When the show first started did you have any idea it would turn into such a big hit? When did you first get the sense that this show could really take off?
I knew it was going to be good. I remember I went to visit Greg Daniels while they were in the editing stages, before it aired, and we had lunch one day and he showed me some of my stuff that was finished, which is so great and such a rare thing. Most executive producers don’t let you in on the process of that, especially if you’re not a top five actor on that show. Greg is so generous and so great. I remember sitting in the office with him and seeing an actual episode and I was blown away.

It’s so smart and so clever. The whole use of the camera being another character. There’s such an exchange with the camera. It’s so different from any other comedy that way.

I don’t know how I landed here, but I am so lucky. We came back to work in August last year. First, we thought we were just back for six, and then they ordered seven more, then nine more. It kept going. We just wrapped a few weeks ago.

Do you have a favorite episode so far? If so, why is it your favorite?
I love the Christmas episode, but there’s so many. The thing I love about the Christmas episode it that I feel like it’s getting so packed with stuff, it’s so great. There are so many levels. I also like Booze Cruise - I know I’m mentioning both that I’m topless in - but there was a scene in particular with Jim and Pam on top of the boat that was just so full of pauses and this energy. I really think they fleshed out their relationship so well in that awkwardness and that sense of unrequited love.

That scene definitely goes on for longer than you’d think, too.
Yes, I can’t believe how long the silence was. It was one of the gustiest things I’ve seen on TV in years.

Speaking of the Booze Cruise, I have a slightly personal question for you – do you think Meredith and Capt'n Jack have a future together?
You know, I write about that on my MySpace page. “No, he hasn’t called and yes she had a good time and no she isn’t getting any younger.” I don’t know if we’re going to be able to get the great Rob Riggle to come back and play Capt’n Jack, but I think whatever port in a storm. I think there will be many weird male encounters. I don’t think it’s restricted to the captain of the booze cruise.

I know you can’t give too much away, but are there more quality “Meredith moments” in store for us this season?
There’s a couple. We’ll see what makes it on. The season closer, there’s a fun little thing. I don’t want to give it away, but there’s a casino night going on. It could be dealer’s choice, that’s all I’m going to say.

How excited were you to hear that The Office has been picked up for a third season?
I really feel like I have to pinch myself. This is the greatest job. Everyone is so talented, but also so normal and so nice, which is very unusual. It feels like there’s room for all of us to shine. That’s very rare on a show.

How often do you get recognized in public?
It’s happening more often, usually when I have absolutely no makeup on and I look like hell. I don’t know if you noticed, but they don’t give me a lot of makeup on the show. Last season, I thought it was only going to be a week, but it ended up being five weeks for me. I was working in a restaurant in Beverly Hills part time and I started to get recognized there when the show first aired. It was so bizarre. This guy said, “Excuse me, miss. Are you lactose intolerant?”

I said, “Yes I am. Thank you for not bringing up my hysterectomy.”

What goals do you have set for yourself? Where would you like to see your career go, and who in Hollywood would you like to work with some day?
There are so many people. People I came up the ranks with that I’d love to work with again. Hopefully, this show is going to go for a while, but my friend is the creator of Desperate Housewives, Marc Cherry. I’d love to work with him. I know Adam McKay, who is the director of Anchorman. There are a lot of really smart, funny people that I’d love to work with again at some point.

Actually, I used to wait on JJ Abrams, who is the creator of Alias and Lost and I’d love to work with him. He was just a customer, but I’d like to work with him. They used to write episodes of Alias at the place that I worked. He would come in with some of his staff and they’d sit at a table and they’d just basically order something to drink, it would be late night so they’d have sodas and stuff. It was really interesting watching that process. He was always really supportive of when I was doing The Lampshades. I actually got to audition for an Alias episode. It was really nice of him to send me in - send the waitress in.

Tell me something not many people know about you.
Well, you’ve already mentioned the Fresh Yarn story, that’s kind of new to the wire. The other thing that I’ll say is that I was teaching little kids and I’m actually going to start again at the Los Angeles Drama Club, which was started by two friends of mine who are moms, they started this for their kids. It’s five and six year olds doing Shakespeare. I’m the music director there.

That sounds like a daunting task, trying to get kids to do Shakespeare.
You’d be surprised. In some ways, they don’t judge it as much as adults. They dive right in.

I've got one last thing for you here. I'm going to do a word association. I'll just throw out a name and tell me the first thing that comes to your mind.

Hollywood.
New York.

Scranton, Pennsylvania.
My home state.

Steve Carell.
Great.

Meredith Palmer.
Sad.

Kate Flannery.
Not bad.

The future.
Very bright.

Interviewed by Joel Murphy, April 2006. The Office is on NBC Thursday nights at 9:30 PM. You can find out more information about Kate Flannery by visiting the The Lampshades site or by reading her MySpace blog.