The Office Stars Break Down The Show’s Iconic CPR Scene

Two stars of the beloved NBC comedy series The Office have broken down the iconic CPR scene from season 5 episode “Stress Relief Pt. 1.” Jenna Fischer, who played Pam Beesly, and Angela Kinsey, who played Angela Martin, co-host The Office Ladies podcast, in which they go through every episode of the show and give fans insight into the creative processes behind each one. The pair occasionally have guests on the podcast, ranging from actors on the show, to members of the creative team. The podcast has been highly popular among The Office fans, which is no surprise given the show’s massive fanbase.

The Office was a hugely popular show for NBC during its time on the air. The series is in a “mockumentary” style, seen from the perspective of a camera crew filming and interviewing employees at the Dunder Mifflin Paper Company in Scranton, Pennsylvania. The employees, led by their boss Michael Scott (Steve Carrell), frequently found themselves in hilariously awkward and bizarre situations. The show ran for a total of nine seasons and boasted a large and star-studded cast, including Fischer, Kinsey, Carell, John Krasinski, Rainn Wilson, and Ed Helms.

Now, The Office Ladies Fischer and Kinsey (via Mashable) have broken down the iconic CPR scene in season 5, episode 14, “Stress Relief Pt. 1,” and talked about what occurred behind the camera. The scene in question occurs as the Dunder Mifflin team is learning how to perform CPR from a professional trainer, who Fischer said played the part “perfectly straight” among the seasoned comedy actors. Given the chaotic nature of the scene, the pair said a fan had written in to ask if any of it was improvised, but Fischer confirmed it was all completely scripted, including the moment when Dwight cuts the face off the CPR dummy. Read their full comments below:

“No, guys. This whole thing, all the singing, the dancing, it was all scripted. And we followed this scene pretty much as written … I know for sure Rainn really did cut into it because we watched him do it.”

The actors went on to explain that writer Jen Celotta had pitched the idea for what would turn out to be an iconic scene in the show’s history, after she heard that CPR should be performed to the beat of the Bee Gees’ “Stayin’ Alive.” Celotta then “looked it up and cross checked it … [then] cross checked it again” to ensure the advice was safe to air on TV. Despite the success of the scene, however, the entire episode proved an expensive one for the Office production team. Fischer said line producer Randy Cordray revealed they had used three different $750 CPR mannequins to film the scene, while the fake cat that Angela threw into the ceiling during the episode’s cold open cost a massive $12,000.

The fact that one of the most hilarious and chaotic scenes in the history of The Office was not improvised, but instead was completely scripted, is a testament to both the show’s writing team and the stellar cast. The entire episode is one of the most memorable in all the nine seasons, and almost every fan can instantly recognize something from the episode, whether it’s Dwight wearing the CPR dummy’s face, Michael singing the wrong song, or Angela tossing her cat in the air. Kinsey and Fischer’s podcast adds a welcome layer to the beloved episode, giving fans fun behind-the-scenes stories and facts that they wouldn’t otherwise know. And for both long-time and new fans alike, The Office is available to stream on NBC’s streaming service Peacock.

Source: Mashable

About The Author