Is The Cast Of The Office Friends In Real Life?
"The Office" remains one of the most beloved sitcoms, even so many years after its 2005 debut. The series follows the employees of the Scranton, Pennsylvania, branch of Dunder Mifflin Paper Company, who are overseen by their goofy, but lovable boss, Michael Scott (Steve Carell). The show boasted quite the cast of names, including Carell, John Krasinski, Rainn Wilson, Ed Helms, Jenna Fischer, Ellie Kemper, B.J. Novak, Mindy Kaling, and Craig Robinson. Many of the stars have gone on to become even bigger names since the show ended, like John Krasinski, who's taking the entire industry by storm with his survival horror "A Quiet Place" film franchise and starring turn on Amazon's "Jack Ryan."
After making dozens of episodes together across nine seasons, it was inevitable that the cast would become close. Many of them even made lifelong friends over the course of filming the now-iconic series, and some of these friendships may very well surprise you.
Angela Kinsey and Jenna Fischer are very close in real life
Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey, who play the lovable receptionist Pam and the uptight, cat-loving accountant Angela, have one of the show's most enduring and public-facing friendships. The two even started a podcast recapping their "Office" days entitled "Office Ladies," which has been a big hit with the fans (via The New York Times).
Fischer and Kinsey revealed to People Magazine that they really started to bond when filming the Season 1 episode "Basketball," in which the two actresses were sidelined during two lengthy days of filming. With not much else to do, the pair found themselves confiding in each other and by the end of it they practically knew each other inside and out.
"We had this really fun friendship. You don't expect to make a friendship like this when you're older," Fischer mentioned in the interview.
Kinsey has expressed her gratitude for Fischer's warm friendship as well. "Jenna is my life anchor because it's like, the world doesn't make sense until I can bounce it off her, whatever happens," she told People. The true secret to their friendship, at least according to Fischer, is listening. Maybe we can all learn something from the two actresses' seemingly dynamite friendship.
B.J. Novak and Mindy Kaling became friends when they were hired as writers together
Mindy Kaling's Kelly Kapoor and B.J. Novak's Ryan Howard shared a memorably dysfunctional relationship on the show. The two actually became very close friends IRL when they both joined the show's talented writer's room. The two even briefly dated, though they eventually just settled on just staying friends.
Even today, both Kaling and Novak seem to be very tight with one another, attending different red carpet events together and declaring their friendship through various social media posts. Novak offered some interesting insight in an interview with Entertainment Weekly, "Whenever we date anyone else, I think there's a period where the person is very skeptical of our friendship."
Similarly, Kaling stated that she actually enjoys fans pondering about her potential romance with Novak and their future together. The actress and comedienne had an interesting way of describing the relationship, as she told The Guardian that it's a "romantically charged camaraderie with loud arguments."
Rainn Wilson's many friendships
Rainn Wilson's Dwight Schrute and Oscar Nunez's Oscar Martinez may not have seen eye to eye on the show, but off-screen, the two are good friends and have even been seen grabbing a bite to eat together multiple times (via Instagram). In fact, Wilson seemed to be quite the popular guy on the set of "The Office," as not only did he become close with Nunez, but he also formed a close bond with John Krasinski, who we all know as Dwight's rival Jim Halpert.
Both Krasinski and Wilson found success with their online shows, Wilson with his YouTube channel SoulPancake and Krasisnki with his beloved web series "Some Good News." They assisted each other with their shows whenever it was needed. Krasinski reunited with Wilson for his podcast series "Hey There Human" and Wilson returned the favor by showing up on Krasinski's joyous "news" show (via Us Weekly).
As for the rest of the cast ...
It wasn't just Fischer, Kinsey, Wilson, Krasinski, Nunez, Novak, and Kaling who formed tight bonds on the set of the beloved NBC sitcom. Andy Buckley, who played Dave Wallace, and Brian Baumgartner, who played the lovable goof Kevin Malone, seem to still be close with each other after their "Office" days. They have even appeared on each other's social media pages, according to Us Weekly.
However, Buckley is not the only one with whom Baumgartner has reunited. Social media posts reveal that he still keeps in touch with Krasinski and Fischer, as well, among many others.
Other relationships continue to endure. When Kate Flannery, who fans came to know as the eccentric Meredith, competed on the reality competition series "Dancing with the Stars," Kinsey was there to support her former co-star as she impressed audiences with her dance moves. These friendships weren't exactly unique, as Ed Helms revealed that the cast still has a massive text chain where they all stay connected with one another.
"That blows my mind. And I just I love that so much," he said, per a transcript of Episode 42 of Fischer and Kinsey's "Office Ladies" podcast.