Off The Beat with Brian Baumgartner

Brian takes one last look at the incredible guests who have joined us on this deep dive journey into The Office. He revisits everyone from the world’s best boss to the world’s worst HR representative as he uncovers why this little show stole the hearts of people all over the world and made a cast of misfits feel like family. Hear from: Steve Carell, Paul Lieberstein, Craig Robinson, Kate Flannery,...

This week, we take a walk down memory lane with Brian as he revisits the best of the best from his deep dive interviews. From the inspiration behind the Dwight Schrute hair to the actress who would have changed her hair to anything to be a part of the Office family, we hear from some of the amazing cast and crew that helped make the show what it is today. Hear from: Ricky Gervais, Rainn Wilson, Ke...

Brian takes us back to the very place where it all began, his second home, Scranton, PA. In this super special edition of the podcast, he talks with some of the people who have been on this journey with him since day one, and whose lives have been changed just as much by The Office as his own. So join us on a trip to the home of Dunder Mifflin, where everybody’s arms are always open to The Office...

On this week of giving thanks, Brian brings in the actual world’s best boss for the final installment of their conversation, the incomparable and unbelievably brilliant showrunner and creator of The Office, Greg Daniels. Greg and Brian discuss the way that Steve’s dedication to improv changed the show, the awards ceremony that went horribly wrong, and what the man that every single cast and crew m...

Tune in this week for part two of Brian’s conversation with the Nard Dog himself, Ed Helms. Ed tells Brian all about his real-life acapella experience, his weeks that started in Scranton and ended in Vegas - and then things get emotional as they start to reflect back on their time on The Office. Oh, and make sure to stick around for Brian’s huge announcement at the end of the episode. Learn more a...

Dwight’s weird cousin Mose AKA the incredible writer Mike Schur joins Brian in the studio for the second half of their conversation. Mike talks about being a part of the cult of Greg Daniels, all of The Office sequels that could have been, and the absolutely hilarious jokes that the writers’ room played on their fellow crew members. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetw...

The laughiest writer on The Office, Jen Celotta, is back and better than ever for part two of her conversation with Brian. Jen reminisces about the greatest love stories that ever were, the time she forgot she was filming a show and Steve had to remind her, and her work day on WebMD that turned into an episode. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio...

On this week’s episode, Brian brings in The Encyclopedia AKA the incredible editor David Rogers. David tells Brian all about his early days on The Office, from the 25 attempts it took to get the theme song right to his role in getting Meredith hit by a car - and landing her a spot on the Tonight Show. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/liste...

The man who always searched for the truth is back for round two of his interview. Director extraordinaire Ken Kwapis joins Brian in the studio to discuss why one should never write a complicated dialogue scene while people are playing volleyball, how he thought Brian’s basketball skills HAD to be visual effects, and the original ending for The Office that involved a very unsuspecting character (we...

Ah yes, the warehouse foreman who blessed us with “dinkin flicka” and served as the voice of reason in all the insanity. Craig Robinson AKA Mr. Darryl Philbin himself joins Brian in the studio to chat about singing his way into booty calls, Steve’s ability to make you laugh without using words, and the panic he felt in his audition with Greg Daniels. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www...

Today Brian talks to “the fastest gun in the west”, the man with arguably the best job in Hollywood - Chris Haston, the key photographer on The Office...who also happens to be Kate Flannery’s main man. Chris tells Brian about the days he had to bribe federales with Playboys, how he got his job at NBC by bugging one guy for five years, and his adorable love story with everyone’s favorite Office dru...

Brian brings John Krasinski aka Jim Halpert back onto the podcast for the second half of their conversation, where they laugh, they cry, and they reveal a long-lost secret. Okay, two out of three of those are true. John talks about how hard he had to fight to stop Jim from cheating on Pam, the time a fan confused him for an old buddy from school, and why he had to lie to his TV dad. Learn more abo...

The man who brought Suck It into our lives joins Brian in the studio. Andy Buckley aka David Wallace, Dunder Mifflin’s very own CFO (and later CEO!), takes it back to the days he was only dreaming of becoming a brooding heartthrob, the time he tried to pull a Tony Soprano, and the special Office business cards he gives out to fans… and yes - he’s hiring! Learn more about your ad-choices at https:/...

Only one superwoman could keep the cast of The Office on track for 9 years, script supervisor extraordinaire Veda Semarne. She explains the complex charts and graphs it took to keep every detail of the show organized (especially the Yankee Swap episode), the difficulties of being a department of one, and even sings us a lullaby.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork...

Debbie Pierce and Kim Ferry, key hairstylist and department head respectively, join Brian to discuss all things hair on The Office...They talk about hair chair therapy, their close relationship with actors, all the crazy Halloween wigs, and - of course - Kevin’s toupee. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sometimes she made them look fresh, sometimes she made them look like Michael Moore. Head makeup artist Laverne Caracuzzi joins Brian in the studio to talk about the ridiculously close bond hair and makeup shared with the cast, her trick for working with fluorescent lighting, and the jaw-dropping gesture that was made during the Writer’s Strike. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.ihea...

Brian welcomes the loveable Ellie Kemper to the show - otherwise known as the equally wonderful Erin Hannon. Ellie recalls the time she peed her pants, why she let them dye her hair on day one, and the most perfect Office couple that never was - no matter how hard Brian pleaded. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informa...

Guess who’s back for another special edition of the podcast?! The one, the only, Rainn Wilson AKA Dwight K. Schrute AKA manager of “Satan’s Ballerinas”. Brian and Rainn go DEEP (that’s what she said) and talk about everything from fantasy football to zonkeys to Rainn’s alien upbringing. Let your interest pique as these comedians dive deep into life’s biggest questions (which he answers on his podc...

Continuing our celebration of women of The Office, Brian talks to editor-turned director extraordinaire Claire Scanlon. She explains what it was like working with a room full of comedy giants, reveals the scene that was cut from the Finale, and discusses her illustrious television alma mater - a Master’s from the University of Greg Daniels. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpod...

The Office wouldn’t be what it is today without the amazing - and amazingly talented - women who contributed to its success. We’re kicking off a new mini deep dive into some of the incredible women of The Office - starting with the one who was there from the very beginning - executive producer Teri Weinberg. She gives Brian all the inside scoop from the network perspective, and talks about how she...

Special guest having this week Brian does… that's right, Oscar-nominated Amy Ryan aka Holly Flax, the one who stole Michael Scott’s heart joins us on the podcast. They talk about going from serious drama to an off-the-wall comedy role, acting while drenched, how Holly broke the chain of Michael’s bad relationships, and the “special” relationship between Holly and Kevin. Learn more about your ad-ch...

He directed Dinner Party, Niagara, and Office Olympics, among many others. And since then, the man, the legend, and everyone’s favorite “bundle of joy” has completely rocked the comedy genre. Director and producer Paul Feig joins Brian this week to jump head first into the big questions: why did the real documentary crew make us relate to the show? How did Paul end up directing Dinner Party? And t...

In this special Thursday edition of the podcast, Brian kicks off his favorite time of the year (football season) with a new mini deep dive celebrating The Office’s Fantasy Football League, formed by the cast and crew of the show. As the league celebrates their 17th season, Brian will invite a new member each week to talk all things The Office… and maybe a little football. For this first podcast, B...

As a surprise for the one and only Steve Carell, Brian invited pop icon and Office superfan Billie Eilish onto the podcast after her epic Grammy win in 2020 to talk about why The Office is her “strange addiction” and what she’s learned from the show. Plus, Brian opens the floor to fans in this special Mailbag episode: he answers all your questions, from comparing the cast with their characters to...

We continue our dive into the writer’s room with writer, director, and producer Brent Forrester. Brent joined The Office in Season 3 and worked on highlight episodes like The Merger, but of course Brent’s #1 accolade is directing the iconic chili scene with Brian Baumgartner himself. This episode, Brent and Kevin spill (the chili) about the scene (did you know Brian actually carried the 74 pound p...