improve ourselves. True story. We talk about money, health, relationships, you name it, from inspiring women like Joan Jet, Nicole Buyer, Lauren Laptez

Ratta and more. Listen and subscribe to Lady of the Road on the I Heart Radio app, Apple podcast or wherever you get your podcasts. What's up, guys? And I am Troy Millions and we are the host of the Ernie Leisure podcast where we break down business models and examine the latest trends and finds. We hold court and have exclusive interviews with some of the biggest names of business, sport and entertainment, from DJ Khaled to Mark Cuban, Rick

Ross and Shaquille O'Neil. I mean our alumnilists expansive listen in as our guests reveal their business models, hardships and triumphs, and their respective fields. The knowledge is in death and the questions are always delivered from your standpoint. We want to know what you want to know. We talked to the legends of business, sports, and entertainment about how they got their start and most importantly, how they make their money. Earni a Leisia is a college business class mixed with

pop culture. Want to learn about the real estate game, unclears, how the stock market works. We got you interested in starting a truck and company or vendor machine business. Not really sure about how taxes or credit work. We got it all covered. The Earnie Leisure podcast is available now. Listen to Earnier Leisure on the Black Effect podcast Network, I Heart Radio, app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.