Academy Award-winning actress Kathy Bates recently revealed her mixed feelings about her performance during her stint on the hit TV series "The Office," particularly when it came to improvisation.
Speaking on "The Office Ladies" podcast hosted by Angela Kinsey and Jenna Fischer, Bates shared candid thoughts about her role as Jo Bennett, the CEO of Sabre, which she played across eight episodes in seasons 6 and 7.
Despite not having to audition for the part, the 76-year-old actress admitted to feeling like she was "running to catch up" with her castmates. "Everyone was so brilliant and so effortless. I don't know how you did it," Bates told the podcast hosts.
The veteran actress particularly praised Steve Carell's improvisational skills but confessed she struggled with transitioning between scripted lines and improvised scenes. "I don't know if I ever really succeeded. I kept getting tripped up on that," she revealed.
Bates, who left the show to lead "Harry's Law," expressed particular admiration for her co-star Carell, describing him as "a fantastic actor and improvisationist." She mentioned wishing she "could have learned more" from the 62-year-old actor during their time working together.
While Bates harbored doubts about her performance, her co-stars saw things differently. When Fischer assured her she was "nailing it," Bates appeared genuinely surprised. The actress attributed her uncertainty to not considering herself a comedian and feeling overwhelmed by the show's unique camera work.
Despite her self-doubt, Bates fondly remembered her time on the series as "a wonderful experience" and "a lot of fun." She also shared insights about her character Jo Bennett, describing her as someone with "a lot of swagger" who ran her company "like a bull in a china shop, sort of steamrolling over everybody with her money."
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