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As far as occupational hazards go, laughing so hard that you fall off your chair is probably one that we would all like to suffer. For American actor John Krasinski it is literally just another day at The Office.
Krasinski plays the likeable and smart everyman Jim whose on-again off-again romance with co-worker Pam keeps viewers intrigued on the US version of the British comedy, now on C4. So, while the rest of us suffer boorish bosses, mind-numbingly boring meetings and borderline crazy colleagues in real life, Krasinski's workplace is a much more interesting place with colleagues including funny man Steve Carell and Emmy Award-nominated actor Jenna Fischer.
"I'm a real crier when I laugh and I have to make sure that I don't ruin too many takes. The other day Steve made me laugh so much that I fell off my chair and sometimes he makes me laugh so much I want to throw up." Krasinski thinks people love The Office for its mix of comedy and real-life situations and believes that many people can identify with his character Jim.
"People really relate to him because they can understand what it is like to battle with having the confidence to leave your comfortable life and follow your dreams." He thinks the "will they won't they" factor in Jim's relationship with Pam is another attraction but he's not about to let the cat out of the bag with any clues as to what's ahead. "I don't know because we haven't begun filming yet," he explains, "and they don't give us the scripts until the first day back.
Going back to work is just like Christmas because we get to find out what happens next." Like many viewers, Krasinski was a fan of the original British version of The Office and was very excited when he was cast in the US remake. "I can only watch the original show for so long before I get jealous. It is a perfect show in terms of writing and execution."
The first US episode copied the British version word for word and Krasinski said it felt "weird to be saying other people's lines". Diverting from the original and employing top US comedy writers has seen the show go from a risky borderline proposition to a stand-alone hit. Before the US show found its feet, creator Ricky Gervais famously quipped that at least the American actors would have better teeth than their British counterparts. But the US version has since gone on to be such a success that tomorrow filming will begin on the fifth season two more than the original, which only comprised two seasons and a Christmas special.
Krasinski has firsthand experience of Gervais' sense of humour and says that he is even funnier than Carell. "It is actually life-threatening to talk to Ricky for too long as he can make you laugh until you black out," he says. Such health hazards aside, The Office has been incredibly good for Krasinski's career. It has brought him to prominence and seen him cast in films as diverse as Jarhead, Shrek the Third, Licensed to Wed and Leatherheads. "I just love my life at the moment and hope that I can keep having this awesome day job and then doing movies while I'm on hiatus, he says.
Each movie has special memories for the Boston-born 29-year-old who got into acting while at college. Licensed to Wed was a blast because Robin Williams was co-starring, and working on Leatherheads was "surreal" because he got to work alongside George Clooney. "I felt like some guy who'd won a radio promo rather than an actor. I mean, playing football with George for a job, who'd believe it?" Jarhead saw him work with acclaimed director Sam Mendes who has since cast Krasinski as the male lead in his latest movie, which has the working title Farlanders.
Based on a Dave Eggers book, the film tells the story of a young couple on a quest around America to find a new home for themselves and their unborn baby. Krasinski says while it sounds simple it is a beautiful and heartfelt story. He feels honoured to be working with Mendes, whom he describes as a true artist and one of America's great directors. Another recent project is the production of his own movie Brief Interviews with Hideous Men. He wrote the screenplay and also adapted the book by David Foster Wallace; it was when Krasinski did a reading of the book at college that he decided he wanted to be an actor. "It really made me realise the power of the written word."
The LA resident says he'd love to come to New Zealand one day, spurred on by friends who say a visit Downunder was "life-changing". Our country sounds like it is "the polar opposite" of his own, he enthuses.
Despite being named one of People magazine's sexiest men "I felt like I was being Punk'd that day!" Krasinski is single and hopes that a visit to New Zealand might even help him meet a girlfriend.
* The Office plays on C4, Wednesdays at 7.30pm
