Movies - TV
The Superbad Star Who Was Almost Cast As The Office's Pam Beesley
By MATTHEW BILODEAU
It's difficult to think of a modern sitcom as unstoppable after its initial run as "The Office." While Steve Carell's Michael Scott lives on through memes and the occasional "that's what she said" joke, the series will always owe a good chunk of its success to Jenna Fischer who played the beloved Pam Beesley.
However, Fischer wasn’t the only choice for the role of Pam. In a 2020 interview, series creator Greg Daniels stated that he considered making Jim and Pam an interracial couple and that Erica Vittina Phillips, who you may recognize from her role as the liquor store clerk in "Superbad," was a casting consideration while this idea was floating around.
It was Fischer's "magic trick" audition that redefined how Daniels saw the character, "It didn't seem like an actress. It just seemed like, 'Oh, there's the character brought to life. We can stop looking there," said the creator. While Phillips didn't get the part, the casting consideration did come full circle when she made a brief appearance in Season 8 as Daryl's ex-wife, Justine.