Jim Halpert (John Krasinski) and Pam Beesly (Jenna Fischer) are some of the most beloved onscreen couples in TV history after starring in the workplace sitcom The Office. Enthralled Office fans followed the romance of Jim and Pam from the beginning when Pam was still engaged to Roy. Eventually, Pam and Jim couldn't ignore their feelings for each other any longer and the rest is history.
The couple went through a lot over nine seasons, including a rough patch in season 9 when Jim took a second job in Philadelphia. But nothing could keep these two from each other. By the end of the series, the couple moved their family to Austin, Texas, so that Jim could start a new job and their family could start a new life. And while fans think they know Jim and Pam, there are a few secrets that get swept under the rug.
Updated on December 19, 2021, by Kayleigh Banks: With Angela Kinsey and Jenna Fischer's Office Ladies podcast revealing plenty of behind-the-scenes facts and secrets, some fans will be surprised to learn that the writers had come up with a lot of wild storylines - even for Pam and Jim. While the fan-favorite pairing overcame a lot of obstacles to be together and get their happy ending, some fans might not have realized that there were a lot of external forces (on and off) that were close to splitting them up permanently. Luckily, with John Krasinski and Jenna Fischer's influence (and the vocal support of the fans), they didn't go through with their plans.
Fischer Shared The Secret Behind The Success Of Jim And Pam In The Office
Jenna Fischer caused a stir when she shared the secret to her on-screen chemistry with Office co-star John Krasinski, during an appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen. Responding to a caller who wanted to know if the co-stars were close in real life or whether their onscreen connection was only just good acting, Fischer said the secret of her on-screen chemistry with Krasinski, who played Jim Halpert, was that they were "genuinely in love" with each other in real life.
However, with both Fischer and Krasinski being married to other people, she concluded that she and Krasinski would always remain close to each other because she regarded her co-star as a "type of spouse" due to their special on-screen relationship.
Krasinski Later Awkwardly Denied Fischer's Claim That They Were "Genuinely In Love"
Things got awkward days after Fischer told Andy Cohen that her chemistry with Krasinski was due to the fact that they were "genuinely in love with one another." While fans debated the implications of what they took to be a confession of a real-life romantic relationship, Krasinski insisted in an interview with The Daily Beast that the media had misquoted Fischer.
According to Krasinski, Fischer was only trying to say that they had a sincere and close relationship. He said that although it was an honor to have developed a close relationship with Fischer, it was inaccurate to say that they "were genuinely in love.” He said it was unfortunate that the media wildly misconstrued Fischer’s words.
The Producers Had Planned For Jim And Pam To Be An Interracial Couple
The Office executive producer Greg Daniels revealed to TV Guide in 2013 that he had considered casting a Black actress and actor for Pam and Roy. According to Daniels, he had originally planned to "Americanize" Jim and Pam's relationship by casting Craig Robinson (Darryl) as Roy and Erica Vittina Phillips (who eventually played Darryl's ex-wife) as Pam. The Office would be different if it were made today but it would have been incredibly different with these actors from the start.
Daniels abandoned the plan to have Erica Vittina Phillips play Pam after Fischer auditioned for Pam, as he decided she was the best fit for the role. Daniels told TV Guide that he never had a reason to regret his final decision to cast Fischer and Krasinski as Pam and Jim. He insisted that Fischer turned out to be a perfect fit for the role of Pam.
Krasinski Nearly Lost The Part Of Jim To Adam Scott And Pam Was Nearly Played By Kathryn Hahn
John Krasinski and Jenna Fischer ended up in the roles of Jim and Pam against all odds. Comments to the media by multiple inside sources, including Daniels, show that the roles might easily have gone to several other actors and actresses
Parks and Recreation star Adam Scott auditioned for the part of Jim Halpert, according to The Office Journal, and was nearly cast in the role. According to Uproxx, Scott had the best chance of being cast because Krasinski's audition did not go well. Krasinski was actually supposed to read for the part of Dwight Schrute, but he managed to convince the directors to allow him to read for Jim. Kathryn Hahn was seriously considered for the role of Pam and Angela Kinsey was also considered for the role before she was cast as Angela!
The Office Almost Got A Jim And Pam Family Show Spinoff
Executive producer Greg Daniels revealed during a May 2013 interview with TV Guide that one of the major Office spinoff proposals that they had on the table was a Jim and Pam family show. However, the former executive producer Michael Schur revealed that the idea was finally shelved due to concerns that it might hurt The Office, which was in season 4 at the time.
There were a few other spinoff ideas for The Office, one, in particular, would have featured Ed Helms' Andy Bernard as the dad of a family and Catherine Tate (Nellie Bertram) as the mom. Craig Robinson and Rainn Wilson were also considered for their own shows as Darryl Philbin and Dwight Schrute respectively.
Fischer Cried Tears Of Joy When She Learned Krasinski Was Playing Jim
During an appearance in an episode of The Jeff Probst Show in 2013, Fischer talked about her interaction with Krasinski during the final round of auditioning that involved eight actors. She recalled in her book The Actor’s Life: A Survival Guide (2017) that the chemistry between her and Krasinski was already apparent at the time. She recalled that he whispered to her during the auditioning that she was his favorite and that he hoped she would get the role.
When Fischer eventually got the role, the first question she asked was whether Krasinski also got the role of Jim Halpert. Fischer said she was elated and cried tears of joy when she learned that Krasinski would be her co-star, and the start of Jim and Pam's relationship timeline began.
Jim And Pam's First Kiss Was Krasinski's First-Ever Onscreen (But He Lied About It)
Jim Halpert's first kiss with Pam Beesly in The Office season 2 finale was one of the most viewed scenes and Krasinski's first-ever ons-creen kiss, according to Entertainment Weekly. However, Krasinski was apparently shy about the fact that it was his first on-screen kiss, so when Fischer asked him about it, he lied about it at first. But Fischer was open about the fact that the kiss was her first on-screen kiss.
According to Today, the kiss was the culmination of two seasons of onscreen flirting between Pam and Jim, as well as an intensifying off-screen connection between the two co-stars since they first met while auditioning for their roles in the TV show.
Fischer "Felt Transported Into A New Reality" During Jim And Pam's First Kiss Scene
Fischer revealed in her book The Actor’s Life: A Survival Guide, that she would never forget her first kiss with Krasinski. Fischer noted that after director Ken Kwapis gave instructions for the scene and walked away, she "felt completely transported into a new reality."
She wrote that in the moment after the kiss, the crew and the whole cast knew that they had just filmed one of the most iconic first kisses in TV history. It was one of Pam's more badass moments on The Office because she followed her feelings and kissed her best friend regardless of the consequences.
The Replica Of A Rest Stop For Jim And Pam's Proposal Scene Cost $250,000
The replica of a Merritt Parkway rest stop that was built for Jim and Pam's gas station proposal scene cost $250,000, according to executive producer Greg Daniels. Fischer and Angela Kinsey also talked about the engagement on their podcast, The Office Ladies. They were willing to commit so many resources to that scene because it was the highlight of their five years of storytelling, Daniels added.
According to the Washington Post, the scene was supposed to take place in the rain at a gas station based on an actual rest stop on the Merritt Parkway in Connecticut. Director Paul Feig and the cast flew to the East Coat for the shooting, but when they found that it would cost $100,000 and that they would not be allowed to use their huge rain machines, they flew back with the film crew to Los Angeles.
Fischer Kept The Engagement Ring Jim Gave To Pam
According to BuzzFeed, Fischer kept the engagement ring that Jim gave to Pam. She kept the ring as a souvenir and allegedly wore it in public after the series ended. Fans claimed that she wore the $5,000 ring during multiple TV appearances.
However, Fischer took to Twitter in 2017 to deny rumors that the ring was worth about $5,000. She admitted she was keeping the ring, but insisted it was only a silver prop ring not worth $5,000. She also denied claims that she was seen wearing it in public, as she insisted that she did not "wear it in real life."
Fischer’s Real-Life Pregnancy Coincided With Pam's Season 8 Pregnancy
Jenna Fischer was pregnant in real life during Season 8 of the show. Her on-screen character Pam was also pregnant during season 8, but the producers had not foreseen that Pam’s second on-screen pregnancy would coincide with Fischer's real-life first pregnancy. However, the coincidence was welcomed.
Fischer's transformation of Pam was imperative for her Office character's growth and added depth to her relationship with Jim. According to Celebrity Babies, Fischer publicly announced in May 2011 that she was expecting her first baby with her husband Lee Kirk. When fans later learned that the season 8 plot of Fischer's on-screen marriage to Jim Halpert would involve a second pregnancy, many assumed that the producers decided to run the pregnancy story after they learned that Fischer was pregnant in real life. However, it was later confirmed that the writers had planned the plot twist before they learned that Fischer was pregnant and expecting a baby.
Pam's Consultant In "The Delivery" Was Fischer's Real-Life Husband Lee Kirk
Pam Beesly gave birth to her first child in the two-part season 6 episode of The Office titled 'The Delivery.' Pam had problems breastfeeding her baby, Cecelia Halpert, so she called a lactation specialist to her hospital room. Jim did not hide his disapproval when the male lactation specialist touched Pam as he tried to show her how to properly breastfeed her baby.
While The Office fans felt sad that Pam was struggling, others realized that the male actor who played the role of the lactation specialist was in fact Fischer's real-life husband, Lee Kirk. Kirk and Fischer were married in July 2010, about a week after Krasinski married Emily Blunt. The wedding, which took place in Malibu, was attended by many of their Office co-stars. They have two children, Weston and Harper.
Jim Might Have Cheated On Pam...
According to Ranker, some fans claimed there was plenty of evidence that Jim was a villain on The Office and cheated on Pam. A popular fan theory insists that the documentary crew helped Jim cover up his cheating because the producers wanted to focus only on the storyline that involved his swoon-worthy relationship with Pam.
According to the fan theory, Jim admitted he cheated on Pam during the last episode of The Office titled 'Finale.' When Pam was asked during the Q&A session why she stopped trusting Jim, he appeared to hastily cut her off. He then addressed the question evasively and declared that whatever problems existed between them was his fault. He added that the film editors treated Pam unfairly by showing him in a better light.
...But Pam Might Have Cheated On Jim Too
Another popular fan theory on Reddit claims that Pam might have cheated on Jim with one of the members of the documentary crew when Jim was acting like a jerk, the boom mic operator Brian. Brian entered into the shot for the first time when he came forward to comfort Pam as she cried following an argument with Jim during the season 9 episode of the show titled 'Customer Loyalty.' The episode was the first time that the show revealed any of The Office documentary crew.
Brian's intervention happened at a time that Pam and Jim's marriage relationship was under strain after he started working part-time in Philadelphia. Many fans thought that there appeared to be an emotional connection between Pam and Brian and felt convinced that the show purposefully hinted that Pam might have been cheating on Jim with Brian.
Krasinski Might Have Slipped A Jim And Pam Reference Into 'A Quiet Place'
After The Office ended in 2013, Krasinski moved on to other projects. More notably, he wrote, directed, and co-starred with his wife Emily Blunt in the horror movie, A Quiet Place. The movie is about a family forced to live in silence to avoid being detected by creatures that hunt by sound.
The Office fans noticed a particular scene in A Quiet Place that was eerily reminiscent of an adorable Jim and Pam moment. In the swoon-worthy scene from season 2, Jim and Pam cutely shared headphones. According to Mashable, the scene in A Quiet Place where Lee (Krasinski) shared headphones with Evelyn (Blunt) appeared to be a remake of The Office scene. However, while Jim and Pam shared headphones as a sweet gesture of their emerging romantic connection, Lee and Evelyn shared headphones to avoid being detected.
John Krasinski Refused To Film A Scene Involving Jim Cheating On Pam
In season 8, it was revealed that Pam was pregnant with her and Jim's second child and that she would be going to be on maternity leave soon. However, after her replacement was introduced to the show, it was clear that Cathy was going to try and split Pam and Jim up.
While Jim quickly rebuffed any advances she made, some fans might not have realized that the writers intended for Cathy and Jim to kiss while they were in Tallahassee. Krasinski refused to film the scene because he believed it would ruin Jim and Pam's relationship and would have made them lose viewers. Considering that they were one of the fans' favorite couples, he was right on this occasion.
Pam And Jim Almost Broke Up In The Final Season
By the time season 9 came around, Jim and Pam were shown to be having marital troubles. This was mainly due to the fact that Jim kept on making impulsive decisions for their family without discussing them with Pam. Eventually, the pair went to couple's counseling and managed to work through their issues (which made their relationship stronger than ever).
While many fans were delighted that Pam and Jim overcame such obstacles, they may be surprised to find out that The Office writers had initially decided to break the couple up. The couple would have then reunited in the finale after such an arduous break. A lot of the fans will be happy that the idea was rejected in favor of the ones they got.
Roy Almost Interrupted Jim And Pam's Wedding
While Pam, Jim, and Roy eventually got closure after the warehouse worker left Dunder Mifflin and got married to someone else, the writers did initially plan to keep the love triangle going for much longer. According to Andy Greene's novel, The Office: The Untold Story of the Greatest Sitcom of the 2000s, Roy was meant to turn up at Jim and Pam's wedding to try and win her back.
He was supposed to come in on horseback and insist that Pam was only going through with the wedding to make him jealous. In the end, Steve Carell rejected the idea (and rightfully so). Over the course of the nine seasons, Pam had expressed several times that she was a big fan of getting closure and she did get that with Roy before he left. As Pam had also made it clear to Roy that she no longer reciprocated his feelings, this plot wouldn't have made much sense.
Jim's Teapot Note To Pam Contained A Heartfelt Goodbye From John Krasinski
In the season 2 episode "The Christmas Party," Jim revealed to the documentary crew that he had bought Pam a teapot and filled it with sentimental gifts. Accompanying it, he had written a card that expressed how he felt about her. However, at the last minute, he took it away and only gave it back to her in the finale.
Although fans never found out what the card actually said, Fischer did reveal in the Office Ladies podcast that Krasinski wrote "a personal message from himself [...] just saying what our time on The Office meant, because we were wrapping up filming" (via Mashable).
The Writers Didn't Know If Jim And Pam Would End Up Together
In the season 2 finale, fans were delighted to see Jim finally confess his feelings to Pam. However, after Pam revealed that she didn't reciprocate his feelings and still intended to marry Roy, fans were shocked to hear Jim left Scranton and moved to the Stamford branch.
Sometime after that, Pam then revealed to the documentary crew that she actually didn't go through with her wedding and was now single. While many believed that this was the writers' way of hinting that Pam and Jim would end up together, Jenna Fischer revealed in the Office Ladies podcast that this wasn't the case. In fact, the writers had even toyed with the idea that Pam and Roy could get back together since "it had not been decided that Jim and Pam were one another's true loves."