Kate Flannery
Appearances
The Commercial Break
TCB Infomercial: Kate Flannery
The deal is that this is my last hurrah because I made a New Year's resolution that I'm not going to drink anymore during the week.
The Commercial Break
TCB Infomercial: Kate Flannery
So, you know, as an ensemble person being from second city, uh, and you know, I, I did Dell closest to prop Olympic for years. I, I worked at the annoying theater. I've worked at a lot of funky theaters and did a lot of stuff where being an ensemble was really the most important part is to, to make sure you're there for everybody else. You're giving everybody else. Yeah.
The Commercial Break
TCB Infomercial: Kate Flannery
team player yeah from whether you talk or not you are in there you're in it yeah so i love being a fully actualized character even if you don't speak which i think is the one of the most brilliant things about the office because we all work with people and we all went to school with people and you did not get to know everyone equally well right away sure things were revealed slowly and sometimes there's people you'd be like i didn't know that about or you find out later you're like oh my god i had no idea that that guy's nuts yeah whatever
The Commercial Break
TCB Infomercial: Kate Flannery
But our show had a slow, slow reveal and such a great – everything was just well-timed. And even if I didn't speak for episodes, I felt like when I did, it was totally worth the wait. I felt like something wonderful and interesting was revealed and messed up sometimes.
The Commercial Break
TCB Infomercial: Kate Flannery
It's a sense of reality. It's a sense of reality. Yeah, it's awesome. And it's, I just feel like the level of thought and intelligence that was put into every conversation Script, you know, and just having a great cast of great, great directors, great producers, great editors. You just feel like you can't, you know, you're in good hands all the time. You're in good hands.
The Commercial Break
TCB Infomercial: Kate Flannery
4%, maybe 5% is improv. Interesting. Steve and Rain probably improvised a little more than most of us, but they also had more to say. Sure. So we would kind of hit the actual script, and then I learned quickly that if I improvised within my lines or had one little addition while I was speaking... Because you're having to deal with camera guys who are like documentarians who are moving to...
The Commercial Break
TCB Infomercial: Kate Flannery
They know who they're going to look at and focus on. So you can't just suddenly have an idea and railroad the whole process. You have to be in focus. I didn't think about that. So I always say to actors, if you're improvising, even within a sitcom, you have to know the parameters so that you're bringing a gift, not presenting a problem. Mm-hmm.
The Commercial Break
TCB Infomercial: Kate Flannery
Even if it's a funny idea, it has to go somehow within the lines of forwarding the action or just creating.
The Commercial Break
TCB Infomercial: Kate Flannery
Yeah, exactly. So that was the big learning curve for me. For me, for sure. And also because I had done so much stage, I was, I constantly reminded like, bring it down, bring it down. And I actually learned a great relationship with the camera, which I had never learned before. And I'm so grateful that they had the patience to go, okay, can you just do it one more time?
The Commercial Break
TCB Infomercial: Kate Flannery
Just do it a little less, a little less. Because sometimes shows, you know, that's, oh, she didn't get it. You're done. Bye-bye. You're gone. Bye. Bye-bye. So I'm grateful.
The Commercial Break
TCB Infomercial: Kate Flannery
And I actually was – I was actually up for SNL. And I always say – I didn't get it. One of my best friends at the time got it. And I always say it only took 13 short years to get the office. It was a long 13 short years.
The Commercial Break
TCB Infomercial: Kate Flannery
But I actually – You know what? Lauren came to see a show I did. I had lunch with Lauren. I had interviews with Lauren. I didn't get to do the final round, but I was in consideration. And I was just at the SNL 50th at the concert at Radio City. And it was so great. Obviously, I've had a lot of therapy because I just had a great time. I didn't have any, but like, oh. I should have.
The Commercial Break
TCB Infomercial: Kate Flannery
No, no, I was I just was like, oh, my God, everything went down the way I was supposed to.
The Commercial Break
TCB Infomercial: Kate Flannery
Right, and that was the therapy move is like not feeling like, oh, you were up for the dream and it's gone. It's like, no, no, no, you're in – you've been recognized. You've been validated and you can just move forward because there's a lot of people that have been up for SNL that didn't get it that we all know.
The Commercial Break
TCB Infomercial: Kate Flannery
Stephen Colbert. I mean there's a ton of people. It's one of those things, but you just – hopefully you take – rejection is protection if you look at it that way and just realize, oh, I'm just being redirected. There's something else waiting for me. Yes. Just keep it up. And I remember, you know, I started to do a comedy act in 2001 with a friend of mine from Second City Days.
The Commercial Break
TCB Infomercial: Kate Flannery
And we did a two-person dying lounge act. We did it for 20 years. We still did it when the office ran. We did a lot of comedy festivals and comedy clubs. We did it every Saturday for five years initially. Wow.
The Commercial Break
TCB Infomercial: Kate Flannery
Even when the office was running, I did it for another year every week and just really enjoyed it because I also realized my friends were getting famous and they weren't necessarily calling me and I was like, oh, I think I have to figure out how to show up on another map. How do you keep yourself in the game?
The Commercial Break
TCB Infomercial: Kate Flannery
And doing comedy live at clubs was a great way to do it. And so we kind of found a funky way to get in. So we were sort of in the cover band comedy world. So we were opening for people like Richard Cheese, for the Dan Band, for Pebbles Pity Party, Garfunkel Notes. There was a world of music and comedy that we were a part of. And that was great for me.
The Commercial Break
TCB Infomercial: Kate Flannery
It was an audition. It was an audition. It was an audition. And, you know, it's also like I didn't have an agent for a while. I was told we're passing on you because of your age and your looks. Yeah. I think I was like 38 when that happened. I'm like, what the hell? But I was doing comedy because I had done Off-Broadway. I had like a big hit with a show Off-Broadway that we did in L.A. first.
The Commercial Break
TCB Infomercial: Kate Flannery
It was a stage production of the movie Valley of the Dolls. I had a little buzz. Like I had some yeses. I had some attention. I felt like I was getting recognized in New York. Even if it was below 14th Street, you know, our show had sort of a Rocky Horror Picture Show cult following for a while. And, you know, I mean, it was it was good.
The Commercial Break
TCB Infomercial: Kate Flannery
And I also sang in a band in New York with one of the guys from They Might Be Giants.
The Commercial Break
TCB Infomercial: Kate Flannery
They were big in the 80s and 90s. Yeah, they had another band called Monopuff, and I was in Monopuff, and we would open for the Giants. So I had like a world. I was in the world. I did like a sketch on Conan. Like I was kind of part of that. I think I did some sketches on Jimmy Kimmel. I showed up in weird places, and then I was on Bernie Mac's show and a show called – it was actually –
The Commercial Break
TCB Infomercial: Kate Flannery
the boom town i played neil mcdonough's secretary and i was so excited because they were like oh they want you to recur now you did they loved you in your first episode so i got the second script and two days later i got the call that the show was canceled so that was right before the that was right before the office so it's okay you know you got you know that's all right and then again like if i had been on that show i couldn't have done the office so i think it worked out yes it did
The Commercial Break
TCB Infomercial: Kate Flannery
Yes, I got to hang out. Bernie, he was the best. Man, everybody says this. He was the greatest. He would have a separate lunch for all the kids and their parents in his huge dressing area. It was like a house just for him. He was the greatest. He saw everyone so kind, so funny, so smart. I felt very lucky to guest star.
The Commercial Break
TCB Infomercial: Kate Flannery
And I was still waiting tables, by the way, at a restaurant in Beverly Hills when all this was going on, by the way. And I got my restaurant job up and through the first season of The Office. I did. It's just like I was waiting on a lot of famous people.
The Commercial Break
TCB Infomercial: Kate Flannery
He did, and he would fly back to Chicago every weekend because he had friends and family in Chicago that he didn't want to abandon. He was on the move. He was always moving.
The Commercial Break
TCB Infomercial: Kate Flannery
I knew it was a great show, but I didn't think it was an NBC show.
The Commercial Break
TCB Infomercial: Kate Flannery
One of the few times I improvised in season one was during healthcare. And, you know, there was a whole conversation where I said, I say, you know, to Dwight, you know, because he's trying to cut the healthcare.
The Commercial Break
TCB Infomercial: Kate Flannery
And I say, like, uterus is different from a vagina. I still have a vagina. We have this argument about hysterectomies. It's a bet. But that was one of the few times I got to improvise and I was like, oh my God. And then I remember seeing Greg Daniels in the restaurant where I was working. He just happened to come in, completely ignored that I was in the weeds and wearing a uniform.
The Commercial Break
TCB Infomercial: Kate Flannery
And he's like, oh my gosh, that line that you improvised about the vagina, we're fighting with the network, we're hoping it stays. And luckily it did stay in. But it's just like, that never would have happened if it was HBO. But I also feel like, Part of why TV changed was because Friends was over, Frasier had ended, Joey was on the air and not doing well.
The Commercial Break
TCB Infomercial: Kate Flannery
So that's when our first season, we were on during the time when Joey was on. And I think the NBC was just looking for something. And also 40-Year-Old Virgin, Steve made 40-Year-Old Virgin between the pilot and the second episode of The Office and when it was about to come out, which was the beginning of when we were filming season two. The buzz was like, oh, my God.
The Commercial Break
TCB Infomercial: Kate Flannery
I remember we got to go to the premiere. We all came from the studio, you know, set. And I remember Ben Siller was there and Will Ferrell and Jim Carrey. And I was like... They were like, checking out the new guy. They were nervous about the new guy. And the movie was such a big hit. And they're like, oh my God, we have that guy.
The Commercial Break
TCB Infomercial: Kate Flannery
So I feel like it was really Steve Carell, I think, his magic that allowed us through.
The Commercial Break
TCB Infomercial: Kate Flannery
And also he understood... He understood how to make a guy who's just so awkward, says the wrong thing all the time, but has a heart. Yes. Because I feel like the British version was so mean and so dark and really funny, but like, whoa, really tough.
The Commercial Break
TCB Infomercial: Kate Flannery
yeah it's like soup after you've been sitting for a couple days it's better it's it has more flavors it's like the flavors come out or something i don't know how to explain it totally no no no i think that's that's well stated and i also think that you know i don't think um i mean there's a reason why uh the british office is has so few episodes yeah i feel like it's really hard to watch this character because he's not really growing as a human it's hard to get behind him for years yeah yeah i agree season yeah so yeah and it's lucky
The Commercial Break
TCB Infomercial: Kate Flannery
I feel like for me, it was... No, totally. I feel like for me, personally, it felt more like season four for me because that was... We started the season with Fun Run where Meredith Scott... Michael Scott hits Meredith with his car. Yes. So that was sort of like a what? And then I remember I... I got a call, Joaquin Phoenix had canceled on the Tonight Show and they asked me to be on instead.
The Commercial Break
TCB Infomercial: Kate Flannery
And I was like, oh my God. So that was sort of like the first big, oh my gosh. And I remember being at my parents' summer place in New Jersey and I was on the boardwalk and I just felt like all these kids were like, running toward me and I started running. I'm like, wait a minute, what am I running? I'm not, it's fine, we can talk, it's fine. Yeah.
The Commercial Break
TCB Infomercial: Kate Flannery
But there was definitely like a, oh my gosh, you know, you better, you know, don't curse and you better watch what you say in front of other people.
The Commercial Break
TCB Infomercial: Kate Flannery
It's a champagne problem. If you don't make peace with it, you're screwed. I just feel like it's literally like deciding to be happy or not. Sometimes people come up to you and they think I'm their third grade teacher and they're like, Thank you. Thank you.
The Commercial Break
TCB Infomercial: Kate Flannery
Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you.
The Commercial Break
TCB Infomercial: Kate Flannery
, , , , , ,, P P P P P P P P P,實實,實, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , a sol a
The Commercial Break
TCB Infomercial: Kate Flannery
Well, I do a bunch of, I recur on a cartoon or two. I'm on Universal Basic Guys, which is a Philadelphia comedy. I liked that. I think it's on right after The Simpsons. It's on Sunday nights on Fox. So fun. I got to do the pilot and I just got to do a guest star again. So it's so well written. I'm so happy for those guys because it's their first.
The Commercial Break
TCB Infomercial: Kate Flannery
And the fact that they got on Sunday nights on Fox is huge.
The Commercial Break
TCB Infomercial: Kate Flannery
It's really, yeah. It's definitely worth your time. And, you know, I feel like I'm doing, I don't know, I feel like I'm kind of all over the place right now. But things are good. I get to sing with Jane pretty frequently. I mean, we're always on tour every Christmas because we did a Christmas album together that did very well. We were literally on the Billboard Top 10 for a couple weeks.
The Commercial Break
TCB Infomercial: Kate Flannery
I know, right? So it's called Swingin' Little Christmas. You can find it on iTunes and Spotify and all that stuff. Or you can buy the CD on Amazon. You might need to get a new car. If you have a player. But yeah, so it's a joy. And we get to play really great places, big halls. And sometimes we play for 2,000 seats or 3,000 seats or 500 seats. We're kind of all over the place.
The Commercial Break
TCB Infomercial: Kate Flannery
But it's really been a joy. And we've been doing that for 10 years. So that's really fun. And we have a non-Christmas show as well. Go to Jane Lynch official soon. Okay, Jane Lynch official. The first time I ever went to Second City, Jane Lynch was understudying. She was on stage understudying for Bonnie Hunt. And then a year later, a year and a half later, I became Jane's understudy. It's crazy.
The Commercial Break
TCB Infomercial: Kate Flannery
And then we started singing together. um, for benefits. And like, there were a couple live shows that we would do just like little bits in, in some sketch shows we did, did together. Then we were, uh, we did a sketch show in LA where we got to sing in that with a bunch of other people like Ana Gastar and, um, Oh my God. It's like so many, so many great people that were coming and Joey Soloway.
The Commercial Break
TCB Infomercial: Kate Flannery
And then we got to do, um, then we became, um, award show buddies because Glee and The Office were on at the same time. And then our shows got canceled around the same time. So Jane asked me to kind of join her in this cabaret endeavor in New York. I can't wait to see it. We just never look back. We had a great time. It's really fun. We sing with the Tony Guerrero Quintet. They're great.
The Commercial Break
TCB Infomercial: Kate Flannery
And we were just watching Mrs. Maisel again. She's so great on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Oh, yeah, that's right. That part is nuts.
The Commercial Break
TCB Infomercial: Kate Flannery
No, there's a spinoff. There's a spinoff right now.
The Commercial Break
TCB Infomercial: Kate Flannery
I'm not sure. I know. I just saw, I just ran into our editor the other day who's, I mean, a lot of the same crew is on the show. So it's like, I miss you guys. So I don't know. I don't know. That'll tell me squat. Plus I'm a big mouth, so I have to watch it.
The Commercial Break
TCB Infomercial: Kate Flannery
But you'll know when I know. But I don't know. I mean, it was nice to get to do an AT&T commercial with five other people from the office.
The Commercial Break
TCB Infomercial: Kate Flannery
That's been really, really fun. That was really fun. I felt like we just all fell right back into the groove. It was great.
The Commercial Break
TCB Infomercial: Kate Flannery
Yeah, we're always on, we tend to be on sports events during the Masters and now during the March Tournament all the time. There's a couple different shorter versions and stuff too.
The Commercial Break
TCB Infomercial: Kate Flannery
I will let them know, Brian. I will report back.
The Commercial Break
TCB Infomercial: Kate Flannery
You guys are awesome. I meant to mention I'm on a new episode of Night Court. Oh, Night Court. With the great John Larroquette and Melissa Rush. Those guys are so awesome. I love that they're doing it. It's so fun. It was so fun. So fun to be a part of that. Oh, yeah. What a great icon. Wendy Malek is in the cast now, too. It's, yeah, it's, it's.
The Commercial Break
TCB Infomercial: Kate Flannery
And I feel like I've gotten to do some really, really super fun shows. So I feel super, super. Congratulations. Yeah.
The Commercial Break
TCB Infomercial: Kate Flannery
They just give me a Dundee. Just my Dundee. They give me back my Dundee.
The Commercial Break
TCB Infomercial: Kate Flannery
It's my second Dundee. The first one is Grace Under Fire. It's not Best Redhead, though, so it's great.
The Commercial Break
TCB Infomercial: Kate Flannery
I love it. Oh, my God. I'm not full of props. Meredith Funko Pop was my first casual day. What else do you have? What else do you have? There's the Funko Pop from Fun Run. So it's my cast, my pelvis cast. Oh, my God. Yes. I love it. You know, there is some, here's my, Oh wait, sorry.
The Commercial Break
TCB Infomercial: Kate Flannery
Well, yeah, so actually we're going to be, a bunch of us from the office are going to be at the Meadowlands. I think it's the first weekend in August. There's an office reunion con.
The Commercial Break
TCB Infomercial: Kate Flannery
Yeah, Angela's going to be there, Oscar, Creed, Leslie David Baker, Brian Baumgartner, and a bunch of people that have done guest stars, Andy Buckley, who played David Wallace. Oh, yeah. It's going to be great. Yeah. Yeah, Wayne Wilderson who played Martin. There's some really fun, fun, fun people that will be on it. Bob Vance. It'll be fun.
The Commercial Break
TCB Infomercial: Kate Flannery
So if you're in the Metal Vance, first weekend in August, come in. And then you can get your Funko Pops on. I love that so much.
The Commercial Break
TCB Infomercial: Kate Flannery
I'll drink to that. I will drink to that. You guys are awesome.
The Commercial Break
TCB Infomercial: Kate Flannery
I was actually up for SNL, and I always say I didn't get it. One of my best friends at the time got it, and I always say it only took 13 short years to get the office. It was a long 13 short years. It was a long 13 short years. Did you audition for Lauren? You know what? Lauren came to see a show I did. I had lunch with Lauren. I had interviews with Lauren.
The Commercial Break
TCB Infomercial: Kate Flannery
I didn't get to do the final round, but I was in consideration, and I was just at the SNL 50th at the concert at Radio City, and... It was so great. Obviously, I've had a lot of therapy because I just had a great time.
The Commercial Break
TCB Infomercial: Kate Flannery
My relationship with The Office is as strong as it was in 2004. It's crazy.
The Commercial Break
TCB Infomercial: Kate Flannery
You're very kind. I'm actually most proud that I'm a female and I get to play a wacky character that has nothing to do with being someone's girlfriend or mother. Oh, yeah. Even though she's a mother and she's a floozy. But still, it's like she's not defined by that. Yeah. And that's a rare thing. It's a rare thing on television. It's a rare thing in movies.
The Commercial Break
TCB Infomercial: Kate Flannery
Like women don't get to play exactly like the boys. And so it's really fun. I'm just really proud that they let me go there. Yeah.
The Commercial Break
TCB Infomercial: Kate Flannery
Yeah, I think we – there are – and what I love about our show, too, and why I think kids really like it is that, you know – We never tell you when to laugh. There's no wait. There's no laugh track, obviously. But I also feel like you can be laughing over something and then watch the episode again and find something funny about it that you didn't notice the first time. Absolutely. Absolutely.
The Commercial Break
TCB Infomercial: Kate Flannery
So it's kind of fun. And that's a rare thing. We're just so lucky because normally British shows don't translate on American television. So our showrunner, Greg Daniels, took such good care of this and was so careful and so wonderful. And he's a former Saturday Night Live writer, a former Simpsons writer. And he's also the co-creator of King of the Hill. He's amazing. He's amazing.
The Commercial Break
TCB Infomercial: Kate Flannery
So we were in good hands from the start. And I knew Steve Carell when I was at Second City. We weren't in the same cast, but we were there at the same time. And it's just so nice to be – I mean, it's so incredible to be a part of his stardom, his breakout. Oh, yeah. Now the whole world knows what a great actor, smart, funny, genius Steve Carell is. Yeah.
The Commercial Break
TCB Infomercial: Kate Flannery
I actually initially auditioned for the part of Jan. No way. Oh, my God.
The Commercial Break
TCB Infomercial: Kate Flannery
Serenity canyons? I don't know. Hunter? I don't know. But I think the casting director, Alison Jones, said, I don't know if this is the part for you, but I feel like this show is right for you. So I actually did not do the pilot. I actually replaced somebody from the pilot that was cut out. Ah. Oh, very interesting. It's always strange when you come into a project.
The Commercial Break
TCB Infomercial: Kate Flannery
So I did not do the first episode, but I did every other one.
The Commercial Break
TCB Infomercial: Kate Flannery
And it's so odd because, yeah, it's just odd because they actually asked us to bring paperwork and to look busy at our desk season one. And, you know, I thought that was such a cool idea. Yes. So that when the camera catches you, you're not like suddenly working. You know, you're actually still in progress, in process. Yeah. Uh, and so it did, uh, have that documentary feel from the start.