John Krasinski reveals one Jim and Pam plotline he refused to film in The Office
After playing Jim for years by that point, Krasinski felt he knew what was best for his character
There are a lot of memorable Jim and Pam moments in The Office, but star John Krasinksi has revealed one plot line he refused to allow on the screen.
Krasinski starred alongside Jenna Fischer as the main couple of the sitcom; the pair who started off with a will they-won't they friendship before finally striking up a romantic relationship and tying the knot.
The couple went through all manner of situations on the show, from a quick romp in the storage cupboard to having to deal with whatever Michael or Dwight threw at them that episode.
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It wasn't a case of 'anything goes' for Jim and Pam though, as Krasinksi proved when he opened up about one suggested storyline that didn't make the cut.
The A Quiet Place star discussed the situation in an oral history of the series, titled Welcome to Dunder Mifflin: The Ultimate Oral History of The Office, and explained that it stemmed from a plot in season eight.
Fans of the show will remember that as the season where Pam was off on maternity leave with the couple's second child, so the office brought in a woman named Cathy, played by Lindsey Broad, to replace her.
Kathy joined Jim and a few of the other office employees on a business trip to Tallahassee, Florida, but it soon became clear that the trip wasn't just about work for Cathy.
During their stay, Cathy unsuccessfully attempted to seduce Jim in his hotel room, eventually forcing him to declare that the room had bed bugs just to try and get her to leave.
Spoiler alert, it didn't work, and she ended up going to use his shower instead.
Thankfully Cathy did eventually leave in the episode, but Krasinski revealed that showrunner Greg Daniels initially had another idea in mind.
Rather than avoid Cathy's advances, the creator thought she and Jim should share a kiss - but after having played Jim for years, Krasinski didn't think it was the right move for his character.
“That’s the only time I remember putting my foot down,” he said. “I remember saying things that I never thought I’d say before, like, 'I’m not going to shoot it'.”
Krasinksi went on to express belief that The Office audience had a 'threshold' within which the show creators could 'push' them.
He explained: "They are so dedicated. We have shown such great respect to them.
“But there’s a moment where if you push them too far, they’ll never come back. And I think that if you show Jim cheating, they’ll never come back.”
The creators did eventually listen to the Krasinski and the kiss was cut, though Daniels defended his storyline suggestion as he said: "I needed to worry [fans] that maybe I was going to give them a bad ending so they were happy when they got a good ending.”
Topics: The Office, John Krasinski, Celebrity, Film and TV
Emily Brown