Transcript - Ep 244 - An Interview with Lindsey Broad

TRANSCRIPT

Office Ladies | Episode 244 – An Interview with Lindsey Broad

Jenna [00:00:04] I'm Jenna Fischer. 

Angela [00:00:04] And I'm Angela Kinsey. 

Jenna [00:00:06] We were on The Office together. 

Angela [00:00:07] And we're best friends. 

Jenna [00:00:09] And now we're doing the ultimate office lovers podcast just for you. 

Angela [00:00:14] Each week, we will dive deeper into the world of The Office with exclusive interviews, behind the scenes details, and lots of BFF stories. We're the Office Lady 6.0. 

Jenna [00:00:26] Hello everyone, hi. Welcome to Office Ladies 6.0. We have a great guest joining us today. This is one of our most requested guests. And we have been trying so long. There's been lots of scheduling things and it finally happened. Today, we are going to be speaking with Lindsay Broad who played Cathy Sims. And she's gonna talk all about her time on the show. 

Angela [00:00:51] Well, you know, Lindsay joined the show in season eight. She was in a total of 12 episodes. And we all know how much everyone loves Jim and Pam. So the character of Kathy really made some people prickle. But I found an article on Collider Lady that gave a different perspective on the role of Kathy and what she gave to the show. 

Jenna [00:01:11] Oh, I would love to hear that. 

Angela [00:01:13] It said, Kathy might have gotten between Jim and Pam, but she's a great character because she brings out the best in everyone. We get to see just how loyal Jim is. The honeymoon stage for Jim and Pam is long over, and the two are now busy every day with kids, yet Jim never waivers once. And then there's Dwight, who saves Jim without even intending to. When Dwight comes into the room and sees a half-dressed Cathy with Jim, he doesn't pause or doubt his friend. He knows Jim would never cheat on Pam, so it doesn't even cross his mind. Bed bugs are truly the only thing he cared about. And a couple of deleted scenes would have revealed even more. One has Pam talking to Jim on the phone at the hotel. 

Jenna [00:02:00] Yes, we talk about this in our interview with Lindsay. 

Angela [00:02:03] We sure do. He tells his wife everything, but rather than being angry, Pam is amused. So Cathy's character once again is used to show how strong Jim and Pam's relationship really is. 

Jenna [00:02:20] Well, I wish more people would have had that in mind when they were watching the show because as we talk about with Lindsay, man, there were some rough patches of fans really coming for her 

Angela [00:02:32] Yeah, even the week we interviewed her, she posted on her Instagram a screen grab of a comment someone made where they don't like Cathy. They think it's her. So still to this day, she gets it. 

Jenna [00:02:46] Well, I ran into Lindsay recently in New York. We ended up in the same audience of the same play. I know. And we talk about that in our interview. And what it made me realize, Angela, is that I have not shared my big news with everybody, that I am going to be doing a play. 

Angela [00:03:06] Oh my gosh, I can't believe we haven't talked about this. 

Jenna [00:03:07] We have not talked about this. 

Angela [00:03:08] You shared, I think, on Instagram, right? 

Jenna [00:03:11] I shared on Instagram. 

Angela [00:03:12] But we haven' chatted about it here. This is huge news in the life and life goals of Jenna Fischer. 

Jenna [00:03:17] Yes, and of Lee Kirk. 

Angela [00:03:18] Oh yes of course. 

Jenna [00:03:18]  This is my second project that I am doing thanks to Lee Kirk and his amazing writing. This fall I am going to be starring in a play called Ashland Avenue written by Lee Kirk. It's going to Be at the Goodman Theater in Chicago. I mean that's a big deal. 

Angela [00:03:39] The Goodman that is a big, big deal. 

Jenna [00:03:42] It is their 100th anniversary year. It's their centennial year. We are kicking off their centennial year with this play. 

Angela [00:03:50] That's so great! 

Jenna [00:03:51] So please come see me. Preview starts September 6th and then the play officially opens on September 15th. 

Angela [00:03:59] I will share all of that. I am coming. I can't wait to come and see you on stage, lady. I can't wait. I know how much you love the theater and being part of that community. I've gotten to see you on stage twice, one in reasons to be happy. And the second one was Meteor Shower. One was in New York, one was in San Diego. Now I'm gonna see you in Chicago. Lady, you could have a little map with all the little dots of the different theaters you've been in. 

Jenna [00:04:26] That would be so fun. 

Angela [00:04:27] I have a request. 

Jenna [00:04:28] What? 

Angela [00:04:29] Well then, will you do a play in London that I can come to? 

Jenna [00:04:33] Oh, in the West End? 

Angela [00:04:34] Yes. Okay, let's put that out there.

Jenna [00:04:36]  Okay, please please. Well it's very exciting i got offered a play in Dublin and i couldn't do it, I know you could have come visited me in Dublin. 

Angela [00:04:48] That would have been amazing! 

Jenna [00:04:50] I know it was a really good play too, but it just didn't work out in my life.  

Angela [00:04:55] Well, as our new season and new chapters of our life begin, I will follow you around and go to all of your theater performances. 

Jenna [00:05:01] It's all I want to do now, truly. Well, this play, Ashland Avenue, it is funny, and it'll also just break your heart in a million pieces. It's a beautiful, beautiful, it's a work of art, and I can't wait. 

Angela [00:05:11] And Lee is such a good writer. 

Jenna [00:05:12] Yeah, it's got an amazing cast of local Chicago actors, and it's being directed by the artistic director of the Goodman Theater, Susan Booth. I mean, she's incredible. She just directed Helen Hunt in Betrayal. So I can't wait. 

Angela [00:05:25] This is amazing. 

Jenna [00:05:26] All right. 

Angela [00:05:27] Well, you know, I ran into Lindsay as well, but it was at an office fan convention. She made me laugh so hard. She's so funny. She's just so funny, and I loved catching up with her. We'll talk about that when she comes on, too. 

Jenna [00:05:41] Well, you all might know Lindsay from her roles in Get Him to the Greek, 21 Jump Street, and Hello Ladies. Most recently, you can catch her on the hit show Ghosts on CBS and HBO's Julia. 

Angela [00:05:53] And today, we dive in with her all about what it was like to play the foil to Jim and Pam's relationship. She has a lot to say about it. 

Jenna [00:06:00] So we'll be right back after this break with Lindsay Broad. 

[00:06:14] Hi Lindsay, welcome to Office Ladies 6.0. We are so excited to have you here today. 

Lindsay [00:06:19] Oh my God, I'm glad I finally made it. 

Jenna [00:06:21] I know, this has been a long time. 

Lindsay [00:06:23] I know, because my first, when you guys got to my episodes, it was during the actor strike. So it's very heartbreaking because I waited a long time for you guys to get there. I couldn't believe it. 

Jenna [00:06:37] Well, we are so excited to dive in and we're gonna start with the question that we ask all of our guests, which is how did you get your role on The Office? 

Lindsay [00:06:47] So, I got my role on The Office it was like sort of a process because when they cast the role of Jordan at the end of I think the seventh season I had auditioned for that and I had heard through some secret sources that I was one of the choices I didn't end up getting it and then the following summer I was in Spain with my sister and for the first time I brought no recording equipment with me, I brought no makeup with me. And I got an audition for the role of Carla, which ended up being Cathy. And I made a tape. And my manager at the time was like, I can't send this tape in, he had never done that. We had worked together for years. He was like this tape is so bad. You're doing nothing. And also like you're, you're like sweaty, like you don't have on. And I was like well yeah, I'm in Spain. There's like no air conditioning. So he didn't end up sending my tape in, and then the day I got back, I guess he still hadn't found someone. So I went and I read in person with Alison Jones and Ben, and it was funny because I went in and I did more than I did on my initial tape, and they brought me down, down, down till I was doing nothing, AKA what I did my original tape. 

Angela [00:08:08] Your instincts. 

Lindsay [00:08:11] Yeah, and I went to the laundromat and I was doing all of my laundry. And I got a text from BJ Novak that just said, yes, with an exclamation point, um, cause he and I knew each other socially and like an hour later, I got to call it was like six o'clock and I had to be on set at five AM the next morning. 

Angela [00:08:31] And where were you at the time? Were you in LA or were you I was in Los Angeles? 

Lindsay [00:08:34] I was living in Los Angeles and I remember I was like, well, I'm going to go get some sushi and take an Ambien and go to bed. And I had an Ambian in my house that I saved for exactly that purpose in case I ever got a job last minute and knew that I needed to get a good night of sleep and I was going to be too anxious to sleep. 

Jenna [00:08:54] I had no idea that we did not cast the part of Cathy until the night before. I did not know that. 

Lindsay [00:09:03] Oh yeah. And I had just gotten back from this like trip with my sister and I was feeling like, you know when you've been traveling and I hadn't been on my phone basically for like a week and I like tan and I just also in that like travel loopy space and I remember I was sharing a trailer with Zach Woods and he just came up to me and he's like, how are you doing? And I was like, I'm kind of having a nervous breakdown and he was like yeah, you'll be okay. 

Angela [00:09:31] I love that Zach was your pep talk guy. 

Lindsay [00:09:34] Oh, yeah, I love Zach. 

Jenna [00:09:36] Had you been a fan of the show before? Had you watched it? 

Lindsay [00:09:40] I had watched all of it. 

Jenna [00:09:41] Oh, so you knew all the storylines. 

Lindsay [00:09:44]  Oh, yeah. I had all of watched all it from the beginning and it was the first time I had ever had a job on a show that I had watched. It was very surreal.

Jenna [00:09:57] And what were you told about your character? Like, you got the job. You had 12 hours to prepare for this job. But like, what did you know? Did you know that you were gonna be on multiple episodes? 

Angela [00:10:09] Did you know you're going to be this wedge sort of maybe between Pam and Jim?

Lindsay [00:10:16] So, okay, so here's what I knew. I knew I was hired for one episode. I knew it had the potential to recur. And I had absolutely no information other than the fact that the character was described as Scranton Hott. So. 

Jenna [00:10:32] So I was like, okay. And it's funny because- Please tell me you have a T-shirt that says Scranton Hot, Lindsay. 

Lindsay [00:10:38] No, but if somebody wants to make it for me, I'm wearing my t-shirts very large these days. I would like a large or an extra large. I think Scranton Hot is a phenomenal t-shirt idea. Isn't that so funny? I know my husband has been looking for a long time for like a good vintage March Madness t- shirt for me. But I was like, I can't wear this in public. But anyway, yeah, so that was all I knew. And they would basically hire me. Whatever they would hire me at the last possible second for every episode so I sort of just would like find out maybe like Friday night that I'd be back again Monday morning I always had a sense that I would be back um but I never knew quite what was going on and also I don't know if you guys remember this but they would often. Nobody quite knew, looking back, I think the word they were looking for Cathy was basic, but that wasn't like a word in the vernacular at the time. And they didn't really quite, they kept trying different things on for her at the table reads. So like there was an episode, like the trivia episode, where all of a sudden out of nowhere, I had like gone to an Ivy League school and was like really good at trivia. And it turns out I was like, really secretly smart. And then that got like cut. And then I remember talking to one of the writers at the wrap party and they're like, yeah, they just couldn't, like they kept trying different things on, but it would never make it to the final draft. And then I think ultimately, I'm trying to remember when I figured out that I was gonna be the wedge, as you call it. 

Angela [00:12:16] Was it in Pam's replacement? Like, was it? Because that was your first episode. And Jim and Cathy have, you know, those scenes where they're laughing, and she brings up Zoolander. And so there's a little bit of stuff happening there. 

Lindsay [00:12:29] I remember her being like, okay, she's like kind of a cool girl. And there was all the discussions about whether, like that whole episode, I think there's like a whole discussion about whether or not I'm attractive. And yeah, I want to say the storyline with Cathy and Jim happened, I wanna say like my, at the very end of my storyline. And I remember when I first realized it was going in that direction and I was just like, oh no. Oh no. I was excited because I was like, oh, well, this will be fun. I'll have stuff to do. But I just remember being like, Oh, no. 

Angela [00:13:05] They're going to come for me. You knew. 

Lindsay [00:13:08] Yeah, but you know what? I feel like nobody really came for me in the moment. It was later on. It was sort of, you know, I'm sure you guys experienced, too, that sort of like second wind, like during the Netflix Comedy Central rerun era. And all of a sudden, that's when I started feeling a lot of attention. 

Jenna [00:13:28] Yeah, I mean, we've said we think that you, Rashida, and Chris Diamatopoulos should all start a support group. And Rich Summer, of course. Yes, because it wasn't easy. We actually, we got a fan question, a fan mail flurry of people wanting to know, did you and do you still get hate for hitting on Jim? And Elizabeth B. From Buckley, Washington said, did you expect the backlash to affect your real life? 

Lindsay [00:14:04] So here's what I'll say. As far as I know, it doesn't really affect my real life because I, my real-life I compartmentalize. Like I use the same last name as my kids. I try to be pretty unassuming in my real life. So I don't know how much it bleeds over into how certain people see me or treat me. Occasionally if I meet somebody and they just like really don't like me despite the fact that I'm being very friendly, I'm always like in the back of my head, like, is that what it is? I will say the internet is just a really crazy place. And there was a moment, I tweeted something back when I used to be on Twitter when my dog was killed. And I had posted on Instagram that my dog had died. And there were a bunch of comments underneath being like, fuck you, Cathy, you deserve it. And I then tweeted about that and then that kind of went viral. And then I still get engagement on this like years old tweet. And so people always ask me about it. Here's what I will say. The internet is a crazy place. I've gotten used to people calling me Cathy. However, when I meet people in real life, people are so excited. If people are big enough fans of the office so they can recognize me. And again, I think I'm like sort of an unassuming looking person. I'm not like very flashy looking. So if they recognize me, they're like a big fan. People are so excited to see somebody from this show that they are just incredibly nice. The internet is like a different story. 

Angela [00:15:39] Yeah, and that is so true. You know, I mean, you and I ran into each other at this office fan convention last year, and I hadn't been to the big, the office fan convention, and everybody that comes there, just their love for the show is so pure and wonderful. And it's such a, it's like this show that brings people together from all over the world. And I left with such a positive experience from that. And. They're excited to meet every single person. They wanna meet every single person that was on the show. And I just think that the fan base is really awesome in that way. 

Lindsay [00:16:18] Yeah, it's really sweet. And I always think about, you know, there is this, I remember reading one of the actors from Lost who was saying, if you can just show up and like make somebody's day by showing up, then it's kind of hard not to do something like that. And I feel like the fan community of the show is so sweet. But the other thing that's so wild to me is how broad it is. Yeah. And I remember actually when I was cast on the show, I went to drinks with a friend of mine who's a comedy writer and he was like, you're on Cheers. This is like being on Cheers, you know, like something that like people, and actually now I would say that, dare I say, like it's a larger phenomenon than Cheers is that many years later. But I remember at the time being like, okay, this is something that will probably be in my obituary. Which is like a very crazy thing to have associated with something that you did for, you know, a period of like five months. And it's sort of immortal in like a really cool way. And I think I had a sense of that when it was happening and still it's really wild to me, the degree to which it sort of like leads over into my personal life. Cause again, I like don't make a show. You know, I have two kids. I never make it clear to anybody, like I don't talk about being an actress or anything like that at their school. And it's always funny to me when eventually, like people have known me long enough that they finally are like, can I ask you about? Like let me talk to you about this. Like I made it through all of last year, an entire year of preschool without anybody ever acknowledging it. And then it was funny because Kellan Coleman who played Isabelle is a good friend of mine. And she came to my son's birthday party last summer, and I remember mentioning this to a group of my friends, like my preschool mom friends, and they were like, we know! And I was like, see, that's the thing with me, is that if you're just chill and you don't mention it for a full year, you never know who's gonna show up at the birthday party. And they were all like, yeah. 

Jenna [00:18:31] Oh, I love that. And you know, Lindsay, I felt like so protective of you when those comments came out on your post about losing your dog. Because I know that we only had like two episodes together. We had the first episode and basically the last episode of your arc. And then I was on real maternity leave. But my experience of you was that you were such a kind and genuine person, and we're very protective of our office family. So it has bothered me that that happened, but I love hearing all of this about like getting to go to the fan convention and getting to feel the love of being part of this story. 

Lindsay [00:19:19] Yeah, and I think it's especially, like, I'll say that in New York City, you know, when I am walking around, and it's happened, like with my kids, when people spot you on the street and they want a selfie, or you're like at Whole Foods and they just want a selfie, which was very confusing to my children for a long time, it's like, the energy of it is so sweet. People love this show in such an intense way that it's... It's really cool to be involved in something that people have such an intimacy with this show. And it's a very, yeah, the parasocial thing's pretty cool.  

Angela [00:19:57]  Can we ask you about a few different moments in your episodes? Yeah. So I was re-watching them last night and you're so good and you are so likable. Like I mean obviously once we get to Florida if you're rooting for Jim and Pam you are like hey Cathy what whoa whoa pump the brakes but in Pam's replacement you're just like just such a nice normal person in the office and but then there's the episode Gettysburg. And Lindsay, I did not realize in our tiny conference room scene, because half of everyone goes with Andy on the field trip. And then there's only a small group of us left in the office. And we end up in the conference room scene pitching our think outside the box ideas. And you were seated the whole time next to James Spader in the back row. And I did even realize that. And I always enjoyed our conference room scenes so much. What was that conference room scene like for you?

Lindsay [00:20:56]  I just remember anytime I was in that scenario where I was sort of like a fly on the wall which worked because that's how she would have been as a temp I just kind of sat back and watched the show if that makes sense and I knew you know if I remember correctly and you guys can correct me if I'm remember this incorrectly they would do a straight take right where they would get all the words that were on the page and then they would get a take that was looser where everybody was really playing around and so it was always very fun for me especially that many years into the show to watch this ensemble of people who knew how to play with each other and I mean the pool party episode really stands out like I remember that episode was really cool because everybody was in it like for that week.

Angela [00:21:46] I have a photo of all of us in the pool. Like a selfie. 

Lindsay [00:21:51]  Oh my God, can you send it to me? 

Angela [00:21:52] Yes I will. I was going through pictures for Jenna and I's book and I found it. And it's like the quality of it. One of the reasons we didn't use it is, I think I took it with like a flip phone. I don't know. But it is. It's us in water. And that episode was so bonkers. I just remember that. 

Lindsay [00:22:09] I have no photos. I literally never took a single photo. 

Angela [00:22:14] Oh, I will get that for you. I will go to find it. 

Lindsay [00:22:17] Well the pool party episode so funny to me because I don't know what it was like for you guys, but I remember It was like a Thursday or a Friday and they were like, um, Lindsey wardrobe needs you, they need to fit your swimsuit. I was like my swimsuit? 

Angela [00:22:34] This is called The Office? 

Lindsay [00:22:38] They're like, the next episode's called Pool Party. And I was like, and meanwhile, like, I mean, I had been working, because I was in the background of all the confessionals, I was always in the background and they shot those at the end of the day. And so I was, always the first person in, cause I was the last person hired. So I was at the earliest to get my hair and makeup done. And then I was last person out. So I, was working, I didn't even have food in my refrigerator during that period of time. And I certainly wasn't working out. And I just remember being like, pool party. And when they went to my fitting, they were like, well, you can wear a one-piece. And I was like, but she wouldn't wear a One-Piece. Like integrity, like obviously she would be in a two-piece. So I let them put me in like a bikini. And then I showed up to set and I think I was the only one in a bikini. And I felt so dumb. And then Charles McDougall who directed that episode who I've since worked with. Had a shot where he wanted me like getting up, I don't think they ended up using it, but I had to like get up out of the pool right in front of the camera and then just like my butt walked by the camera. And I was just like, I can't believe this has happened. 

Jenna [00:23:43] It's so funny, we talked to Ellie Kemper about that episode too, and she had the same reaction. She was like sat down at the table read and was like, pool party? 

Angela [00:23:59] I thought the same thing because my character was quote-unquote eight months pregnant, but like fake pregnant and I was like pool party, okay, how you guys gonna do this? But they found a way, Lindsay. 

Lindsay [00:24:13] Did you have a sarong? 

Angela [00:24:14] I had they wanted me in the background swimming laps with a kickboard. 

Lindsay [00:24:18] Oh, that's right. 

Angela [00:24:22] Yeah at first they had me swimming laps, but they also had me put this fake belly in a maternity bathing suit. What they didn't factor in is that that fake belly absorbed water. And I literally was like, I'm going to drown. So then they got me a kickboard because I was like sinking. And then I would get out of the pool and it was as if I was peeing for like an hour as I walked around because that thing was like leaking water. 

Lindsay [00:24:47] Well, I remember Mindy and I were in the background of somebody else's scene, and we were supposed to be like, I don't know, doing something, and we decided we were gonna be doing shots. But then we were basically just doing shots for like four, like pretending to do shots for four hours, so we just kept having to pee because we just keep drinking like whatever it was. But also when you pretend to do shots for that long, you just start to feel a little loopy, like you start to be a little drunk. And I just remember doing that for like, and it was in that like gorgeous mansion in Pasadena. Yeah. Anyway, I have very fond memories of that episode, aside from the bathing suit. 

Jenna [00:25:34] I have to go back to Pam's replacement because there is a scene in Pam's replacement that I have to ask you about. So it's the scene where Dwight is going to see if Jim has an erection. Yes. How did you do it, Lindsay? This is like, you were thrown in to this ridiculousness of these two guys. You were not breaking. Like you were- 

Lindsay [00:25:58] That was my first day. 

Jenna [00:26:00] It was? I knew it was one of your very first days. And we did that scene for so long because the two of them couldn't hold it together and you were in frame and you are holding it together. I'm like laughing off camera, watching all of it. And I remember on the day thinking, how is she doing it? She is so solid. She is amazing. 

Lindsay [00:26:25] Cause the whole time I was just like, don't get fired. Don't get fired. Don't Get fired. No, I was, I would think I was just, well, here's a funny story about Pam's replacement. So I am sitting at your desk, right? They put me in your desk. And Matt Stone, who was the DP of most of the series who directed a lot of the episodes towards the end, he was directing that episode. And I remember he kept saying to me, sit ups straight, like every time the camera would roll, he would sort of go sit up straight. Sit up straight. And I got to this point where like, I've always had bad posture. So I'm like, oh my God. And, I kept just being like, I don't, I like couldn't, it was like stretching my neck. Like I could not possibly be sitting more straight. I'm just the entire time like, I'm gonna get fired. Like, I'm going to get fired because I can't sit up straight. And then all of a sudden Rainn was like, why are you so low? You look like a hobbit. You're like a Hobbit down there. And that's when we realized because you were pregnant. They had lowered the seat. Because there had to be room for your belly. Oh my gosh. Because you were actually pregnant. 

Jenna [00:27:30] So that my belly could fit under the desk. 

Lindsay [00:27:31] So the seat was dropped all the way down. So it just looked like I was like under the desk like this. And so I was so freaked out from that incident where I was convinced I was getting fired because I didn't know how to sit up straight and I had such bad posture that I think I was just like, I was like in that zone where I was just... Listen, I'm also a very serious actor, so I was just taking it off. Yeah, I don't know. I have no idea. I get tagged in those videos all the time because I think the outtakes are on maybe the DVDs or whatever. Yeah, the bloopers are on the DVD. 

Angela [00:28:07] Yeah, the bloopers are on the DVDs and on YouTube. 

Lindsay [00:28:11] Yeah, so I'm always tagged in those and it's just so funny because all I remember from that day was just like being like, I can't believe I made it here and now I'm gonna get fired. 

Angela [00:28:20] Well, you do break in after hours when there's that whole bed bug scene. You break so hard, you face plant it in the bed. Like you fall into the bed. But there's no way I could have got through that. No way. 

Lindsay [00:28:35] We just shot that scene for so long that I just, I feel like I was in that hotel room for days. I mean, I was not in the hotel room for days and the thing is, is it was shot in a real hotel room in the Valley and they had, I think they had Video Village which is where everybody, all the producers and everybody sits and watches what's on the monitors. But because it was such a tight space... They had like one monitor in the bathroom, and I think the only two people there, it was the director and Brian Baumgartner directed that episode. 

Angela [00:29:10] Warren and Halstead, I think they wrote that one. 

Lindsay [00:29:14] And so they were the only ones there. And I just remember we shot that episode for, we shot those scenes for a very long time. So I think, not to like dispel anybody else's fantasy, but I think by the time we got there, I was just tired. 

Angela [00:29:30] You were loopy. 

Lindsay [00:29:32] I might have fallen onto the bed because I was just exhausted. 

Jenna [00:29:36] Lindsay, I have a memory of being there and watching some of those scenes. Do you have this memory? 

Angela [00:29:46] Because Jim and Pam have a phone conversation. Yeah, it's in the superfan episode. 

Jenna [00:29:54] I think that I came up and did my off camera dialog and I have a strong memory of watching that bed bug scene on the monitors and I remember like calling you Angela and saying I just watched one of the funniest things we've ever shot for the office. 

Angela [00:30:13] But there is a whole Jim and Pam phone call. And it was in deleted scenes, but now it made it into this super fan extended cut.

Jenna [00:30:22] But it also was something that we rewrote and rewrot and re-wrote like once we got to this like set of episodes where Cathy is gonna full-throttle go for Jim I just I think that's also why I have such a strong memory of being there because I feel like there was a lot of discussion. 

Lindsay [00:30:41] Did John loop you in? 

Jenna [00:30:49] Like I just remember it changing, changing, 

Lindsay [00:30:52] Yeah, the initial draft of that script that I remember, and I wish I had it. I wonder if I do have it somewhere like in my files, but. 

Angela [00:30:59] I was looking at it this morning. 

Lindsay [00:31:02] Oh, I would love to read it. The initial draft that I remember was a lot more ambiguous. And I know that there's, again, Google alerts I get on myself all the time or that we were going to do something. That is not my memory. My memory is that it was a much more ambiguous thing where you were kind of in Jim's perspective of like, is she hitting on me? Is she not hitting on me? 

Jenna [00:31:30] Yeah, that's what I remembered, too, Lindsay. I don't remember, there was never, in any draft, there was ever a moment where Jim was gonna kiss Cathy or Cathy was gonna kiss Jim. 

Lindsay [00:31:41] No, there was a moment where he, there's the moment where says, like, hey, like, I think you're, I don't remember his exact lines, but he says something along the lines of like, hey, I feel like you're basically hitting on me. 

Angela [00:31:53] Yeah, he says I think I just need to call this out. I'm married and then Cathy's like what do you think I'm doing? 

Lindsay [00:31:58] Initially, in the script, and I'll remember this forever, cause it was very fun to shoot, Cathy said to him, oh my God, why does this always happen to me? Oh my God. I know you're married. And I remember shooting it and falling back on the bed and John as Jim just being like, what do I do here? He was sort of like doing his thing. And then I kind of like threw myself back on the bed and like, this is so embarrassing. I don't understand why this keeps happening to me. Obviously, I know you're married. And it was much more ambiguous. And then there was the thing where then I take the shower and I come in and I'm like, I'm so cold. And the whole idea was his head was just like, is she or isn't she? What is going on? 

Angela [00:32:41] Yeah, and in the shooting draft, yeah, you say that. You're like, why does this always happen to me? And then Jim gets embarrassed and feels bad. He's like, oh, do whatever you want. I don't care. I just, you know. But wait. You know I'm married. Great. 

Jenna [00:32:56] But wait, in the episode before, when you find out that you're going to Tallahassee with him, Cathy has a little phone call where she says to her friend.

Lindsay [00:33:06] The tag where I'm holding my, I don't know if this is too much for the office ladies, but I was holding the handle of my wheelie suitcase and I remember like I was just sort of like holding the hand and I was sort of like going like this while we were shooting it and they were like, Lindsay, you have to stop with your hand up and down like It's like really, really inappropriate. It just looks a little bit weird. 

Jenna [00:33:31] The standards and practices is going to call if we... 

Lindsay [00:33:34] Yeah, but so I think the initial episode was much more ambiguous, but John thought it was too ambiguous. So then set shut down for about four hours. 

Jenna [00:33:47] I swear to God, I was there. 

Lindsay [00:33:50] You might have been. 

Angela [00:33:51] You were a producer, and if you were there doing your dialog, Jenna, you would have been... 

Jenna [00:33:54] Part of this discussion.

Lindsay [00:33:55]  I don't even know how much anybody was part of it. I feel like my memory is that John took the script, went to a hotel room, and rewrote the script. And I want to say, the bedbugs thing wasn't, was the bed bug sing in the initial script, Angela? I don't think it was. 

Angela [00:34:12] It was in the shooting. 

Jenna [00:34:13] I think it was because he needs Dwight to come in. That idea that he gets Dwight to run interference was in the original script. 

Lindsay [00:34:25] I knew that Dwight was interference. 

Jenna [00:34:26] But specifically the smug bed bug, I'm not sure. 

Lindsay [00:34:28] No, and that was, yeah, I remember, I have a very distinct memory of that moment, the smog bed bug. Because that was an improv, I believe. And my memory is that I remember thinking, wow, this just went a little off the rails. I feel like they're not gonna know what to do with me now, because they've established that I'm so crazy and the storyline just got so crazy that unless they want to devote a whole bunch of time in the back half of the season to dealing with it, I wonder what they're going to do with me. 

Angela [00:35:01] Well, the shooting draft, the narration that sets up each scene has zero wording in any way that Jim takes Cathy serious and is attracted to her. Like, not once. It's like Cathy is enamored with him, but Jim doesn't like think there's any threat. And there's the scene of a phone call and I copy and pasted it, so I brought it in. The phone call that Jim and Pam have, Pam says, is she still there? And Jim says, yep. And then Pam says, she's obviously lying about the heat. And Jim goes, of course. And then, Pam goes, aw, poor girl, really pathetic. And Jim says, yeah, it is. Pam goes on to say, well, I feel bad for her. I wish I could see your face. You're adorable when you're embarrassed. And Jim go, ha ha. Pam goes OK, love you. Have fun with that. And Jim say, love, you too. I will not. Then Jim hangs up the phone. And Kathy says, fun to hear her voice. Scranton feels like a million miles away, right? And it says, Jim looks at Cathy with amused compassion. 

Jenna [00:36:04] So I remember this whole phone call thing because as a producer, when we were talking about this storyline of this woman being in his hotel room and Dwight seeing her in a towel or in her little outfit or whatever it was gonna be, I said, the thing for me that I don't want for the Jim and Pam relationship is some secret between Jim and Pam, like yeah. I want their relationship to be secure enough that like, I don't want people to wonder if Jim told her what happened with Cathy. 

Lindsay [00:36:43] Right. Yes. Well, that's like how my husband and I are. Like that's what we would, in that scenario, you know, like we talk about stuff like that all the time. 

Jenna [00:36:53] That was my pitch. I was like, I want everyone to hear that Pam is totally secure with Jim being in this room with this woman. And so that dialog that you just read, Angela, that was my pitch in the room, that we would. And I remember talking to Warren and Halstead about it and saying, like, this is how we're going to make sure that people know that, like Pam and Jim are OK. 

Lindsay [00:37:21] Yeah, I just remember, I remember it being, just the episode being much wackier than it initially was going to be. Like it ended up taking a turn that was so wacky that I remember at the time thinking, I wonder if they're gonna know what to do with me after this because it was so cuckoo. 

Jenna [00:37:46] Well, another episode I want to ask you about, before I forget, is Tallahassee. That's the episode where Katherine Tate has her big conference room moment. I love her monolog in that episode. What was it like to sit and watch her? Like, was that the coolest? 

Lindsay [00:38:03] She is so cool. I don't know how much, you guys worked together in the second half of the season. She is, first of all, so warm, like one of the warmest, nicest people you could ever wanna meet. And she just has such unique rhythms. There's nobody exactly like her. 

Jenna [00:38:25] Mm-hmm. 

Lindsay [00:38:26] So it was just really fun especially to see somebody come in like kind of so fully formed, which she did. And then just to watch her play especially because I don't think people in the US for the most part had been that exposed to her work. And so it was so fun watching somebody just come in and kind of just like be so like just bam on camera. 

Angela [00:38:48] Yeah, she's she just owned the room. 

Jenna [00:38:51] We got a question from Isabella H in Aptos, who said, what are some fun behind-the-scenes memories that you have from filming The Office? Do you have any? Did you like our food? 

Lindsay [00:39:05] So I have a very specific memory of the breakfast orders and that there was Rashida style, which I wanna say was egg whites with like tortillas. 

Angela [00:39:14] There was definitely a tortilla. 

Lindsay [00:39:16] But I remember always being like, the eggs are really oily and they're like, oh, you have to order it Jenna style. And Jenna style was, they weren't allowed to just like squirt a bunch of oil into the pan to scramble the eggs. I don't know if they scrambled it in something different, but I know that if you wanted it not. 

Jenna [00:39:32] Jenna was butter, no oil. 

Lindsay [00:39:35] Yes, Jenna style was butter, no oil. So I used to get like the egg taco, whatever I would call it, Rashida style, but then I would get Jenna style, which meant no oil for me, just butter. And the crafty was great because I would come in at 5 a.m. And I'd be there till like 7 p.m., so I had my like foods that I would eat. I was doing a bunch of small meals, so I would do like my Siggy's yogurt and you guys always had really good berries. And then you always had perfect bananas and I would have like a banana and almond butter and I had like my very specific meals that I would at certain times and you had a good espresso machine. That espresso machine was really good. Yeah, I had very specific memories with the food.

Angela [00:40:15]  My memory though is always that at Hot Snack was 10:30 in the morning and it would be like shrimp scampi. Something so weird at 10:30 in the morning. 

Jenna [00:40:25] But you know if you got to work at 5:15 in the morning you are starving by 10:15 you're not gonna make it to lunch. 

Angela [00:40:33]  To this day my body like it hits 10:30 and I'm like, are we having a meal? Like what's our meal? 

Jenna [00:40:39] Well, Lindsay, something that I know happened at the end of your run. You kind of mentioned this. You said you wouldn't find out if you were coming back the next week until the Friday before. Well, on your last episode, you wrapped, and then you didn't come back. Yeah. And you did not get the big send-off.  So I want to give it to you today. 

Lindsay [00:41:03] Thank you. 

Jenna [00:41:04] All right, everyone, gather around. 

Angela [00:41:06] Gather round, gather round. That is an episode and series wrap for Lindsay Broad. Let's give her a big applause for playing Cathy. 

Lindsay [00:41:18] Thanks, guys. 

Jenna [00:41:19] You're welcome. 

Angela [00:41:20] And you know what? We had a lot of people write in with love for you and what you brought to the role. Natalie M from Kingwood, Texas says, please tell Lindsay that we love her and we see her struggles for playing a character that comes between Jim and Pam. It's definitely not easy to play a part so well that brings people to believe you are that character, especially when the character can be a little on the evil side, ha ha, but she is a beautiful, loving lady who is definitely seen by the non-crazy side of the fandom. 

Lindsay [00:41:51] Oh, that's so sweet. Well, thank you guys. And if you guys, if anybody wants to see what I look like now, I'm on Instagram at Lindsey Broad. That's probably where you can find me. 

Angela [00:42:04] Yeah, we'll link to it. 

Lindsay [00:42:06] Send me hate mail. 

Angela [00:42:07] No, we are going to share in our stories. And Lindsay, we just want to end the interview with something we do with our guests. It's the call sheet questions. Number one, what was your first job in entertainment? 

Lindsay [00:42:19] The pilot of Gossip Girl, the first scene of the pilot of gossip girl. I am Melanie 91, who is following Serena around Grand Central Station with my phone. That's how I got my SAG card. Oh, that's so good. Wow. Yeah, it's a good one. 

Angela [00:42:34] I'm gonna go look for you my daughter just started watching Gossip Girl so we'll have to go look for it.

Lindsay [00:42:39]  Actually, the thing that Netflix has up as the preview is me following her around. So people keep texting me about that. 

Angela [00:42:45] Oh, so fun. 

Jenna [00:42:47] All right, question number two. Do you speak any other languages? 

Lindsay [00:42:50] No. 

Jenna [00:42:53] Do you play musical instruments? 

Lindsay [00:42:56] I played the trumpet in middle school and high school because that's what my parents had in their attic. I played a cornet, which was a miniature trumpet. 

Angela [00:43:06] Can you still play that? 

Lindsay [00:43:08] I probably could I could definitely play the scales, yeah. 

Angela [00:43:12] All right. What is a place that you've been to that you absolutely loved?

Lindsay [00:43:17] New Orleans. I spent two months there filming 21 Jump Street and other than New York City, it's probably my favorite place on the planet. 

Angela [00:43:25] Yeah, I love New Orleans, such a great town. 

Jenna [00:43:29] What do you like to do on the weekends? 

Lindsay [00:43:32] We do a family movie night in our backyard and we have a screen and we a projector and about once a month when the weather's good, we invite a bunch of families over and we just put it up online. This is what we're showing and everybody brings their blankets and we've a popcorn machine and then you have to bring a bag of candy to share. 

Angela [00:43:48] That is so fun. 

Jenna [00:43:50] What is the last movie you guys did? 

Lindsay [00:43:53] The last movie we did, we closed the season with Home Alone in November, and we're reopening the season, I believe, with Willy Wonka, the original. We show 80s and 90s movies, because it's good for the kids' attention spans to watch the slower paced movies. Yeah, so we'll open it again in March. 

Angela [00:44:12] I do love that uou say this season's gonna start. 

Lindsay [00:44:13]  We do it once a month. 

Angela [00:44:16] I love it. Lastly, what is your favorite midnight snack?  

Lindsay [00:44:21] So Costco has these chocolate covered strawberries in the freezer section. 

Jenna [00:44:25] Wait, wait, wait. Is it called tru fru? 

Lindsay [00:44:28] Yes. Tru fru. And the thing about it, true fru, is that the chocolate on tru fru is like the best chocolate I've ever had. 

Jenna [00:44:37] It's so good, Lindsay. 

Angela [00:44:39] I've never had this. 

Jenna [00:44:40] Angela. 

Lindsay [00:44:41] I eat half a bag of it just walking around. I go to Costco on nights when my kids are at their little play practice and I will eat like half a bag of them just walking around Costco. So now I have to take a break. 

Jenna [00:44:57] Do you ever do the raspberries? I really like the chocolate covered raspberries. 

Lindsay [00:45:00] They only sell them at Target, right? Is that what it is? Costco has, and True Fruit just recently I saw also makes like a dried fruit so it's not frozen. But their chocolate is so good, and it's like part white chocolate and part milk chocolate. Angela, oh my god. 

Angela [00:45:16] Fruit and chocolate, I'm in. 

Lindsay [00:45:17] It's so good. It's specific, though. It's like the brand is really good. 

Jenna [00:45:23] It's true. 

Angela [00:45:24] Yeah. Well, Lindsay, this was so wonderful. And we are going to share with folks how they can find you on Instagram. And thank you so much for being part of Office Ladies. We just have enjoyed this so much. Yeah, I hope I run into you ladies soon again. 

Jenna [00:45:38] I'm gonna be out in New York in May, and I'm going to hit you up. I want to go see, let's see a show. You want to see Glenn Gary Glenn Ross with me? 

Lindsay [00:45:46] Yeah. 

Jenna [00:45:46] Right, with Bob Odenkirk? 

Lindsay [00:45:48] Yes, yes, message me. I know, Jenna and I ran into each other. This is a funny story. I saw Jenna. I was seeing a play with a friend in the city and I see Jenna come in and I said to my friend, I was like, I think that's Jenna. And we had been talking about doing- About me coming on office ladies. And I was, I can't stalk this poor woman. She's probably just used to people coming up to her in the lobby and I'm just gonna make her anxiety. It's like I was gonna just give you that nervous system spike. Jenna and then luckily thank god you were like Lindsay and I was like, oh my god, but I had a cute run in.

Jenna [00:46:24] I'm kicking myself that we didn't get a photo together. Like, why did Pam and Cathy not snap a photo together when we saw each other? 

Lindsay [00:46:32] Well, in May. 

Angela [00:46:33] We'll do it in May. And then maybe I'll see you, I think I'm gonna do the office fan convention this year. So if you're going, I'll see you. 

Lindsay [00:46:41] I would love to see you at that. That would be fun. We'll get dinner this time. Yes, let's. Ladies, what fun. 

Jenna [00:46:46] Yes, thank you so much. 

Lindsay [00:46:49] Thank you guys. 

Jenna [00:46:58] Thank you for listening to Office Ladies. 

Angela [00:47:00] Office Ladies is a presentation of Audacy and is produced by Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey. 

Jenna [00:47:07] Our executive producer is Cassi Jerkins, our audio engineer is Sam Kiefer, and our associate producer is Aynsley Babaeko. Audicy's executive producer is Sam Keiffer. 

Angela [00:47:14] Our executive producers are Jenna Weiss-Berman and Leah Reis-Dennis. 

Jenna [00:47:18] Office Ladies is mixed and mastered by Chris Basil. 

Angela [00:47:21] Our theme song is Rubber Tree by Creed Bratton.