You’ve seen The Office , right?
Please tell me you’ve seen it. Alright, I’m just going to assume you’ve seen it, either during its original run on NBC or during a Netflix binge (note: Netflix, if you ever get rid of this show, I’m cancelling my subscription).
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It’s nice to know that even though years have passed since it went off the air, its stars continue to stay in touch.
Pam was a focal point of the series.
From a pragmatic, long-suffering receptionist to a pramatic, slightly happier saleswoman, Pam, portrayed by Jenna Fischer, was one of the ensemble cast’s main protagonists during its nine-season run.
Jenna Fischer appeared on a talk show.
Busy Tonight , hosted by Busy Philipps (of Freaks and Geeks fame), recently welcomed Jenna as a guest. Busy, Jenna and some of the stars of The Office are friends, so hijinks were sure to follow.
Jenna’s birthday is coming up.
In honor of her big day, Busy Philipps decided to do something special. Noting that Jenna loves to open parcels, Busy arranged for just that — a series of parcels, each more enthralling than the last.
Stars from The Office submitted gifts.
It’s a big cast, so the show didn’t share video of Jenna getting a present from everyone (seriously, what kind of gift would Creed give?). But the results were super entertaining.
First up: these weird crackers.
Jenna gleefully opened her first parcel. After removing the paper and padding, she pulled out a glass jar full of raisin crackers from Trader Joe’s. I think they’re these ones , maybe?
These were a gift from Ellie Kemper.
Kemper, who joined the series in season five, played eternally chipper receptionist Erin Hannon. Jenna says that she and Ellie went a little overboard on these crackers on set one time, which explains things a bit.
Next up: this…bread…shirt.
Part of another in-joke, Jenna’s next gift was this stark black shirt with a cartoon depiction of French bread on the front. Apparently she’s a bread fanatic — and among the show’s stars, she’s not the only one.
This one came from Angela Kinsey.
Angela’s character on the series is utterly humorous, but she’s got a great sense of humor in real life. A friend of both Jenna and Busy, the bread shirt was apparently the perfect gift.
Third: this banjo.
While the first two gifts were a bit cryptic, Jenna’s third gift should offer some clues as to who it came from. There were a few characters on the show who demonstrated their musical chops from time to time.
A thoughtful gift from Ed Helms.
Helms, who played Andy (he went to Cornell, don’tcha know), is clearly a musically inclined kind of guy. Jenna probably can’t play the banjo like he can, but it’s still a cool gift.
The final gift…
The best, or at least the biggest, was saved for last. Busy led Jenna over to a larger part of the set where this gigantic box sat. What could possible be inside?
Surprise!
The box was human-sized for a reason: it contained a human. Steve Carell (Michael Scott) popped out of the box, and it looks like Jenna was legitimately freaked out by the surprise.
It was a nice reunion.
After the initial surprise of opening a box only to find Michael Scott pop out, Jenna and Steve gave each other a warm embrace. It’s cool to see that the stars of this show are still close.
It was quite the guest appearance.
Steve Carell can headline just about any movie, but he’s still totally down to hide in a cardboard box for an extended period to wish a friend happy birthday. That’s dedication.
It all went off perfectly.
Some people love surprises, others hate them. But judging from Jenna Fischer’s reaction, it looks like this birthday was a great experience. Tell us about your best birthday surprise in the comments!
