Hey, all you Office drunks! Did I stutter? I mean, hey all of you drunk on The Office. I am the only drunk in the office. It is like being drunk with laughter, the Office fans say. I have been getting the wildest fan mail lately. I have recently received an artist rendering of a Big Gulp in my honor. I have been sent airplane bottles of liquor. I have gotten flasks in the mail. I have gotten strange photos of me doing the limbo on the "Booze Cruise" episode. (How low can ya go?) This tops all! Some soon-to-be-married fans actually invited Meredith to their wedding in Ohio. I was incredibly flattered and surprised. (Who would risk that bar bill?) I politely declined on the RSVP card but I will be with them in spirits. Oops. I mean in spirit. (Last year, as I was walking thru the lobby of the Four Seasons in Philadelphia, I was pulled into some wedding photos of the bridal party. I know they didn't plan that.)
The next episode is called "Did I Stutter?" Stanley (aka the very dry Leslie David Baker) gets into it with Michael. Look out! Written by the very talented B.J. Novak, the episode was directed by Randal Einhorn. For the big Office fans, Randal is our director of photography and our camera man. He and Matt Sohn do the best camerawork in the business, let me tell you. Did you know that they are true documentary cameramen? They have both worked on National Geographic projects around the world. They have also worked on Survivor. They are why The Office feels like a documentary. They are like another character on our show. They are truly what makes our show so different from other fake documentary shows. They are great guys and they do amazing work with unexpected turns and twists! We have to be in character at all times incase we get caught by the camera!
Last week I had a fat lip from Mindy. from Mindy's script, that is. She wrote that I got hit with a football in the face. I want to quote our good friend Jennie Tanster's article on OfficeTally.com (the perfect fan site for all things Office). Here are some of the questions and answers:
Officetally.com: "There were a lot of physical gags in last night's show, like Pam hitting Meredith in the face and Toby scaling the fence and jumping over. I was wondering if the actors performed those or stuntmen?"
Mindy Kaling: "Paul [Lieberstein, Toby] is a great guy but no, he didn't do his dangerous stunt. Kate, on the other hand, did hers — several, several times and without complaint. It was amazing and terrifying and I'm not certain she hasn't suffered internal brain damage from the repeated blows to the head. I'll find out at the wrap party."
OfficeTally.com: "Kate, did you want answer that question as well, How many takes did that take you? Were you hit each time with a Nerf football, and the sound effects were put in later? Was makeup applied to your face so that you looked more and more bruised with each subsequent scene?"
Kate Flannery: "Doing my own stunt was fine. I can no longer read, but I'm fine. At first it seemed like a good idea. I thought I owed it to the fans to take one for the team, Then after the first four takes, I was like, "That was cool. That's it, right?" Ten takes later I was ready for an Advil and a session with a good therapist to examine why I said yes in the first place. My stunt double got paid to sit and watch. Yes, I had a stunt double and I still did it myself. That doesn't add up. My math skills are obviously dwindling as well. The makeup was sort of trumped up each time thanks to Lavern Caracuzzi, the head of the makeup department. She even gave me that 'Marlon Brando cotton in the mouth.' Please don't worry. I didn't get a scratch in all the 14 takes we shot. Thanks for asking."
Go to Jennie's website for a longer version, photos and links to live interviews. She was just visiting the set last week. She had to sign a confidentiality form. The season finally is going to be a monster! And a secret. I don't care how many drinks you buy me I ain't tellin'. Did I stutter?
Thanks for watching our show. Cheers!
NBC's The Office airs Thursdays at 9 pm/ET and reruns on TBS Tuesdays at 10 and 10:30 pm.
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