Angela Kinsey, who plays Angela in The Office, explains that fans often think the actress is going to be similar to her on-screen counterpart.

Angela Kinsey explains why fans are often scared to approach her, and her The Office character is to blame. Kinsey has had a slew of TV and movie appearances since her time on The Office, most recently starring in Netflix’s teen movie Tall Girl. She also appears alongside Jenna Fischer in the award-winning Office Ladies podcast, which sees the two actresses deconstruct episodes of The Office while giving insider knowledge to the show’s massive fanbase.

The success of NBC’s incredibly popular mockumentary is difficult to fathom, and Kinsey, who played office grump Angela across the shows nine seasons, was key to that success. Although Angela spent much of her time on the show bringing others down, she became a difficult to hate fan-favorite, despite her often biting retorts and snide comments. While plenty of hints at a softer side to Angela’s character appeared in the show over the years, it wasn’t until The Office’s finale, which saw Angela and Dwight wed, that she truly felt redeemed after years of being horrible to her co-workers .

But coming as no surprise, Kinsey admitted during an interview with Page Six that she doesn’t always get the best reception from fans. Despite describing herself as “super chatty” in real life, the actress states she loves “to talk anyone up, but people would see me and not approach me”. Discussing one particular occasion while traveling with fellow The Office star Brian Baumgartner, Kinsey remarked that, although fans were exciting to see Baumgartner, when she appeared, the mood shifted, with fans reacting “like, ‘Oh no, Angela’s here. We better behave ‘”. Kinsey also recalled the difference in reactions to her character and Dwight’s relationship and that of Jim and Pam. The actress, while looking back on the situation in good humor, said “it would be like, ‘Dwight and Angela revealed to be having a kid,’ and everyone would be like, ‘Ew.’ So, Jim and Pam got, ‘ Aw’ and Dwight and Angela got, ‘Ew.’ That just tickles me’.

While clearly taking it on the chin, fans’ reaction to Kinsey is more of a testament to her fantastic acting skills than anything else. It’s also a testament to great writing and casting, as every office across the globe has an Angela, just like they have a Dwight, a Jim and an Oscar. The Office was always about creating a comedy that felt relatable and ridiculous at the same time, and the fact that fans struggled to separate the actors from their Dunder Mifflon counterparts proves just how groundbreaking the show was.

Although fans ask for it every year, a The Office revival seems unlikely, with show leads like John Krasinski and Rainn Wilson busy elsewhere. Show creator Greg Daniels, despite expressing interest in a reboot in the past, has recently said that his new show Space Force, which also features The Office’s Steve Carell, will feel more like his previous work in its upcoming season 2, making a potential revival even less likely. That being said, there’s always a desire for more The Office, with Peacock recently adding episode Superfan episodes to its streaming service, giving fans slightly longers of their favorite show. While we may never see the likes of Angela in new episodes of The Office again, Kinsey has proven the show, just like her character, is timeless.

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