TV with MeeVee: Talking About "The Office" Romance With John Krasinski

After Monday's NBC comedy press conference, three or four of us grabbed John Krasinski to talk about "The Office," Jim Halpert and Pam Beesley's romance on the show, and acting with Jenna Fischer, who plays Pam. He was funny, friendly, accessible. And he has a quiet confidence that reminds me a lot of his character. I worked my way into the group as he was talking about the way the writers handle the romance...

"I think they've proven time and time again that if you go against the grain, you might succeed. Case in point was on 'Booze Cruise,' all that buildup to me finally being able to tell her I love her, and then just 27 seconds of silence. I mean, that was genius," Krasinski said.

"I'm just a pawn in their game. As long as they keep it real and something a good amount of people have gone through in their relationships, that's all we need to do. Just have people have some semblance of 'Yeah, I've been down that road before.' If we start doing things like going out on crazy dates to Disneyland, that doesn't work," he said.

He said he hasn't even read the first script of the new season, so he couldn't offer any spoilers. But then someone asked if he even wants Jim and Pam to actually succeed in having a romance.

"Just the way they have written these two characters, they're so compatible for each other, I think it would be interesting to see, after all that pressure, what a relationship would be like," Krasinski said. "I feel like there would be some sort of awkwardness. There's a lot of pressure on that and I think both of those characters would feel that after a while. There's a lot of fun stuff they could do with it, and then there's a lot of fun stuff you could do with making people wait a little longer."

He said the third member of their triangle from this past spring, Rashida Jones as Karen, will return for a couple of episodes to wrap up her storyline and give her a chance to say her piece: "I think she'll come in and slap everybody in the face and then walk out. It'll be glorious."

I asked him to talk about the two-handed game he and Jenna Fischer have been playing since the show debuted in 2005.

"Jenna and I have talked about this several times, how we started this together and it's really fun," he said. He gives much credit to the work of Martin Freeman and Lucy Davis playing parallel roles in the original British version of the show. "Us playing the relationship had to be between Jenna and I and finding little things we do. We hang out a lot on set and talk about it and (Executive Producer Greg Daniels) is so nice to let us have a say about it. Working with her has been a real treat because we both understand the awkwardness and where it's going. And we love putting the brakes on. Again, my favorite scene was 'Booze Cruise' and coming to that stall."

Fischer, he said, has recovered from back injuries sustained in a fall down a staircase and is back on her feet. The reaction to their on-screen relationship floors him.

"I'm totally surprised. I think it's really really incredible, I never would have expected that. To be compared to Sam and Diane is ludicrous, because it's two totally different things. But one thing I think we have going for us is...it's a real reality thing there," he said. "You're not dealing with two characters you're dealing with two people who have insecurities and fears. I know from playing this character that it's not easy to tell some girl you love her after she's almost been married. There's a fine line between morals and things like that. It's not just a love story, we're dealing with some wild, complicated stuff. And I think it will be interesting to see what the office's reaction is if we start dating."

Then there's that other relationship Jim's in - his twisted bond with Dwight Schrute, played By Rainn Wilson. Someone asked if he has a favorite of Jim's pranks on Dwight, and he named ones involving a vending machine and filling a phone with nickels. "I wish I could ever claim I was smart enough to do something like that."

I asked him about the little reaction shots he gives to the show's mockumentary cameras whenever Dwight or Michael Scott (Steve Carell) or one of the other Dunder-Mifflin crazies starts acting out. They're small, deadpan moments, the kind of tiny little looks you might give a friend, yet they help shape the character and the show. Krasinski said thanks very much for noticing.

"I rely heavily on the other characters," he said. "it's pretty easy when dealing with Steve and Rainn, because their characters are so off the wall that it's very easy to make those looks. If that persona actually existed in my world, I would hope all my friends saw that," Krasinski said. "I think Jim's like, 'Please, America, tell me you saw that.' "

NBC photo from the comedy event.