David Denman, “The Office’s” Roy, Exclusive Interview with GMMR

We all know that there are two sides to every story. But in the case of today’s hottest TV love triangle, there are actually three stories to be told. Earlier this year, GMMR got the scoop from The Office’s Jim and Pam, and now it’s time to hear from the one guy in the world that won’t be squeeing when he hears about Jim and Pam’s casino night smooching.

So what’s it like to be the part of the triangle that no one is rooting for? Perhaps no one in TV knows this better than David Denman, who plays Pam Beesly’s fiancé, Roy on NBC’s The Office. At times it seems as if Roy’s only role is to be the obstacle standing in the way of Jim and Pam being together. But true fans of the show know it’s not that simple.

Pam and Roy have a history. Pam’s been with Roy for a long time, so he can’t be all that bad, right? Shouldn’t there be a few viewers out there pulling for Pam and Roy? “No way! You’re not supposed to like Roy”, Denman laughed. “You can’t possibly watch the show and think ‘gee, I think Roy and Pam should really be together’..ha ha. It doesn’t make any sense on any planet. There is no way in the world you could not want her to be with Jim. That’s a big part of the show…that’s what everyone wants to happen.”

So if everyone is so clearly pulling for Pam and Jim, then why does Denman think Pam has stayed with Roy for so long? “To me, in their relationship, they don’t know anything different.”, the actor noted. “Roy has gotten really complacent and just not really at all paying attention to nurturing that relationship. He was like the football jock in high school, and things have just not gone the way he thought they were going to, but I don’t think he realizes that. And Pam, she’s just always been there so he’s never had to try. He’s never had to put forth the effort, because she’s always been somewhat happy about what’s been going on, so he has kind of taken advantage of that situation. Not that he’s trying to, but come on, he’s a bit of a knucklehead.”

One thing is for sure with The Office, we see what the camera wants us to see. With the mockumentary style approach to the show, the cameraman’s point of view is the one we the viewers are privy to. And the cameraman is definitely pulling for Jim and Pam. The viewers get to see very little of Pam and Roy’s life together, but perhaps that will change next season if Denman has his way. “One of the things that I have spoken to the writers and Greg Daniels about was that we really only show one side of Roy, and it’s not a pretty one. So it would be nice to actually see some other sides. I honestly don’t know what they’re going to do. Roy doesn’t think about a lot of things that he should to be Pam’s partner, so maybe he’ll start thinking about things more next season.”

Showing another, more gentler side of Roy could definitely keep the Jim/Pam/Roy triangle very interesting. Having the girl, and keeping the girl are two different things, and Roy may need to step it up next year to keep pace with Jim Halpert.

“How do you compete with Jim? He’s all about finding everything out about her. It’s like the beginning stage of a relationship.” Denman noted. “You never got to see that side of Roy, it’s almost as if Roy never really cared at all, but that’s not the case. And we’ll have to wait to see what happens but hopefully we’ll see Roy caring a little more. Making a little more effort. I have no clue what’s going to happen, but it’s fun being in this situation where there are so many possibilities.”

Oddly enough, David Denman is a fan of Jim and Pam too, “They are really charming and they have great chemistry, and as a fan of the show I love watching it, but I have a feeling that it could get old after a while, you know? I think people would just get bored if Pam and Jim just sit and coo at each other for another season. It’s fun to make it a bit more complicated. Now we don’t know what’s going to happen.”

We don’t know what’s going to happen, and that’s what has kept the fans in such a tizzy since the heart-stopping season finale when Jim declared his love for and later kissed his co-worker, Pam. And with so many of The Office’s diehard fans pulling for Jim and Pam, you might expect that Denman’s Roy has received a lot of negative reactions, but that’s not necessarily the case.

As one of the actors on The Office who connects directly with the fans through his MySpace page, Denman says that despite his role on the show, the fans have been really great. “You get a lot of mail. And you can’t respond back to everybody as much as you want to. But it’s been really cool, and I have been extremely lucky that everyone has been awesome. I haven’t had any negative comments or anything like that. They may send an email that says ‘hey, have you talked to Halpert lately?’ stuff like that but no one has sent an email saying ‘hey you’re a jerk, I wish you would leave’, they’re more like…’you’re a jerk, it’s great…I love the triangle’ or ‘hey, I’m a Jammer, but I really like your character and I hope you stick around.” It’s all been a very positive experience.”

Being up close and personal with the fans isn’t new to David Denman. After playing Skip on the uber-popular Angel, David has a sense of how rabid a fan base can be. “When I did Angel, it was the first time I really understood the importance of the fans, especially the internet fanbase. By the time I came into it, it was already this big thing. And at first I would go to the conventions and those type of events, but no one knew who I was because I was always in a ton of makeup. But it was great because I just got to walk around and see the fans reaction and talk to them about the show. It was really fun.”

Denman acknowledges that everyone involved in the show is excited about the fan reaction. “It’s really incredible when people like you, and other fans get involved in the show, and help us promote it by offering content and information. You all really become part of the whole package. The Office just isn’t The Office without the bloggers, and the online fans who have really become such a strong part of this great show.”

The Office might be the one show on television that truly understands the importance of the internet in developing the growth of the show. NBC was surprised when fans flocked to download new episodes of The Office when they were made available late last year via iTunes. The buzz was definitely a boost for the show, and the success led to NBC’s development of Office webisodes – the web-only mini episodes that will air online only later this summer.

One thing that was definitely apparent during my conversation with David was his love for the show. “The Office gets better and better everytime you watch it. The first time you watch it, you don’t necessarily see everything and so when you watch it again, you can pick up on all these little things, and it becomes really intoxicating to watch. I think it’s why we are getting more and more fans. You know…the season finale I probably watched at least 5 or 6 times. I had friends coming in from out of town, and family coming in, and everyone wanted to watch it. So I watched it over and over and over again but I didn’t get bored, I ended up finding new things each time that I just loved.”

But it’s not only the show he loves, it’s his co-stars and co-workers that seem to make a day at “the office”, not so bad. “You know, it’s one of those things where it’s such a pleasure to go to work everyday and work with these people, and it’s so much fun to be on a show that people are talking about. It’s really the best of both worlds. We all did the show because we believed in it, and all thought there was a huge potential for this. But now that we are really starting to build an audience, and get all these accolades, it’s just become really fun.”

And the accolades have just begun. The first big win for The Office came last year when Steve Carrel took home the Golden Globe for best actor in a comedy series. And just recently The Office was nominated for three TCA (Television Critics Association) awards, including Program of the Year – the only comedy in this category.

With the resounding success of The Office, the cast has been in high demand in Hollywood for roles in major movies. On the heels of The Office and The 40 Year Old Virigin, Steve Carell (Michael Scott) has become one of the most sought after comedians in Hollywood, and currently has at least six film projects underway. Jenna Fischer (Pam Beesly) just finished the latest Will Ferrell flick, Blades of Glory. Rainn Wilson (Dwight Schrute) will be seen in the highly anticipated My Super Ex-Girlfriend starring Luke Wilson and Uma Thurman. And John Krasinski (Jim Halpert) will parlay his new status as a leading man onto the big screen in License to Wed, starring Mandy Moore and Robin Williams.

David Denman has been keeping busy too, filming four movies as of late. One of those movies is Fanboys, a comedy about a group of friends traveling cross country to catch the latest Star Wars flick. Another movie, Crossing Paths, has David starring opposite Minnie Driver as her husband. Crossing Paths tells the story of how different lives intersect at different points in life. It’s really interesting. (David gave me a little more background on the movie and it sounds really, really good. But he, nor I, want to spoil you so you will just have to watch for it in the theaters.)

As great as it is to see our favorite cast in other roles, it’s The Office that everyone loves. So what can we look forward to this September? You’re not going to get much scoop from David Denman. This is a man who wants to keep his job. “I honestly don’t know what’s going to happen,” Denman claims. “Pam and Roy may have been married on June 10th, or maybe they didn’t. I’m as anxious as anyone to find out.”

One small bit of “possible” scoop I was able to ascertain…

“Well I don’t know what I’m allowed to say or what not to say. But I think when we come back time may have expired. So I think when we come back in September, it will actually be September. I don’t know for sure what’s going on. They are writing the new episodes right now so they may change their minds.”

The writers are writing the episodes, and the fans are waiting here, not so patiently, for the return of their favorite show. And although I think it’s going to take a lot for me to move from a Jammer to a Rammer, one thing I know for sure…I have become a huge fan of David Denman.

Click here for Part II of my exclusive interview with David Denman, where you’ll find out:

– How David landed the part of Roy
– David’s thought’s on the the events of the Casino Night
– What the cast does during downtime at Dunder Mifflin
– The real story behind his altercation with John Krasinski
– The details surrounding the Season 2 DVD
– And more…