Despite spending many years together, Pam and Roy of NBC’s The Office, were not an ideal match. While things didn’t work out, how did the former couple start their relationship in the first place?
An adaptation of the BBC show of the same name, The Office aired for nine seasons on NBC. With Steve Carell’s eccentric and often unfiltered Michael Scott character in the leading role, the series became known for its mockumentary format, diverse ensemble of characters, and its sometimes over-the-top humour.
However, one often overlooked aspect of The Office were the many mismatched and failed romances. To name a few; Michael and Jan, Kelly and Darryl, Jim and Karen. Dating a co-worker is not always guaranteed to work out, as these couples all eventually learned.
In particular, the long-term engagement of main character and office receptionist Pam Beesly (Jenna Fischer), and supporting character/warehousr worker Roy Anderson (David Denman), served as one of the central storylines in the first three seasons. Although Pam would eventually go on to become one-half of a seminal TV couple alongside her partner in pranks Jim Halpert (John Krasinski), this relationship with Roy lasted for over nine years and pre-dated the show’s storyline.
So, how did Pam and Roy get together? As a matter of fact, actress Jenna Fischer resolved the mystery herself on Office Ladies, a podcast co-hosted with Angela Kinsey (who played Angela Martin). During the “Sexual Harassment” episode of the podcast (Season 2, Episode 2), Fischer revealed her own version of events, constructed as she thought about Pam’s backstory as acting preparation.
In Fischer’s interpretation, Pam’s family owned a local appliance shop in Scranton, where she would also work. While still in high school, Roy also got a job at the shop and worked closely alongside Pam’s family. Through this professional relationship, Roy got to know Pam and her parents very well.
Although Pam becomes more aware over the time that they are incompatible, it is difficult to end the relationship, as Fischer explained: “… because he works there, like the families became very meshed. They would barbecue together. So this is why and how she kind of can’t get out of this relationship, even though now it’s clear it’s a mismatch. It’s because the families are so co-joined.”
As avid fans of The Office will know, having a long history wasn’t enough to keep Pam and Roy together. Their breakup left the then-receptionist of Dunder Mifflin Scranton free to pursue Jim Halpert and ultimately start a family.
Things seem to work out the way they were supposed to in the end.
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