Actor John Krasinski recently revealed his kids’ first reactions to watching him on The Office. Based on Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant’s original British show of the same name, the mocukmentary comedy series centered on the day-to-day antics of employees at a small paper company in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Krasinski starred as Jim Halpert, a charming and witty salesman who would continuously target his co-worker Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson) with harmless pranks and flirt with receptionist and love interest Pam Beesley (Jenna Fischer). Through out the show’s nine seasons, Halpert came to love his time at the Dunder-Mifflin paper company, developed a strong friendship with Dwight, and married Beesley, starting a family.
During an interview on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Krasinski revealed his children’s first reactions to watching him on The Office. The actor claimed that his six and eight-year-old inquired about the show on their own and Krasinski and his wife, Emily Blunt, finally decided to give their children a taste of the comedy that gave their father stardom. Read how Krasinski described his hilarious reaction to The Office below:
They literally just started watching The Office. And by the way, started watching – I showed them one episode. Their actual quote – we were driving – from the back seat I heard, “So, what’s the deal with this Office thing?” And I was like, “Okay, it’s a big question. We’ll cut it down it down into bite-sized morsels.” So Emily [Blunt] is like, “Just so them the pilot.”
They were watching the first episode, and my oldest, it turns out she’s a screen talker-atter. She’s talking to the screen. So when Steve [Carell] fired Jenna [Fischer], she goes, “What are you doing? What are you doing?” And then she goes, “You’re a horrible person!” And I said, “You should me Steve Carell.”
And then my six-year-old kept asking, “Is that you?” And I said, “Yeah, it is.” She said, “You look very different.” And I was like, “Okay, I’ll try to not take that as a hurtful thing. But sure.” And she goes, “You look very different.” And I said, “No, that’s me. I’m just playing a character.” And she went, “[Scoffs] That’s not you.” And watched two more episodes being like, “That’s not you. Guy looks a lot like you, though.”
Why The Office Has Proven So Enduringly Popular
Over the years, The Office has become a significant part of pop culture. It’s episodic plots breeds re-watchability and its serialized character arcs keep audiences invested over its nine seasons. Where the original British series ended after just one season, the American television adaptation took the characters far beyond their counterparts, enriching them over years of hilarious high jinks and compelling storytelling. The Office has since produced a plethora of memes, generally involved Dunder-Mifflin’s faithful leader, Michael Scott (Carell), which keep the series alive in the current zeitgeist.
Inspired by Gervais’ various working experiences prior to stardom, The Office‘s mundane setting likely resonates with many viewers who have had worked in similar environments. The overzealous boss, office romances, odd-ball co-workers, pointless meetings, and nonsensical office bureaucracy rings true to much of the audience who probably shared similar experiences. The Office uses the familiar to point out the farce in people’s everyday lives using a heightened version of it.
The show’s characters and subject matter has allowed the series to become a timeless classic. With new generations entering the workplace, they will live through much of the same scenarios, dealing with the same type of people that inspired Gervais to create The Office in the first place. As time goes on, The Office will undoubtedly remain relevant, bringing employment-based comedy to homes for years to come.
