Jenna Fischer Says a One-Word Improv ‘Got Me’ on ‘The Office’

Jenna Fischer landed her career-defining role with just a single word.

In a recent sit-down with Dana Carvey and David Spade on their “Fly on the Wall Podcast,” Fischer broke down how she got the part of Pam Beesly, who throughout nine seasons of “The Office,” became one of the most iconic characters in television history.

“I had been auditioning for [casting director] Allison [Jones] for about five years before ‘The Office,’” Fischer said. “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.’ And she said, ‘My advice is don’t come in looking hot. Don’t come in all done up.’”

Fischer continued, “And then she said, ‘We’re going to have you improvise during the audition and my advice is: Dare to bore me.’”

Although she thought it strange at the time, Fischer held this piece of advice close as she went into her audition. And thankfully she did, because the note became the crux of her winning performance.

As part of the tryout, showrunner Greg Daniels asked Fischer questions as if she were in one of “The Office” confessionals.

“I had that note in my head, and he said, ‘Do you like being a receptionist here?’ And I just paused and I said nothing,” Fischer recalled. “And then I said, ‘No.’ And that’s all I said.”

“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 added. “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.”

Although it was “so scary” going with such an abrupt response, Fischer said Daniels later told her it was the moment that “got me the job.”