John Krasinski Shut Down This The Office Scene Because He Knew Fans Would Hate It
The team had to change the script because the actor did not want to upset the show's loyal fans.
The history of television knows many iconic couples – from Morticia and Gomez Addams to Ross and Rachel. But when it comes to the most famous and loved by millions, Jim and Pam from The Office are definitely in the top 3.
The romantic relationship between Jim and Pam is rightly considered the most dramatic storyline of the series.
What would happen if Jim were to cheat on Pam? The answer is simple and obvious: nothing good. John Krasinski thought so, too, and flatly rejected such a narrative move when the cult sitcom's showrunner, Greg Daniels, offered him such a risky plot twist.
As the writers intended in one of the episodes, Jim had to cheat on his wife Pam, but John Krasinski did not allow such behavior from his character.
The scene that could have been included in The Office is described in the book Welcome to Dunder Mifflin: The Ultimate Oral History of The Office by actor Brian Baumgartner, who played Kevin Malone on the sitcom.
In the 16th episode of the show's 8th season, Jim goes on a business trip with several co-workers, including temporary office manager Cathy, who has an interest in Krasinski's character.
At the time, his wife is on maternity leave and staying home. The script suggested that Jim would cheat on Pam with a co-worker, but the actor strongly objected:
“I remember saying things that I never thought I’d say before, like, ‘I’m not going to shoot it’. My feeling is there is a threshold with which you can push our audience. 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.”
As a result, in the 16th episode of The Office, Cathy comes into Jim's room and tries to seduce him. But Jim calls Dwight Schrute and says that there are bedbugs in his room. In true Dwight style, he breaks into the room to kill the bug, completely derailing Cathy’s plan.
Source: Welcome to Dunder Mifflin: The Ultimate Oral History of The Office