‘The Office’: Only 2 Cast Members Are From Pennsylvania
Scranton may be a city in the mountains of Pennsylvania, it is the home of The Office. to many. As it turns out, only two of The Office cast members are from the state of Pennsylvania. And who they are might surprise you.
Dunder Mifflin Scranton: ‘The Electric City’
“They call it Scranton! The Electric City!” As Michael Scott so aptly explains the town’s catchphrase: “They call it that ’cause the electricity.”
The comedy series focuses on the employees at Dunder Mifflin Paper Company’s Scranton branch. Ironically, most of The Office cast weren’t from Pennsylvania. But two cast members took pride acting in a show set in their home state.
‘The Office’ cast members Kate Flannery and Zach Woods are from Pennsylania
Kate Flannery was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. During her conversation with co-star Brian Baumgartner on his podcast, Flannery mentioned her hometown. She also pointed out how she’s one of the two cast members from the state The Office takes place.
Zach Woods, who played Gabe Lewis on The Office from 2010 until 2013, is also from the Keystone State. “I’m from Yardley, Pennsylvania, which is right on the Delaware River across from Trenton, New Jersey,” Woods explained on Jimmy Kimmel Live!
He elaborated by telling the story of George Washington’s famous crossing of the Delaware River. The historic moment happened “very near to where [Woods] grew up.”
Kate Flannery used her Pennsylvania upbringing to inspire her role on ‘The Office’
Growing up, Flannery’s family owned a tavern. The people she would see there influenced her role as Meredith Palmer.
“My dad owned Flannery’s tavern,” the actor told Comic Cure. “My grandfather started it in 1933. It’s a bar in Germantown, and we would go there on Sundays, listen to the jukebox, eat Slim Jims, drink Coca-Cola.”
There was one female regular at Flannery’s bar who could “keep up with the fellas.” That woman became Meredith on The Office.
“I felt like I met a lot of Merediths,” Flannery admitted of her childhood. “Being a bar owner’s daughter, playing an alcoholic — I come by it quite honestly.”
Cast of ‘The Office’ come from all over, but not Pennsylvania
As for the rest of The Office cast, their hometowns are scattered across the United States. Baumgartner, who played accountant Kevin Malone in the series, is from Atlanta, Georgia. Ed Helms (Andy Bernard) is also from Atlanta — the two went to the same high school, but didn’t know each other at the time.
Other Office stars like John Krasinski (Kim Halpert), B.J. Novak (Ryan Howard), and Steve Carell (Michael Scott) are from Massachusetts. Krasinski was born in Boston, while Novak was raised in Newton. The two met in college doing improv together. Carell hails from Concord, and Mindy Kaling (Kelly Kapoor) is from Cambridge.
Meanwhile, Jenna Fischer (Pam Beesly) is from Fort Wayne, Indiana. Angela Kinsey (Angela Martin) and Phyllis Smith (Phyllis Lapin-Vance) are both from the south: Lafayette, Louisiana, and The Hill in Saint Louis, Missouri, respectively.
Rainn Wilson was born and raised in Seattle, Washington. And Craig Robinson and Leslie David Baker are from Chicago. Creed Bratton is from Los Angeles.
