Angela Kinsey, who played uptight Christian Angela Martin on “The Office,” said that there were a couple times she refused to say jokes on the show that she felt misrepresented Christianity. Kinsey shared this tidbit with Rainn Wilson, who played Dwight Schrute, during a conversation on his new podcast, “Soul Boom.”
“There were one or two times where there would be a joke written for her that I thought was just really stereotypical, maybe one-note. And I like to think of her as a full, well-rounded person,” Kinsey replied after Wilson asked if she ever experienced tension between her character’s portrayal and her personal experience with Christianity.
“I do remember there was a particular storyline between Angela and Oscar where Angela was being super judge-y,” said Kinsey, “and I never [usually] went up to Greg [Daniels] about any joke. But there was a joke at Oscar’s expense.”
RELATED: ‘The Office’ Actor Rainn Wilson Shares His Views on Jesus, Spirituality
Kinsey’s character “invoked Jesus in the moment, and I just was like, ‘I don’t feel good about it. I don’t feel good about that.’ I don’t feel like that’s what Jesus represented to me.” So Daniels took the joke out.
Angela Kinsey and Rainn Wilson Reminisce About Life, ‘The Office’
Rainn Wilson published the book, “Soul Boom: Why We Need a Spiritual Revolution,” last year and launched his podcast, “Soul Boom,” in March. He told Kinsey that one of his goals for the podcast is to explore spirituality, which he believes is “under-discussed.” Angela Kinsey herself has a podcast called “Office Ladies,” which she cohosts with her good friend Jenna Fischer, who played Pam Beesly on the show.
During their conversation, Kinsey and Wilson reminisced about their childhoods and the many experiences they have in common, including the deaths of their fathers [Editor’s note: This video contains language some may find offensive]. Kinsey, who said her father was “her life anchor,” observed that grief never leaves but that “grief and gratitude really go hand in hand.”
Wilson said his father was extremely thoughtful toward others and made any room he entered a better place. “He never sucked energy from the room,” said Wilson, who aspires to be like his father in this way. Wilson believes American culture does not handle grief well, which is partly why he wanted to discuss the topic.
The two discussed the incredible experience of being in “The Office,” expressing amazement not merely at how popular it became but also at how many people have said it impacted their lives and even their mental health for the better. Wilson said the “love and camaraderie” present on set “was astonishing.” The cast members keep up with one another on a text thread to this day.
RELATED: Actor Rainn Wilson: ‘The Last of Us’ Typifies ‘Anti-Christian Bias in Hollywood’
