Stars Martin Freeman and Mackenzie Crook reunited to reflect on the 25th anniversary of the groundbreaking British comedy "The Office." The duo, who played Tim Canterbury and Gareth Keenan respectively, shared behind-the-scenes anecdotes and candid thoughts on the show's enduring legacy and its American counterpart.
Speaking on the BBC special "Remember... The Office," Freeman revealed he almost didn't get the role of Tim. He initially auditioned for Gareth but was asked to read for Tim at the last minute. "I'm very glad because you should be Gareth. I wouldn't have got it because you would've got it," Freeman told Crook, acknowledging his co-star's suitability for the character.
The mockumentary, created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, followed the lives of employees at the Slough branch of the fictional paper company Wernham Hogg. Launched in 2001, the series initially garnered 1.5 million viewers, a figure that surged to nine million by the time its two-part Christmas special concluded its two-season run. Freeman described the show's peak popularity as feeling like being in a band, noting that respected figures like Richard Curtis, Sacha Baron Cohen, and even Paul McCartney were fans.
Despite their gratitude for the career opportunities "The Office" provided, both Freeman and Crook admitted to occasional frustration with Gervais and Merchant. Freeman expressed annoyance at the perception that every line was improvised or solely written by the creators. He clarified that while the scripts were brilliant, the show's process was "loose," allowing for input from the actors that sometimes wasn't reflected in published scripts, which he felt were transcriptions of the final broadcast rather than original scripts. "It wasn't improvised but it was loosely written," Freeman explained, adding, "We're also in there, you know?"
Both actors also voiced their strong reservations about the American remake of "The Office." While acknowledging its commercial success, which spanned nine seasons and garnered multiple awards including five Emmys, they found the necessity of a US version questionable. "Why? Why do they need to do that? We've done it, haven't we?" Crook recalled thinking at the time. Freeman admitted to a feeling of "hate than petulance" regarding the remake, though he stated he only watched the first episode, which mirrored the original's pilot.
"The Office" has been remade in 16 countries worldwide, but the US version, with Steve Carell in the lead role, became the most widely recognized international adaptation. Gervais and Merchant served as executive producers on the American series. Freeman's career took off with roles in "Love Actually," "The Hobbit," and "Black Panther," while Crook found success in the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise and "Game of Thrones."