TRANSCRIPT
Office Ladies | Episode 262 - All About Creed Bratton
Jenna [00:00:04] I'm Jenna Fischer,
Angela [00:00:05] and I'm Angela Kinsey.
Jenna [00:00:06] We were on The Office together
Angela [00:00:08] and we're best friends.
Jenna [00:00:09] And now we're doing the ultimate Office lover's podcast, just for you.
Angela [00:00:14] We will dive deeper into the world of The Office with exclusive interviews, behind-the-scenes details, and lots of BFF stories.
Jenna [00:00:21] We're the Office Ladies 6.0.
audio cue [00:00:26] [musical sting]
Jenna [00:00:27] Hello!
Angela [00:00:27] Hi everyone! We have a fun, fun episode today. It's an all-about character episode. Here's a hint. In real life, this person is my neighbor, and in fact, we carpooled here today.
Jenna [00:00:39] That's right, it is all about Creed Bratton, today on Office Ladies 6.0, and Creed will be joining us in the studio a little later for our fan Q&A. I can tell you all, it's a delight.
Angela [00:00:52] He's just wonderful. Start to finish, the real deal.
Jenna [00:00:57] Well, you know, we like to kick things off with the show Bible and I have been very excited to read the Show Bible for Creed. It is wonderful. But we got a fan letter from a fan who wrote her own.
Angela [00:01:12] This was so impressive.
Jenna [00:01:14] It came in from Cindy R. in Sydney, Australia, who said, "Okay, ladies, this isn't a question, but a list of facts, quotes, and moments that my family and I started collecting about six years ago in an effort to better understand Creed."
Angela [00:01:29] They have been doing this for six years.
Jenna [00:01:32] Six years, her family.
Angela [00:01:33] Wow.
Jenna [00:01:33] They have reached the conclusion that he might not be understandable. Um, Cindy went on to say, "Looking at this list now I think we may have written the Creed section of the Show Bible." And Lady, she did! I compared their list to the show bible and their list is actually more detailed.
Angela [00:01:57] No way!
Jenna [00:01:57] Yes, so I am going to read her family's list. Now they also included things from deleted scenes which I'm not going to read, because the rules of the Show Bible say that only aired material goes in the show Bible. But still, check out her family's list. Here we go: Creed, wanted criminal. Definitely stole blood, runs a fake ID business, has been in multiple cults, and is also potentially bisexual. Hides true identity, stole the name Creed Bratton from someone named Creed Bratton.
Angela [00:02:31] Mhm.
Jenna [00:02:32] Commits tax fraud, implied to have killed someone on Halloween. Doesn't appear to know what his job is, where he works, or any of his coworkers. When swapped, he doesn't seem to notice or care that he's eating a raw potato instead of an apple. (We talked to Creed about that.) Attempted to fake his death at one point, has a daughter, his parents are still alive, he grows and eats mung beans in his desk, doesn't appear to know any modern technology; internet, texts, nothing.
Angela [00:03:07] Which might explain something else we talked about with Creed.
Jenna [00:03:11] Yes. Creed wants three chairs. What are they for? We don't know. He uses the woman's bathroom, has never owned a fridge, loves stealing, literally says, "I love stealing, I love taking things." Has definitely done drugs, sells Kelly a tapeworm, and also has a worm guy for worms. Has a whole worm guy. The character of Creed lives near the quarry, ate an ice pack, called it a blueberry slurpee pouch, but somehow didn't die. Is very knowledgeable about marijuana strains, used printer ink to dye his hair.
Jenna [00:03:50] He can't do cartwheels, has four toes, uses a disco ball as a rear view mirror, is very good at "Dance Dance Revolution," hates Betty White. Do you remember that one? I had to look this up.
Angela [00:04:04] No, I don't remember that.
Jenna [00:04:06] I guess in "Nepotism," he starts following Michael's nephew on Twitter because he isn't talking about Betty White. Doesn't want to hear any more about Betty White.
Angela [00:04:15] No more, leave it alone already.
Jenna [00:04:17] In "Search Committee," Creed says, "I love my kids. I love ceramic. I love job. I love wrestling." He's already made his tombstone. He thinks he's learning scuba at Dunder Mifflin, and he's definitely been flashing people. But you know, "that was just hanging brain."
Angela [00:04:35] That's so gross.
Jenna [00:04:36] He can catch fish with his bare hands, he prints his own money, and he does not know what a Toblerone is.
Angela [00:04:43] That's really funny.
Jenna [00:04:45] "How did I get this long triangle?"
Angela [00:04:47] Yes, I loved that.
Jenna [00:04:49] So that is a pretty impressive list, right, lady?
Angela [00:04:52] It really is.
Jenna [00:04:52] Now there are a few things that were in the Show Bible that did not make their family's list. They are that the character of Creed was in an iron lung as a teenager, that he is a chess master, has a Swiss passport, has friends in China, and has an alias: William Charles Schneider, and he transfers all his debt to William Charles Schneider. There you have it.
Angela [00:05:20] That was so impressive.
Jenna [00:05:22] His Show Bible, The Facts of Creed, are so entertaining. There's a lot of crime.
Angela [00:05:27] There's a lot of shenanigans and tomfoolery. I don't know why I'm saying all these ye olde terms. Well, I thought it might be fun to go through our digital clutter, lady. You and I actually have some shared digital clutter that I have held onto. It is our text thread with Creed. We have been texting together, the three of us, for years.
Jenna [00:05:49] Yeah, we have our "Office Peeps" text thread, but we've got a side thread that's just you, me, and Creed.
Angela [00:05:55] Yes, and I want to share with you guys what it consists of. First of all, he always calls himself "Grandpa Creed." He refers to me as "Pumpkin," because remember, he has that line on the show, "Pumpkin's out." So he calls me Pumpkin, and he always called Jenna "Jen." That's his nickname for her. You'll hear him say that in our interview today.
Jenna [00:06:17] He is the only person in my life who calls me Jen, and I love it.
Angela [00:06:21] OK, are you ready for an overview of our Creed texts?
Jenna [00:06:24] Yes, I thought this was really fun when you said, "Lady, I think we need to dig in to our text thread with Creed." I was looking at it. We found very funny things.
Angela [00:06:33] He sends us a lot of wacky stuff, memes, and the gifs, and all that stuff. But he also sends us pictures from his trips with his grandkids, inspirational quotes, like this one that he said is one of his favorites. We've shared it before on the podcast, but since today is all about Creed and this is one his favorite quotes, I wanna share it again.
Jenna [00:06:53] I love it.
Angela [00:06:54] Creed wrote to us and said, "'I thought I'd send you my favorite cat quote from Alan Watts: 'When a cat falls out of a tree, It lets go of itself. The cat becomes completely relaxed and lands lightly on the ground. But if a cat were about to fall out of a tree and suddenly make up its mind that it didn't want to fall, it would become tense and rigid and would be just a bag of broken bones upon landing. In the same way, it is the philosophy of the Tao that we are all falling off a tree at every moment of our lives. As a matter of fact, the moment we were born, we were kicked off a precipice and we are falling and there is nothing that can stop it. So instead of living in a state of chronic tension and clinging to all sorts of things (that are actually falling with us because the whole world is impermanent), be like a cat.' "
Jenna [00:07:45] You know, I think Creed lives that.
Angela [00:07:48] I do, too.
Jenna [00:07:52] I love that.
Angela [00:07:53] I do, too.
Jenna [00:07:55] Well, you know, he also will always text us "happy birthday," holiday greetings. One year, he texted us "happy new year to you and your cats," and then he sent a video of a cat figuring out how to open a door.
Angela [00:08:09] It was genius.
Jenna [00:08:10] My cat, Andi, used to do that. We had a conversation about it. But we'll also hear from him for just no reason at all. Like the time that he randomly sent us a video where a dog and an elephant become friends. And then he texted, "Oh, come on ladies, I'm a blubbering mess after this one." He really loves videos where animals do cutie pie things.
Angela [00:08:33] Right, or when animals help each other out. Animals working together -
Jenna [00:08:38] This is a theme.
Angela [00:08:38] This is a theme. So yes, the theme is usually animals being really cute but then every once in a while we get a curveball. Like, there was a 15 minute dance video he sent us.
Jenna [00:08:51] I remember this. I loved it.
Angela [00:08:52] You loved it. It was from a French theatrical company titled - Oh Jenna, I'm probably gonna get this wrong.
Jenna [00:08:58] Do you want me to read it?
Angela [00:08:59] Yes, will you?
Jenna [00:09:00] Okay, here, give it to me. Oh yes, well, I'm gonna butcher it as well. Here we go. [reading French] Ria de Grave, Margaret Bordat, and Pierre Menier.
Angela [00:09:10] Exactly.
Jenna [00:09:11] Okay, but probably I said that wrong.
Angela [00:09:13] So that's the title, but then when you click on it, there is a description of this dance, a 15 minute dance. The description says, "where in a space invaded by mud, eight couples strive to dance the minuet in the rules of the art." Then Creed wrote under it, "Enjoy this, ladies. Give it some time. It's an investment."
Jenna [00:09:37] I remember receiving it and I remember clicking on it and thinking, "I must watch this."
Angela [00:09:44] I remember watching it thinking, "I would have never probably found this if not for Creed."
Jenna [00:09:49] Correct.
Angela [00:09:49] This is a fascinating piece of art.
Jenna [00:09:52] Yes. Well, we also check in with him, especially when he's on the road touring. One time we reached out and asked him how he was doing and he wrote this. He said, "I'm in Philadelphia for a two week tour. It is so cold and snowy, but I love it. Miss you girls." I mean, it's so simple but...
Angela [00:10:09] It's just so sweet.
Jenna [00:10:11] I know.
Angela [00:10:12] I also loved our text thread when we were writing our book and we reached out to him for our audiobook and he wrote us the most awesome jingle. We thanked him profusely in our text and then he texted us back. "You're my girls. I have no choice. Grandpa Creed takes care of his brood." Isn't that so sweet? I think we should hear it.
Creed [00:10:42] [singing over music] Here's a tall tale, you could call it a yarn/ 'bout the Office Ladies and the show they spawned/ They took our story and wrote it all down/ Little Angela and her friend, Pom/ Jenna and Ange, Pumpkin and Pam/ Go together like eggs and spam/ Their book's real cute, Rudy Toot Toot/ Jenna and Jen, which one's Pam?
Jenna [00:11:17] I mean, it's just so sweet.
Angela [00:11:19] It's the best.
Jenna [00:11:21] We got an original song written about our friendship and our book, by Creed.
Angela [00:11:27] He just recorded that at home with his guitar. I mean, it's so special to me. Well, I just loved that trip down memory lane and you know what? I think we should take a break. When we come back, we can all share our favorite Creed moments.
audio cue [00:11:39] [musical sting]
Jenna [00:11:50] All right, we are back and I think it's time for our Office Ladies team to share their favorite Creed moments. We always like to kick this off with a fan letter. This one is from Luke B. in Iowa who said, "Creed is my absolute favorite character," and then in parentheses said, "no offense."
Angela [00:12:08] None taken, Luke.
Jenna [00:12:11] "Because of his incredible, one-line, insane fly-by comments that many times go overlooked. Season two, episode 14, is one of those when he comes in while everyone is trying to figure out what happened in Michael's office. (Spoiler alert, it was poo.) Creed makes the comment, "someone making soup?" I believe it's one of the most underrated lines in the entire show.
Angela [00:12:35] It's such a great random throwaway.
Jenna [00:12:37] It really is. It really, really is. All right, well, who wants to go first?
Sam [00:12:43] I'll go first.
Jenna [00:12:44] Okay, Sam.
Sam [00:12:45] Alright, mine was a toss up between the "old man smell" comment and this one.
audio clip - Creed [00:12:50] Did one of you tell Stanley that I have asthma? Because I don't. If it gets out, they won't let me scuba. If I can't scuba, then what's this all been about? What am I working toward?
Angela [00:13:03] It's so pure.
Jenna [00:13:04] I love it so much. Cassi, what's yours?
Cassi [00:13:08] So my all-time favorite is from "Murder," when everyone's doing the New Orleans characters, and Michael tells Creed that there's been a murder, and Creed's like, "Oh yeah, I'll be right back." And then you see him running away. But it's more of a site gag, so this is my runner-up.
audio clip - Creed [00:13:28] Is this his new chair?
audio clip - Pam [00:13:29] No, he hasn't picked one yet.
audio clip - Creed [talking head] [00:13:32] When Pam gets Michael's old chair, I get Pam's old chair, then I'll have two chairs. Only one to go.
Angela [00:13:44] [laughing] Like, what the heck? I love that one.
Jenna [00:13:46] Angela, what's yours?
Angela [00:13:46] Okay, mine is from the episode "Ultimatum" in Season 7. We talk about this a little bit with Creed, but if you remember, Pam has a conference room meeting and she is putting up a New Year's Resolution Board in the office so everyone can try to work towards their new resolution. She asked different people what is their resolution, and here's what Creed said. I love it, and then I have a part two.
audio clip - Pam [00:14:11] Creed, I noticed you don't have a resolution on the board. What's yours?
audio clip - Creed [00:14:14] I want to do a cartwheel, but a real casual-like, and not make a big deal out of it, but I know everybody saw it. Just one stunning, gorgeous cartwheel.
audio clip - Pam [00:14:23] How's it going?
audio clip - Creed [00:14:24] I'm having a little trouble motivating.
Angela [00:14:28] Then later in that episode, Erin does a cartwheel in the bullpen and Creed's reaction is amazing.
audio clip - Erin [00:14:39] I did it. I did a cartwheel!
audio clip - Creed [00:14:42] F*** you! F*** you! God!
audio clip - Pam [00:14:43] Okay, that's it
Angela [00:14:48] He cusses her out! He's so pissed! All right, Jenna, what about you?
Jenna [00:14:54] All right. Well, I have two. I couldn't decide. My first one is from "Gay Witch Hunt." I love this talking head.
audio clip - Creed [talking head] [00:15:02] I'm not offended by homosexuality. In the 60's, I made love to many, many women, often outdoors, in the mud and the rain. And it's possible a man slipped in. Would be no way of knowing.
Jenna [00:15:17] I just love it. I think he delivers it so well. And then my other favorite is from "Fun Run."
audio clip - Creed [talking head] [00:15:24] I've been involved in a number of cults, both as a leader and a follower. You have more fun as a follower, but you make more money as a leader.
Jenna [00:15:31] I mean it's true. I'm sure.
Angela [00:15:34] I mean come on. It's so good. Well, I think we should dig into some fan favorite Creed moments. BuzzFeed wrote an article titled "27 Creed Breton Moments That Will Never Not Be Funny." That's how many there are. There's 27, but this doesn't even include deleted scenes and all the other ones that are probably gonna be discovered now in the super fan episodes. So in addition to all the ones we just shared, here are some that make all of the fan favorite lists, OK? I'm going to just share five, because there are so many.
Jenna [00:16:03] OK.
Angela [00:16:05] All right, in "Koi Pond," when Michael says, "I could get a fish for a $0.05 worm," and Creed says, "You're paying way too much for worms, man. Who's your worm guy?"
Jenna [00:16:14] I love "who's your worm guy."
Angela [00:16:15] Everybody loves that one. Number two, in "Niagara, part 2," we learned this about Creed. Dwight says, "Parlay, my office, five minutes." Pam says, "Parlay?" Creed says, "Pirate code, he wants to meet." Pam goes, "So everyone here knows pirate code?" And Creed says, "I understand it, I can't speak it."
Jenna [00:16:37] [laughs]
Angela [00:16:37] Number three, I completely forgot about, and are you ready?
Jenna [00:16:41] What is it?
Angela [00:16:42] In the episode "Negotiation," Creed makes this very fair, but disgusting, observation. He says, 'You can only ever ooze two things: sexuality and puss."
Jenna [00:16:56] I do not remember that.
Angela [00:16:58] That's so gross! Number four, in "Dunder Mifflin Infinity," when he actually uses the printer ink to dye his hair so he could look younger. I remember Michael's like, "I would have printed more things, but there's no ink," and then it cuts to Creed. Lastly, number five - this makes many, many people's lists. In fact, it's also one of Creed Bratton, in real life's, favorite moments. He talked about it with us. Everyone loves it when Creed got to be the manager in "Search Committee."
Jenna [00:17:27] Mm-hmm.
Angela [00:17:28] There's a compilation clip of this day. It's pretty long, but I'm going to play you the first 50 seconds.
audio clip - Pam [00:17:35] We need a new manager.
audio clip - Creed [00:17:36] Keep it running.
audio clip - Creed [talking head] [00:17:37] Do I love being the manager? I love my kids. I love real estate. I love ceramics. I love my job. I love wrestling.
audio clip - Creed [00:17:46] Find out what language this is. [speaking gibberish] Okay, team building. On this side of the room, Stanley. Phyllis, Jim, Ted, Elroy. And this side of the room, Pam, Meredith, Phyllis, Creed.
audio clip - employee [00:18:07] He never called a meeting.
audio clip - Creed [00:18:09] Bo Body, Bo Body. What does the first B stand for?
audio clip - Angela [00:18:13] What are we doing?
audio clip - Creed [00:18:14] We're making acronyms. Okay, what does the first B stand for?
audio clip - Kevin [00:18:18] Um, business.
audio clip - Creed [00:18:20] I like it. Business, good, Kevin. All right, the O.
Angela [00:18:28] That's just part of his time as a manager, but it's the best. When he pulls up and he tosses his keys to no one and then his bo body. And you know what? You can see John laughing.
Jenna [00:18:41] Oh, yeah, yeah.
Angela [00:18:41] Yeah, he's cracking up.
Jenna [00:18:44] Creed was John's weakest spot, right? His Achilles heel, whatever you call that.
Angela [00:18:49] His kryptonite?
Jenna [00:18:49] Yes, it was, for sure.
Angela [00:18:51] Yeah, he never regained composure when Creed was like, 'You're not real, man!"
Jenna [00:18:56] Exactly. Well, I love the character of Creed so much. I love how he came about, lady, just so organically. The writers did not sit down in the room and think him up. It's like they found him. He was a little treasure, just sitting on our set doing background work.
Angela [00:19:15] Oh yeah, I would dare to say the writers had no idea the treasure chest that was gonna be Creed.
Jenna [00:19:22] Well, now we like to do our Areas of Interest. Angela, do you want to kick us off?
Angela [00:19:27] Yes, I am very excited about mine, and so are people that wrote in. Eva S. from Tennessee wrote in and said, "One of my favorite things about Creed is creedthoughts.gov. Can you read some of the entries? They are so funny. Thanks. Love you guys." And Elise K. from Minnesota said, "I remember reading hilarious blog posts from Creed on NBC's website back in the day. Can you try to find these and discuss them?" Well, this was my area of interest. I was so excited. This website is still active, you guys.
Jenna [00:19:57] [in disbelief] What?
Angela [00:19:58] Yes. I found it, creedthoughts.gov. It's there.
Jenna [00:20:01] That's ridiculous!
Angela [00:20:03] Yes, you just go to creedthoughts.gov, it's there!
Jenna [00:20:06] Really? That is nuts. That's crazy.
Angela [00:20:09] So the blogs were written by our writers and writers assistants. They were really popular and when you go to the site, it has a list of blogs. There are entries from May 2007 to August 2008. So there's a lot of blog entries and they're pretty long. They're full of classic creed-isms, but I grabbed one to share.
Jenna [00:20:28] All right.
Angela [00:20:29] It is from June 26, 2008: "I've always liked uniforms when I was a kid. I wore sailor suits every day until I was eight. People called me -" [starts laughing]
Jenna [00:20:41] My goodness, where is this going?
Angela [00:20:44] [regains composure] I'm sorry. "People called me 'Captain Crapstick' because of how I dressed and the fact that I would carry around a stick with me that I use for poking all sorts of crap. I still have my sailor suit hanging proudly in my closet, but I only break it out when a special lady comes over. It doesn't fit so well anymore, but still I look darn cute in it. In my opinion, every job should have a uniform. Fast food workers, gas station attendants, exterminators, these guys all have it covered already. I'm pushing for the jobs that make you waste time every morning deciding what to wear."
Angela [00:21:17] "Take my job, for instance. I know I'm not allowed to wear shorts because every time I do, I get yelled at. I also can't wear vests without shirts underneath. So I'm locked into wearing a certain combination of clothing every day. But there are just too many choices. If it were up to me, I'd implement an office worker uniform so you could just wake up every morning, go to your uniform closet, and three seconds later, you're all set. My uniform would consist of three items and three items only."
Jenna [00:21:46] This is fascinating. This has gone in so many directions. I've learned so much.
Angela [00:21:52] I know, right? "Number one, navy blue sweatpants. These are the first item because they're the most important. When I go home, the first thing I do is put on navy blue sweats pants. You can't find a more comfortable piece of clothing." I thought this was so relatable. "The color is great because you can spill all you want and nobody's the wiser. All in all, if the uniform doesn't include navy blue sweatpants, I don't want the job. Number two, a vest. No shirt required. Vests are amazing inventions. They cover up your nipples, which society has decided are unacceptable to see for some reason. And they're classy. You wanna class up a joint? Throw on a vest! You want to add some more class? Make sure that vest is leather. Number three -"
Jenna [00:22:45] Wait, I just... So far, we're wearing a leather vest, no shirt, and navy blue sweatpants?
Angela [00:22:52] Yes. Although if you want a different type of material vest that's fine, but leather is the classiest. "Number three," final item, right? Because he only wants three items.
Jenna [00:23:04] Is it shoes?
Angela [00:23:06] "Comfy slippers."
Jenna [00:23:06] Oh.
Angela [00:23:08] "Right after i change into my navy blue sweatpants, I slide on my sheep skin lined slippers. Talk about comfort! These little puppies make it feel like you're walking on a field of soft, paralyzed sheep. I say paralyzed only so you don't picture the sheep as moving. If I could wear slippers to work every day, I'd probably start caring about my job. These three items could change the workplace as we know it. I'm serious, America! Just think about how much more productive we would all be as a country if all office workers wore navy blue sweatpants, vests without shirts, and comfy slippers. We'd be a comfortably dressed, productivity superpower, and honestly, isn't that what this fighting is about anyway?"
Jenna [00:23:50] I think someone could wear this as a Halloween costume, and have the ultimate deep cut Office costume.
Angela [00:24:00] That is brilliant Jenna. If someone wore a vest with navy sweatpants, no shirt and slippers.
Jenna [00:24:09] Sheep lined, right? Is that what he said?
Angela [00:24:11] Sheepskin slippers. Yeah. That's your Creed costume right there.
Jenna [00:24:14] It sure is.
Angela [00:24:16] And if you want to be classy, it's a leather vest.
Jenna [00:24:18] And you're gonna be quite comfortable. I don't know, well, what part of the country you live in, you might be a little chilly, but...
Angela [00:24:23] Please, if anyone dresses in this Creed outfit for Halloween, will you tag us? I hope we can find it, because that's brilliant.
Jenna [00:24:31] Yeah. I would like to have that.
Angela [00:24:32] Okay, there it was. That was my Creed Area of Interest. These blogs are hilarious. I could have read them all day. Great job writers and writer's assistants of The Office. I bet they were a lot of fun to write.
Jenna [00:24:47] Well, lady, my Area of Interest was inspired by a fan letter. It is from Elsa S., who said, "The character of Creed seems to draw a lot of inspiration from the real life Creed. With the line sometimes blurred between the two, can you share what aspects of Creed, the character, are fictional and which are real?" Well, lady, it's true. Over the years, we have shared a lot about how Creed's real life often found its way into the character of Creed. But also how sometimes we don't know what's real and what's fiction.
Angela [00:25:21] For sure.
Jenna [00:25:23] So I thought it might be fun to do a little "Creed Bratton: Fact or Fiction" as my area of interest. Well, lady, I thought we should get to the bottom of this and why not just go to the source?
Angela [00:25:34] With Creed?
Jenna [00:25:35] Yes.
Angela [00:25:35] That's so great.
Jenna [00:25:36] I made a list of questions for the real Creed, to find out which aspects of his character come from fact and which ones are purely fiction. Why don't we take a break? And when we come back, we'll get him in here and we'll ask him my questions and also fan questions from our mailbag.
Angela [00:25:52] Love it.
audio cue [00:25:52] [musical sting]
Creed [00:26:03] Jen, I was in a hotel a while back, I think it was in New Orleans, when the Office channel comes along, you come back to your room, and there's nothing but Office stuff, you know? So this one episode comes on, and you're asking me about the cartwheel.
Jenna [00:26:16] Oh yes, I love the cartwheel moment.
Creed [00:26:18] And there's a look on your face when I'm talking. It's the sweetest, I gotta tell you, it's the sweetest look. It's so endearing. You're going [makes a face], just like my kid or something, you're just so pleased with dad. I didn't really know how sweet it was in the moment. That's a great little moment there, you know? Just the little tiny stuff, you know?
Angela [00:26:38] We all had to pick, sort of for the episode today, our favorite Creed moment, and that is mine. It's so sweet.
Creed [00:26:46] It's just because it's so sweet. It really is. I mean, I'm just kind of, "Oh, I just want to do this thing and oh gosh."
Angela [00:26:54] And Pam's really rootin' for ya.
Creed [00:26:55] And she's rooting for me too, it's just great.
Jenna [00:26:58] Well, listen, guys, here we are. We've jumped in. Creed is in studio with us. We're already chit-chatting. You guys carpooled together, you told me it was eventful.
Angela [00:27:08] Well here's the thing: we are neighbors. I've shared this before. So Creed's like, "Just text me and I'll meet you out there." So I pull up and he gets in and we start the drive and I went a different way than I normally go and then I couldn't figure out how to get on the freeway -
Creed [00:27:24] You were arguing with Siri.
Angela [00:27:27] And then Creed goes, "I got this." He was like, "All you need is Creed." I was like, "All you needed is Creed!"
Creed [00:27:33] True.
Angela [00:27:35] Can we put that on a t-shirt?
Jenna [00:27:35] Put that on a coffee mug, for sure.
Creed [00:27:37] But then she gets on the freeway and there's someone going, "Come on! Get!What are you doing?" And she she drives around to the right, drives around and flips them off.
Angela [00:27:45] I did not flip them off!
Creed [00:27:47] [laughing] She did not.
Angela [00:27:48] Here's the thing. It was the ramp, when you get on and it says, "One car per green." And there's two cars in front of me.
Creed [00:27:53] You were irate!
Angela [00:27:54] I was.
Creed [00:27:55] You were, a little bit.
Angela [00:27:57] Two cars in front of me, and the light turns green and neither of them go.
Jenna [00:28:01] Ohhhhh
Creed [00:28:01] How dare they?
Angela [00:28:02] And then, I guess I got a little sassy.
Creed [00:28:04] You did.
Angela [00:28:05] And Creed said, "I think that's Texas attitude and California driving."
Jenna [00:28:11] There's another mug.
Creed [00:28:12] And I said, "but this gets stuff done." Because she just shot around him and just, boop, he was gone.
Angela [00:28:17] Then Creed started laughing so hard and we just got so tickled.
Creed [00:28:21] It was so good.
Angela [00:28:24] He was like, "We have to tell everyone how sassy you are on the freeway." I'm just saying, just abide by the law. Do the things we all are supposed to do.
Creed [00:28:33] Turn signals, let's us know what you're going to do.
Angela [00:28:37] And then I won't call you a dum-dum.
Jenna [00:28:38] I agree. Yeah.
Creed [00:28:39] Yeah. She's not arguing with us.
Angela [00:28:41] No, she's not at all.
Jenna [00:28:42] Creed, I wanna kick things off. I have some questions for you. These are things about your character, Creed Bratton, that we would like to know if they are also true about you, the real Creed Bratton. Because you know, your character blurred the lines of fact and fiction sometimes.
Creed [00:29:01] It's confusing being me.
Jenna [00:29:03] It is?
Creed [00:29:03] I speak of myself in the third person a lot because sometimes I don't even know where I'm coming from. I question my own motives.
Jenna [00:29:11] This should be an interesting section then.
Creed [00:29:14] Yes, it should be.
Jenna [00:29:14] We'll see what happens.
Creed [00:29:14] I'm anxious to see what its going to say.
Jenna [00:29:16] Okay, well, here's the first question. Were you in a band called "The Grassroots?"
Creed [00:29:22] Yes. I was.
Jenna [00:29:23] We know this is true.
Creed [00:29:25] This is true, I think they know this, the fans, yeah.
Angela [00:29:27] So that is fact.
Creed [00:29:29] Fact! Is just what we're saying, fact. Fact!
Jenna [00:29:31] So how long were you in the band?
Creed [00:29:35] I was in the band... I did four albums, so it was four years.
Jenna [00:29:39] Wow. Four albums in four years. That's very prolific.
Creed [00:29:42] We'd put an album out a year.
Jenna [00:29:44] Wow.
Angela [00:29:44] Y'all were busy.
Creed [00:29:45] We were busy.
Jenna [00:29:46] Okay, here's the next question. Did you ever have a radio show called "Wacky Weed Creed?"
Creed [00:29:53] Not fact.
Jenna [00:29:55] Okay, total fiction.
Creed [00:29:56] That's Oscar. Oscar thought that, but he was wrong.
Jenna [00:30:01] Were you in an iron lung as a teenager?
Creed [00:30:04] Briefly.
Jenna [00:30:06] [in disbelief] Wait, what?
Angela [00:30:07] No, come on.
Creed [00:30:07] No, no, okay. I wasn't. I was not.
Angela [00:30:09] But do you see how you had us? This was what it was like being on set with you, because we'd be like, "Really?" And then you'd start laughing.
Creed [00:30:16] When I was a kid, I would do this all the time, for just a defense mechanism to tell stories. All my life. Sometimes I would get people and they would believe me, I have this innate ability to make people believe what I say, as you know. Some people would find out that I was kidding and they will get angry sometimes. I finally had, there was a period of time where I had to stop just- joshin' around.
Jenna [00:30:38] Oh, interesting.
[00:30:38] People took it too serious, I was just bein' an a**hole.
Jenna [00:30:42] Alright next one. Have you ever grown or eaten mung beans in real life?
Creed [00:30:48] I have. I've done both.
Jenna [00:30:49] Really?
Creed [00:30:49] Yes, I've eaten them, I praised them. I've had little shrines for mung beans in my home. It's kind of like a worship thing, actually.
Jenna [00:30:59] Wait... Is this?
Angela [00:31:01] Is there any any part of this that's true?
Creed [00:31:04] No, but mung beans are, you know... I like alfalfa and ratty sprouts more than mung beans. There's a slight and small sub-cockle of my heart that likes mung beans.
Angela [00:31:17] You're a very healthy eater.
Creed [00:31:18] I am, and I watch what I eat, you know.
Jenna [00:31:21] Did you really eat mung beans on The Office? Did they give you actual mung beings? Did you ever eat them?
Creed [00:31:26] Well, during the scenes.
Jenna [00:31:27] Yeah, right.
Creed [00:31:28] But I did eat them. And I ate that potato, by the way, too.
Angela [00:31:31] You did? The raw potato?
Jenna [00:31:34] I talked about that; when they switch out the apple for the potato and you don't notice.
Creed [00:31:39] I absolutely ate the raw potato and I couldn't tell that much difference, you know, because I don't have a really great sense of smell. I chopped right down on that thing.
Angela [00:31:50] Wait, what is a mung being taste like? I've never had one.
Creed [00:31:52] Memorable, some. Memorable. There used to be a song back in the 50's, "Memorable Mung Beans," I recall. [humming the song] I can't remember the exact melody of it now. But it's kind of like spring that's gone a little rancid.
Angela [00:32:10] That sounds gross.
Jenna [00:32:11] It sounds like a bean that has turned. Mung bean. It sounds like maybe something that's fermenting.
Creed [00:32:19] The worm has turned. That's exactly what it is, Jen. It's a fermented bean.
Jenna [00:32:23] OK.
Creed [00:32:25] And the irony too, it's a brand new germinating out fresh bean, starting its life, but it's already rancid.
Jenna [00:32:32] Wow.
Creed [00:32:33] At the start of its life.
Angela [00:32:34] Hmm, okay.
Creed [00:32:36] Kinda like some people's careers. But anyway...
Jenna [00:32:39] All right, next question. Do you have a daughter?
Creed [00:32:42] I have a daughter, Ami.
Jenna [00:32:45] How many kids do you have?
Creed [00:32:46] I have two children.
Jenna [00:32:47] You have a son and a daughter. Okay.
Angela [00:32:50] Bo and Ami.
Creed [00:32:51] Bo and Ami.
Angela [00:32:51] And now you're a grandpa.
Creed [00:32:53] And now I'm a grandpa.
Angela [00:32:54] So great.
Jenna [00:32:56] Have you ever been in a cult? That you know of?
Creed [00:33:02] What are the statute of limitations on stuff like this?
Jenna [00:33:05] [laughing] Oh no!
Creed [00:33:10] There was a time that people put me up to it in a white robe, I recall, and burned some incense. Well right now, as you know, there is the Cult of Creed because of the show.
Jenna [00:33:24] So I guess you are the leader of a cult now.
Creed [00:33:27] Maybe I was when I was younger, but right now I am a leader of a cult because there's the Cult of Creed. Recently there's people all over the world now, anytime you can see The Office, they've started a little cult. There's a little thing there, would they burn incense, "Creed, creed, creed." They chant my name. I was in Norway, this is no joke, my lawyer said there was a heavy metal group there that's part of the Cult of Creed and they've sacrificed a small animal in your name.
Angela [00:33:55] What?!
Jenna [00:33:56] What?!
Creed [00:33:57] And I had to call them and said, "Look, I appreciate the gesture, but cease and desist. You can't do this. That's horrible."
Angela [00:34:04] "Don't hurt anything in my name."
Creed [00:34:05] Don't hurt anything like that. I know, it's horrible.
Jenna [00:34:07] Because that's not you. You would not want that.
Creed [00:34:10] No! No, I would not. I mean, the thought of it; that they did that for me, was moving, but not what they did.
Angela [00:34:19] Their passion for your character.
Creed [00:34:21] The passion for my character, yes, yeah.
Angela [00:34:23] Is any of that true, what you just said?
Creed [00:34:25] No.
Angela [00:34:25] Oh my god! Again?!
Jenna [00:34:27] Creed! What are you doing?
Creed [00:34:31] Atta-boom!
Angela [00:34:31] At the very end, you had that twinkle in your eye, and I was like, "Son of a bitch."
Creed [00:34:35] Remember the thing I said about-
Angela [00:34:37] We still believed it!
Jenna [00:34:37] We believe it every time.
Angela [00:34:38] You were just in Norway, so I thought, "Oh, I don't know... Maybe."
Creed [00:34:42] I was. Oh, and that's such a beautiful country, too.
Angela [00:34:44] Yeah, I've heard it's really pretty.
Creed [00:34:47] Lovely, lovely, clean. So clean.
Angela [00:34:49] With no creepy cults.
Creed [00:34:51] There's no creepy cults. No one has sacrificed any animals, folks, in my name. Not that I know of.
Jenna [00:34:57] Alright, next question. Are you good at chess?
Creed [00:35:02] I can play.
Jenna [00:35:04] Cause you have that whole thing with Jim.
Creed [00:35:05] I'm not gonna beat Rainn or my son, but I can play a small child who's just learned. They've just shown him the basic moves, you know. He's still working on where to move the knight and stuff like that. I could probably beat him.
Jenna [00:35:21] Okay, can you scuba?
Creed [00:35:24] I used to, until I broke my eardrum.
Jenna [00:35:27] Oh, how did you break your eardrum?
Creed [00:35:28] This is the truth. This is true. I was horsing around in a pool with a bunch of friends, in college for the water polo team, and somebody threw a football. So we started to play football in a pool.
Angela [00:35:40] Yeah.
Creed [00:35:40] Not a good idea. Those days you didn't have the protective things for ears they have for water polo players now. Those things that go over the ears. So I just caught an elbow and broke the ear drum, and then I was still able to scuba dive. I had a scuba, I had the whole thing. Then I was in Hawaii with my son, and I was on the way - We were going down and we were just snorkeling, and the woman next to me dropped her mask and her snorkel. Being a gentleman, I went down after to get it for her. I went too far, pow, broke the tympanic membrane again. And now it's just messed up.
Jenna [00:36:21] What is that like for you when you fly in an airplane, with the air pressure?
Creed [00:36:25] It's not that bad, like anything else you still have to clear a little more.
Jenna [00:36:28] Oh okay.
Creed [00:36:28] But it's not bad, but I came up and I could see and I couldn't find my way back to the surface, and I was panicking a little bit, because my body wouldn't go in the direction that I was trying to swim. I got up there and Bo was laughing, he said, "Did you get it?" He looks at me and says, "Dad, you're white." And I went [noise of distress] and he jumped in and I was panicked. It was really scary, yeah.
Angela [00:36:50] You lost your sense of balance and direction.
Creed [00:36:54] I lost all my equilibrium. Yeah.
Jenna [00:36:55] Wow.
Creed [00:36:57] But I'm okay now, folks.
Jenna [00:36:59] All right, do you have four toes on one of your feet?
Creed [00:37:05] Yes, I do, on my right foot, I was...
Angela [00:37:08] No.
Jenna [00:37:09] No, no! I know this one. You have 10 toes!
Creed [00:37:14] Well, how do you know? You haven't seen my feet.
Angela [00:37:16] I've seen your feet! I've see your feet.
Creed [00:37:18] When?
Angela [00:37:19] Okay, you were barefoot, I think in the finale, when we find out you're homeless and you've been living in the office.
Creed [00:37:26] You're right.
[00:37:27] I'm pretty sure you're brushing your teeth and you're in your towel or something.
Creed [00:37:33] Okay, but a better story is that I was in Scandinavia, again, at a clogged dancing event -
Angela [00:37:35] Stop it.
Creed [00:37:36] And some drunk viking stomped on my toe and broke it and then there's a hole with hairy feet that covers the hole. That's what I said to Steve in the scene. It's an ad lib, do you remember that?
Jenna [00:37:47] No.
Creed [00:37:48] There's a little ad lib under my voice going like, "Well the hair covers it up, mostly."
Jenna [00:37:54] Oh no, yes that's right. The hair covers it up, but not the part about the clogging and -
Angela [00:37:59] No, no, no not that part.
Creed [00:38:00] That came later, yeah.
Jenna [00:38:02] All right, my final Fact or Fiction question. Can you catch a fish with your bare hands?
Creed [00:38:10] Well, that would be really... They're so slippery. Now, I really doubt it unless you're Bruce - Bruce Lee probably could. If he was around, someone like that.
Jenna [00:38:20] Someone fast.
Angela [00:38:22] Super quick.
Creed [00:38:23] He'd have to go like this [makes gesture] and get a finger up in the mouth.
Jenna [00:38:27] I'm impressed that you came up with how to do it so quickly. I think-
Creed [00:38:35] That's exactly what you'd have to do.
Jenna [00:38:36] That's so smart.
Creed [00:38:36] If you tried to grab by the tail, it has a big spiky tail, you could grab it like this and it'd go [makes noise to indicate breaking free from grip], the tail would stop you like that.
Angela [00:38:42] You know why I think you know this?
Creed [00:38:45] Why?
Angela [00:38:45] I'll never forget. During the pandemic, we would trade texts about, what are you watching? What are you binge watching? And Creed was like, "'Alone.' You gotta see it, Ange. You gotta watch 'Alone.'"
Creed [00:38:55] [chuckling] I love that stuff.
Angela [00:38:56] So then Josh and I get into it and we start watching it and I'm texting Creed and I was like, "Josh wants you to know he'll never look at a small animal the same way again." Cause they're all so hungry! It's like a squirrel or whatever, anything they can get.
Creed [00:39:09] Oh yeah, it's a meat. It's a barbecue thing, you know?
Angela [00:39:13] So they're out there just catching fish by hand and trying to trap little animals?
Angela [00:39:15] They're just doing anything. They're making their own nets and stuff and they're trying to trap animals, because they're so hungry.
Creed [00:39:21] Twice in my life when Bo was little, we were bass fishing (this was before I got into trout fishing) and I look at him like this, "Hey Bo." We turn and I go, whop, pulling on a turtle out of the waters. Second time I'm with a guy, this was way before The Office and after The Grassroots. I'm working, we're just doing labor work. Scythes, cutting down fields for fire breaks. Stuff like that. I looked down these two holes like this, and I go, "Uh, hey Ray!" He's down the road. I have gloves on and I drop the scythe quietly and go up through the holes and I go - And this is this honest to God truth. I go [snatching noise] and I grab two squirrels, one in each hand and hold them up all the other guys working there went off going, "How in the hell did you do that?" It was a hero moment.
Angela [00:40:14] So you probably could grab a fish back in the day, then.
Jenna [00:40:19] You've caught a turtle and two squirrels with your bare hands.
Creed [00:40:21] I did, girls, I did. I'm kind of proud of that, actually. You can see, I'm kinda chuffed, as the English would say.
Jenna [00:40:27] I didn't know that squirrels lived in holes in the ground.
Creed [00:40:30] They do.
Angela [00:40:32] There are squirrels that burrow.
Creed [00:40:33] Ground squirrels.
Angela [00:40:36] They're smaller, we actually are having a thing in our backyard with them.
Creed [00:40:39] Ground scrolls, yeah.
Angela [00:40:39] They're burrowing in all these little places in our yard.
Creed [00:40:41] Social media is not much on the ground squirrels, because they're more into the popular ones with the Vidal Sassoon coats and stuff. They get all the press.
Angela [00:40:48] They get all the good press.
Jenna [00:40:49] You guys, I have a weird question. This is something that I muse about with my family. My kids are annoyed by this question, but I am haunted by it. It has to do with squirrels and birds. Where are all of the dead squirrels and the dead birds? Where are they? Why don't we see them? Where do they go?
Creed [00:41:11] The crow and the ravens...
Jenna [00:41:12] Oh, other animals come eat them?
Creed [00:41:13] Yeah, other animals come and pick them up.
Jenna [00:41:16] Why don't- Where are they? Are they dead in the tree? Are they in the ground? Are they in the bush? Like, where are they?
Creed [00:41:25] They're in their bellies. Well, like the Ravens if you see stuff on the side of the road you see the Raven's down there cleaning them up.
Jenna [00:41:30] I guess that's true.
Angela [00:41:32] This is really gross but there's a hawk that kind of lives in my neighbor's tree and I walked out one day to go to my little garage office and there were innards, just in the pavers, little tiny intestine and little tiny bits and I was like, "Oh my gosh" and Josh was like, "I bet the hawk got a squirrel or something."
Jenna [00:41:56] But I'm seeing birds and squirrels who have died by natural causes.
Creed [00:42:02] Or suicide.
Angela [00:42:02] [laughs] Oh god.
Jenna [00:42:02] Right. You don't know.
Creed [00:42:06] We don't know.
Jenna [00:42:07] So not something that was prey, but something like a very old bird or something or a disease; a squirrel that died of a disease.
Angela [00:42:17] And no one wants to eat it and it's just dead somewhere.
Creed [00:42:20] Yeah.
Jenna [00:42:21] I don't know. I mean, I think, Creed, you kind of answered the question, which is that when an animal dies, another animal will eat that dead animal.
[00:42:29] [sing "Circle of Life" from The Lion King]
Creed [00:42:30] If the animal's there, let's say it's old and it's writing its memoirs, it has a little nagging cough, and then boom it's done. It's over like that. The hawks and the ravens were watching him, and checking their watches.
Angela [00:42:46] Their little hawk watches.
Jenna [00:42:47] They're like, "I don't feel like swooping today. I'm just gonna wait it out."
Angela [00:42:50] Raven's got his little Fitbit on like, "Well..."
Jenna [00:42:54] I just wondered if in all of your nature show watching, if they explain where squirrels and birds go to die.
Creed [00:43:01] I can tell you this interesting story: I'm at my backyard on Ethel, when I lived on Ethel in Longridge, when the show was on. I was out at the pool one day and I was sitting out there having my green tea after work and I look up at the eves of the house and there's a little bird nest in there, with little baby birds, and all of a sudden I saw this squirrel come over the house, goes down a pipe comes over grabs a baby bird. Squirrels will eat baby birds.
Jenna [00:43:32] Squirrels are terrible.
Creed [00:43:33] People don't know this.
Angela [00:43:37] Squirrels ate a hummingbird, right outside my window.
Creed [00:43:37] They're the evil creatures of the world.
Jenna [00:43:41] They are mean and they're terrible.
Creed [00:43:42] There should be - I boycott a lot of things, but squirrels would be right on the list, you know. I'm with you, Jen.
Jenna [00:43:48] Vicious.
Angela [00:43:49] Well, on that note, squirrels are evil. I would like to kick off our fan Q&A.
Jenna [00:43:54] All right, let's do it, lady.
Angela [00:43:56] Fans wrote in, Creed, they love you so much. Let's start with Oliver T. from Wolverhampton, England, who says, "I love Creed. He is my favorite character in the show and didn't get nearly enough screen time. My question is, what was his favorite Creed moment or storyline?"
Creed [00:44:18] Man, just there's just so many. And by the way, Wilburton, Walton, where's...
Angela [00:44:26] Wolverhampton.
Creed [00:44:27] Wolverhampton, yes sir. I used to think, "Well you know, I'm capable of doing more stuff, I should get more." In retrospect, the lines they gave me were just the right amount, was perfect. It was perfect. A little bit more, and it would have lost the appeal, I think. I thought about this a lot, it turned out just right, absolutely perfect. Boy, well I have to say, obviously, it was scary. Baptism by fire of the scene in the Halloween episode with Steve, working at his rate of speed that he works at, you know, and not knowing what was gonna happen.
Jenna [00:45:08] Sure.
Creed [00:45:08] That was very satisfying. But all the little bits, which ones, "Did Michael get his new chair yet?" The thing with you and the nickels, where he had this bag of nickels and he said, "You're a useless..."
Angela [00:45:25] Yeah, and you were like, "Don't worry about Andrea. She's the office bitch."
Creed [00:45:30] Yes, stuff like that. Everyone thinks it would be the manager when I was driving the Porsche and playing the finale, but it's all those little bits just to keep going, the fodder that kept going. I got such a joy out of it. I laughed, just like you did. Every time we'd have a table read, I'd get to see, "Oh boy, I just can't wait to do this line," you know?
Jenna [00:45:52] Well, we did get a fan question from Leighton R. in Folsom, California, who said, "Your time as acting manager in season seven is a fan favorite moment." And Leighten wants to hear, "did you enjoy that spotlight or did you prefer being the mysterious side character?"
Creed [00:46:11] Oh, I just said it, didn't I?
Jenna [00:46:13] Well, you did. You said you liked it.
Creed [00:46:15] I did like it. I certainly enjoyed driving the Porsche.
Jenna [00:46:22] Had you ever driven a car like that before?
Creed [00:46:23] Yeah, I had one. I had a Porsche back in my Grassroots days, yeah.
Angela [00:46:27] I've always loved a zippy car.
Creed [00:46:29] I do like it, but I still have a zippy car.
Angela [00:46:31] I've ridden with you in your zippy car.
Creed [00:46:32] Uh-huh.
Angela [00:46:33] I'm not going to talk about how you drive.
Creed [00:46:35] No, no, you're right. You're right. But a lot of people don't know this; you normally have sandbags and a barricade, and Matt would be behind a barricade just in case. There'd be a stop for the tires on any shoot, normally. Matt was just standing there with the camera, and I come up there right in front of him [makes screeching brakes noise] like that. He trusted me and I said, "Are you sure?" He said, "I trust you," and we did it.
Angela [00:47:01] Dang.
Jenna [00:47:01] That's amazing.
Angela [00:47:01] I didn't know that.
Creed [00:47:02] Oh yeah, yeah, most people would never do that normally.
Jenna [00:47:06] You know, Creed, there are a lot of your moments that ended up getting deleted for time, which is true of all of us. But there are Reddit threads upon Reddit threads dedicated to Creed deleted scenes. You are the favorite character for deleted scenes and deleted moments.
Creed [00:47:25] Really?
Jenna [00:47:26] Oh my gosh, yes. So many fun ones.
Creed [00:47:29] Wow.
Jenna [00:47:30] Yeah, and I think a lot of those are being added back to the Peacock "Super Fan" episodes.
Angela [00:47:34] And that's gonna be so fun.
Jenna [00:47:36] Yeah.
Creed [00:47:37] That's amazing. Greg, when we couldn't use the uh... During "Booze Cruise" when I played the guitar,
Jenna [00:47:45] Yes, that was one of them!
Creed [00:47:47] It was just too long.
Jenna [00:47:48] Yeah.
Creed [00:47:49] He said, "It's so good, Creed it's so good but it was just too long. I hope you understand. We love it, but it's just too long. You know?"
Jenna [00:47:57] Yeah.
Creed [00:47:57] A little tidbit there: I recorded it the night before at the studio with Dylan O'Brien and Bob Field, of the ScranTones. I just came in the studio and he had his left-handed strat. The way he plays, it's different than a lot of left-handers. So I turned it over like this [gesturing] and played for him. So when you see me playing that left-hander guitar, a lot people say, "Well, he's a right-hander. He wouldn't be playing that guitar." So that's the explanation.
Angela [00:48:23] That's a little nugget, there.
Creed [00:48:24] And also, we were going to play it live, but we realized out there the reverb was going to be bouncing on the amps and stuff, it was logistically impossible. We had to mime it. I really wanted to play live, but it's okay.
Angela [00:48:39] But you got to eventually play live on the set.
Creed [00:48:42] Yes.
Angela [00:48:42] It was so beautiful.
Creed [00:48:42] Yes, and that's one of the most touching moments when the fans are there at my show and I close with "All The Faces." I'm looking out at the crowd, you know it's just amazing, the emotional connection from - It is not the song, the song is good, but without The Office, where we're saying goodbye to all of us, then that song gets that emotion out of people. It was powerful.
Angela [00:49:11] That's a beautiful moment. All right, fan question from one of our very own Office Ladies members, Aynsley. She wants to know, "What did you do on your computer while other cast members were filming scenes?"
Creed [00:49:26] Spider Solitaire.
Angela [00:49:27] Oh yeah?
Creed [00:49:27] Yeah, Spider Solitaire. Cause I didn't have a working computer. I think only Oscar had one, for a long time in the beginning. But I think eventually everybody got one.
Angela [00:49:36] Yeah, everybody got one.
Creed [00:49:37] I didn't.
Angela [00:49:38] Ever?
Creed [00:49:39] No, I don't think so. Maybe I did.
Jenna [00:49:41] So you never had internet, you just had the solitaire game?
Creed [00:49:44] I'm demented somewhat because of that, you know.
Angela [00:49:49] I can't believe that.
Creed [00:49:51] I might have.
Angela [00:49:52] Is it possible that you got internet and didn't know and no one told you?
Creed [00:49:57] That's probably the case.
Angela [00:50:01] This whole time, I was like, "Oh my gosh, Creed. The way you were positioned in the bullpen, no one could see your computer." Who knows what he did, and you only played solitaire.
Jenna [00:50:10] Oh, that's very funny.
Creed [00:50:11] But I sure wrote a lot of music on that show, in the green room, oh yeah.
Jenna [00:50:17] Oh yeah?
Creed [00:50:17] I was always grabbing that guitar and going in the green room waiting for, you know, everybody to show up. I wrote a bunch. I wrote two albums in that green room, basically, and in my trailer.
Angela [00:50:26] I didn't know that.
Jenna [00:50:30] All right, let's see, we have a fan question from Sabrina S. and her fiance Joey from Chicago, Illinois. And they said, "Our question for Creed, who has clearly had and continues to have such an iconic life, what do you consider to be one of your biggest accomplishments?"
Creed [00:50:50] Um... Well, it has to be the road I was going down in my life. Wow, I don't wanna get maudlin in here or anything. But with my family and all my debaucheries and stuff back in my rock and roll days, that now I have such a tight, loving family with such support from the family. It turns out to be that all this other stuff is wonderful, but that family connection is so strong. That gives me the most joy, and my friendships, my friends, you know. I'm now putting my hands out at my two girls who are like my daughters from the show, basically, you know. And you always were, kind of in a way, I always felt that.
Angela [00:51:34] Well, we talked about this earlier, Creed, that our text thread with you, the three of us, brings us such joy. We can always count on you for a cat video or just how you refer to us. You always call Jenna "Jen," you call me "pumpkin" and you call yourself "Granddad Creed."
Creed [00:51:55] That's true. Yeah, lucky us.
Angela [00:51:58] Yeah, lucky us. Well Creed, okay.
Creed [00:52:02] More questions?
Angela [00:52:03] More questions for you, but you're just such a delight. From the minute when I pulled up he said, "I just have a spring in my step, today."
Creed [00:52:11] Yep, it's you guys.
Angela [00:52:13] Getting to see us, so sweet. Okay, Creed, did you keep anything from the set after the series ended?
Creed [00:52:20] You know, a sprinter van, a couple of cameras, some sound, Nogra sound recorders, you know, stuff like that. But by the way, if you could get hold of me, I can sell them to you at a really deep discount. But no, I saved the little samurai warrior, the fat samurai warrior with the fan on my desk. I have that on my mantle.
Angela [00:52:45] That's great.
Creed [00:52:46] They gave it to me, but I asked permission. Not like the character. Thank you very much. I actually went to production and said, "Can I?"Yes of course, of course you can." And the suit that I wore in the finale, when I'm in the...
Angela [00:52:58] The white suit?
Creed [00:53:00] That kind of a gray, kind of linen suit with the little purple thing, and it was tailored for me and stuff, too. They just gave that to me, so I got to keep that. So that, let me think about that. So yeah, the samurai guy and maybe a picture, there might be a picture from the wall there.
Angela [00:53:21] Yeah, you had a bunch of plaques on the wall by me.
Creed [00:53:23] They came in with pictures of me and my kids and stuff and and put them up. But we all had that right? That was so great about the show. They put personal stuff up on the desks.
Jenna [00:53:35] You also had that dust buster on the wall next to you.
Creed [00:53:38] I never used it. Somebody else would always come by. When I do my show and I sing the Office theme. I talk about you and Phyllis and I always say, "Phyllis and Angela were the planning committee, you know. And a lot of people don't know this, that Phyllis and Angela are method actors. So art design and props and people would come in and want to set the office up for the show. But no, Phyllis would chase them all out, then you guys would do all the work. We'd be home at night after showers and dinner, you'd still be there setting up the office for the next day." And of course, they go, "Oh, it's probably true then."
Angela [00:54:16] There is no telling what people believe about us!
Creed [00:54:20] They nod, they nod, just like they're getting it, you know? "Of course they would, they're actors, you know?"
Angela [00:54:25] Someone asked me one time they were like, "Creed said you're 4'11", but I think you're a little taller." Are you telling people I'm 4' 11"?
Creed [00:54:31] Sometimes 3' 11", 4' 11", it changes around on stage.
Angela [00:54:37] All right guys. Whatever Creed says on stage, don't believe.
Creed [00:54:40] It's true.
Jenna [00:54:41] Or believe, but with a grain of salt.
Angela [00:54:44] Yeah, exactly.
Creed [00:54:44] It is there for your amusement, folks.
Angela [00:54:47] All right Creed, up next we're going to do our call sheet questions. Okay, number one: what was your first job in entertainment?
Creed [00:55:00] 1964, I became an extra on camera on a movie called "Cast a Giant Shadow" with Mel Shavelson, the director. I fell in love with his daughter, Lynn, and we had an affair in the Greek islands after that. But the movie was Frank Sinatra, John Wayne, Yule Brynner, Senta Berger, and Kirk Douglas (who played Colonel Mickey Marcus).
Jenna [00:55:29] What did you have to do in your scene?
Creed [00:55:31] I was an English guy, I was there in background. But I got paid. I was in a uniform and I played a British soldier. Standing there, at attention as the camera came by.
Angela [00:55:40] Oh, wow.
Creed [00:55:41] That's my first movie.
Angela [00:55:42] That's a lot of big names.
Creed [00:55:43] It's a huge movie, yeah.
Jenna [00:55:44] If you watch the movie, can you find yourself in the scene?
Creed [00:55:46] Yes, yes, with the side of my face.
Angela [00:55:50] Okay.
Creed [00:55:51] There's an interesting story from that. I'm standing on the set and leaning against this wall. Frank Sinatra is there, and he sees me over there. I'm like, "Wow, it's Frank Sinatra." He comes over to me like this, you know, and he goes, "Hey, kid, that wall is gonna explode here in a little bit. There's squibs in there like that. You might wanna just move over." And I said, "Well, thank you, Mr. Sinatra." He said, "It's all right." So he just pulled me away from the thing, so I wouldn't get blown up. Thank you, Frank.
Angela [00:56:22] Wow, that's such a cool story that you had a conversation with Frank Sinatra!
Creed [00:56:27] That's life. That's my life, perhaps.
Angela [00:56:29] Wow.
Jenna [00:56:31] All right, here is a question: can you tell us all of the musical instruments that you play?
Creed [00:56:39] It won't take long.
Jenna [00:56:40] Okay.
Creed [00:56:40] Guitar, a little bit of piano, and a very little bit of mandolin, and trumpet. I played trumpet for over 10/12 years, as a kid. That was my first instrument.
Jenna [00:56:52] Was the trumpet?
Creed [00:56:53] Trumpet. Yeah.
Angela [00:56:54] I did not know that.
Angela [00:56:55] That list is longer than our list, Creed.
Creed [00:57:01] But guitar is it, yeah.
Angela [00:57:03] Yeah, you have so many, when you go to your place, you have a wall of guitars. It's pretty cool. All right, what's a place that you've been to that you absolutely love?
Creed [00:57:17] So many. Iceland, you're going there. But I drove around for two weeks with no navigation, no maps or anything, just drove around. Because it's an island, so you can't get really lost, you know? Fascinating, fascinating place. I love and I've gone back numerous times with my son to the Sacramento River, out of Redding. Also the Klamath River at the Oregon-California border.
Angela [00:57:44] Because you guys go fishing.
Creed [00:57:45] We go fishing every year, practically, and we go there a lot. I love it. I just love being on the river, the serenity, the beauty, and the fish, the beautiful fish. It's all catch and release, barbless hooks.
Angela [00:57:58] That sounds so peaceful.
Creed [00:58:00] Yeah, yeah, yeah. I think the fish look forward to being caught, with us.
Angela [00:58:04] They wanna just chat, for a second?
Creed [00:58:06] Yeah, we talk and see what's going on. "Love the commercial, Creed." "Thank you. Go back to your kids." "All right, he's a good one."
Jenna [00:58:16] All right, next question. What do you like to do on the weekend?
Creed [00:58:23] Well, it's pretty boring now. I read my books and I play my guitar and write my songs and do my yoga, swim. So I'd be doing one of those, I'll be swimming, doing yoga. I like to go to Hugo's and have my almond energy pancakes, you know? Meet my friends there and you know that place.
Jenna [00:58:41] Love Hugo's.
Creed [00:58:42] We love Hugo's, in fact, they came in one day and said that you were in. I went, "Well, there you go, she knows a good pancake. Obviously."
Jenna [00:58:50] So what kind of books do you like? Do you like fiction, nonfiction, both?
Creed [00:58:55] Both.
Jenna [00:58:56] Do you have something you've read recently that you like?
Creed [00:58:59] Um... [thinking noises]
Jenna [00:58:59] We love to give out book shout-outs.
Creed [00:59:02] I'm not really good at the names anymore. For a while though, I have just written a book, a Western, it's on Amazon right now with my friend Nathan Edmondson called "Buffalo."
Angela [00:59:11] You did?
Creed [00:59:12] I wrote a book, and it took two years to write the book. In fact, talking about Hugo's, I was sitting in Hugo's one day, and this writer came by, it was Nathan. And he said, "Hey, I just want to tell you I'm a big fan," and because he was an intelligent guy, right off the bat, and I went, "Sit down." We started talking, he had to deal with Paramount for a couple of scripts. I told him this idea I had, and next thing we know, we were shaking hands to write this thing together.
Angela [00:59:36] And you did.
Creed [00:59:37] And we did. And it's out now, folks. "Buffalo."
Angela [00:59:39] I love a Western. I'll go check that out.
Creed [00:59:41] So I was getting back to your point, Jen. I've read all the Cormac McCarthy, the Larry McMurtry, the Louis L'Amour.
Angela [00:59:50] Yeah.
Creed [01:00:00] I love all those westerns. Sci-fi; Neal Stephenson, William Gibson, I just finished "Hyperion" for the second time. That's an amazing sci-fi.
Angela [01:00:05] Alright, last question. Favorite midnight snack?
Creed [01:00:10] I don't eat at night.
Angela [01:00:11] I know this.
Creed [01:00:12] I don't. At six o'clock ,when the sun goes down, there's no food after that, you know.
Angela [01:00:17] Yeah, you don't eat after six?
Creed [01:00:19] No.
Angela [01:00:19] And then your first meal in the morning? What is that?
Creed [01:00:23] Um, I used to just have a cup of coffee and then write for a while, you know, but now I've been getting into these little gluten-free blueberry muffins.
Angela [01:00:32] Mmm.
Creed [01:00:33] A trout turned me on to them. But there's a place I go to, Gyorla's it's called. That I go down there and get these gluten-free blueberry muffins with my coffee. Then I go home and then I write for about an hour. Then I'll have breakfast, you know.
Angela [01:00:49] Do you write in a journal?
Creed [01:00:51] I write longhand, yeah, but I've started to kinda know that I'm wasting a lot of time writing longhand. I didn't think I could do it other ways, but now I'm starting to kinda slowly type, but it's like a chicken: peck, peck, peck. It's probably just as fast as writing longhand.
Angela [01:01:10] How long have you kept a journal?
Creed [01:01:13] A long time. I think it's really important because the song lyrics are on their and notes and such. I have, in my day planner, all the things I'm supposed to do and then at night I'll look at my day planner I'll write out a little note plan and put it up in the in the kitchen.
Angela [01:01:30] Your cheat sheet.
Creed [01:01:31] The cheat sheet, yeah. A short abbreviated version of what I'm gonna do that day, so that I can get to the satisfaction of checking off that and then going to the planner and checking it again.
Jenna [01:01:40] Double check!
Creed [01:01:41] Accomplishment! Double check, accomplishment.
Jenna [01:01:43] Well, before we let you go, we got this letter from Juliana R. in New York who said, "Creed came to my college, as our fall comedian, and it was so exciting getting to listen to his music and hear him speak. I was on the activities council board, so I even got to take a picture with him. What a gem." And it's true Creed, your live shows are so great. Have you had a recent live show, or do you have one coming up, that you can share about?
Creed [01:02:11] I did a show recently with Rainn and his guest with Pete Holmes and I sang three songs and I think he was one of them, one of my new songs. Yeah I go out, I'll be going in October to Hawaii, New Zealand, Australia, Singapore and Japan for the month of October. So I'll do my shows then, too.
Angela [01:02:30] That's amazing. On the drive-in, you pointed out a place and you're like, "I play there once a month."
Creed [01:02:35] The Baked Potato. I play there once a month.
Angela [01:02:35] The Baked Potato.
Creed [01:02:37] I played there for a long time, coming in just doing like four songs with the very talented Tim Hockenberry and his band. Now I have a band called "The Work" with Dylan O'Brien, Charlie Ferreger, Davy Ferregar, Sebastian Lorentz, they're called The Work. We just did Jam in the Van, and we just played also two solos with the band at The Baked Potato. We'll be going back there again. I'll let you know.
Angela [01:03:07] I wanna go to The Baked Potato.
Creed [01:03:09] Yeah, it's a fun little room. Venerable jazz room, but of course, Creed's pop and folky stuff, but they allow me to play.
Angela [01:03:16] That's so great. Well one last thing, because you said this in the car and we said we would talk about it, which is Creed told me years ago I would have these yankee swap Christmas parties with the cast and they would come over and I haven't had one in a long time. Jenna, you've started having some with your family.
Jenna [01:03:34] Yeah.
Angela [01:03:34] That big get-together of the cast. Life happened, kids, and just busyness. And he got in the car and he's like, "I just want you to know, I've been holding on to a Yankee swap gift I bought for 15 years, for your next party."
Creed [01:03:48] It's true, because right off the bat, I loved it so much.
Angela [01:03:51] And then I was like, "What?" And he goes, "I'm ready. You gotta have your Yankee swap party," and tell 'em what it is
Creed [01:03:56] I'm at a, what do they call it, a pawn shop or something like that, and I look down there and what it is, it's a toilet fishing game. We sit on the toilet and you lay this thing of a piece of paper, it a lake. It's a lake and you spread it out on the floor and then it's got little fish, little magnet fish, and then its got a little fishing rod and you go like this and you're on the toilet and you go [makes fishing gesture], and you drag the fish, you catch the fish so you're fishing on the toilet. I said, "Really got to get this, because everyone will want this for sure."
Angela [01:04:27] He's been holding onto it for like a decade.
Creed [01:04:29] I'll tell you, it's in my garage, it won't get rid of it because I know it's gonna be perfect.
Angela [01:04:32] All right.
Jenna [01:04:33] Can I make a suggestion? It doesn't have to be December to have a fun Yankee Swap party.
Angela [01:04:38] This is true.
Jenna [01:04:39] Like, let's pick a time.
Creed [01:04:40] Oh, I got to get this out of my life.
Jenna [01:04:42] Because it's so busy in December! This party needs to happen early. It's going be Office reunion: cast/friends/Yankee Swap in July. I don't know.
Creed [01:04:55] Maybe so.
Angela [01:04:56] Yeah. All right. All right. I'll get on it.
Creed [01:04:58] Oh my gosh. Girls, as always, it's just a joy seeing you both. I love you both, you know that. Thank you for having me, and thanks to all the fans for those kind words, and oh, Creed's a lucky guy. Thank you.
Jenna [01:05:12] We love you, Creed.
Creed [01:05:13] I love you guys.
audio cue [01:05:13] [musical sting]
Jenna [01:05:17] Well lady, I just loved having Creed in studio with us.
Angela [01:05:20] I did too.
Jenna [01:05:21] It was such a treat. And as we finish up today, we got a fan letter from Jamie T in Arizona. I really liked this. Jamie said, "I have a theory as to what happened to Creed after the final episode. I think after being taken away by the police, he jumped bail, used his passport with his name, William Charles Schneider, and fled the country. He could now be living in a country with no extradition treaty with the United States and is the leader of a cult to make money."
Angela [01:05:57] Probably not far off.
Jenna [01:05:58] It's true.
Angela [01:05:59] It's probably pretty great, Jamie.
Jenna [01:06:01] But Lady, did the NBC website say what Creed is up to?
Angela [01:06:04] I couldn't find it.
Jenna [01:06:05] Oh, no!
Angela [01:06:06] I searched. If someone else out there found it on the NBC website, let me know. I got tons of clips of Creed, but I couldn't find a "where is he now" thing.
Jenna [01:06:15] Okay.
Angela [01:06:16] But I did find this great article on "Collider" with a quote from Creed Bratton, in real life, about what he thinks happened to the character Creed.
Jenna [01:06:25] Okay.
Angela [01:06:25] So I thought I would share that. So this article kind of breaks down everyone's final moments on the show, and Collider's like, "Everyone gets kind of a happy ending except for Creed, who gets handcuffed and is presumably going to prison for the crimes he's committed."
Jenna [01:06:40] Yes.
Angela [01:06:41] So, Collider says, "You would think the logical place for Creed now is prison, but here is what Creed Bratton, the actor, thinks. In an interview with the Tampa Bay Times in 2019, Bratton speculated about the character's future, saying: 'He never stayed in jail long. He got out pretty fast.' He went on to suggest that Creed would have gotten pity from a talented defense attorney, scammed his way to freedom, and continued doing, probably, the illegal things that Creed does best. And honestly, Bratton makes a good point. After all, Creed got away with it this long, so why wouldn't he be able to escape justice again?"
Jenna [01:07:19] Well, this is not too far off from Jamie's theories.
Angela [01:07:23] Exactly.
Jenna [01:07:24] But Cassi, you said that when you were walking Creed out, he had an idea of where we might be able to see Creed again, which I thought was pretty fun.
Angela [01:07:32] Yeah, will you share your conversation?
Cassi [01:07:35] Yeah, I was like, "Oh, I would love to know what Creed is up to. And maybe we'll get to know through The Paper." And he was saying that he pitched to Greg that maybe for one episode we just see him working in the background at a random office. So, I guess we just have to really be looking in the background for a Creed catch.
Angela [01:07:53] That would make me so happy if Creed was just somewhere in the deep background. Maybe he's at Softee's, the toilet paper company..
Jenna [01:07:59] Or you know what I would love? I would like to see him delivering someone's meal, at that little place where they eat lunch in the building.
Angela [01:08:07] Oh, yes. Yeah.
Cassi [01:08:09] Yeah, maybe he catches the documentary crew and immediately runs away.
Angela [01:08:16] He's like, "Not again!" Alright.
Jenna [01:08:19] Well everyone, thank you so much for sending in your questions for All About Creed and thank you to Creed for coming in and spending this afternoon with us
Angela [01:08:27] Oh, and we want to give a shout out to a project for Creed. He shared with us he performed in the YouTube series called "Jam in the Van." It's a series where musicians perform in a van and he's really great in it. We'll add it to our stories.
Jenna [01:08:41] I love it.
Angela [01:08:42] Such a fun day. I love our job. I love the cast of The Office and I love our Office Ladies community. Thank you guys so much. See you next week.
Jenna [01:08:51] See you next week.
audio cue [01:08:52] [outro music plays]
Jenna [01:08:57] Thank you for listening to Office Ladies.
Angela [01:08:59] Office Ladies is a presentation of Audacy and is produced by Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey.
Jenna [01:09:05] Our executive producer is Cassi Jerkins. Our audio engineer is Sam Kieffer, and our associate producer is Aynsley Bubbico.
Angela [01:09:12] Audacy's executive producer is Leah Reis-Dennis.
Jenna [01:09:15] Office Ladies was mixed and mastered by Bill Schultz.
Angela [01:09:18] Our theme song is Rubber Tree by Creed Bratton.