Category: Interview

Angela discusses cats, an ‘Office’ reboot and pizza at UMD

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Angela Kinsey knows about Pizza Kingdom.

When The Office star showed up in College Park the night before her Student Entertainment Event’s lecture, she was hungry. On her way to the parlor known for giant late-night slices, a rowdy group from the bar pointed her to Lotsa. Although her food search ended in trail mix at the hotel, at least one student snapped a photo with the 5″1′ actress known for playing the uptight, cat-loving, party-planner Angela Martin.

On March 1, Kinsey relived one of the happiest parts of her career as she spoke to a sold-out Grand Ballroom. And no, she’s not tired of talking about it.

“It makes me really proud that something we did all those years ago is still resonating with people,” she said before the show.

Read full interview here

 

In the Bustle Booth With Angela

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From Bustle:

When celebrities hang out with Bustle editors, we want to give them the chance to leave their mark. Literally. So we hand them a pen, a piece of paper, a few questions, and ask them to get creative. The rest is up to them. This time, Haters Back Off star Angela Kinsey is leaving her mark in the Bustle Booth.

Angela Kinsey loves the kind of comedy that makes you recoil in discomfort. She first made a name for herself as Angela Martin, Dunder Mifflin’s severe, cat-loving accountant, on The Office. Now, Kinsey can be seen in the second season of Haters Back Off as Bethany, the mother of Miranda Sings. The Netflix adaptation of Colleen Ballinger’s fame-hungry YouTube persona can be as painfully funny and hilariously painful as Kinsey’s first big TV success. And though the actor couldn’t be more personable in real life, she takes some pleasure in throwing an audience off their game.

“I find [Haters Back Off ] is the type of comedy that I love, which is the cringey comedy,” Kinsey says. “Where you’re laughing and then you’re like, “I’m uncomfortable,” and then you’re like, ‘Oh my god, I might cry. What’s happening?’ And then you laugh.”

Like Angela, Bethany has some domineering personality traits, but Kinsey’s goal as a performer is never to let those more prominent characteristics totally define her characters. So though Miranda’s mother in the series appears meek and desperate to be loved, there’s much more to her than that.

“[Characters] have to be real people,” the actor says. “I have to make them real. And what I mean by that is, like Angela Martin — she wasn’t just the bitch. I don’t paint her with one broad stroke. She was also shy, she was also nervous, anxious, she wanted better for herself in life but maybe that’s where she was, so she had disappointment. She was also suspicious of people and not trusting and fearful.”

Kinsey tried to explore the same depths with Bethany, who, despite her issues, “can still have fun” and “still flirt with a man, even if it’s awkward,” the actor says. And discovering this character started with Kinsey zeroing in on one big point of overlap in their lives.

“I’m a mom now, and that filters how I look at life and how I look at characters,” she says. “And Bethany is a mom, and she’s a single mom and that was relatable to me because I was a single mom for a long time. And she has kind of lost herself in her kids, I think that’s really relatable to moms. We can lose ourselves in our children. You have to look at yourself sometimes and say, ‘Wait, where am I in this?'”

And while it’s not particularly common to, say, fake an illness to get a date, Bethany is one of the more down-to-Earth characters in Haters Back Off. Kinsey, who got her start in improv comedy, does get to have her “little moments” of determined humor. (“Emily, you know very well what a bag of salami is,” was an ad-lib, she says.) But otherwise, she looks at Bethany as part of the foundation for Haters Back Off to be as bonkers as it sometimes needs to be.

“I think about characters like Pam [from The Office] that were very honest. And that allowed the Michael Scott craziness or the Dwight or the bigger characters, because you have the ones that ground everybody,” she says, drawing a comparison to Bethany. “There are more real moments that pull it down, kind of get it back grounded a little. And then give it permission to go crazy. Because I feel like your audience is like, ‘You know what? Suck me in with the grounded stuff and I’ll go with you to the crazy place, because I buy it.'”

It’s no surprise that someone with an affinity for both Looney Tunes and Veep star Julia Louis-Dreyfus has strong opinions about the art of comedy. Keep reading to find out what else Angela Kinsey is loving these days. – Source

Angela chats about ‘Haters Back Off’ on ‘Today’

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todayshow

Angela Kinsey on her YouTube-inspired Netflix Series ‘Haters Back Off’

Most people know Angela Kinsey from NBC’s “The Office.” Angela is now starring in a new comedy called “Haters Back Off.” She joins Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb to talk about her Netflix series and recent marriage to Joshua Snyder.

Angela chats about “Blacked Out”

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Angela and her husband, Josh, sat down to chat with Roselyn Sanchez about “Blacked Out,” a short film written by Angela and directed by Andrés Anglade. The short film will be showing at Puerto Rico’s Rincón International Film Festival on Sunday, April 2.

videos_blackoutinterview

About “Blacked Out”:

A she said/he said recounting of a city-wide blackout in Los Angeles. For her it was a romantic night that brought people together. For him the night had danger at every turn.

Click here to find out more about the Rincón International Film Festival and to purchase tickets for “Blacked Out.”

The Catnip Times interviews Angela

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From TheCatnipTimes.com:

Being a Tidy Insider has its perks. The awesome people at Tidy Cats invited me to go behind the scenes to watch the production of the new Tidy Cats Stank Face Public Service Announcement (PSA) starring Angela Kinsey (below). If you’ve seen the hit TV-series, “The Office,” you’ll recognize her as the actress that played crazy office cat lady, Angela Martin.

Angela is extremely witty, fun, approachable and an overall spunky lady that has been a long-time cat lover… and sadly, her beloved cat Otter, passed away only two weeks after our interview in June. RIP Otter! (photo below)

I hope you all enjoy the interview!

You can read Angela’s interview with The Catnip Times here.

And, you can find out more about TidyCat and #StopStankFace here.

Catching up With Angela Kinsey of ‘The Real Hotwives of Orlando’

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From PasteMagazine.com:

Catfights. Drunken confessions. Air kisses. Denounced friendships. Overturned tables. With all its outrageous drama, the Real Housewives franchise is ripe for spoofing—and someone has finally done it.

Seven episodes of the new series The Hotwives of Orlando , starring Casey Wilson, Angela Kinsey, Kristen Schaal, Tymberlee Hill, Andrea Savage and Danielle Schneider, are currently streaming on Hulu.

Kinsey, best known as the uptight Angela on The Office, plays the deeply religious (although she’s never read the Bible) Crystal on the series. Paste recently had the chance to chat with Kinsey about her new series, when she first realized she was funny and how people still have trouble letting go of her Dunder-Mifflin character.

Paste: How did you get cast on The Hotwives of Orlando?
Angela Kinsey: A lot of us ladies had sort of known each other in different circles just doing improv in LA. Danielle [Schneider], one of the co-creators, she emailed me and said, “We think it would be so much fun if you came on board. Give it a read. See what you think, we’re just kind of doing it on a budget, doing it for fun.” And I read it and I thought it was hilarious, and it would be great to have a chance to play with these amazing women who I already thought were so smart and so funny.

Paste: I read that you had never watched an episode of any of the Housewives before you were cast.
Kinsey: I hadn’t even seen any of the Housewives shows. Jenna [Fischer] had always liked them and would come into hair and makeup talking about them and I was like, “Oh my God. What are you watching, woman?” When I told the producers I had never seen any of them, they sent me a few episodes to watch, and you catch on pretty quick. It almost comes across as bored housewives who get together and drink wine and yell at each other.

Paste: The show is a satire but it’s not that far-fetched from the actual Housewives franchise.
Kinsey: It’s very close, I feel like. We’re only a few hop-skips away. I watched one from Orange County and all of these parties have these themes. And all of the sudden it’s a luau party and there’s guys eating fire and there’s women doing Polynesian dancing but they kind of just look like out-of-work actors that got off from Disney late.

Paste: The series shot seven episodes in seven days. What kind of prep work do you do to prepare for such an intense shoot?
Kinsey I was a little bit luckier that the other girls because I only did four days; I already had a hard-out commitment that I promised to do, but on my four days, I was there until 3 a.m. it was intense those four days. What I wanted to do with Crystal, what was fun for me, is she’s not the bitch, she’s kind of ditzy and clueless, and she can be mean to her sister. But she’s also so in love with Orlando and her life in Orlando and just trying to find that earnestness in her. She’s religious, but I feel like her religion is more like a social club, a country club religion. She’s a weather girl for Orlando, which she loves. I just always try to approach any role and find some kind of honesty so that way when the situations get a little crazy, I’m at least coming from an honest place. When the wacky happens there’s something in it that you still believe.

I do that with everything. My character on The Office, was such a bitch and was miserable all the time and I thought, ‘Well, why are a lot of people miserable? Probably because they’re just unhappy. Why are a lot of people mean? Usually they have a lot of fear.’ So I try to find those things that make a character real to me. Crystal, she’s kind of just like a hummingbird. I feel like that’s her brain capacity. She’s not a horrible person, but she’s definitely a ditz.

Paste: Crystal is based on Alexis Bellino from The Real Housewives of Orange County. Did you watch a lot of her episodes before you began filming?
Kinsey I think that’s who [creators Dannah Phirman and Danielle Schneider] had in mind. But I didn’t watch very much because I just wanted to sort of have my own stamp on it. I just watched some episodes of Beverly Hills and Orange County just to kind of get an overview of the show and what the tone is and what these women are up to. But I think when they wrote it, they know the shows so well that Alexis is who they had in mind. I didn’t pay too much attention to it because I didn’t want to have anyone in my head while I was doing it.

Paste: How much did the cast improvise?
Kinsey:It really reminded me of The Office a lot in that regard where if there was an opportunity to improvise you could sort of bounce it off the writer and see what they thought, and then sort of have your moment. I definitely found I improvised the most in my little talking head moments, which was very similar on The Office as well. You’re not messing anyone else up. You’re not messing up any story. I felt like we all had moments, especially in the group scenes, where we would get it as written and have a take or two to play around a little bit.

Paste: How was it to work with a predominantly female cast?
Kinsey: It was awesome. We were cracking each other up. There was no diva anything like that happening at all. It was just a group of funny smart women who all are very confident and were just there to have a good time. It felt like a really seasoned team where you were just as happy to take the shot as you were to pass the ball and just so excited to see what your teammates could do. I loved it. I think for a lot of us ladies out in Hollywood in the comedy world it’s usually a room full of men and maybe one or two funny gals, and this time we all got to be there. It was great.

Paste: After The Office ended, was it hard to get people to see you as someone other than Angela?
Kinsey: I definitely get a lot of calls to play like a really abrasive bitch. I’m like, you guys, that was one role. I know it was nine years and I’m very thankful, but we can branch out now? It’s definitely something, getting people to sort of see past that, and then also in my everyday life, I’ll be at the grocery store, and someone will come up to me and be like, ‘How many cats do you really have?’ It so becomes who you are to other people. If I’m ever photographed with anyone other than Rainn Wilson people are like, “Wait, where’s Dwight?”

Paste Any chance we’ll see you back on New Girl as Rose?
Kinsey: They actually just contacted me to see if I was available in August. You never know, scripts change quickly but I would love to go back. It was such a great group of people. I just love that set. Everyone was so much fun. I’m hoping that works out.

Paste: What else is coming up for you?
Kinsey: I did this movie called All Stars. Basically,we’re making fun of parents who are super into Little League. I play one of the crazy moms. That was really fun. I myself am a writer. I sold a show last year but it didn’t go. I have a few ideas. So I’ll be kicking those around.

Paste: When did you first know you were funny?
Kinsey: I feel like my family is a very colorful Southern family. I grew up without television interestingly enough and I was in Indonesia and we just didn’t have television so my family would sit around and tell stories. I felt like if you could really hold everyone’s attention you were really rewarded, and I just think that’s something early on … I was the youngest, it was harder for me to get everyone’s attention, so that was something I just started doing. My dad is very funny; my mom has a great sense of humor. My mom tells me that when I was four I told her I wanted to be Carol Burnett.

– Source

Cat Woman Wednesday: Angela Kinsey

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From IHaveCat.com:

I’m excited to announce that today’s Cat Woman Wednesday is Angela Kinsey. Angela is best known for playing the role of the truly crazy cat lady Angela Martin-Schrute on “The Office.” It turns out that the “real” Angela is an animal lover too and has a cat and two dogs (the second being a very recent addition). I hope you enjoy my interview with Angela, I think you’ll see her quirky, fun-loving personality really come through!”

Click here to read the full interview

Angela on The Friskies and Grumpy Cat

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From SheKnows Entertainment:

OUR FAVORITE CAT LADY TALKS, WELL, CATS

The Office‘s Angela Kinsey is taking part in The Friskies — the major award for the best cat videos of the year — handing out the Lifetime Achievement Award to none other than Grumpy Cat. Find out what she had to say not only about the event and her love for cats, but having to lick one at one time, too.

SheKnows: You’ve been pretty busy lately, with TV appearances, films and The Friskies. Can you tell us a little bit about your upcoming film All Stars?

Angela Kinsey: I worked with an amazing group of actors, including John Goodman and Mary Lynn Rajskub. It’s about a girls’ Little League softball. The girls are all normal, and the parents are all insane. It was really fun; we had a great time.

SK: What about The Friskies are you most excited about?

AK: We found out Michael Ian Black would be hosting it, and I was laughing so hard because I love him, and I clearly love cats. I spent nine years playing the cat lady. And I was like, oh my god, you and cat videos? I’m in. It’s been so much fun; he’s been cracking me up all morning.

And, this event is close to my heart. Friskies donates tons of food and assistance to about 20 rescue organizations for cats. My cat is a rescue, and so is my dog. So it’s a win-win to do something fun like this and also know that you’re helping out with animals, too.

It’s nice, too, because they’re streaming The Friskies live tonight, and the fans can vote all day today for their favorite.

SK: So is Michael a cat guy? How did that come about?

AK: Michael has a cat named Alfalfa that I take photos of. Plus, he’s just great at hosting.

SK: What was your favorite cat video this year?

AK: That’s really hard! I’m psyched tonight because I’m giving the Lifetime Achievement Award to Grumpy Cat. Every time they show a shot of Grumpy Cat, I can’t take it! I just can’t wait to meet this cat. My favorite ones are anything to do with a cat and a printer; I can watch that over and over.

SK: What’s the craziest cat-lady thing you’ve ever done?

AK: Well, that happened during the filming of The Office. They told me I didn’t have to lick the cat’s face, and then when we were filming, they were like, “We’re going to be really close on you.” And I knew it! It was three takes in a row of full-on licking this cat’s face. That’s how much I love my craft. That almost tops anything I’ve ever had to do with a cat.

SK: How many cats did you work with or go through while filming The Office?

AK: There was a time when I went back home between takes and there were about 15 cats at any given time.

SK: Why are cats better than dogs?

AK: Cats are more interesting, let’s face it. Dogs are loveable and a bit boring. But I love them both.

SK: What’s been the highlight of post-Office life?

AK: Being a mom.

– Source

Angela on ‘The Couch’

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Angela stopped by ‘The Couch’ with actor Michael Ian Black to talk about the Friskies:

NEW YORK (WLNY) – Cat videos can be found in every corner of the Internet, so it’s no surprise that there is an award show dedicated to felines.

Actors Michael Ian Black and Angela Kinsey joined The Couch to tell us more about the Second Annual Friskies Award Show.

On Tuesday, Michael is hosting “The Friskies,” the major award for the best cat videos of the year, and Angela is presenting Grumpy Cat with her first Lifetime Achievement Award.

Angela teases ‘Office’ finale

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Dunder Mifflin’s prickly accountant tells The Hollywood Reporter about the emotional final day of shooting and the scene she pitched that the audience won’t be seeing.

There are just two episodes left of NBC’s The Office, and Angela Kinsey says they are among the most important for her character.

After nine years of playing Angela, the judgmental accountant with an affinity for cats, Kinsey tells The Hollywood Reporter she’s happy where her character ends up on the finale.

“There’s one moment coming up that I love so much, but I can’t tell you,” she says. “I’m so excited for fans of the show to see.”

Kinsey admits she has had trouble letting go of her character, saying the cast cried and embraced each other after completing the final scene. While shooting the Fox pilot The Gabriels, she found herself being a bit too harsh to her onscreen children, just as Angela would be.

“I was like, ‘I’m so sorry. I’ve played a bitch for nineyears,'” she recalls telling her director.

Read the rest of THR‘s conversation with Kinsey, where she reveals more details about the emotional final day of shooting and shares what idea she pitched to the writers that didn’t make it into the final season.

The Hollywood Reporter: You’ve wrapped onThe Office. Are you happy where Angela ends up?

Angela Kinsey: I’m really happy with it. When Greg [Daniels] announced this was going to be the last season of our show, and he was going to write to a real end, even though it was bittersweet, we were happy our show has a true ending.

The head writers of our show invited each castmember into the writers’ room to pitch ideas and to tell what hopes and dreams we’d always had for our characters. Some of those things were incorporated, and it’s going to make these last two episodes really meaningful.

THR: Are you able to share what ideas you pitched for, or would that be a spoiler?

Kinsey: I can’t share all of it. One that I pitched that we never got to see is Phyllis and Bob Vance’s house, because I figured it was the tackiest place ever. I was so thankful that Greg Daniels has set the bar for these creative collaborations. I think it’s one of the true successes of our show. I know a lot of shows don’t have that back and forth between the writers and the actors. He did a special thing for our show by having that.

THR: Were you surprised by this season as far as where Angela went?

Kinsey: An interesting twist for me is this coming together of Angela and Oscar. It’s actually really sweet. I am now going to go live with Oscar, so you’re going to see Oscar’s apartment and us being roommates. Part of me wishes there were a spinoff of just Angela and Oscar [laughs].

THR: Who were your favorite Office characters for Angela to play off of?

Kinsey: I love my scenes in accounting. Angela, Oscar and Kevin are all this misfit family. We sort of joked that I’m the mom and Oscar’s the dad and Kevin is our idiot kid. The three of us have sat next to each other for nine years. As friends, we’ve gotten to know each other so well back there in the corner.

I absolutely love doing scenes with Rainn Wilson (Dwight Schrute). There’s just as spark there and we really have a good time. We both go for it and know and trust Rainn is going to be right there with me.

THR: In your mind, do you see Angela as a good person?

Kinsey: I think she’s a good person. She’s someone who makes decisions based out of fear, so that’s why she’s quick to judge and quick to be insensitive. Some people need rules in life because it makes them feel safe. If you’re someone who breaks the rules – like Jim – she can’t stand you. Dwight follows rules. That’s what they’ve always had in common.

THR: Now that the show is done, do you still carry Angela around with you? Or have you put her aside?

Kinsey: She’s still with me. I did a pilot for Fox called The Gabriels. Jason Winer was the director and I had moments where I was interacting with my children and I would have to reprimand them, and Jason would say “OK, Angela, that was a little too harsh.” I was like “I’m so sorry. I’ve played a bitch for nine years.”

THR: Can you share what the last day of shooting like?

Our very final scene was the whole cast. Greg wanted us to all be together, which was really special and so amazing that we got to have that. We were in the bullpen of the office in the very last scene. It was Saturday night at nine o’clock at night. We knew all day this scene was coming and now we were finally in it.

It’s our final scene ever. We were emotional going into it and we all had to focus to get through the scene. Then our crew began to gather around the stage. And you could just feel that energy in the air. They yelled “cut, cut,” and Greg Daniels said “That’s a series wrap on the cast of The Office.”

We all just disintegrated. We all began to cry and hug each other and hug the crew – these people that we’ve been together for nine years. It was a really special moment, and I’m glad we got to do it together like that.

– Source