'The Office': How Jenna Fischer Changed The Creator's Original Plan For Jim And Pam

In celebration of Dunder Mifflin’s 15th anniversary, “The Office” creator is sharing some new details regarding his original plans for the show. One of the revelations Greg Daniels shared with Yahoo Entertainment is that actress Jenna Fischer changed the entire narrative he had for Jim and Pam’s relationship.

"There was a time when I thought that maybe in America, Jim [John Krasinski] and Pam should be an interracial couple," Daniels explained. "So I had an actress named Erica Vittina Phillips, who I was kind of interested in for Pam for a while. But Jenna, when she came in, she socked all other thoughts of Pam.”

Fischer completely embodied Pam Beasley in her audition, so much so that Daniels closed the casting call for her character.

“I mean, it was insane,” the series’ creator recalled. “She came in... it was like a magic trick. It didn't seem like an actress. It just seemed like, 'Oh, there's the character brought to life. We can stop looking there.'"

Since the NBC show’s 2013 end, on-screen couple Krasinki and Fischer have continued to expand their acting credits. Krasinski has starred in “Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan,” “A Quiet Place,” and “13 Hours.” Meanwhile, Fischer picked up roles in the ABC comedy “Splitting Up Together,” "The 15:17 to Paris" and "The Guest Book."

More recently, Fischer has teamed up with her co-star Angela Kinsey, whose character in “The Office” is also named Angela, to form the “Office Ladies” podcast.

“Each week, Jenna and Angela 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,” the show’s website states.

In the latest episode, which was released Wednesday, the duo talked about a Season 2 episode titled “Boys and Girls,” where Steve Carell’s Michael Scott wrecks the warehouse.

During Daniels' interview with Yahoo Entertainment, he revealed that Carell’s role as the boss in the show was also set to be played by another actor.

"The big alternative to Steve was Bob Odenkirk, who was also excellent," Daniels said. "But Bob was much more close to Ricky Gervais [who played David Brent, Scott's British predecessor], and Steve was pushing it into a more unique direction."

All nine seasons of “The Office” are now streaming on Netflix before their removal in 2021.