Paul Feig
Appearances
Office Ladies
Second Drink: Office Olympics with Paul Feig
Oh, my God. I'm so excited. I'm so happy that you guys are doing this, and I wish I could be in the studio with you. It would be so much even more fun.
Office Ladies
Second Drink: Office Olympics with Paul Feig
It was my great agent at the time, Renee Kurtz, who was steering me towards it. Honestly, I was offered several years before the chance to develop The Office, the British office, into a series. And I was like, oh, forget it. There's no way you can do it. It's too scary because it's such a great series. So I just didn't even take the bait. But then when Greg did it, I was really amazed by that.
Office Ladies
Second Drink: Office Olympics with Paul Feig
The funny thing is I was making a pilot at the same time that Greg did the pilot for The Office. I remember we were both working at some studio and he was editing there. I remember him coming over to us, to Rodney Rothman and I, whose pilot it was. He's like, hey, come in here, come in here.
Office Ladies
Second Drink: Office Olympics with Paul Feig
I got to play you a couple of different options for the opening theme song for this show that I just directed. And so he played a couple of different versions, including the one that would be now infamous piano one. So I was definitely there right at the very beginning.
Office Ladies
Second Drink: Office Olympics with Paul Feig
You know, when the show got picked up, my agent called me, Renee, and she was just like, you know, they'd like you to direct an episode. And so I watched the first six that you guys had done. And thought they were so hilarious. You know, as soon as I saw Diversity Day, I was just like completely in. I just thought it was so great. Yeah, I came to that first table read.
Office Ladies
Second Drink: Office Olympics with Paul Feig
I don't know if you remember, they did kind of a bunch of episodes all at once. And I remember you guys were reading the Dundies and all that. And then we read Office Olympics. And so I was in there.
Office Ladies
Second Drink: Office Olympics with Paul Feig
Yeah, that was the one that was assigned to me. Because I remember having a moment going like, oh, I want to do the Dundies. That seems really fun. But then I just saw the potential of the Office Olympics was just going to be such a blast. I mean, it was just such a fun thing to kind of put together.
Office Ladies
Second Drink: Office Olympics with Paul Feig
You know, I remember just what an interesting, I don't know, what an interesting feeling it was on the set for that. Because, I mean... If you remember, that was sort of, you know, aside from the Olympics part of it, that was the episode that kind of started to turn everything, because that's where, you know, Steve's character started to become slightly more sympathetic.
Office Ladies
Second Drink: Office Olympics with Paul Feig
And I don't know if you remember or not, we really, that kind of got found on the set. Because remember, we were doing the whole thing where we were presenting, you guys were presenting Michael with the, you know, the medal, right? And Steve just made this decision to kind of start crying, you know, getting all choked up. And I remember just going like, oh my God, Steve, that's so great.
Office Ladies
Second Drink: Office Olympics with Paul Feig
Like, keep going with that. And that was, I think that was kind of the turning point where his character took that left turn from Ricky Gervais' character. And became more sort of the lovable, you know, misfit who's trying too hard for everybody to like him.
Office Ladies
Second Drink: Office Olympics with Paul Feig
Yeah. No, it really gets me too. Because I think, you know what it was? It was just Steve's performance was so sincere that it felt if we were kind of being snarky or laughing at him, that it made you guys such villains to do that. But it wasn't anybody's really instinct to do that. And so I just kind of encourage you to
Office Ladies
Second Drink: Office Olympics with Paul Feig
to go along with what you were already doing, which is we were all really being affected by Steve.
Office Ladies
Second Drink: Office Olympics with Paul Feig
Neither. What you do is you basically kind of go through the script, and I would walk around with Kelly, our AD, the, you know, the day before or whatever. And we just basically kind of go, okay, what's the bet? Where would we put the cameras for this scene? So that we would be cross shooting it and the cameras could, could avoid seeing each other, but where the documentary crew would actually be.
Office Ladies
Second Drink: Office Olympics with Paul Feig
And so you always just kind of going, okay, you know, for me, it's like, I always want to have depth behind us. So I never wanted to shoot in the walls whenever I could avoid it. And so just kind of go, okay, you, they would be, you know, one would be over here by this desk and then on the opposite side, Matt would be over there and Randall would be on the other side.
Office Ladies
Second Drink: Office Olympics with Paul Feig
And really that was kind of it. Then you'd also go like, okay, is this going to be a spy shot where you guys don't know you're on camera? Will we be shooting through the blinds or through a crack in the door? And then that was kind of it. And then we would just get there and just play out the scene.
Office Ladies
Second Drink: Office Olympics with Paul Feig
For me, it's the greatest way to do TV comedy because just every time we shot the scene, we had the full scene. And so it just allowed us to just play and go like, okay, this time, try this. And just the fact that Greg and everybody let us play around so much with these great scripts that we already had, and then we had the confidence to keep that stuff in.
Office Ladies
Second Drink: Office Olympics with Paul Feig
Because I'd worked on other shows where the cast was really brilliant at kind of improv-ing or tagging something or just kind of taking a little left turn in the middle of the scene. But the showrunners just wouldn't put it in because they were so in love with their scripts that they just wouldn't use it. The shining example of that was when we did the next episode, the Halloween episode.
Office Ladies
Second Drink: Office Olympics with Paul Feig
where we had that thing where we found what Rain was doing, you know, playing the emperor and talking to Michael and kind of goading him. And we just found that funny angle that looked like the emperor from Star Wars, where you just kind of see his face. And we just, you know, him just taunting. And that went on and on.
Office Ladies
Second Drink: Office Olympics with Paul Feig
But Greg, I think, jettisoned some other kind of storyline just so we could keep that scene long because it was just so funny. And, you know, that takes a lot of confidence and sort of, you know, self-confidence really on the part of the showrunner to let those moments play out like that.
Office Ladies
Second Drink: Office Olympics with Paul Feig
You put all this thought into it. Without you, we are nothing. Without you, we are nothing.
Office Ladies
Second Drink: Office Olympics with Paul Feig
You wanted something that had enough flow to it and openness that you weren't going to be stuck in little rooms with just basically walls as your background. And so what I really liked about it is it had that kitchen vibe that went through to the back patio.
Office Ladies
Second Drink: Office Olympics with Paul Feig
So, you know, we were in the kitchen shooting Michael kind of having his breakdown, which is still possibly the, I think the hardest I think I've ever laughed on a set. Yes. When Steven was having that thing where he's having the breakdown, he kind of puts his hand on the stove and picks up the thing and then goes outside. Is this supposed to come off?
Office Ladies
Second Drink: Office Olympics with Paul Feig
Oh my God. I mean, that is like just, that's the genius of Steve. I literally thought I was going to die when he was doing it. And every time we do a take, you do something different.
Office Ladies
Second Drink: Office Olympics with Paul Feig
Well, what was fun about that is being able to go in and – turn it into Jan's place. I mean, I don't want to jump episodes, but I mean, for Dinner Party, that was the most fun of like, how do we see how Jan's woman's touch went in with kimonos on the wall and that kind of stuff.
Office Ladies
Second Drink: Office Olympics with Paul Feig
Yeah, it was just, you know, we really wanted him to feel lost in this thing. Because, you know, it's so much about him being overwhelmed. Yeah, I had a very similar experience when I first...
Office Ladies
Second Drink: Office Olympics with Paul Feig
met lori my wife and we were going to move in together you know and she had found this place and i came over it was under the guise i was just going to like look at it and see what it was about and little did i know she kind of had the realtor there and everything and like i had to sign the papers to pull the trigger so suddenly i went from being like this kind of weird lonely bachelor to like committing to moving in in front of all these people and i just kind of freaked out and i just remember
Office Ladies
Second Drink: Office Olympics with Paul Feig
that feeling of like suddenly the house felt very like, uh, abstract and like you're in a horror movie. You're having a panic attack. And so I wanted Steve to kind of feel that being, you know, in that house of like, it's almost like, you know, um, I forget there's an old movie, not Obsession, but something where this woman's going crazy in this house.
Office Ladies
Second Drink: Office Olympics with Paul Feig
I just thought it'd be kind of funny to give it that feel.
Office Ladies
Second Drink: Office Olympics with Paul Feig
I'm telling you. I know. Look at that. We celebrated our 25-year anniversary, wedding anniversary, so it worked for us.
Office Ladies
Second Drink: Office Olympics with Paul Feig
Wow, because I remember that so distinctly. Just because I remember thinking it was not at all what I thought we were going to make the medal for. And I remember Phil props coming up with those. And I remember him rigging that up with the paper clips of the chain and hanging that on there. And I had moments of going, like, I don't know if it's substantial enough.
Office Ladies
Second Drink: Office Olympics with Paul Feig
because they're so light, but then thinking, but this is kind of brilliant, too. And so going with it, I have some weird memory, and I don't know if it's accurate or not, of like a cottage cheese lid. Oh, it would be larger. Which was a little more frisbee-like and bigger. Yes, but I think we might have said they were too big, and also I think they didn't stay on the paper clip.
Office Ladies
Second Drink: Office Olympics with Paul Feig
But that's just a kind of a hazy memory, too.
Office Ladies
Second Drink: Office Olympics with Paul Feig
I think it'd have to be Lindsay. I think only Lindsay could really pull it together inappropriately and navigate that maelstrom.
Office Ladies
Second Drink: Office Olympics with Paul Feig
It was after Freaks and Geeks, because I'll flash all the way back just briefly. When I was a kid, I used to wear suits and ties all the time. I loved that. It was kind of like starting at like eight years old. I got my mom to buy me my first three-piece suit, and I wore it. My dad was so mad because he's like, you're going to grow out of it in six months.
Office Ladies
Second Drink: Office Olympics with Paul Feig
And he was right, but oh, what a six months I had walking around in these suits. So it was always in me, but then when I got into my 20s and I became a stand-up comedian... I used to wear a suit on stage and then I realized I wanted to be more, I don't know, kind of relatable to the audience. So I started wearing like jeans and bowling shirts and that kind of thing.
Office Ladies
Second Drink: Office Olympics with Paul Feig
And then when I did Freaks and Geeks, even though I didn't dress this way in high school, I started dressing just like kind of t-shirts and jeans because I was trying to get in the head of like the freaks and stuff. And so grew my hair really long. So if you see pictures of me from then, my hair was super long, like down to my shoulder, I think.
Office Ladies
Second Drink: Office Olympics with Paul Feig
And, but then, so then it was after Freaks and Geeks was done and I was going out and pitching new shows and taking all these meetings that I was in the meetings and all the executives would be in suits and ties. And I was there in like jeans and a t-shirt and I just didn't like it. I felt like really identifiable as sort of the prey, if you will. in that room.
Office Ladies
Second Drink: Office Olympics with Paul Feig
And so I remember going like, well, screw this. I'm going to go back to what I used to do and wear suits and ties. I kind of thought I was an idiot for doing it, but I just remember going like, I like the power structure of this better of me in a suit, like as an adult and just decided from that point on, I was like, I'm just going to wear a suit and tie all the time. Cause I enjoy it.
Office Ladies
Second Drink: Office Olympics with Paul Feig
And that makes me feel like an adult and also makes me feel in charge. And, and I, and I look better in a suit than I do in jeans. So there you go.
Office Ladies
Second Drink: Office Olympics with Paul Feig
You'll love it. You'll laugh. You'll cry. And it's one of the most beautiful things I've ever shot. It's just absolutely gorgeous to look at.
Office Ladies
Second Drink: Office Olympics with Paul Feig
Thank you, Paul. Thank you. It's so much fun. I'm so glad you guys are doing this because the show was so special to me. I mean, honestly, I just. I have to pinch myself that I got to be involved and be involved with so many episodes and so many kind of the bigger ones, too. And it will just always be one of my proudest, proudest moments.
Office Ladies
Second Drink: Office Olympics with Paul Feig
And working with with you guys was just just one of my great joys. You were just such a wonderful cast to work with. Every every day was really fun to come in and just every take was fun and different. And I mean, I just couldn't have had a better time. So thank you for that. And I love you guys very, very much.
This American Life
198: How to Win Friends and Influence People
At first, I didn't know what to think. First of all, if you've ever seen the book, it's got this picture of Dale Carnegie on the front who is, you know, somewhere in his 60s or 70s wearing, you know, those Mr. Menace glasses that Dennis the Menace's dad used to wear.
This American Life
198: How to Win Friends and Influence People
It's kind of white, slick back hair. And he looked like every guy that was in my dad's Kiwanis with him. And didn't seem to me like a guy who particularly would have that many friends or much influence over people. But he'd written the book.
This American Life
198: How to Win Friends and Influence People
So my father went on to make this speech, basically, about how now that I was getting older, I was 11 years old, that it was time for me to kind of get social skills that he assumed I didn't have.
This American Life
198: How to Win Friends and Influence People
And I went through these and, you know, principle number one was become genuinely interested in other people. Principle number two was smile. Principle number three was remember that a person's name is to that person the sweetest and most important sound in any language.
This American Life
198: How to Win Friends and Influence People
Well, the hard thing was when you're 11 years old, the only thing you ever call anybody is by their last name. So I was kind of confused as to whether that sort of applied. And this started a bit of a panic in me because I suddenly didn't know, well, maybe people would like me better if I did that.
This American Life
198: How to Win Friends and Influence People
And so I remember getting to the school the next day and my friend Dave Flurry, who I'd always called Flurry, I remember going up to him going, hey, David, how's it going? And he gave me the strangest look.
This American Life
198: How to Win Friends and Influence People
And I would sit at lunch with my friends and kind of they would be on a story and I would want to throw in as I normally would, but kind of went, oh, wait, no, I should. I should sit back and listen and really be attentive and would nod and go, oh, oh. And then what did your brother do? Oh, he punched you, really. And what happened then?
This American Life
198: How to Win Friends and Influence People
And I became this sort of mini analyst where I was sort of trying to get kids to tell me their innermost secrets. But what happened was my father kept checking in with me at night. And he'd go, so did you read that book? Have you tried any of these things out? So I felt like I needed more proof.
This American Life
198: How to Win Friends and Influence People
Yes. I needed a tangible thing to show my father that I had become popular and was winning friends and influencing people.
This American Life
198: How to Win Friends and Influence People
One of the things I hadn't banked on was that as class president, I actually had to do something. I was so not into this. I was just hating it because I just wanted to get back to my life with my friends. Well, the teacher was dissatisfied and the students were dissatisfied. And the teacher suddenly decided, well, you know what?
This American Life
198: How to Win Friends and Influence People
And she got up and she said, there's a process in our political system in this country called impeachment. And she looked out and she said, how does everyone feel about our class president, Paul?
This American Life
198: How to Win Friends and Influence People
I couldn't get out of my head the fact that my dad had given this to me and the fact that he was so concerned that I didn't have friends. And so I started getting nervous, like, well, maybe he's seen something that I don't know. It was strange. I would start to see things that weren't there, like somebody would sort of laugh at what I say and they'd turn away to look at something.
This American Life
198: How to Win Friends and Influence People
And suddenly I was envisioning that as they're turning away with their back to me, they're making this sort of face and rolling their eyes. I'm like, oh, what an idiot. And started noticing in the teacher that when I would raise my hand and answer a question, something in her face that kind of was like she was tolerating me.
This American Life
198: How to Win Friends and Influence People
Yeah, it was almost like I had been given this sort of handbook to the human mind that I didn't want.