The Surprising Way John Krasinski Changed Pam's Ending On The Office

"The Office" characters Jim Halpert (John Krasinski) and Pam Beesly (Jenna Fischer) were like peas and carrots during the show's nine-season run. They are the Ross and Rachel of Dunder Mifflin, the little Scranton, Pennsylvania, paper company where they work. As the show progresses, their romance takes several hairpin turns. Jim starts out with a crush on Pam that's eventually requited, and they move from dating to slipping into a married life that has its ups and downs. By the time Season 9 rolls around, they've become parents to two kids, Philip and Cecelia.

But things could have been quite different for Pam — and thusly, Jim — had the series allowed one of its minor characters to pursue his feelings for Pam. Thanks to a newly-released book about "The Office," we now know that John Krasinski was the one who made a suggestion that ultimately contributed to the way Pam dealt some bumps to her marriage to Jim.

Brian Wittle (Chris Diamantopoulos) is a member of the documentary crew that films the antics of the employees of Dunder Mifflin. During the Season 9 episode "Promos," Pam and Jim have an argument over the phone in full view of the cameras. After she hangs up, Pam bursts into tears. Brian — the camera operator who has been following her since the first season — puts his camera down and comforts her. 

Per People Magazine, and as described by the new book "Welcome to Dunder Mifflin: The Ultimate Oral History of The Office," we learn that this storyline was sparked by an idea that Krasinski shared with Greg Daniels, who adapted the program from the U.K. original for U.S. audiences.

 "I had this idea that I pitched Greg, and it came from Chris Workman [camera operator on the show]. He had put down the camera and left it running. And I was like, 'Let me see the footage.' We went over the footage and it was just feet, and you could hear people talking," Krasinski said. "I said to Greg, 'Dude, you should do that. Have someone in the camera crew put their camera down, not knowing that they're catching a moment, and they left to go to lunch or something.' And then it ended up in the episode with the boom guy."

Further Season 9 episodes hinted that Brian harbors a crush on Pam that's as strong as the one Jim first had on her years ago. He even fights a warehouse worker who attempts to attack Pam for retaliating against their defacement of her mural. But the connection between them is never fully explored. Though Brian eventually leaves his wife, Alyssa, Pam ends up sticking with Jim.