EP. 208 — An Interview with Jake Lacy

Jenna [00:00:03] I’m Jenna Fischer. 

Angela [00:00:05] And I’m Angela Kinsey. 

Jenna [00:00:05] We were on The Office together. 

Angela [00:00:08] And we’re best friends. 

Jenna [00:00:08] And now we’re doing the ultimate Office rewatch podcast just for you. 

Angela [00:00:12] Each week, we will break down an episode of The Office and give exclusive behind the scenes stories that only two people who were there can tell you. 

Jenna [00:00:19] We’re the office ladies. Hello! 

Angela [00:00:26] Hi. How’s it going? 

Jenna [00:00:28] It’s going real, real well. 

Angela [00:00:29] I know. Should we tell everyone why we’re so excited today? 

Jenna [00:00:33] Yes. You tell everybody. 

Angela [00:00:35] I will tell you. We are very excited for today’s episode because we have such an awesome guest. It’s the very talented Jake Lacy who plays our new favorite character, Pete, aka Plop. 

Jenna [00:00:47] Yes! You guys know how much we’ve been loving this Pete and Erin storyline. We’re rooting for Pete and Erin, but really, it is Jake’s performance that has made us fall in love with this whole storyline. 

Angela [00:00:58] How can you not root for Pete? 

Jenna [00:01:00] I love Pete. 

Angela [00:01:01] We love Pete. Many of you know Jake from The Office, but he has gone on to work on so many awesome shows. I mean, Jenna and I, we both loved him in White Lotus. 

Jenna [00:01:11] Lady, when we were trading emails with him, I waited until like, fourth reply, but I had to bring up White Lotus. Because I told him Lee and I have an inside joke now from White Lotus: pineapple room. 

Angela [00:01:24] Oh yeah. You want the pineapple room. 

Jenna [00:01:26] We’re always like, I wonder where the pineapple room is at this hotel. Who got the pineapple room? You sit by the pool, you’re like, I wonder who has the pineapple room. And, you know, you guys, you can also see him in High Fidelity, the series, Significant Other, A Friend of the Family, and so many more. 

Angela [00:01:43] And now you can catch him in his new show, Apples Never Fall. This guy is super busy and we were so happy to finally catch up with him. He’s such a funny and lovely person. 

Jenna [00:01:53] He is an absolute delight. So we’re going to take a quick break and when we come back, please enjoy our interview with Jake Lacy. 

Angela [00:02:11] Hello, Jake! Oh, my gosh, Jake is here, you guys! 

Jenna [00:02:13] Hi, Jake! 

Jake Lacy [00:02:14] Hey, hey, hey! Thanks for having me. Thank you. It’s so good to see you. 

Jenna [00:02:19] We’re so excited to be in touch with you. And I feel like we should say upfront that we have fallen in love with Pete on The Office. We are fans. 

Angela [00:02:26] Yes. We love Plop.

Jenna [00:02:27]  So we know you. 

Jake Lacy [00:02:30] Thank you. That’s really sweet. 

Jenna [00:02:30] But we love, we love him. Oh my gosh, this is like exciting for me as a fan of Pete to have you here today. 

Jake Lacy [00:02:39] Well that feels nuts. But you know what I mean. Like, because of my insane, like, I don’t know, relationship to The Office and that role, and you all. And yeah, that’s a that’s a crazy thing to hear. So thank you very much I really appreciate that. That’s nuts for me.  

Angela [00:02:57] It’s because you do such a great job playing him. We’re all rooting for Pete. Like Jenna and I are like, get out of here, Andy! Let Pete and Erin be together already!

Jake Lacy [00:03:06] Can he live? He just wants her to be happy, guys. He just wants her to be fulfilled, you know? 

Angela [00:03:12] I know. All right, so before- we might have to, like, pause on our Pete adoration, Jenna, and get to the actual interview part. 

Jenna [00:03:20] Yes. Well, let’s start from the beginning. We always ask people, how did you get your job on The Office? 

Jake Lacy [00:03:28] Well, you know what? I listened to the episode you all did of The New Guys, which was informative to me about what the casting process was outside of my little silo within it. You know, like, I didn’t know they, they saw that many people for it, or I didn’t know that there was the potential for the show to continue on and that Clark and I would be… I don’t know, a large part of that or something, you know? But you know what? I’d done a pilot for Fox that I desperately wanted to do. They replaced me with TJ Miller, and I was like, that’s it. I’m done. Like, I’m never- career’s over. That’s that. 

Angela [00:04:07] What was the pilot, Jake? 

Jake Lacy [00:04:09] It was called the Goodwin Games. It ultimately ran for like six episodes on Fox. And the guys who did How I Met Your Mother, who are really wonderful, wonderful, wonderful people, wrote it and produced it. And and they were so generous to call and say, like, hey, this is above our heads, but you’re not moving forward with the show. You know, like, they could have sent that through my reps or something, but they personally called to go, this sucks. We’re really sorry. And that I don’t know, but really nice guys. 

Jenna [00:04:40] Classy move. 

Angela [00:04:40] Yeah, classy. Classy.

Jake Lacy [00:04:42] Totally. Totally. Putting some humanity into this weird business. And so then I, you know, that was in the spring. And then in the, you know, late summer, my manager called and was like, they’re going to add two guys to The Office and they’ve already they’ve already added one. And I don’t know, either in my like confidence or naivete or, I don’t know, something… confidence of youth, I was like, I’m going to be the other one. Like that’s it. Like I’ve got it. This is, it is I like this, I’m going to do it. It’s going to happen. Not that that had any effect on the result, but just I don’t know, that was this feeling where I was- it was my favorite show. You know, I was like, oh my God. I would give anything, to be on this. And, and so then I auditioned in New York, and then they flew me out to L.A. to test. And I didn’t know where you guys shot. I didn’t know anything. And, you know, so they drive you out to the valley, and I’m like, I don’t know. I don’t even know L.A.. Like, I have no idea. So we get out there and there’s, like, me and ten other guys who look like me, a handful of dudes that I see pop up in stuff now all the time and I always like, kind of cheer for them. And then, you know, they I guess Greg came out. Introduce me to Dave Rogers. Said this is a very important person on this show. I was like, okay, great. And then they opened the door and I’m like, in the bullpen. Like, I didn’t understand that it was. 

Jenna [00:06:13] You tested on the set?

Jake Lacy [00:06:16] Yeah, yeah yeah, yeah. 

Jenna [00:06:17] Did you test with, like, cameras rolling and everything? 

Jake Lacy [00:06:20] Oh, dude, I open the door. Clark is, like, at his desk. 

Angela [00:06:25] You’re in the annex?!

Jake Lacy [00:06:28] Matt’s there. Like, yeah, both cam ops are up. And Greg is like, you know, Dave suggested we shoot the test like the show, and he could edit it together so I could see what it would look like. It wouldn’t be me guessing from a tape in a room somewhere. And it wouldn’t be you fumbling around on a folding chair. Like you could just be in space. 

Angela [00:06:46] Wow. 

Jenna [00:06:48] Yeah. I mean, we should tell people that that was really unique for The Office. That was my testing experience as well. But most test auditions are, like, in a conference room with a bunch of executives watching you read it, or it’s, it’s never like they edit it together for you and create, like, a mini version of the real thing. That was totally Office unique. And I didn’t know that they did that for you as well. That’s fascinating. 

Jake Lacy [00:07:16] Yeah. 

Angela [00:07:16] You know what’s blowing my mind, too, Jake, is that you’re a fan of the show, and, like, I’m just trying to imagine you’re a fan of the show, you’re in a van going somewhere deep in the valley. You pass a crematorium, a junkyard. You’re like, where am I? Then you are in a room, a random room with all- 

Jenna [00:07:34] Yeah. Am I auditioning or are they going to murder me at the end of this van ride. 

Angela [00:07:39] But then the mental like, mind Ben, that you did of, like, you’re just kind of in a room with other guys that look like you, and then you open a door and you’re on the set of one of your favorite shows. You’re like, what? That would be… 

Jenna [00:07:52] And now you’re supposed to audition. 

Angela [00:07:53] And be, like, just totally cool. 

Jake Lacy [00:07:56] Well, and the audition was improv. The audition was improv with Clark. 

Jenna [00:08:00] No. It was not. 

Angela [00:08:01] Stop it. 

Jake Lacy [00:08:01] Yeah, fully. He was like, Greg was like, great, let’s- we’re going to just set this up. You guys are working. And Clark has found, somehow has hacked into your Facebook account or something like that and is now is looking at pictures of your mom. 

Angela [00:08:16] Oh my God. 

Jake Lacy [00:08:17] And Clark just kept making, like, you know, a lot of innuendo based jokes and talking about asking of my mom and had breast augmentation or if I’d grown up, you know, seeing these boobs all the time and things like that. And, and me trying to get work done and being sort of, you know, laughing and also put out by that this is my coworker. And then we so just back to what you’ve just said. Yes, my mind was like… It was a lot to take in. That was a lot in that moment to go like, oh, this is the creator of the American version of this show, and I’m on the set and I’m, you know, it just was like a lot. And then I tested with Ellie, then did more improv with Ellie. And then they said, okay, great. 

Angela [00:09:01] This is all on the same day? You went from Clark? 

Jake Lacy [00:09:05] It’s all in 20 minutes. Then they just moved from the annex out to reception. Yeah. 

Angela [00:09:09] And now you’re walking through the whole entire set? 

Jake Lacy [00:09:12] Yeah. Just trying to not lose my mind. Also, I’m like 25, maybe 26, you know, like maybe younger, maybe 25, like I just. I don’t know. I’m 38 now. I still would lose my mind. You know, it’s not that I’ve gotten cooler about it. 

Jenna [00:09:28] How long after this audition day did you have to wait to get the role? 

Jake Lacy [00:09:32] Oh, I flew home like that afternoon, probably. And then that was on, like, Thursday. And, and then they called on Saturday night to say, you got it. But also we shoot Tuesday. So you’ll need to fly out like tomorrow afternoon. So I drove into the city. My girlfriend, now my wife, Lauren, was working and I drove in to be like, I’ve got it, I’m going to fly to LA. Like, this is- I got- I’m going tomorrow night. 

[00:10:05] Go fly to L.A. for how long? For like, months!

Jake Lacy [00:10:07] For like ten months. Yeah, for like nine months. 

Jenna [00:10:10] Pack your bag. You leave tomorrow. How do you pack for that?

Jake Lacy [00:10:14] Unsuccessfully, you know, poorly. Just like a duffle with, like, two t shirts and some running shoes. Great. I’m out. Like a go bag but for a person who’s, like, never served in the military. 

Jenna [00:10:26] So your first time walking on set was actually during your audition. But do you remember what your first scene was after you got the part? 

Jake Lacy [00:10:37] Yeah, yeah, it was the slack lining. And John kept breaking. 

Jenna [00:10:43] No. 

Jake Lacy [00:10:43] And I was standing next to him and was so- again, this is as if a person, even though I’m like, I’ve gone to drama school, I’ve been on one show previously. I, you know, this is still like winning something off of a radio program for me. You know, like just some goof walking on set being like, I’m a part of it for the day. And, and I’m standing next to John, who keeps laughing, who keeps breaking while Rainn is on the slack line. And I remember both Dwight is supposed to be getting more intense, but also Rainn is slowly getting more frustrated because John laughing because it’s really difficult to do the fake bad slack lining. And so it’s both like the storyline is escalating and also this like friendship tension is escalating. And I’m new and dying laughing. Like, like can’t stop. I’m like, I’m going to get fired like day one, you know what I mean? Like, we won’t get through the first scene and they’re like, this kid can’t- He’s added forty minutes to the day. I mean, like, come on, you know? And then I think the next was like a conference room and it was like, I don’t know, Oscar had some line that kept getting me, and I just kept having to, like, look away a lot. And I was like, I’m (BLEEP) you know what I mean? Like, I’m just this is it for the next 20 episodes and I’m going to ruin it. 

Angela [00:12:07] In rewatching this with my teenagers, there was a line, I can’t even remember what it is. But Meredith comes for you so hard. Meredith hits on you a lot. And there’s a few moments I’m like, I don’t know how he got through that. 

Jake Lacy [00:12:24] There’s some in the in the, you know, they’re at the table in the snack room. Break room. 

Angela [00:12:29] Yeah. 

Jake Lacy [00:12:30] Yeah. And, she’s right up on me a couple of times, like full body on me, you know? And it’s so funny. It’s so funny. 

Angela [00:12:38] We have to talk to you about a few sort of big, epic Office episodes that are legendary with the cast. And one of them is Work Bus. Work Bus… 

Jake Lacy [00:12:49] Oh my goodness. Yes. 

Angela [00:12:49] What do you remember about Work Bus? 

Jake Lacy [00:12:52] Oh, boy. Well, the like behind the scenes little BTS tea or just like the episode? The narrative?

Angela [00:13:01] Well, you know, we all we all called it Death Bus. 

Jake Lacy [00:13:04] Yeah, I remember Bryan Cranston directed that episode, and, I remember the fumes. I remember the I remember there was almost no air conditioning. But even when it was on, it would be on for, like, 20 seconds as we did a turn around. You’re like, that’s not long enough to cool off a bus full of 20 people. I remember the fumes from, you know, because it’s on a trailer or whatnot, the fumes billowing in and that being a real issue. I remember being on the road and timing out when things happen because you had to get the same, you know, background on each side as you kind of cross covered people. That was a high bar to clear. 

Angela [00:13:52] Jake. I’m pretty sure too when we did that big swerve, that’s when you slid into me and then I slammed into the wall. That that window. Yeah. 

Jake Lacy [00:14:04] Are we sure that was me? I mean, that could have been any any man. Yeah. That sounds right. 

Angela [00:14:09] Anyone on the bus. 

Jake Lacy [00:14:10] Someone. Was it you? Somebody hit their head on that turn. Someone’s head hit the window. There was a moment of… 

Angela [00:14:19] It was me. I hit my head. 

Jake Lacy [00:14:24] Look, years later, my deepest apologies. Is this gotcha journalism? Have I been brought on to be shamed for propulsion of body sliding across seat? 

Jenna [00:14:37] You have not, Jake. And we want you to know that Bryan Cranston has gone on the record discussing these calamities. They are well known. Ellie has gone on the record about peeing her pants in the bus. It was a day. 

Jake Lacy [00:14:53] I do remember, I think maybe it was John. Maybe it was Rainn. We stopped at one point and they- one or both of them got off and were like, I’m not getting back on this bus until you sort this out. But there was a real moment of like, hey, it’s not just actors complaining in here. There’s- you should- this should be addressed. And then the other was there was silence on that bus for a little while, and Ed from the back was like, “17 cast members of The Office died today”… Just peppered it out there, and everybody started laughing. 

Angela [00:15:32] Did his Tom Brokaw. 

Jake Lacy [00:15:33] That he did his Brokaw, announcing that, like, the entire cast had been killed in a traffic accident. And I was like, that’s hilarious. Like, that is so funny in this moment where everyone’s like, I can’t, I can’t, I will not stand for, you know, silently stewing, that he was like, from the deep, deep back of the bus. 

Angela [00:15:52] That’s awesome. Well, we remember Work Bus the same. That’s really similar to our memories. 

Jenna [00:15:59] This is a crazy question. I feel like I know the answer. Did you really grow a mustache for Movember for the episode Movember? Or was that a fakey mustache. 

Jake Lacy [00:16:08] No. I have such a weak, such a weak mustache. I’ll grow like an Amish kind of, you know, chinstrap overnight. But the one thing I pine for is like a proper- I would just live with a cool Selleck mustache if I could. So no, I didn’t. I didn’t do it. They cut my hair, you know, just to maintain that men’s bob that I had, and then used the ends of those clippings to make my own little rat stache that they taped on. 

Jenna [00:16:41] They used your own hair clippings to make that mustache?

Jake Lacy [00:16:46] Yeah. Yeah. I mean, it’s kind of it’s both, like, overkill and also real attention to detail. It’s pretty cool. Also better than being like, I don’t know, this is someone’s hair and we’ll just put it on you. Like, oh, God. Okay. 

Angela [00:16:59] You got the better deal than what Paul Lieberstein got, because that was like a small woodland creature on his upper lip. 

Jake Lacy [00:17:04] Pretty much. That’s got to be fake, too, right? That’s not- he didn’t grow that. 

Angela [00:17:12] Oh, that was for sure fake. 

Jake Lacy [00:17:14] Okay. 

Angela [00:17:15] I have to ask you about all of those Die Hard scenes. I mean, I watched all the deleted scenes, and there were so many, Jake. It was physical, too. Like, you were, like, rolling on the ground and standing up, and it was amazing. 

Jake Lacy [00:17:30] Yeah. I had, you know, my girlfriend was in New York, so I was in L.A. alone and had no kids or pets or responsibility. So that is all just, like, memorized. And I think, you know, as an indication of, like my obsession sometimes with things, I think it had been lightly suggested, like, here’s some scenes, it’d be fun for you to, you know, so we could pull clips from it. And then I memorized the first, like 40 minutes of that movie or something. You know, like the cadence of the thing. Also partially because I was like, I don’t want anyone who loves Die Hard to watch this and be like, what is he doing? That’s not what happens, you know? 

Angela [00:18:14] You had so much detail, like you would say a line and then you’d go ring ning ning ning ning ning ning.  You’re not dying to come here ring ning ning ning. I’m like, what is- what is the ring ning ning ning? Is it the big fan? What is that?

Jake Lacy [00:18:28] Yeah. I felt like I built out a whole world. Yeah. I thought it would be really fun to go for it. Or whoever. I think also, again, like, whoever wrote that episode had approached me and been like, you should go for it. 

Angela [00:18:39] Robert Padnick. He loves Die Hard. Yeah. 

Jake Lacy [00:18:42] He’s brilliant. 

Angela [00:18:42] Oh yeah, he’s amazing. When I watched all those deleted scenes, I was like, this was hours of memorization. You must have spent so many days on that. 

Jake Lacy [00:18:52] I would just be in my trailer, you know, in that parking lot just watching Die Hard, like, I don’t even know if it was on my phone. I’m trying to. Maybe they gave me a DVD of it and I could, like, play it on the little thing in the trailer or whatever. But like, yeah. Yeah, genuinely hours and hours and hours. 

Angela [00:19:08] Well, it’s fantastic for anyone out there that has the DVDs. I highly recommend watching all of Jake’s performances outside of the episode that live in the deleted scenes. 

Jake Lacy [00:19:21] I’m like, that was my one chance. Deleted. 

Jenna [00:19:24] Jake, I have this memory of you joining the cast for that final season, and there was a group of us who were so delighted to have new people there. It was like, you and Clark. I’m afraid we were annoying. I’m afraid like, because we had all talked to each other for eight full years. And now finally there were some new people. And it was the most exciting thing. I would actually try to, like, not overwhelm you with talking your ear off, because we were just… I mean, the crew included. There was not a new face for so long. I have to know, like, how was it for you? 

Jake Lacy [00:20:09] I well, I’ve never thought of it in those terms. Like I’ve it’s never crossed my mind to go, all right, you had almost ten years of working with the same people for months and months. And like the bond that that brings. You also go, man, it’d be nice to not know everyone’s life story that I’m here with.

Jenna [00:20:27] Exactly! 

Angela [00:20:27] It’d be nice to have a little mystery. 

Jake Lacy [00:20:28] Yeah. I, you know, at the time, I just thought… I was just so consumed with like, you know, don’t mess this up. Don’t be weird around these people. Don’t- you know what I mean? Like, don’t fan out and get weird and, you know, like, just show up and do your thing and leave. Don’t try to make it social. You know, like, nobody’s excited that you’re here, Jake. Just do your thing. So it’s funny years later to hear you go like, we were thrilled to have new people here. And that you were like, I’m going to play it cool, because that’s what I was doing. I was fully being like, I’m playing it cool, I’m gonna play it cool, like I’m, hey, it’s nice to meet you. As if I’ve never seen the show and didn’t know it existed. Instead of like, I’ve seen every episode. It’s my favorite program, you know what I mean? 

Angela [00:21:23] Oh my gosh. Yes. Okay, so I just watched the episode with my teens. We did a little bit of a Office marathon last night, and we watched the beginning of Moving On, and Andy comes back and he’s forgotten that your name is Pete. He just calls you Plop, and he’s like, Erin is hooking up with some guy named Pete. You have a great moment where you’re like, I think Andy has called me Plop for so long, he’s forgotten my name is Pete. 

Jake Lacy [00:21:51] Yeah. 

Angela [00:21:51] That runner was hilarious. 

Jake Lacy [00:21:53] Which is my name. Pete. Like, I think then I, like I say it again to the camera crew, basically, to be like, that’s me. Just in case you guys are also not caught up. I’m. I’m Pete. Yeah. That you know the I is that… Jon Favreau directed one of those. It might be that that episode and then they made it two. 

Angela [00:22:16] Yes, he directed Moving On. 

Jenna [00:22:21] I loved working with him. It was like maybe my favorite big name guest director that we had outside of Harold Ramis was Jon Favreau. And I know, I’m sorry, that was before you joined us. 

Jake Lacy [00:22:36] Wow. Yeah. He’s a hero. 

Jenna [00:22:40] Legend. But Jon Favreau was amazing and they so his episode was so good that they didn’t want to cut a single minute from it. And so they made it super sized. 

Jake Lacy [00:22:55] What I remember that he- well I just have a couple things. One is like I remember before every scene he would just go over the moment before. He would just as a group go like, hey, just to be clear, this person’s back, you’re feeling this way about it. Maybe you guys feel something else about it. I don’t know, that’s up to you. And you’re worried about this. And earlier we found out about that. So let’s just keep that in mind and, go ahead. You know, like that clarity. Just going back to the basics of like, where are you coming from? Where are you going? What are you trying to get? 

Angela [00:23:30] Yeah, just good scene work. He was so good with that. 

Jake Lacy [00:23:34] Yeah. And letting that add up to something, you know, that that if you had all the pieces then in the edit he could go, oh I’ll build it from here, you know. And also that he knew story wise there was something where I come in talking to Erin, I’m asking about mail. Andy’s back. And there was some kind of back and forth like two or 4 or 5 lines, something like that. And Jon was like, just I know what they’re trying to do here. I don’t think this really accomplishes it. Just come in and look through the mail and look down to Ellie, and she’ll sort of look up to you and you can smile and then just take your mail and go to the desk. And I was like, amazing. Like that he understood to go like, you maybe don’t need this dialogue. Like just we get it. We see two people who are into each other. We see this little quiet, private connection. And like, that means more to the story and to the audience than being quippy with each other. Like, that’s not actually the thing that those two characters have found in each other. It’s not a sparring partner, it’s someone that they like to be with. So just be with them. You know? Like, he could see that stuff and go, oh, man. And I feel like I’m talking a lot, but I just love the show. And I don’t know, this is like a door to memory lane that I didn’t know existed. So it’s very exciting. 

Jenna [00:25:04] Keep it up. 

Jake Lacy [00:25:05] You know, he’s like, he finds out that it’s me that Erin has been seeing and now is trying to drive this wedge. And I think there’s outtakes of it where he’s going through Wikipedia or like, you know, web MD or something, and it’s going, yeah, you know, you never know who has what. I just got my test back and I’ve got… And looks over at the screen and then calls chlamydia “shlamydia” because he doesn’t know what it is. And, but I didn’t know he was going to do that. And I just, like, lost it. I just died laughing at him improv-ing shlamydia. 

Angela [00:25:53] That makes it in the episode, too. 

Jake Lacy [00:25:56] Yes. Then we had to go back and Jon was like, do it again. Do do that, do that, do that. And had been like, that was another one where he was like, don’t worry about the dialog. Like, let’s just do one where you come in and you know that he knows and he knows that you know that he knows and let’s see what happens. And so then there’s like, my proudest performance moment on that whole show is me going like, you know, you were gone. Like, now admitting it and trying to deal with him and that he’s like, I knew it! You know, like that it explodes into this thing. And that was this semi organic like improv from John and and Ed and that I was like, oh this. Wow. You know, again, as a fan and a love of the show and a participant and all this stuff like coming together at once, you were like, oh my God, I can’t believe I’m going to do this.  

Angela [00:26:42] Oh, that moment is so good. I didn’t know that story behind that moment. It’s brilliant. 

Jake Lacy [00:26:49] Oh, just oh. That man. Yeah. God. So cool, dude, it’s so cool. Yeah, man. Makes me so happy to be thinking about it. 

Jenna [00:27:07] I just wanted to know if there were, because you were just talking about opening that door to memory lane. Are there any other, like, scenes or moments or it could be an on camera, an off camera moment that come to mind that we haven’t talked about? Anything that like, if you could go back and and relive it, that you’d be like, oh, I got to do that again?

Jake Lacy [00:27:31] I bet there’s 100 that I, you know, I don’t know, can’t remember or I don’t know, but I what but ones I do are like, you know, your final talking head. Like… I think I have a photo, I think, but then I was even like, I should not be taking this. But like. 

Angela [00:27:51] We were all in Video Village, Jake, remember? We were all on that couch together watching it? 

Jake Lacy [00:27:56] Yes. And I felt like I should not be here. Like this is… These people have created this thing and I got to, like, be a band aid on this, you know, like I’m a snail stuck to the side of this ship. But these folks built that ship, you know, and going like, I should give them space. As if, like, a loved one was passing and I was, I don’t know, someone bringing in Jell-O that was like, whoops, my bad. But I just remember being in that room and thinking like, this is nuts. Again. Like, as a participant, as a person on the show and going like, oh man, I’ve loved my time here. It’s so sad to think this is the end of it, you know? And also as a viewer, as a fan of the show for so many years to go, oh man, I can’t believe I’m here. I’m inside the thing. I’m inside the mothership, like watching it happen. This is insane. And I’m here with everybody who’s made this thing for almost a decade. You know what I mean? It was just a surreal. Surreal then. Surreal now. It’s never, I don’t know, but other memories… riding to the, you know, being in a van with everybody, going to the last table read. And the way they had that table read set up with the cameras so the execs could see it back when everybody wanted to be a part of it, you know? And, the after we wrapped and then there was that kind of strange wrap party. 

Angela [00:29:23] Yeah. 

Jake Lacy [00:29:23] And then the very cool wrap party and, Stephen Merchant being there and me reintroducing myself to Stephen Merchant, assuming he does not know who I am. You know, even though he’s an EP on the show. And he was like, yeah, no, I know, Jake, I’ve seen every episode. Like, I, I hired you, I’ve seen the edits like I’m aware. You know, like still to the end being like, oh, a pleasure to meet you. He was like, yeah, no, we got it, guy. We got it. 

Angela [00:29:51] So Jenna and I both know moments on the show where we completely lost it and could barely regain our composure. Like we lost it. And I know you said that you broke at the slackline, but was there any other moment where you completely lost it? 

Jake Lacy [00:30:09] There’s a couple times where… It’s a couple times in the conference room where I really felt like, oh God, I’m going to die here. This will be the end. And, but some of those were like uh John. John one time was like, hey, watch this. Brian, make it go on too long. And Brian was like, got it. And then at the end, when the scripted scene has finished, you know, Brian as Kevin would just lob in another line or two like just calling back to his own storyline to be like, But are we going to? You know, and like each time it would just ruin me to be both like, this has been so funny as scripted. And then someone just freewheeling and going, like, I’m going to take over at the end here. I was like, that is so unbelievably funny to me. I think there’s a lot like… I don’t know. I don’t know if there’s one where I’m like… I don’t know. What are one’s. What are the top ones? Do you have any from that season that you go, this… I couldn’t function?

Angela [00:31:26] Well, I have one that’s very fresh. Just because I just watched it when Aunt Shirley slapped me. She really slapped me. And you can see me sort of like I have to, like, bend over because I’m kind of shock laughing, like, oh, (BLEEP). That really hurt. She really (BLEEP) slapped me. 

Jake Lacy [00:31:47] Like (BLEEP) a handful there. 

Angela [00:31:49] Yeah, but so that was very fresh for me. But just the conference room. Whenever we all had a moment, whenever we all had a line and it was just like zipping around the conference room, there was always that great energy, and we were confined in that tiny space. And that added to it all day long, being stuck in that space. That’s usually when I broke the hardest. 

Jenna [00:32:13] I just remember losing it a lot during the Lice episode. Kate being so like, defensive and then bald. And the guilt that my character had over the whole situation. It just I just remember laughing a lot during that episode. 

Jake Lacy [00:32:32] As you say, that, like I had forgotten… I guess now it reminds me like Zach Woods came back for one episode maybe, and I was a fan of his from a distance. And then in the moment, people had been like, they don’t really write stuff for him because he’s so smart that he kind of has alts for himself, you know? And that they’d offered for him to be a writer on the show a handful of times. And he was like, no, I want to perform. Like, I don’t I want to be able to do both. And he came in and we’re in a conference room. It’s just there’s four of us there. And he- the things he had brought with him in his little like dialogue bag of tricks, I was like, Holy (BLEEP). Like it was both what he was presenting, and then also, if I could try to keep up with him for a moment, like, so fast back into it. You know what I mean? To add to it, not cutting me down, but just to add into the joke of it, you know, I was like, this is… This is another level. You know, like, this is something I wish I knew what magic trick is happening here. You know, like. Yeah. God, I just think, oh, and I- sorry. I know it’s- I’m a guest on the show, so you’re asking me questions, I still feel like I’m talking a lot about me, but I had food poisoning during an episode, so I would go throw up in my trailer- I didn’t know you could call into work- and then come shoot those scenes. So I look like kind of the pallid, you know, in some of those scenes and then like, go back to my trailer. 

Angela [00:34:04] For the Lice episode? 

Jake Lacy [00:34:04] And just be like- no, no, for whatever episode Zach came back for and he hires my ex-girlfriend to then work there. 

Jenna [00:34:15] Yes, right. 

Angela [00:34:16] Yes. 

Jake Lacy [00:34:16] And sets us up as this love hate triangle thing. But that episode, I had food poisoning, so I was very sick. And then also coming in and, like, no food in my system and kind of like ughhhh. And Zach just, like, throwing heat for an hour and me, like, giggling at a conference table and then being like, if you’ll excuse me, to go back into my trailer and be sick. But that’s one where I couldn’t stop laughing and I thought, like, I’m going to ruin this for him. They won’t be able to edit around me laughing. I sound wildly unprofessional in that way, but but just thinking like this is too funny, I won’t manage. 

Jenna [00:34:55] Do you think Pete and Erin ended up together? It’s very vague in the finale. What were you playing? What was your decision? 

Jake Lacy [00:35:06] That I think uh she moves on. 

Angela [00:35:10] Really? You don’t think they end up together? 

Jake Lacy [00:35:13] No, but I think like look, I haven’t really stayed… Maybe this is different for you. For me when people go, like, I’m still close with all my exes, I’m like you’re out of your mind, but okay. To me, I’m like… I think Pete and Erin genuinely like, stay close. You know that they each, like, had this time together. And she also finds such deeper, I don’t know, clarity and closure in the other storyline for her of like her birth mother and, you know, that I feel like Pete is like a part of her life that informs that a little, but isn’t like the guy. But in this great way that they actually stay close, that they actually stay, like really good friends and it just isn’t the thing. Like, that’s kind of my hope for them. But I don’t know. Maybe, you know, maybe other people feel differently. 

Angela [00:36:14] We’ll get mail. We’ll get mail. 

Jake Lacy [00:36:17] He’s wrong. Oh, sheesh. 

Jenna [00:36:22] We also always ask people, do you get recognized for being Pete? And in your case, what do people call you? Pete or Plop? 

Jake Lacy [00:36:31] Yeah. It’s Plop. Plop for sure. Plop, definitely. Yeah. To an extent, it’s it is, you know, you go, but better than not being recognized. You know what I mean? That’s very nice. But also like. 

Angela [00:36:46] Oh, great. 

Jake Lacy [00:36:48] It’s that difference that someone goes, like, where you Plop on The Office and you go, yeah, man, that’s me. Totally. Or when, like, at Home Depot, someone’s like, Plop! You go, hey, man, hey, bud. Could we not yell that? You know, like, that’s that’s a bummer. You know, it just that, that variation of the interaction. Because ultimately, like, it’s not the name, it’s just like one feels like a human interaction, and one feels like, I don’t know. Weird. 

Angela [00:37:19] It is. 

Jake Lacy [00:37:19] But yes, it’s sometimes Pete, sometimes Pete. 

Angela [00:37:22] Every once in a while I get, Green is whore-ish! And I’m like, I can’t we we- Can we dial that one down, folks?

Jake Lacy [00:37:29] We can put that one to bed, gang. That’s all right. My kids are here. I don’t need to explain what whoreish means to an entire middle school. Like what the. Come on, guy. 

Angela [00:37:41] Did you, take anything from set when it wrapped? Because we all took a little something. 

Jake Lacy [00:37:46] I was too afraid. Too afraid, too afraid. I know now that’s like I should have just, like, brought a duffel bag and been like, it’s all mine! I’m taking- you know, no one will know! No, no, no. No. I was sure that I’d get a call and people would be like, did you take the stapler? And I’d be like (BLEEP) No. I think I maybe have like a script, maybe like the final script. Something like that. 

Angela [00:38:14] All right. I wanted to share with you that we notice we have all the call sheets because, everyone’s been so amazing since Jenna and I started this podcast. They have just shared with us shooting drafts and candy bag alts and call sheets, so we’ve really been able to dig in, you know? And one of the things I noticed on the back of the call sheets for season eight, they’ve actually stopped for season nine. I’m not sure why. But on the back of the call sheets for season eight, there was a little section where it was like, get to know your cast and crew. And they picked a person and asked them five questions, and it was on the back of every call sheet. And I am loving them because the questions are so fantastic. And we asked these to Bryan Cranston. And I was like, oh my gosh, Jenna, we have to ask these to every guest moving forward because these questions are so fun. 

Jake Lacy [00:39:06] So cool. 

Angela [00:39:06] So here they are. The first question is what was your first entertainment job? 

Jake Lacy [00:39:12] Oh. Well, the first like real professional, I was, 16. Yeah, 16 or 17. And, I grew up in Vermont. The Bread Loaf campus of Middlebury College in the summer would do a language program, and they would also have people from theater in Providence come up and do shows. So I was in Tom Stoppard’s Arcadia when I was like 16, I think it was 17. And, you know, it’s just for the summer, but it was like working with professional actors and knew I wanted to be an actor at that point. So that was like my first ever. 

Jenna [00:39:51] Oh, Jake, that makes my theater nerd heart swell so much. All right, I have the next question. Do you speak any other languages? 

Jake Lacy [00:40:02] No. Language of the heart. No, I don’t, I don’t. I’d like- I’m working on Italian, but it’s not going quickly. So no, the answer’s no. 

Jenna [00:40:12] What was the goal in wanting to learn Italian? Was it I’m going to go there and I’m going to be like, is what- why Italian? 

Jake Lacy [00:40:20] I spent a very small amount of time there maybe ten years ago and traveled around in Italy and thought like, this is it. This is where I would move tomorrow, like any part of it. Tuscany, Umbria, down to the coast. I mean, like I just was totally taken with it. And, and, you know, always honestly have one foot in going, like, maybe I’ll move to Italy. You know, like I have kids now and married whatever but would go, like, let’s go. But this business is so remote, I rarely shoot in New York or L.A. anyways. There’s no reason for me to go like, I need to be a train ride away from the city. It’s like, yeah, if I want to do a play, that’s true. But the reality of mostly what my work is, is like sending in self tapes, meeting people over zoom, you know, maybe an offer, but really that’s kind of rare. So like, I could live anywhere. And why not pick up and go to Florence? Why not go to Siena? You know? So and if we were to do that, I’d like to be, engaged in a culture and not just like an expat floating around the prototypical American to go, like anyone here speak English? English, anybody? But we’ll see. 

Angela [00:41:40] Well, that folds into question number three on the call sheet is what’s a place you’ve been to that you’ve loved? So I think that’s, for you, Italy? 

Jake Lacy [00:41:50] Italy to be sure. And also London, I don’t know, I’ve spent a little time in London and thought this is I would also, you know, it’s the most expensive city maybe in the world, but but London, I just thought it was wonderful. Yeah. 

Angela [00:42:04] I don’t know. I think that all sounds pretty fantastic. I know want I go. You know, I had friends, I had friends in my 20s- of course, they didn’t have kids yet, you know, but they decided to go live in Italy for a year. And they went and they lived in Italy for a year, and they loved it. And I think they think back to that time in their life so fondly. And I grew up overseas. So, Jake, I’m saying go for it! 

Jake Lacy [00:42:27] You did? Where did you grow up? Where? Where were you overseas? 

Angela [00:42:29] I lived 12 years in Jakarta, Indonesia. 

Jake Lacy [00:42:32] Oh my God, what was there for that your family was there for? What was that? 

Angela [00:42:36] My dad was a drilling engineer and he was transferred there in the 70s. And I grew up there. 

Jake Lacy [00:42:41] Wow. 

Angela [00:42:42] I loved that chapter of my life. So I and I think you just, I it’s such an education. So I don’t want to get in trouble here. I don’t want step in your business with your wife. But I’m just saying. 

Jake Lacy [00:42:53] She’s into it. She’s like, let’s go. 

Angela [00:42:55] I’m saying go for it. 

Jake Lacy [00:42:56] For real. Yeah. No, you’re you’re tipping the scale. 

Angela [00:42:59] Well, if Office Ladies come to Italy, we will find you. 

Jake Lacy [00:43:03] Hey. You’ve always got a place to stay. You’ll always be welcome at our house. Pasta and pool. 

Jenna [00:43:08] Next question is, what do you like to do on the weekends? 

Jake Lacy [00:43:16] I mean, I’ve got two little boys, so it’s… The weekends are not my own. Do you know what I mean? It’s like when they’re at school… On the weekends, what do I really like to do? If I get the chance, I love running. I love trail running. If I can get away for just a little bit to do that. Or boy, reading, if I get like a half hour in of just reading. Boy, that’s a pleasure. 

Jenna [00:43:44] You’re so obviously the parent of small children. 

Jake Lacy [00:43:48] I know. A shower? 

Jenna [00:43:49] I remember these days. 

Angela [00:43:49] A shower. Yes. An uninterrupted shower. 

Jake Lacy [00:43:53] Yeah. 

Angela [00:43:54] Okay. Last question. Jake, what is your favorite midnight snack? 

Jake Lacy [00:44:02] Oh, cold pizza. 

Angela [00:44:04] Yeah?

Jenna [00:44:05] Oh, yeah? 

Jake Lacy [00:44:06] I’ll order pizza, eat too much of it the first time. Convince myself I won’t have any later. Put the kids to bed, put something on, be like, do you want a snack? My wife’s like, I’m good, dude, I had too much for dinner. I’m like, yeah, I know. Totally. And then go downstairs and, like, make the coffee, let the dog out, eat two pieces of pizza, and be like, what are you doing? What is happening? So it’s that. And also, man, of late, Frosted Mini-wheats has been like, they’re just in there. And I think, oh, that’ll fill me up a little. It’s a little sweet. It’s a little whatever, you know? And like, we have these pour tubs. It’s not just the box, you know, keeping it all organized. And but I won’t, like, put it in a bowl because I’m convinced… You know, I’m convinced I’m going to have like, two little handfuls and that’ll be that. But instead I probably put away like half a bag of cereal and then go, like what- dude, it’s midnight. Like, ughhh come on, bud. Also why? You know what I mean? Just why run and go to the gym if then from 11 to 12 you’re going to do your own at home fourth meal. You know? Remember when Taco Bell made that a thing? They were just legit, like, go ahead have 25% more food than anyone’s ever recommended. Fourth meal. Oh. All right. Cool. Yeah, yeah, we’ll do that. We’re into it. 

Jenna [00:45:29] That’s very funny. 

Jake Lacy [00:45:29] So that’s pizza, pizza, frosted Mini-wheats and uh, god…yeah. 

Jenna [00:45:36] Nutritious. Super- you’re packing in some extra nutrition. 

Jake Lacy [00:45:38] High in fiber. 

Angela [00:45:42] I love. I love not committing to a bowl, though. That is me. I’m like, if I only take a few handfuls of M&Ms, is it really anything? Because I didn’t put it in a container. It just a few. And I double dip. 

Jake Lacy [00:45:53] Right. And then by October 10th, they’re like, somehow we’re out of candy for Halloween. I don’t know how that happened, but… 

Angela [00:46:00] Wasn’t me. I didn’t put it in a bowl. 

Jake Lacy [00:46:05] Yeah. No, it’s. Yeah, it’s a problem. It’s a problem. 

Jenna [00:46:09] Aw, Jake, it was so good to see you and get to reconnect. You are just the same. Just the same awesome guy. And this was really fun. 

Jake Lacy [00:46:15] Thank you. Thank you. 

Jenna [00:46:15] Same awesome guy. And this. It’s really fun. 

Jake Lacy [00:46:19] I really. Yeah. Thanks so much. This is really lovely. Thank you for for having me on here. And it’s really nice like reconnecting. 

Angela [00:46:25] And Jake we just loved you on set. We you were just so wonderful to be around. And so I just hope you know how much we all just like- you- you just fit in seamlessly. And you were just part of the family. 

Jake Lacy [00:46:39] That really means a lot. Thank you. Thank you. This is like me then saying thank you and me now saying thank you. You know? Like it really- thanks. Thank you. And uh yeah. Thank you. 

Jenna [00:46:59] Do you see what we’re saying? How great is Jake Lacy? 

Angela [00:47:01] I know. Love him. 

Jenna [00:47:03] I love him even more now. 

Angela [00:47:04] I know. 

Jenna [00:47:05] Well, a big thanks to Jake for sharing with us about his time on The Office, and please be sure to check out his new show, Apples Never Fall on Peacock. 

Angela [00:47:13] Thanks so much for listening. We hope you have a good week and we’ll see you next time. 

Jenna [00:47:16] See you then! Thank you for listening to Office Ladies. 

Angela [00:47:23] Office ladies is produced by Earwolf, Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey. 

Jenna [00:47:27] Our senior producer is Cassi Jerkins. Our audio engineer is Jordan Duffy, and our associate producer is Aynsley Bubbico. 

Angela [00:47:35] Our theme song is Rubber Tree by Creed Bratton.