# The Office BFFs by Jenna Fischer & Angela Kinsey - Blinkist

What’s in it for me? Get an insider’s scoop on the beloved series The Office and Angela Kinsey and Jenna Fischer’s BFF moments.

It's March 2005.

You're watching a new show on NBC about a certain paper company called Dunder Mifflin, run by obnoxious regional manager Michael Scott.

You're uncertain about how the show would pan out, but in the end, you find yourself doubling over in laughter over Michael's best boss mug and Dwight's stapler in Jell-O.

Little did you know that this goofy little show would be occupying your nights for the next nine years.

Yes, that's The Office, a mockumentary focusing on the employees of the fictional paper company's Scranton branch.

Here, Jenna Fischer portrays the receptionist Pam Beesly, while Angela Kinsey plays the part of senior accountant Angela Martin.

Although the two don't have much of an on-screen relationship, they actually share a strong bond off-camera.

Let's peek behind the scenes and explore the lives of these co-stars and the world of The Office in this Blink to The Office BFFs.

The Kismet Meeting in The Office Set

Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey's passion for show business started early—from a young age, they both knew that this was their calling.

So, armed with their dreams and the hopes of making it big, they each headed to Los Angeles and started auditioning for various roles.

However, it wasn't until 2003 that the big break they were looking for landed on their laps.

TV producer and director Greg Daniels wanted to bring the British sitcom The Office to American TV.

Jenna was asked to audition for the show and eventually got the part of Pam.

Angela was also invited to the auditions by none other than Greg Daniels himself, who she was related to by marriage then.

Unfortunately, she didn't immediately get cast in the Dunder Mifflin universe until several weeks later when she was called back to try out for another role, Angela Martin of the paper company's accounting department.

Angela brought her A-game to the audition and was given the part.

During this time, Jenna and Angela haven't crossed paths yet.

But that changed when they walked onto the set of The Office in Culver City, California on their first day of shooting.

Angela found herself sitting right next to Jenna's reception desk, with only a partition separating their workstations.

Since Jenna was the nearest girl to her on the set, the chatty Angela naturally gravitated toward her.

She introduced herself to Jenna and chatted away.

This turned into their routine for the next several days and set the stage for their blossoming friendship.

Unfortunately, because they were doing just the pilot episode, the cast and crew were together for only a week.

Once the shooting was done, they had to part ways for almost three months while they wait for the episode to be edited and for NBC to decide whether or not to turn the show into a series.

For those three months, Angela and Jenna's friendship had to be put on hold.

But like a good old-fashioned cliffhanger, it wasn’t the end of their story, and they were destined to pick things up right where they left off.

From Co-Stars to Besties

As luck would have it, The Office officially became a series after NBC requested five more episodes.

The cast and crew were called back, and this marked the start of the sitcom's nine-year-long run.

As expected in the entertainment industry, they had to put in long hours on set, averaging around 60 hours per week.

However, what set The Office apart from any other movie or show was that the cast members were almost always together in every scene.

Even though they weren't delivering lines, they had to stay in their workstations to be background actors.

After all, a typical office isn't without a bustling background.

This unique setup of the show proved to be the perfect breeding ground for Angela and Jenna's friendship.

As they were always within arm's reach, they started getting to know each other in between scenes.

They also started catching up in the makeup trailer in the mornings, and come lunchtime, they began a habit of eating together in Jenna's trailer.

It was during these lunch dates that they had their most heart-to-heart conversations and truly bonded.

Then, after a long day at the set, the two would continue talking to each other on their car ride home.

It's clear that Angela and Jenna's friendship didn't stop when the cameras stopped rolling.

In fact, as their on-set friendship deepened, it spilled over into their personal lives, and they became the ultimate besties both on and off-camera.

They became one another's go-to for everything.

They were there for each other for life's biggest moments like having their first babies, Angela moving into her first home, and various holiday celebrations.

Funnily enough, they were there for each other for the smallest things too like cleaning out their garages.

Their friendship is a testament to the beautiful things that come out of The Office, and they wouldn't have it any other way.

The People Behind the Famous Paper Company

The original cast and crew of The Office had a special connection from the get-go.

Some of them have worked together in the past, while others shared hometowns and even lived in the same neighborhood in Los Angeles.

Despite being mostly strangers, they all collaborated so well that there never was any drama or altercation on set, just never-ending laughter.

Angela and Jenna loved the women on The Office, not only for their talents but also for off-screen support and love.

One of the unsung women on the show was Carey Bennett, their costume designer who went so far as to visit a real paper company just to get their looks right.

Of course, there were Angela and Jenna's co-stars, Kate Flannery and Phyllis Smith, who were with them from the start.

The cast then grew to include more female actors like Melora Hardin, Mindy Kaling, Ellie Kemper, and Rashida Jones, among others.

Behind the scenes, more women were responsible for keeping The Office running, including script supervisor Veda Semarne and first assistant director Kelly Cantley.

They were later joined by co-executive producer Jen Celotta, writer Carrie Kemper, and camera operator Sarah Levy, and together, they made The Office a workplace that was truly magical.

But let's not forget about the men of The Office who were just as special to Angela and Jenna.

The leader of the pack, Steve Carell, was the one the cast looked up to the most.

He carried the show with such professionalism and grace that he earned the respect of his coworkers right away.

Then, you have Jenna's lovers: David Denman, who's one of her closest friends outside the show; and John Krasinski, who loved to joke around.

On Angela's end, you have her accounting team: Oscar Nuñez, who was like a work husband to her; and Brian Baumgartner, who they could count on for anything finance-related.

Of course, there's Rainn Wilson, her on-screen partner who's an oddball but loved helping people.

There was also Creed Bratton, who's full of crazy stories; Leslie David Baker, who's a grouch on-camera but a gentleman off-screen; Paul Lieberstein, who later became The Office showrunner; and B.

J.

Novak, who was the show's writer and actor.

Other unforgettable faces in Dunder Mifflin included keyboard-playing Craig Robinson and thoughtful Ed Helms.

The cast and crew of The Office were indeed a powerhouse of creative energy that brought unparalleled magic to the show.

Their seamless chemistry shone through in every frame, and it didn't take long for the world to notice this, too.

In 2006, The Office experienced a pivotal moment, with Steve winning the Best Actor in a TV Series award at the Golden Globes, followed by the show snagging the Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series.

It was a one-two punch that catapulted the show's fame and the cast members' careers to new heights.

Michael Says Goodbye to Dunder Mifflin

Unfortunately, towards the end of Season 7, Steve's contract was ending, and with this, he made the tough decision to leave The Office behind.

He realized how many family milestones he was missing with his hectic actor schedule, and he wanted to start being more present to his kids.

While The Office did provide family-friendly accommodations like sending them home early on Halloween and letting the new moms bring their babies on set, Steve was well aware that acting still consumed a big chunk of his time.

So ultimately, he had to bid goodbye.

When it came time to film Steve's last episode of The Office, there wasn't a dry eye in Dunder Mifflin.

The mood was as heavy as a ream of paper, and the saddest day was when they surprised Steve with a goodbye song.

He was kept in the dark about the surprise, and what the cameras captured was his raw, genuine reaction.

During Steve's last few days as the iconic Michael Scott, both Angela and Jenna had a one-on-one moment with him.

For Angela, it was when she interviewed him in his trailer for "Adventures with Angela.

" There, Steve shared that although he would be leaving the show, he would continue to be a friend to the cast and crew in real life.

Meanwhile, Jenna's moment with Steve happened in the airport scene.

It was shot without audio, and Jenna took it as her chance to express her gratitude to Steve for his support in her professional and personal life.

Her speech was so emotional that they were both moved to tears.

Unfortunately, it was too long, so they had to reshoot and do a shorter version.

Come Season 8, many critics and fans mentioned how messy the show became when Steve left.

Yes, it was somehow true as it truly was a transitional moment for them, but as they say in show business, "The show must go on!

When Breaking Bad Meets The Office: The Epic Episode Directed by Bryan Cranston

Apart from the "Goodbye, Michael" episode, another one of the most memorable episodes in The Office was the "Work Bus" in Season 9.

It was definitely one for the books for a number of reasons.

One is that it was directed by Bryan Cranston, who also directed the hit TV series Breaking Bad.

It was ironic for him in a way, to go from directing a show about a shady RV to one about a quirky group of paper salespeople crammed into a bus.

However, what really made the episode unforgettable for the cast and crew was the fact that they almost died not once but twice while shooting.

The first close call was when they were filming what was supposed to be Dwight's mad driving skills.

He would need to swerve left and right and flung the cast across the bus.

Unfortunately, when the stunt driver swerved, it wasn't just the cast who got thrown around—all of their props got some airborne action too.

As it turned out, the crew forgot to secure everything on the bus, so when it swerved, everyone ended up under a pile of heavy office furniture.

Thankfully, no one got seriously hurt, and they decided to take a break and eat lunch.

When they boarded the bus again to resume filming, everything seemed fine until Jenna picked up a peculiar odor.

They dismissed her at first, but when their camera operator chimed in that she doesn't feel well, too, they knew something was definitely wrong.

They hopped off the bus and discovered that the intake hose of their portable air conditioning unit was placed next to the exhaust pipe of the vehicle.

The funny smell was carbon monoxide, and they were unknowingly getting poisoned.

In the end, they still finished filming, and it turned out to be one of the fan favorites in the season.

That’s a Wrap!

Before the chaotic episode that was the "Work Bus" even started shooting that fateful day, another momentous event happened.

Greg Daniels returned as showrunner and had both good and bad news for the cast.

The good news was that NBC ordered two additional seasons of the show.

The bad news, however, was that Jenna and John were the only lead casts to be present for the entire run of the season.

This was because the others' contracts were ending, and they already had other projects lined up.

This meant that if the remaining cast decides to continue filming Seasons 10 and 11, it wouldn't feel the same with so few of the original actors involved.

So Greg proposed that they wrap off The Office with Season 9, giving them the opportunity to naturally close the storylines and give the viewers a satisfying ending with the cast still intact.

The actors had to make a difficult choice to make.

After all, they spent nine years of their lives immersed in the world of Dunder Mifflin.

They couldn't just let it go.

However, they ultimately decided to go with Greg's suggestion.

Naturally, the days leading up to the finale were a tearjerker.

There were many goodbyes said, both on set and behind the scenes.

They had to bid farewell to their amazing hair and makeup artists, the people who served them delicious breakfast and lunch, and their hands-on crew members.

Of course, they had to bid goodbye to their co-star, too.

And fortunately, they were able to include all the past actors in the episode, especially Steve Carrell.

Steve's appearance was mostly kept a secret both for the surprise of the audience and the cast.

Angela herself didn't even know about it until she saw Steve on shooting day.

Overall, the finale was a fitting conclusion to the nine-year-long show that had become such a cultural phenomenon it continues to hold a special place in millions of people's hearts.

Life After The Office

But wait!

The story of The Office might have come to a close, but Jenna and Angela's tale is far from over.

Although they couldn't see each other every day as they were moving around a lot for work, these two stayed as tight as they were before.

Jenna even jetted off to London, but it's clear that distance couldn't keep them apart.

Almost every day, they would send each other voice memos they refer to as "Ramblies," where they would talk about essentially anything under the sun.

Eventually, though, the duo realized how exhausting being in the show business industry was.

They were no longer the present parents they hoped they'd be as they started missing their kids' events and being home less and less.

That was when they started daydreaming of building a new career, one in which they would be in charge of their time but still be able to provide for their family.

They struggled to think about what career that might be.

Is there even such a thing?

Then, Oliver Hudson, who was Jenna's co-star at that time, gave them a brilliant idea: podcasting.

Despite their lack of knowledge and experience in the field, the two were eager to get into it.

They did some research and eventually came up with their genre: rewatch podcast.

And what better show to rewatch than The Office itself?

They then did a demo at Angela's house and played it for Earwolf cofounder Jeff Ullrich.

He was immediately impressed with the demo and gave them all sorts of advice.

Soon, the duo found themselves accepting an offer from Earwolf and producing the first episode of their podcast, Office Ladies.

It was an instant hit, racking up two million downloads within weeks.

And the success just kept on coming!

With a whopping 200 million downloads and a billboard in Times Square, it's safe to say that Office Ladies is surely hotter than a fresh cup of joe.

It’s living proof of Angela and Jenna’s hard work.

Angela and Jenna's friendship just goes to show that having your person by your side is like a superpower in itself.

Final Summary

Both of them have accomplished a lot since they met on the fateful set of The Office, and they continue to accomplish great things together even after saying goodbye to their beloved characters, Pam and Angela.

So if you're lucky enough to find your person, hold on tight.

They might just take you on an adventure of a lifetime.