‘The Office’ cast is holding a reunion at Lexington’s Comic Con
As one of the most beloved and successful sitcoms of the past two decades, “The Office” centered around the employees of the fictional Dunder-Mifflin paper company living in the very real city of Scranton, Pennsylvania.
Before she was swept up in the success of the NBC comedy, Kate Flannery came into the audition process already giggling on the inside at the show’s setting.
“When I heard it took place in Scranton, it cracked me up,” said Flannery, who played the show’s unfiltered, lactose-intolerant, alcoholic and occasionally topless divorcee Meredith Palmer. “Being from Philadelphia, Scranton is the butt of many jokes.”
Early on in her career, Flannery was consistently going for laughs. She moved to Chicago after attending college to join the illustrious Second City comedy troupe and eventually moved to Los Angeles to pursue an acting career. After landing bit parts on shows like “Boomtown” and “The Bernie Mac Show,” she was cast in the American adaptation of the popular British sitcom for its debut season in 2005. After a long career that consisted of plenty of theater and stage performances but minimal screen time, she admits she didn’t get her hopes up.
“I think at that point, I had so many almosts and nos, I had lost all perspective,” she said. “I kept my restaurant job for the first season if that tells you anything.”
Flannery’s portrayal of Meredith led to her embracing the physical comedy she relished from her improv years and being one of the most wildly unpredictable characters on the show. When she reflects back on her time with “The Office,” she appreciates how the show’s creators never felt the need to soften any of Meredith’s edges as the show carried on for nine seasons.
“When characters go on for a long time, sometimes characters stop,” she said. “I’m just really grateful the writers and producers, they just kept that crazy Meredith ball in the air.”
Even though the show wrapped in 2013, “The Office” continues to be a hot pop culture property thanks to its presence on streaming services like Netflix, which has led to frequent binge-watching and introducing the show to a new generation of fans.
It’s also led to Flannery getting more opportunities to perform and create thanks to what she calls “the blessing of Dunder-Mifflin.” She has done voiceover work on animated series like on “OK K.O.! Let’s Be Heroes” and “Steven Universe,” both on Cartoon Network. She also most recently appeared as Principal Saperstein in the Hulu original series “All Night.”
When she is not doing work for TV, she will be making a couple stops in the Midwest this May with longtime friend, collaborator and comedic actress Jane Lynch (“Glee”) on the Two Lost Souls singing tour or performing with her long-time comedic lounge act The Lampshades that she started with “Anchorman” actor Scot Robinson. She is also writing and contemplating turning her stories waiting tables around old Hollywood heavyweights at the legendary Kate Mantilini restaurant in Beverly Hills into some type of creative project in the future.
“I feel like I’m kind of cooking and we’ll see what comes out of the oven,” she said.
When she is not performing or writing, she has recently started making appearances by herself and with fellow “Office” castmates at various comic-cons and conventions like the Lexington Comic and Toy Convention from Friday through Sunday. There, she will also be joined by former “co-workers” Leslie David Baker (Stanley), Creed Bratton (Creed) and Oscar Nunez (Oscar).
After getting to interact with fans and see the emotional reactions and investment they have in the show, Flannery consistently finds herself surprised at how much this show and these characters mean to people and considers appearances like this an “exercise in gratitude.”
“I think just keeping the joy of it all still alive; it means a lot when you can really acknowledge someone else’s joy,” she said. “It really reminds me what a great experience and gift it’s been for me.”
The Lexington Comic & Toy Convention
Who’s coming: Val Kilmer, “Batman Forever;” Billie Piper, “Doctor Who;” Mark-Paul Gosselaar, Zach Morris on “Saved by the Bell;” Ryan Hurst, “Sons of Anarchy;” Tom Kenny, “Spongebob Squarepants;” Kevin Conroy, “Batman: The Animated Series;” Mike colter, “Luke Cage;” Dog and Beth Chapman, “Dog the Bounty Hunter;” Leslie David Baker, “The Office;” Creed Bratton, “The Office;” Oscar Nunez, “The Office;” Kate Flannery, “The Office;” Holly Marie Combs, “Charmed;” Walter Koenig, “Star Trek;” and many more.
When: March 21-24, 6 to 10 p.m. Thursday, All About Comics night; noon to 8 p.m. Friday; 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Kids’ Day
Where: Lexington Convention Center, 430 West Vine St.
Tickets: $30-$90
Online: lexingtoncomiccon.com