Office tyrant sets sights on renaissance fairs
By Borys Kit – Reuters
August 24, 2007

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Rainn Wilson, who plays the tyrannical Dwight on NBC's "The Office," will star in a comedy feature set in a Renaissance fair.

Wilson is co-writing "Renaissance Men" with fellow actor Matt Ross, and will produce with "Austin Powers" director Jay Roach. Universal Pictures will distribute.

The story follows two down-and-out community theater actors who think they've accidentally killed a co-star. In a panic, they go on the lam and hide out in a Renaissance fair.

"It's a bit like 'We're No Angels,' only funny, and in a Renaissance fair," Wilson said.

Wilson has long been fascinated by "Ren fairs," attending them with his family during his teenage years, when he also played "Dungeons and Dragons" and fought with broomsticks and garbage-can lids in his backyard.

Wilson and Ross attended the same drama classes at the University of Washington, where Ross also took up fencing and swordfighting.

Both eventually made their way south to Hollywood, where after bit parts in movies like "Almost Famous" and TV shows Wilson found success as apparatchik Dwight Schrute on "Office." Ross has appeared in such movies as "American Psycho" and "The Aviator" and is now gaining attention for his work on HBO's "Big Love," where he plays the villainous Alby Grant.

The friends have harbored the idea of a comedy set in a Ren fair for a long time, but it was only during a general meeting with Roach that Wilson brought it up. Roach loved the idea, and after Wilson and Ross honed the story, the trio took it to Universal, where Roach is based.

"(Renaissance fairs) are fascinating," Wilson said. "Everyone has been to one, but no one really knows what makes them tick. The great thing about them is how seriously people take their duties at the fair or as their characters, whether they are doing swordfights or selling giant turkey legs. And I think that the best comedy comes from people taking ridiculous circumstances extremely seriously."

Wilson is also writing "Bonzai Shadowhands," a ninja comedy that Jason Reitman ("Thank You For Smoking") will direct for Fox Searchlight. Like that project, this one will feature characters that are failures, something that is a Wilson trademark.

"I will always write only loserish kind of characters," he said. "I don't think I have a handle on winners."

Injured Jenna Fischer Still 'Sore,' Gets New Chair
By Nicholas White
People.com
August 3, 2007

Jenna Fischer spent her summer nursing four fractured vertebrae – but the Office Emmy nominee insists she's almost 100 percent as her hit NBC show returns for a fourth season.

"I'm still sore," Fischer, 33, told PEOPLE at Thursday's Universal Media Studios Emmy party in Malibu. "I have good days and so-so days. I'm definitely able to work."

In The Office, Fischer usually sits behind a computer. She adds, "They got a variety of chairs for me. I had to sit in, I think, six different chairs, and got to pick my favorite one."

Fischer, who hurt her back after falling at an NBC party in mid-May, explains, "Truthfully, I'm not in a lot of pain anymore. It's more some discomfort. I don't have a headache, but I would say it's comparable to having a low-grade headache."

But her back has yet to recuperate fully. "I'm not allowed to start physical therapy yet. The bones have to completely heal first. I start physical therapy in about three weeks."

In the meantime, Fischer says some tasks are just difficult – or impossible. "There are little things all the time that I don't realize I can't do until I try to do them, like parallel-park my car," Fischer says. "It's the twisting behind me. It's certain muscles that you're not sure about yet. I'm just going to try to roll with it. Everyone is so supportive and concerned. I know it's going to be okay."

The show's first script read-through is Aug. 3 and production starts Aug. 6, cast members say. Fischer's Office co-star Kate Flannery attests to Fischer's recovery.

"I had lunch with her today," Flannery tells PEOPLE. "She's slowly healing, and I think she's going to be fine."

The Television Critics Association Award

July 21, 2007 - “The Office” was awarded Outstanding Achievement in Comedy for the second year in a row.

ABC, NBC Likely to Win Big at Emmys According to Zap2it Users

SANTA MONICA, Calif., July 17 /PRNewswire/ -- ABC and NBC will be celebrating big wins at the 59th Primetime Emmy Awards on September 16 if the TV watchers at Zap2it.com have it right.

In advance of the upcoming Emmy season, Zap2it polled its audience of TV lovers to find out which shows are most deserving of Emmy Awards. They chose ABC's mysterious drama "Lost" and NBC's "docu-reality" comedy "The Office" as their favorites in online voting which ran from July 9-16.

The poll is part of an ongoing effort by Zap2it to give its engaged community of users a voice.

In the "Drama Series" category, "Lost" beat nine popular shows and came out on top with 23.4% of the vote. A last-minute surge propelled the ABC show past NBC's freshman offering, "Friday Night Lights" centering on high school football in rural Texas. "FNL" ended up in second place with 19.8% of votes.

Competition in the "Comedy Series" category was not as close. The leading vote-getter by a wide margin was NBC's "The Office," which took home the Outstanding Comedy Series Emmy in 2006. The show documenting the workplace interactions of employees at the Dunder-Mifflin paper supply company cornered 36.2% of the vote. The next most popular show was ABC's hit "Ugly Betty," starring newcomer America Ferrera; it garnered 17.9% of the popular vote.

NBC.com Broadens Its Social Networking Around Shows
MediaPost Publications
July 17, 2007

NBC Digital Entertainment will continue beefing up NBC.com throughout the summer with additional tech and content features.

Several additions noted Monday include new social networking tools, streaming episodes of "Late Night with Conan O'Brien," the continued rollout of "Heroes 360," the show's multi-platform presentation, along with new WAP mobile sites for new and returning shows.

With the new social networking features, users can create customizable profiles to participate in online NBC-programming-based communities.

Starting in late August, fans of NBC's "The Office" will gain entrance to a Dunder Mifflin corporate site, where they can join and form new branches as part of an online job fair. With the emphasis on engagement, once branches are established, weekly tasks will be assigned from "Corporate."

Tasks will mostly correspond to topics or events featured in the broadcast show, but will also include online-specific challenges such as creating individual branch logos or ad campaigns, completing online games and interacting with other Dunder Mifflin branches.

In October, NBC.com is planning to debut its first exclusively online series, "Coastal Dreams," which follows two 20-something friends who find themselves enmeshed in a murder mystery.

The six faces of John Krasinski
The director of "License to Wed" put a finite number on the expressions of his elastic-faced star.
By Sheigh Crabtree, Special to The Los Angeles Times
July 6, 2007

Tom Cruise and Julia Roberts are famous for their infectious smiles. John Krasinski, the 6-foot-3 actor who plays corn-fed paper salesman Jim Halpert on NBC's "The Office," is famous for his elastic face, a mug so fluid it launched a thousand clips on YouTube.

In fan montage after montage, see Jim smirk by the water cooler, watch Jim grimace in a company meeting or roll his eyes behind cubicle nerd Dwight Schrute's (Rainn Wilson) back.

But weeks before the show's fourth season begins, one can only wonder just how many classic Jim Halpert expressions Krasinski has in him.

Ken Kwapis, the director who gave Krasinski his break on the television series and made him his leading man in Warner Bros.' critically panned "License to Wed," which opened Tuesday, says Krasinski has an absolute, definitive number of facial moves.

"Six," Kwapis says, eyeing the actor as he pours hot water into a tea cup in a hotel suite in Santa Monica during an interview last month.

“Six?!” says Krasinski, slamming the china onto a coffee table. "You bastard."

Delighting in the chance to ruffle the leading man's self-admiration, the director continues.

"Well, I think, obviously, John has lots of good reactions," Kwapis says. "In fact, I always say this about John: He knows his way around an awkward pause better than anyone."

Krasinski shoots back: "I always say you're a drunk, which is weird.... I'm kidding. Don't print that. It'd be really bad."

The director shrugs it off.

"You don't have to," Kwapis says. "It's already in the 'License to Wed' production notes."

The actor and director stop the needling for an extended moment of mutual admiration, all too gratuitous and smarmy to mention here. But it should be noted that Krasinski was not the studio's first choice for "License."

"There was some fighting involved," Kwapis teases, refusing to name Warner Bros.' first choice.

"Mark Ruffalo," Krasinski quietly murmurs, like swearing at Bible camp.

"Sssssshhhhhh!" hisses Kwapis. "He was not even ..."

"AVAILABLE!" Krasinski bellows.

"Well, he wasn't on the top of the list," Kwapis offers.

"He'd be on the top of my list ... for ... all ... projects," the actor replies.

Krasinski is now working on "Brief Interviews With Hideous Men," his feature film writing and directing debut based on the David Foster Wallace collection of short fiction. And he will next be seen in a tight 1920s football uniform in George Clooney's "Leatherheads."

Kwapis begins shooting his next feature, "He's Just Not That Into You," for New Line this fall. The two plan to shoot the season premiere of "The Office" together later this summer, at which time Krasinski's camera-loving mugging will surely resume.

John 'terrified' by movie role
Metro.co.uk
June 26, 2007

John Krasinski's admitted he's "terrified" and scared by the transition he's making from popular TV actor in the US version of the Office to leading man in a multi-million dollar movie.

At the Hollywood premiere of his first big film, License To Wed, the actor revealed it still hadn't sunk in that he'd made a movie with Robin Williams. "This is scary. I mean this is my first big role in a movie and it's with him. It doesn't make any sense!"

John may not be so well known in the UK, but over in the States the young actor has shot to fame playing the 'Tim' character in the American version of the Ricky Gervais comedy, which also stars Evan Almighty actor Steve Carell.

In License To Wed, John plays the bumbling romantic lead co-starring alongside Mandy Moore.

Speaking before the screening, John revealed how pleased he was to be sharing the screen with comedy royalty: "He makes you feel funny, he makes you feel energised. It was really fun and you can't learn much from him comedically because he's the best, he's the funniest man in the world, but what you do learn from him is how professional he is and what it takes to be a real movie star."

The 28-year-old says, since making the wedding flick, his family hadn't piled on the pressure to make him settle down: "My parents are just so thrilled with what's been going on and I think it's just so surreal for me and especially them."

MumboJumbo Signs Publishing Deal With Universal Digital Platforms Group for Game Based on Hit Comedy, "The Office"
June 20, 2007

New Title to Deliver the Quirky Fun of the Critically-Acclaimed TV Series to Gamers

DALLAS -- Premium casual games publisher MumboJumbo today announced a new relationship with the Universal Pictures Digital Platforms Group to develop a mass-market game based on the Emmy Award-winning television series "The Office." Developed and published exclusively by MumboJumbo, The Office game will be available for online download and across multiple game platforms, including PC, PSP(R) (PlayStation(R)Portable), and Nintendo DS, starting this fall.

"The cast and creators of 'The Office' have done a fantastic job delivering a show with a personality all its own," said Bill Kispert, vice president and general manager, Interactive, Universal Pictures Digital Platforms Group. "MumboJumbo is an innovator in the casual games space, and developing a game with them that combines the quirky characters and humor of the show with a proven, addictive game mechanic we think will be welcomed by fans and casual game players alike."

"We are honored that NBC Universal has chosen us to be their partner for this exciting new project," said Mark Cottam, chief executive officer of MumboJumbo. "We look forward to working closely with their team to ensure that the thematic elements of 'The Office' are closely approximated in the development of the video game."

MumboJumbo has vast background in bringing beloved brands to games and will collaborate closely with NBC Universal to create an experience that will further engage fans of "The Office" in the franchise.

About MumboJumbo

Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, MumboJumbo LLC is a worldwide publisher, developer and mass marketer of premium casual games for PCs and game consoles, including those manufactured by Nintendo, Sony Computer Entertainment and Microsoft Corporation. MumboJumbo games are downloadable at its website as well as key game portals operated by RealNetworks, Microsoft, Yahoo! and Big Fish, or purchased at retail through mass merchants, computer retailers and specialty outlets. MumboJumbo owns and operates three studios located in Dallas and Los Angeles, and publishes and distributes software through its subsidiaries in North America and the United Kingdom, as well as regional distributors worldwide. For more information please visit our website at mumbojumbo.com.

About Universal Pictures Digital Platforms Group

Universal Pictures Digital Platforms (UPDPG) is responsible for global digital product development, production, licensing, distribution, and growth strategy for the extensive catalogue of Universal's properties across new and emerging digital platforms, including mobile, video game consoles, personal computers, and other portable devices. With a worldwide mandate to help shape the digital future of Universal Pictures, the Group has offices in Universal City, California; London, England; and Tokyo, Japan.

Universal Pictures Digital Platforms Group is a unit of Universal Studios Home Entertainment and Universal Pictures. Universal Pictures is a division of NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. Formed in May 2004 through the combining of NBC and Vivendi Universal Entertainment, NBC Universal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, and world-renowned theme parks. NBC Universal is 80% owned by General Electric and 20% owned by Vivendi.

About NBC Universal Television Distribution

NBC Universal is a leader in providing entertainment programming to the domestic and international marketplaces. The NBC Universal Domestic Television Distribution division is responsible for the distribution of NBC Universal product to all forms of television within the U.S. and Canada. This includes distribution of current and library film and television product, including formats and non-scripted programming, in the pay, free, and basic markets, as well as the domestic syndication of first-run syndicated TV programs and theatrical and TV movie packages.

About the Series

"The Office" is executive-produced by Ben Silverman, Greg Daniels (who developed the series for American television), Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant, and Howard Klein. The series is a production of NBC Universal Television in association with Reveille LLC. Since its premiere on NBC in March 2005, "The Office" has established itself as a genuine hit, earning prestigious television honors such as the 2006 Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series, 2006 Peabody Award, 2006 AFI Honor, Producers Guild Award, Writers Guild Award, SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy and 2006 Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series Musical or Comedy (Steve Carell). The "Office" airs Thursdays on NBC.

The Office - 2007 Hot Property
By Terence Keegan - Variety.com
June 19, 2007

Greg Daniels, series exec producer; Kim Niemi, senior VP of video, music and product development, NBC Universal Television; Cindy Chang, VP of worldwide business development, Universal Studios Consumer Products Group; Debbie Luner, VP of worldwide marketing and brand management, USCPG

Licensees include: Corbis, Hallmark, Andrews McNeel, IndiaGames, Mumbo Jumbo and others

The story: A unique relationship with consumers distinguishes this boutique program from bigger, more traditional merchandising approaches.

NBC Universal Television Distribution has worked with "Office" producer Reveille Prods. on a line of apparel and novelty products sold exclusively at NBC's online shop nbcuniversalstore.com and Experience storefront in New York.

Three seasons into "The Office's" Stateside run on the Peacock, the merchandising focus is on what Jeffrey Rotenberg, the Experience Store's marketing director, terms "connector" products -- items imported directly from the workaday world of Dunder Mifflin, the show's fictional paper company. Fan favorites include the bobblehead figurine of Dwight Schrute that the uberachiever himself (Rainn Wilson) received as a Valentine's Day gift in season two ($19), and the terry bathrobe that boss Michael Scott (Steve Carell) wore proudly in season three's holiday episode ($65).

While NBC employs the "connector" approach with other top shows like "Friday Night Lights" and "Heroes," "The Office" remains its leading merchandising property.

Rotenberg says the NBC U/Reveille team is readying by-audience-request bobblehead versions of the entire "Office" cast as well as a replica "Dundie Award" trophy.

"Office" exec producer Daniels notes that NBC and Reveille together pull product ideas from the show's dailies. "The fun," he says, "is trying to get the merchandise ready in time for the airing of the episode."

As the property enters the general licensing market, Universal Consumer Products Group partners include Basic Fun for talking keychains and pens, MJC for young men's and juniors' T-shirts, Corbis and Hallmark for greeting cards, and Andrews McNeel Publishing for a 2008 day-to-day calendar.

On the interactive side of the biz, Universal Mobile Entertainment licensee IndiaGames is developing a follow-up for its "NBC's The Office" mobile game, which launched across U.S. carriers last June. Meanwhile, casual games publisher Mumbo Jumbo, in collaboration with Universal Pictures' digital platforms group, will release a game based on the show this fall for online download as well as Sony's PlayStation Portable and the Nintendo DS.

POV: "What we're doing is more organic to the show than what typical licensing would be," Niemi says. "You're not going to see just a (show) logo on a shirt. It's less about quantity and more about things that really resonate with the fans."

God, help Steve Carell
Steve Carell gets biblical in 'Evan Almighty'
By Cindy Pearlman - Chicago Sun-Times: Movies
June 17, 2007

LOS ANGELES -- In the beginning there was Jim Carrey -- and a much smaller budget. But in Hollywood there is an unwritten commandment when it comes to a sequel to a summer hit: Go bigger, broader and hire the next big Hollywood funnyman.

"Evan Almighty," reportedly one of the most expensive comedies in film history, doesn't need a miracle -- though it is banking its reported $175-$200 million budget on Steve Carell.

When asked to do the little victory dance his TV anchor character Evan Baxter does in the film (fists clenched at his hips, middle aged guy overbite, tiny booty shake), Carell asks, "Were people doing the dance after the movie? Oh yeah, I'm internationally famous."

Carell won't be quitting his day job (as star of NBC's "The Office") anytime soon.

"I love the show," he says. "Nothing beats it. I'm not going anywhere."

But he is going into Jim Carrey territory and taking the reins of another "Almighty" film. In 2003's "Bruce Almighty," Carrey played a TV news reporter who lays into God one day -- and God answers him, by giving him some awesome powers.

In "Evan Almighty," Carell, 45, stars as Carrey's TV anchor buddy who becomes a U.S. senator. Then God, played again by Morgan Freeman, appears with a hammer and some wood. He reminds Evan that the environment is in the toilet and commands him to pull a Noah and build an ark. Animals appear out of nowhere and begin following him around Washington, D.C.

In the process, Carell goes through a biblical makeover, including growing long, gray hair, which took three or four hours every morning to complete.

"I really never want to hear myself complaining about it because you hear actors complaining about prosthetic makeup. And it's not fun -- but let's face it, I'm not on a roof in 100-degree weather putting tar down," Carell says. "I'm getting a beard stuck to my face. It's really not that bad."

Carell is also OK with being compared with Carrey, who opted out of the sequel.

"I love it. I think that's a huge compliment," Carell says. "To even be mentioned in the same sentence with him is fantastic.

"I was living in Chicago when the original 'Ace Ventura' opened," says Carell, who logged some time onstage at The Second City. "It was before it had really caught on and people started catching on to him as a movie star. I saw it on opening day and there might have been four people in a large theater.

"From the opening credit sequence, we were howling," he says. "I remember the guy in front of me turning around, looking at me and saying, 'I know. I can't believe it.' It was like we had found this thing. The four of us in Chicago were in this little club together and we were witnessing something.

"So even if I am unfavorably compared to Jim Carrey, I take that as a compliment," says Carell.

As for working with Freeman, Carell says, "I never met him on the first film. I saw him from a distance at the premiere, but I was far too nervous and shy to approach him and say hi. I was almost too shy to approach him on this one, as well. He's just a presence. He walks around and people have a great amount of respect and reverence for him."

With this film, Carell breaks that "Hollywood rule" that actors should never work with kids or animals.

"I had real birds covering me for a few days straight," he says. They weren't a computer-generated flock of birds. They would literally not get off of me."

There are also elephants, lions and snakes coming into the ark, two by two.

"We had these pythons who were serious, big nasty snakes, and they kept crawling down the back of my jacket," Carell says. "I did suffer for the art, but I'll never speak bitterly about the animals. I loved them all so desperately.

"OK, the baboons were horrifying," he admits. "There is one scene where the baboons bring me lemonade. On one take, one of the baboons spilled the lemonade and I went off book. I improvised and said something like 'Hey man, what are you doing?' and I raised my voice maybe to that degree. The baboon thought I was getting aggressive with it, and it bared its teeth and took a very aggressive stance with me. It scared the hell out of me. After the take the trainer came and said 'You know what? Don't do that, really, don't talk to the baboons.'

"By the way, the camel's breath in an enclosed space can change the atmosphere of the room," he says. "They literally seem to change the atmospheric pressure. It's so disgusting and it's like they have eight stomachs, each more rancid than the next, and it just comes out of their mouth. So those two would probably be the ones I wouldn't take home as pets."

In addition to playing creepy boss Michael Scott on "The Office," he's also playing Maxwell Smart in a big-screen remake of "Get Smart."

" 'Get Smart' is just something I loved growing up with as a kid," he says. "We're 12 weeks in, we're almost done shooting that and I think it's going to be fantastic."

Carell is married to Nancy Walls, whom he met in Chicago at Second City. A father to a son, John, 3, and 6-year-old daughter Elisabeth, Carell says his children aren't like the spoiled brats he raises in the "Evan" film.

"My kids are angels and never do anything wrong," he jokes. "They are never aggravating and they are perfect in every way."

How does he balance family with this career?

"I use sports drinks -- highly caffeinated sports energy drinks are the answer."

NBC's "The Office: Accountants" wins in comedy category
Relating to Daytime Emmys
June 15, 2007

Four new categories for broadband, specifically computers, cell phones and other handheld devices, were created this year. The National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences teamed with the social networking Web site MySpace.com to solicit nominations from the public. NBC's "The Office: Accountants" won in the comedy category.

Fischer feeling better after big fall - USATODAY.com
By William Keck
USA Today.com
May 29, 2007

Jenna Fischer, who plays lovable receptionist Pam on NBC's The Office, is in pain. A lot of pain. But she wants her fans to know that she is on the mend after breaking four bones in her back in a nasty fall May 14 at an NBC party.

"I had a rough night last night," Fischer says from the Central Park-area hotel where she has been recuperating. "I'm mostly off the meds, but I did take some last night because sleeping is probably the most uncomfortable thing right now. I just can't get comfortable."

Two weeks ago, Fischer, 33, came to New York to speak with advertisers about NBC's fall lineup. She was looking forward to letting loose with her co-stars. "It's one of my favorite parts of the year. My (summer) vacation starts then. I was ready for a lovely break — no pun intended."

At around 11 p.m., one of The Office's writers encouraged her to hit the dance floor at the trendy Buddakan club. "I was going to do one dance and then get out of there," Fischer says. "The dance floor was down a long set of marble stairs. I linked arms with my friend and just missed a step. All I know is I was suddenly not on the ground anymore. My legs flipped out from underneath me, and while I was in the air, I had the thought, 'This isn't going to end well.' "

It didn't. Fischer landed hard on the stairs. The pain, she says, "was consuming and immediate. I've never felt anything like it. I was horribly nauseous and dizzy."

After being taken to a private area in the club, she lifted the back of her shirt. "It was bleeding and very swollen, so I said, 'I want an ambulance and I want to go to the hospital.' "

At her side almost immediately was co-star Angela Kinsey, who plays Angela on the show. "She was with me for over 24 hours taking care of me," Fischer says.

X-rays at St. Vincent's Hospital revealed that she had fractured four transverse vertebrae in her back and tore a ligament in her elbow. "The doctor said, 'The good news is, you have no spinal cord damage,' " Fischer recalls.

Fischer was released from the hospital the next day, and her husband, writer/director James Gunn, flew in from Los Angeles to take care of her. "I couldn't get in and out of bed myself," she says. "I couldn't walk very well. I needed constant supervision."

In another week, she should be able to travel home to Los Angeles.

She has received well-wishes from all her Office co-stars. Steve Carell (Michael) sent flowers with a funny note. John Krasinski (Jim) wrote a "lovely e-mail." Rainn Wilson (Dwight) placed a call to her room. But it was an NBC doc who really impressed her. "Zach Braff (Scrubs) was at the party when I fell. And bless his heart, the next day he sent a big tray of cupcakes to my hotel. In those first few days, all my husband and I did for pleasure was watch a Larry Sanders DVD and eat those cupcakes."

To regain her mobility, Fischer has been taking daily half-hour walks in Central Park. "My mobility," she says, "is limited only by my pain. I'm almost at the point where I can bend over. I really have a desire to wash my feet."

The most recent news: "My back doctor said it will be about 12 weeks until I'm fully recovered."

By that time she will be shooting The Office, which concluded the season with her character being asked out on a date (finally!) by Jim. "I'm assuming the writers aren't going to break my heart," Fischer says.

Fischer is grateful that her accident happened just three days after wrapping the film Walk Hard, a raunchy comedy in which she stars with John C. Reilly as warped versions of Johnny and June Carter Cash.

"We meet through our singin', then fall in love but have a very tumultuous road," Fischer says in a Southern twang.

She won't be singing any songs, though.

"I have to wear a lot of skimpy outfits for this movie, so I had to get in great shape. I trained very hard, so I had to give the singing up."

There is one possible silver lining to her unfortunate misstep. Six weeks ago, she started playing the guitar and since her fall has been writing a country song about her pain.

Says Fischer with a giggle: "Now I just have to get someone else to sing it."

'Office' Worker Fischer Fractures Back
Actress will make a full recovery
Zap2it.com

Jenna Fischer will be out of commission a while, but she'll be back answering phones this summer.

The actress, best known as Pam on NBC's workplace comedy "The Office," fractured her back Monday (May 14) in New York, reports "Access Hollywood."

Fischer, 33, was in town for the network's upfront party at Buddakan, a bar in Manhattan, when she fell down a flight of stairs, fracturing her back in four places.

The actress was treated at St. Vincent's hospital and was visited by friends and "Office" coworker Angela Kinsey. Fischer's husband, "Slither" director James Gunn, flew in from Los Angeles to be with her.

Fischer's rep says that her client avoided injuring her spine and will be recovered fully by the time the fourth season shoots this summer.

Fischer's character Pam Beesly is the odd man out now that she broke up with Roy on "The Office." The actress also appears alongside Will Ferrell and Jon Heder in "Blades of Glory."

Broken back lays up 'Office' employee

NEW YORK, May 16 (UPI) -- Jenna Fischer, aka Pam Beesly on NBC's "The Office," is expected to recover fully from four broken bones in her lower back she sustained while in New York.

Fischer was in the Big Apple making the rounds at NBC's fall line-up presentation to advertisers Monday when she tripped and fell down a marble staircase, E! News said Wednesday.

Her publicist said Fischer will make a full recovery in four to six weeks and shouldn't miss any "Office" production time. The Emmy-winning show is on its summer hiatus.

Hospitalized Monday and Tuesday, Fischer was discharged and is recovering in her hotel room until she is strong enough to travel back to her Los Angeles home, her publicist said.

IGN: Wilson Has Experience

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