Jenna Fischer Says One Quiet Word Landed Her the Role of Pam on The Office

Jenna Fischer, known to millions as Pam Beesly from The Office, recently shared how a single word helped her land the role that changed her life. During a chat on the Fly on the Wall Podcast with Dana Carvey and David Spade, Fischer talked about her audition for the hit comedy series and the advice that led to her breakthrough moment.

Before The Office, Fischer had been auditioning for casting director Allison Jones for about five years. Because of that long connection, she felt comfortable enough to ask for advice before trying out for Pam.

“I had been auditioning for [casting director] Allison [Jones] for about five years before ‘The Office,’” she said on the podcast. “When it was time for her to cast ‘The Office,’ I had a good enough relationship with her that I could say, ‘Hey Allison, do you have any advice? I really want this one.’”

Jones gave her two important pieces of advice: don’t dress up too much, and don’t try to impress. In her words, “Don’t come in looking hot. Don’t come in all done up.” Then she added something that really stuck with Fischer: “Dare to bore me.”

It sounded strange at first, but that advice shaped how Fischer handled her audition. When it was time to improvise, showrunner Greg Daniels asked her questions as if she were already Pam, talking directly to the camera in one of those classic Office confessionals.

He asked her if she liked being a receptionist. Fischer said she paused for a moment, then calmly replied with one simple word: “No.”

That was it. One word, and nothing else. She believed the silence said more than anything else she could have added.

“I thought it would be funnier to watch me think of all the things I wasn’t going to say than to say any of them,” she explained. “She’s like a deeply honest person, so she can’t lie and say she does like it, but she’s also not going to say anymore.”

Even though she felt nervous about giving such a short answer, that quiet little moment ended up being the one that made all the difference.

“It was so scary,” she said, but Greg Daniels later told her that it was that exact response that got her the role.

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