Author: Emma Loggins
Date: 2008-11-11

Interview:
We had the honor of interviewing Angela Kinsey and Ed Helms from NBC's The Office. They talked with us about their characters, their favorite episodes, and what's in store for Angela and Andy!

In approaching both of your characters which are so much fun on TV but I'm not sure that it'd be as much fun if you really had to be with them all day, like... if they worked in the office with you. How do you approach that? How do you kind of approach your characters?

Angela Kinsey: Oh my gosh. Ed, do you want to go first?

Ed Helms: Oh sure, Angela. Thanks.

Angela Kinsey: I have an answer. I can go.

Ed Helms: Well no I, you know, I think it's funny, like a lot of characters in comedy are atrocious in real life and that's - it's the sort of bubble of television or a movie or whatever sort of vehicle you're looking at it through that makes it - it gives you license to laugh at it.

And for me, I guess Andy - I think - I've tried to find a lot to love about Andy and a real sort of sincerity. If anything, he's guilty of caring too much sometimes.

And I - but I think it's partly - we have the ability to laugh at jerks on TV, but also playing the dichotomy, playing like the - both the positive and the negative and giving - hopefully trying to give the audience something to hope for with Andy but also a lot to just kind of roll your eyes at, at the same time.

Angela Kinsey: Well, you know, I actually had a few odd jobs in the corporate world as a struggling actress. I worked in customer service. I worked in the mailroom. I was an operator at 1-800-Dentist and I had a bunch of ridiculous meetings I'd have to go to. And I've had to work with people who I probably would never have hung out with socially.

And I found that in my character - I found a little bit of her in these different companies I worked at.

There was always sort of the stickler and the busybody and the person who like just had this little amount of authority in their life and went berserk with it.

Ed Helms: Right, right.

Angela Kinsey: And so I try to like make her real and she's definitely prickly. But I try to find in my own way -- the way Ed does -- like a way to like her even with all her craziness that like yes she'd probably drive you crazy but she'd probably, you know, completely organize your desk for you if you let her.

So I try to find the hills and valleys in her. But it's definitely a lot of fun and I definitely draw on my past experience in the corporate America.

Ed Helms: You know what's funny is I have - the hard part that I have is justifying Andy's affection for Angela.

Angela Kinsey: That's true.

Ed Helms: You know, like my dad asked me recently, he's like why are you with that woman? And it's a very valid question.

Angela Kinsey: Aw, poor guy.

Ed Helms: But I think - but actually, I do think that there's just this unflappable optimism and like if there's one thing that's really great about Andy is he's so decisive and like he goes with something.

And once he decides it's what he wants, he's just in it and he throws his whole heart into it.

Angela Kinsey: Yeah.

Ed Helms: And I think that's just what's happened in this relationship with Angela. It's like this is...

Angela Kinsey: Come on board.

Ed Helms: ...I've made - this is my life partner and this is going to work god dammit.

Angela Kinsey: Yeah.