Jenna Fischer Revealed Pam And Roy's Backstory... Here's Why It Makes Perfect Sense
Fans of NBC's hit comedy The Office have been clamoring for a reboot for years, especially since its availability on Netflix and second-run channels like Comedy Central has drawn hordes of new dedicated viewers. And while it seems like fans might be getting one, it may not be for a little while.
In the meantime, folks who crave fresh content from the show don't have to wait, thanks to Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey. The actresses, who played Pam and Angela, respectively, started a podcast called The Office Ladies in late 2019, where the best friends discuss the show, episode by episode, talking about behind the scenes details that only actors who were there could know.
They've talked about everything from filming outdoors in winter coats in the middle of the summer to pranking crew members by leaving them in a box, as well as who breaks character most often and which scenes took longest to film. They occasionally have guests (Like Creed Bratton and Melora Hardin) to talk about their experiences on the show, as well.
But the two don't just talk about on-set shenanigans; sometimes they discuss little-known or unheard of character details, backstories that the actors or writers came up with that never actually made it into the show. And one character that has a lot of backstory, thanks to Fischer's thorough and dedicated actor prep (one her co-host often pokes fun at) is Pam.
Pam is owed a lot of backstory, too. Her story at the beginning of the show is one of the most dramatic: Trapped in a three-year engagement with less-than-charming fiancé Roy, pining away for her lovable best friend Jim. The question of how she got there is a big one, and now, Fischer has answered it.
Why Were They Engaged For Three Years?
Fischer first addressed this bit of backstory in the episode where they discussed "Basketball." When she and Jim were discussing whether the warehouse workers or the office workers are going to win the basketball game, and how the losers will have to work over the weekend, Pam brags that when the warehouse wins, she and Roy are going the be taking the WaveRunners down to the lake. And in those WaveRunners lies the answer to their long engagement:
"In my head I came up with the reason that they’ve been saving money for the wedding and about a year into their engagement, without telling Pam, Roy spent the money on a pair of WaveRunners with his brother," Fischer continued. "And Roy was like, 'we're going to have so much fun with these' but it broke Pam's heart, and I told Greg [Daniels] this story... and he was like, 'Oh my gosh I love that. We've gotta put that in — the WaveRunners.'"
So there you have it. As part of her actor prep, Fischer actually wrote in a key piece of info on her character's relationship with Roy... and let's admit it, it makes perfect sense.
Why Was Pam With Roy In The First Place?
This question was one Fischer answered later on in the series, in the episode discussing "Sexual Harassment." In the episode, Pam's mom visits the office, and Roy shows up as they leave to go to dinner... dressed in a sweater, hair slicked back, and acting as a 1950's model of a perfect boyfriend.
And, like with other strange, possible inconsistencies in Pam's backstory, Jenna wrote in the perfect explanation in her character backstory (which, as Kinsey laughingly pointed out, she wrote in essay form):
"Pam's family owned an appliance shop in downtown Scranton, like in the town square. And Roy, in high school, got a job working at the appliance store. And he was a great worker, and he was very charming, as in the Roy you saw here in the sweater, and so that was how their worlds collided. Because Pam was probably this nerdy little art student in high school, so I couldn't figure out: How did she meet Roy, who was probably a jock?
"And this was how. He was very charming, and he asked her out, and they started dating, but because he worked there the families became very enmeshed, and they would barbeque together...so this is why and how she kind of can't get out of this relationship, even though it's clear it's a mismatch."
It's interesting because if you were to look at that love story in the context of its own show, it might have been Pam and Roy you were rooting for. Context is everything and people change as they get older.
Jenna Fischer has given a few other tidbits about her character's backstory with Roy (like how she felt about her ring) as well as other interesting bits that never made it in the show. If you want to learn more about it, you should listen to the Office Ladies podcast. It's available on EarWolf, or any other major podcasting platform.
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