For nine seasons, Jenna Fischer and John Krasinski played everyone's favorite couple on The Office, Pam Beesly and Jim Halpert. The two characters were smitten from the start but had some roadblocks along the way before finding everlasting happiness.
Outside of The Office fandom, Jenna Fischer and John Krasinski are happily married to separate spouses and have families of their own. They continued with their acting careers but have supported each other along the way. With The Office fandom growing with streaming, Fischer and Krasinski still praise each other for the work they did together and continue to do so with new projects.
Updated on December 3rd, 2021, by Lynn Gibbs: After binging The Office for the first time, fans who fell in love with Jim and Pam had to know one thing: Did John Krasinski and Jenna Fischer date in real life? In actuality, the pair never dated off-screen but their friendship, trust, and bond with each other were shown through their characters. John Krasinski and Jenna Fischer will forever be connected because of The Office and they continue to support and commend each other today.
John Wants To Spend All 'His Time' With Jenna
Jim was known for his romantic quotes towards Pam. He had been in love with her from the start and the stars all aligned when they eventually started dating.
The friends aren't dating in real life but they do enjoy spending time together. According to ET Canada, when John Krasinski was asked if how his friendship with Jenna Fischer was now that they weren't on the show, and if he'd ever work with her again, John said, "I would love to work on anything with Jenna. She is the absolute greatest actress. But also more than that, she’s the most amazing person… So I would love to spend all my time with her if I could.”
And He Begged The Writers To Skip One Controversial Storyline To Save Jim & Pam
Every fan has their favorite storyline on The Office, but Pam's odd friendship with Brian in season 9 wasn't one of them. No one wanted to see Pam flirt with another man. Interestingly enough, there was another storyline that almost happened that fans would have hated more than the Brian + Pam one.
According to Deseret News, the writers suggested that Jim cheated on Pam with Cathy in season 8 while Pam was away for maternity leave. This would mean that all of Pam's worries before maternity leave were valid. John said it was the one time he refused to film. “That’s the only time I remember putting my foot down … I remember saying things that I never thought I’d say before, like, ‘I’m not going to shoot it.'" Thankfully, John's dedication to his character's relationship, and his friendship with Fischer, saved the storyline.
They Knew Right Away That They Had A Connection
The reason why Jim and Pam worked so well as characters is because of their chemistry. Both actors looked like they were genuinely drawn to each other and created memorable Jim and Pam moments. Fischer and Krasinski agreed that their chemistry was kismet.
According to Nicki Swift, during an episode of The Office Ladies, Fischer said this about meeting Krasinski during the auditioning process. "What if you walked into a room and music started playing and you and another person just started dancing in unison even though you'd never met? That's what it was like auditioning with you." Beautifully, Krasinski agreed.
Jenna Believed They Really Were Jim & Pam IRL
In what has to be one of the more controversial comments in Fischer's career, she told Andy Cohen on Watch What Happens Live that she and Krasinski were "genuinely in love with each other." She said, “There’s like a real part of me that is Pam and a real part of him that’s Jim." Jim and Pam's relationship was idealized to an extent but Fischer claimed there was more to it.
Office fans begin to buzz about the comments and Fischer clarified “In real life, we aren’t totally Pam and totally Jim. So in real life, we’re not like the perfect match." But after being TV spouses for so many years, they're always going to have a soft spot for each other.
But John Knew Their Love For Each Other Was For Show
After Fischer said that she and John were "genuinely in love" while on the show, fans were hoping for some kind of revelation from the two. Were they more than just friends who acted as The Office's favorite couple?
However, Krasinski clarified Fischer's comments, saying that her words were "wildly misquoted or taken out of context." He continued telling The Daily Beast, “I’m sure she was trying to say something nice about how genuine the acting relationship was, of bringing a relationship that became that popular onscreen."
The Friends Disagree About Their Characters' First Kiss
Technically, Jim and Pam's first kiss was at the show's first Dundies. Pam got into an argument with Roy and had one too many drinks. After winning an award for the whitest sneakers she ran back into Jim's arms and accidentally kissed him while hugging.
However, their first actual kiss was in 'Casino Night' after Jim tells her he loved her. Funny enough, according to The Insider, the actors disagree about their characters' first kiss. While on The Office Ladies podcast, the cast said 'The Dundies' was Jim and Pam's first kiss but Jenna insisted that 'Casino Night' was.
John Really Was A Pranker On Set
Throughout The Office, plenty of Jim's pranks worked. His main target was Dwight but he threw in pranks here and there when he could with various co-workers. As it turns out, Krasinski was also a big prankster.
In the episode where Jim and Pam spend the night at Schrute Farms, Fisher said that she and John had to do a couple of takes of them driving in the car on the way up to the farm. According to Vulture, Fisher said, "I'm like, 'Oh my god, it's so hot,' and we had to turn off the AC for sound and you're like, 'Yeah, I don't know, I'm okay. But you're hot, huh?'" After 15 minutes, Fischer realized Krasinki put on her seat warmer.
They Hungout After Filming Stopped
The Office ended in 2013 after nine amazing seasons on NBC. Thanks to online streaming, the show is making a comeback with the younger generations. But now that it's been seven years since the show ended, do Krasinski and Fischer ever see each other these days? After all, Jim and Pam did sweet things for each other on-screen, what about off-screen?
According to Glamour, Krasinski said “I see Jenna [Fischer] all the time. I love her husband, Lee [Kirk], and their kids are amazing, so we get together a bunch." With both actors having two kids each, these two families are a happy bunch.
They Support Each Other's Work When They Can
After The Office wrapped up, Krasinski and Fischer dove into other projects. Krasinski's career took off and he started dabbling in directing as well. With both actors moving on in life, it's sweet to know that they still support each other. Well, kind of...
Fischer noted that she and her husband were going to see Krasinski's A Quiet Place but she chickened out. According to People, Jenna said "I like scary movies, but this is so weird. I was afraid to see John and Emily in peril because they are my real friends." Vice versa, when Fischer was in the play Reasons To Be Happy, Krasinski and his wife Emily Blunt were seen in the audience, according to The Daily Mail.
They're Diehards For Their Cities
John Krasinski was born in raised in Boston whereas Jenna Fischer was raised in St. Louis. Their devotion to their cities came to a head when the St. Louis Blues were playing the Boston Bruins in the 2019 Stanely Cup Playoffs, according to E! News.
Both actors were seen at the games cheering on their teams. They even shared some smack talk online! Funny enough, the one person Pam almost ended up with, Roy, is friends with Krasinski in real life. David Denman also enjoyed the game with Krasinski.
She Gloated About John In Her Book
In 2017, Fischer released her book The Actor's Life: A Survival Guide, which detailed her own experiences as an actress on the rise. She dishes out what fellow actors need to do to separate themselves from the pack by detailing her own ups and downs in the industry.
In the book, Fischer also talks about her audition for The Office when she met John. According to Cosmopolitan, she wrote, “John and I were walking out of an audition scene, and he suddenly turned to me and whispered, ‘You’re my favorite Pam. I hope you get this job.'” Even more adorable than Pam and Jim's cutest moments, Fischer agreed and hoped he'd get the role of Jim. That little moment was something the real Jim and Pam would have done on-screen.
They Both Got Married In 2010
Although Jenna Fischer and John Krasinski never experienced romance together, they fell in love with different people at the same time. Fischer met actor Lee Kirk in 2008 while Krasinski met Emily Blunt through a friend at the same time.
Even more ironic, they both got married in July of 2010. Jenna Fischer’s husband and she stayed in California for their nuptials while Krasinski and Emily got married at George Clooney's Lake Como house in Itlay.