Why Jenna Fischer Almost Killed Amy Adams' The Office Casting

Season 1 of "The Office" is not the show's strongest point. (In fact, our /Film team has ranked season 1 dead last out of all nine seasons of the show — and that includes the aimless season 8.) It's full of awkward moments, and nothing represents that quite so much as the endless alpha-male shenanigans of the season finale, "Hot Girl." The episode traces the cringe-worthy, testosterone-ridden antics of the still-underdeveloped characters of the Dunder Mifflin Scranton branch as they vie for the attention of knock-off purse salesperson Katy, as played by the talented Amy Adams.

Here's the thing, though. When the episode was originally shot, Adams actually wasn't on set. While she had auditioned and was the first choice for multiple people (including episode writer and Kelly Kapur actress Mindy Kaling), Adams was initially overlooked for one key reason: She looked too much like Pam Beesley actress Jenna Fischer.

In an episode of the "Office Ladies" podcast that aired in late 2024, Fischer and her co-host Angela Kinsey re-examined the season 1 finale through the lens of the extra-long superfan episode version. In the process, Fischer explained (via People):

"But there was this concern that Amy and I looked too similar. I guess one of the writers even said, 'I'm sorry. We can't cast her. She's like Jenna 2.0.' And so they got cold feet and they cast someone else."

That "someone else" wasn't just cast, she spent an entire day on set filming as Katy. It wasn't until after this that the powers that be at NBC decided she wasn't right for the role. They let her go, brought in Adams, and the rest is history.

While Amy Adam's Katy isn't typically the first name that comes up in relation to "The Office," she actually played a recurring and important role in the earliest days of the show. After Katy's introduction to close out the uncertain and wayward season 1, the character was kept in the fold heading into the stronger and more story-forward season 2. She played a particularly important role in developing John Krasinski's Jim Halpert into the lovable, mop-headed heartthrob that he became as the show evolved.

While she feels like a regular — and is referenced as Jim's girlfriend in the season — she technically only pops up two more times. After her debut in "Hot Girl," she shows up again in the episode "The Fire" when she arrives outside of the Dunder Mifflin Scranton office as everyone is waiting in the parking lot to hear more about the fire (which Ryan started, by the way). Her third and final appearance is in the season 2 episode "Booze Cruise," where she gets along far too well with Jim's nemesis, Pam's fiancé Roy, before Jim impulsively breaks up with her.

While her exit is abrupt and she doesn't return, Adams makes the most of Katy's character. She creates an uncomfortable classic with her "Hot Girl" performance before helping usher in the age of Jim and Pam, which really kicked off with the season 2 finale shortly afterward. And for that, Amy Adams, we thank you.