october-2009

THE OFFICE: BBC; GHOST TOWN: DREAMWORKS/SARAH SHATZ; INVENTION: RADAR PICTURES/SAM URDANK
joy out of seeing my fat face on the screen. I
get joy out of the work.”
Are you done with TV for good? “I haven’t
left TV behind. There are things about TV
I like more than film. The thing about TV
is that it still has that common consciousness,
because people watch it at the same
time, and you can turn it around quicker.
What I like about film is that you can
make it timeless, and I’ve always had one
eye on the legacy. When we were making
‘The Office,’ we’d come up with some jokes
that made us laugh, but we decided they
wouldn’t be funny in a year’s time because
there was a certain cultural reference.”
Why did you end both of your TV shows
after such short runs? “Because of the
intensity that Steve and I have to work
at. We write it, we direct it, we produce it
and no one’s even allowed in the edit. We
hand over a completely finished product,
and you can’t do that for too long. It’s just
too intense. You’ll run out of ideas. You’ll
repeat yourself, or the quality will go
down. And, you know, I started late in life.
I’ve got so many ideas, and I don’t want to
die before I can do all of them.”
You’re brilliant at creating characters
who are uncomfortable and who make
everyone around them uncomfortable.
What appeals to you about that? “When
we’re in a safe environment where we’re
not starving and our children aren’t being
shot at, what’s the worst thing that happens
to us? The most mortifying thing for
everyone is being embarrassed socially. I
think that for many people, public speaking
is a bigger fear than death. I’ve decided
that the most important thing in comedy
or drama is empathy, and everyone can
empathize with getting embarrassed.
There’s a little bit of David Brent in
everyone, because we all want to be loved,
and it’s fun playing with that and turning
the knife of social embarrassment.”
But doesn’t that embarrassed feeling
get old after a while? “Eventually it can
get wearing, so you’ve got to be able to
drop the irony and come back to genuine
emotion. The heart of ‘The Office’ was Tim
COVER STORY
(from left) As David Brent in “The Office”; with Greg Kinnear in Ghost Town; with Jennifer Garner in The Invention of Lying
and Dawn (the British Jim and Pam), not David Brent. The heart of ‘Extras’ wasn’t the A-list
actors, it was the friendship between Andy and Maggie. I think sooner or later you’ve got to
stand up and unapologetically say, ‘This [sweetness] is what I believe in.’”
Who or what taught you to find that balance between awkwardness and romance in
your shows? “The Marx Brothers. In their early work, they’re just running around being
funny. That’s great, but it doesn’t resonate. One of their producers said, ‘I can make you
twice as good. I’m gonna cut half the jokes and put in a musical number and a romantic
thread.’ So now these guys are doing crazy things, but they’re doing it to get two people
together. So now they’ve got a point, and it’s beautiful. Those moments where you’re suddenly
seeing someone needing something, or someone doing something for the good of
someone else, are heartwarming.”
The American version of “The Office” is entering its seventh season. How do you
feel about the way it’s carried on the concept you created? “I love it! What they’ve
done is huge, because [the UK version] got in and out with 12 episodes and a special that
we put everything we had into. They’ve got so much pressure—they’re a jewel in NBC’s
crown and have won all these Emmys—and they’re not allowed to stop like we did. And I
don’t want them to stop. I want Steve Carell to work his fingers to the bone, because I get
half his wages!” (Laughs)
Are you surprised the American version is such a huge success? “Well, yes. Every remake
has fallen by the wayside, either before it got to production, or taken off on the third
episode. But I’m not surprised that America gets it [for] two reasons. ‘The Office’ isn’t as
quintessentially English as you first might think. It’s about universal subjects. It’s about,
you know, wasting your life. It’s quite existential. A bad boss. Boy meets girl. Also, all my
influences are American, from Laurel and Hardy, ‘The Simpsons,’ Woody Allen, Marx
Brothers, through sitcoms like ‘Taxi,’ ‘Cheers,’ ‘M*A*S*H,’ right up to the present day with
great stuff like ‘Arrested Development’ and ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm.’ All my influences have
been American. So I’m not surprised in that sense.”
Your idea was clearly a good one. How do you feel with the fame that comes with
being known? You say you aren’t a good actor, but you can’t deny that you do deal
with fame. “I’m getting a bit better at it, but I try and ignore it. I try and live a normal life.
But, I mean, you can’t. I don’t want to be out, and I don’t go out to parties. The fame for
me has never been the best bit. It’s always been the worst bit. You know, everything else
about this is better than being recognized. Genuinely. The work’s great. The money’s good.
I love nice reviews, I love the awards. I love jumping queues at the airport. But it feels
weird. It’s not natural, it’s not right. And I knew when I went into it that it was an upshot
of what I did. If you’re a successful actor, you’re a famous person. But I just want people
to know, you know, why I do it. I remember one of the first interviews I did, I was very
prickly about the whole subject. And I don’t want to be lumped in with people who just
do anything to be famous. I know there’s a difference between Robert DeNiro and a ‘Big
Brother’ winner. And I want to firmly be in that first camp.”
OCTOBER 2009 GO MAGAZINE
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