Jenna Fischer
As the seemingly shy and withdrawn receptionist Pam Beesly, Jenna Fischer has a great deal opportunity to flex her acting muscle. On the show, Pam starts out with an eight year engagement to her boyfriend Roy and has a platonic but lively relationship with her co-worker Jim Halpert, played by John Krasinski. Together, Pam and Jim keep up one of the ongoing themes of the series, that is, the pranks that are played on the salesman Dwight Schrute. Over the four seasons of the show, she has become more assertive, showing off a great deal of reserve and poise in the face of adversity. The versatility found in the role of Pam Beesly is not foreign to actress Jenna Fischer.
Jenna Fischer was born on March 7, 1974 Fort Wayne, Indiana, and in her childhood moved to St. Louis, Missouri. After high school in Nerinx Hall High School, Fischer went on to earn an Bachelor of Arts from Truman State University. In 2000, Fischer married filmmaker James Gunn, the brother of a longtime friend. Before her experience on The Office, she had several guest starring roles on various other notable television shows, including HBO’s Six Feet Under and That 70’s show. She also had notable appearances in Spin City, Off Centre, and What I Like About You. Interesting enough, she also appeared on Celebrity Poker Showdown in New Orleans.
While there is no doubt that The Office was Jenna Fischer’s breakout role in television, she has had much experience with film before and since. She has appeared in Employee of the Month, Lucky 13 and The Brothers Solomon. She had a starring role in Blades of Glory and she also starred in a The Girl’s Guide to Summer. She has also appeared in a music video. Despite all of this activity, the only injury she has received due to her career is when she fell down a flight of stairs, and fractured her back in four places, something that took her twelve weeks to recover from.
Fischer also wrote, directed and starred in Lollilove, a low budget mocumentary for which Fischer was awarded an Emerging Actor Award from the Screen Actors Guild. Lollilove, which taught Fischer that she was no longer interested in being a director, featured footage of her real home and her wedding. It spoke about the efforts of a husband and wife who attempt to cheer the homeless with a lollipop and a cheery slogan. She was also nominated for an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy, and she won Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series. As you can see, there is plenty of reason to keep your eye on Jenna Fischer, whether she is in a documentary or on the small screen.
