Hear from Brian Baumgartner, Ellie Kemper, Ed Helms and John Krasinski about what to expect this season and what will unfold for their characters in these interview clips.
Behind-the-Scenes with Brian Baumgartner
Brian Baumgartner talks about the early years of The Office.
It starts with the voice. If you want to appreciate the brilliance of Brian Baumgartner’s performance as the slow-witted Kevin on The Office, all you need to do is look up a YouTube clip of the actor being interviewed and marvel at the difference between the actor’s rich baritone and the character’s mushy lisp. Even on a show where self-awareness is scarce, Kevin stands out for his lack of guile. His uncomplicated sweetness provides a relief from the show’s intrigues, and his obliviousness allows some of its most outrageous asides. Although he rarely commands the spotlight, he’s the cast member most likely to knock a simple line out of the park, while remaining sublimely unaware he’s said anything funny at all. Baumgartner called up The A.V. Club during The Office’s holiday hiatus to talk about the voice, his character’s subtle evolution, and the sinking-ship feeling of the show’s early days.
Brian Baumgartner stopped by Attack of the Studio who tells them about the Christmas episode of the hit NBC series and what’s in store for the holidays.
Brian Baumgartner, who plays Kevin on the popular television show “The Office,” chose to come to SMU in 1991 because of the acting program.
He looked at several schools, including Northwestern, Duke, and USC, before choosing SMU. “I knew SMU would have what I wanted; it was the absolute best school in the country for actor training,” Baumgartner said.
Baumgartner knew from a very early age that he wanted to be an actor. Between his junior and senior year of high school he attended Northwestern University’s National High School Institute, where he focused on theater.
“I had always thought of theater as an extracurricular activity, and then I went to Northwestern and I thought there was nothing better than acting. I began to study it as a profession instead of just an activity,” Baumgartner said.
Michael Ausiello was at the NBC press tours and had the awesome privilege of chatting with Office mates Ellie Kemper, Leslie David Baker, Brian Baumgartner, Creed Bratton, Phyllis Smith, and Kate Flannery.
It starts with the voice. If you want to appreciate the brilliance of Brian Baumgartner’s performance as the slow-witted Kevin on The Office, all you need to do is look up a YouTube clip of the actor being interviewed and marvel at the difference between the actor’s rich baritone and the character’s mushy lisp. Even on a show where self-awareness is scarce, Kevin stands out for his lack of guile. His uncomplicated sweetness provides a relief from the show’s intrigues, and his obliviousness allows some of its most outrageous asides. Although he rarely commands the spotlight, he’s the cast member most likely to knock a simple line out of the park, while remaining sublimely unaware he’s said anything funny at all. Baumgartner called up The A.V. Club during The Office’s holiday hiatus to talk about the voice, his character’s subtle evolution, and the sinking-ship feeling of the show’s early days.
Brian Baumgartner, who plays Kevin on the popular television show “The Office,” chose to come to SMU in 1991 because of the acting program.
