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Is there anything exciting about an Office? Boring routines, meeting deadlines. But it was Ricky Gervais’s genius that made a series about a company one of the greatest shows of all time. While the UK Chapter ofThe Officemight not have set the stage on fire on a global level, the US version was in a league of its own, going on to becoming one of the most iconic shows.
The NBC sitcom became a household name. So did the name of the stars who were a part of it. And Jenna Fischer couldn’t be more thankful for that.
Jenna Fischer struggled to bag her first role
Hailing from St. Louis,Jenna Fischershowed up to LA with the same aspirations as many others do – to make it big as an actor. Things went to plan initially. The first item on her checklist – getting a pager. She ticked that off real quick. The second thing on the agenda was landing a job. That is where things got tricky.
“Jenna’s performance is amazing but it’s so hard to watch”: The Office Gave an Acting Masterclass With Jenna Fischer That Deserved an Emmy Nod for Sheer Talent
Ever since moving in 1998, theSplitting Up Togetherstar had a tough time. She said,
Cut to six months later. My savings were gone, my car engine had blown up and my cat was so depressed he was licking out patches of his fur. My pager was still running on the knockoff battery included in the purchase.(NYTimes)
She was broke. Depressed. And that is when a ray of hope came her way. Albeit not the one she wanted. But the one she needed.
Jenna Fischer had almost lost hope
As someone who had made the shift from St. Louis to LA, bagging zero roles in over a year was the last thing Jenna Fischer had imagined for herself. She said,
Then one day something extraordinary happened. While wallowing in my depression with a giant bowl of Lucky Charms, I noticed the faintest vibration deep in the cushions of my couch. I hesitated, not wanting to get my hopes up, but instinctively knew it must be my pager.
A number I didn’t recognize was flashing on the screen… I had landed my first real acting job.
While first gigs are always memorable, Fischer would remember hers for the wrong reason.
The four magic words that changed Jenna Fischer’s life
The first role Jenna Fischer landed was not one anyone could write home about. It was a role in a s*x education video for mental health patients. She said,
Not quite the career milestone (the video) I’d imagined during my formative years in acting school, but it was a start. Finally.The scene was shot in an apartment bathroom. I wore my own clothes and did my own makeup. I played a girl preparing to go on a date.
Her part? She only had to say four words –‘Protection? Protection from what?’
“Then I say yes”: The Office Star Jenna Fischer Would Return for Potential Movie Under 1 Condition After Bryan Cranston’s Demand
While the job didn’t change many things, it paid her $100. That would be enough for a new pager battery. And it gave her hope to carry on in LA. Her struggle was nowhere near over. It would be another 7 years before she would go onto direct and star inLoLliLove.And another 8 before she would play Pam Beesly inThe Office.
Yet, her first role will always stay with her. She reminisced,
There were more milestones to keep me going. Getting my first callback, my first agent, my union card. Until I was eventually working steadily. But I’ll never forget ‘Protection? Protection from what?’
After all, that is what got her close to Scranton in the end.
WatchThe Officeon Peacock.
Smriti Sneh
Articles Published :479
Smriti Sneh is a Content Writer at Fandom Wire specializing in celebrities and everything pop-culture. Being a literature research scholar, she is cashing in on her writing skills by working in the entertainment news sector - studying literary theories by day, and navigating celebrity net worth through the night. Although you can find her writing poems at any and all hours.
