‘The Office’: These Cast Members Knew Each Other Before the Show, but Neither Remembers It
The Office hasn’t been on television since 2013. Still, fans all over the world are talking about and rewatching the comedy series today. Thanks to Office star Brian Baumgartner, fans are getting a behind-the-scenes look at the relationships formed between The Office cast. He recently revealed how some of the castmates knew each other before starring in The Office, including two stars who don’t recall their first meeting.
‘The Office’ cast has an unbreakable bond
Fans of the show know the cast has an undeniable on-screen chemistry. But behind the scenes, they formed just as much of a bond. Angela Kinsey and Jenna Fischer became close on set, and the two haven’t stopped working together. They’re currently penning a book about their time on the show, and they host The Office Ladies podcast together, too.
Other cast members like Mindy Kaling and BJ Novak are still close. Kaling told US Weekly that Novak comes to her house once or twice a week to babysit. Plus, Ed Helms shared on Kinsey and Fischer’s podcast how well The Office group text is doing. “The friendships that have endured, I mean, I can’t believe we’re all still on a text chain,” Helms explained. “That blows my mind. And I just I love that so much.”
2 of the show’s cast members met in Mexico, but neither of them remembers
Baumgartner and Kinsey played accountants on the comedy series. Ironically, the two met many years before The Office, but neither of them remembers it. Baumgartner went to Southern Methodist University and Kinsey attended Baylor University. The two of them had the same spring break and as fate would have it, they each booked trips to Acapulco, Mexico. During that trip, Baumgartner says he and Kinsey ended up in the same cab.
Many years later on the set of The Office, the two figured out they were in Mexico at the same time. “Back in our little [accountant’s] corner, we figured out that we met one night in [a] cab in Acapulco, Mexico,” Baumgartner said during Kinsey’s episode of The Office Deep Dive podcast. “Neither of us have any memory of it.” Regardless of their college memories, Baumgartner and Kinsey have developed a lifelong friendship thanks to the show.
Some of ‘The Office’ cast went to high school together
Fans of The Office might be surprised to learn Baumgartner and another castmember knew each other very well before working together on the show. Helms, who played Andy Bernard on the show, went to high school with Baumgartner. “We went to the Westminster Schools in Atlanta, Georgia,” Baumgartner explained in the episode of his podcast featuring Helms. “We were in the same ensemble choir back when I pretended to sing.”
In the years after high school, Baumgartner said he and Helms lost touch. Helms was pursuing a career in stand-up comedy and had a recurring gig on The Daily Show. Meanwhile, Baumgartner was traveling around doing theater. It wasn’t until the summer of 2006 that Helms and Baumgartner reconnected.
“I see Greg Daniels walk by [behind the camera] followed by Ed Helms,” Baumgartner recalled. “I don’t even think at that moment, ‘Oh, that’s Daily Show correspondent Ed Helms.’ My mind [went], ‘Why is Ed Helms, my friend from high school, here? He didn’t tell me he was coming…'” The shared history between the two allowed them to reconnect quickly. Helms joined the cast of The Office in season 3 — a treat for his high school pal Baumgartner.
