Angela Kinsey, Jenna Fischer, Rainn Wilson and Steve Carell at the Paley Festival panel of 'The Office.'
Steve Carell broke William S. Paley Festival ground on Friday night, providing what may have been the annual event's first on-stage same-sex kiss.
Or, at least this year's first same-sex kiss. Or, at least what looked like a kiss. Midway through the panel discussion, Carell leapt out of his seat to re-enact the pivotal scene from this year's "Office" season opener - planting a juicy one on co-star Oscar Nunez, to the delight of fans.
It was an unscripted moment, something the "Office" stars know a bit about. "Office" exec producer Greg Daniels told the audience that he made a point of blending the lines between writers and performers on the show.
"I'm a big fan of English comedy," said Daniels, who was tapped to adapt Ricky Gervais' and Stephen Merchant's original "Office" for American auds. "Over there the actors and writers are the same people. So when we went to hire the writing staff, we were looking for people who could act too. And when we hired the acting staff, we were looking for improv people who could do their own material."
That's why several "Office" stars do double duty, writing for the show as well, including Mindy Kaling ("Kelly"), B.J. Novak ("Ryan") and Paul Lieberstein ("Toby").
Lieberstein, who happens to be Daniels' brother-in-law, had to be dragged in front of the camera. But he saw his role expand after earning a pretty powerful fan: NBC Entertainment prexy Kevin Reilly.
"Reilly saw the dailies and said, 'Who's that red-headed guy? Let's see more of him,'" Daniels said.
Daniels and company also give the thesps free range when it comes time to shoot their reality show-style "confessional" moments. Those scenes are scripted but the actors are also given a chance to improvise, which frequently ends up on the show.
The show's stars have quickly developed a cult following -- particularly in "The Office's" hometown, Scranton, Penn., Star Rainn Wilson, who plays the authority-loving Dwight Schrute ("He would have made an excellent Nazi," Wilson said), said the city rolled out the red carpet when he made a publicity visit.
"I was driven around town in a stretch Hummer limo by the mayor," said Wilson, who was also made an honorary Sheriff's deputy. "I felt like Justin Timberlake."
"The Office" panel was also the largest in recent Paley Festival history, with 23 cast and crew members on stage. As a result, the introductions alone took 15 minutes.
Contact Michael Schneider at
mike.schneider@variety.com