The Office's Creed Bratton Recalls ‘Overwhelming’ John Krasinski & Rainn Wilson Set Moment

The cast of The Office was a once-in-a-lifetime ensemble; to the point where even actors that began as background extras became household names during the peak of the show’s nine-season run.

One of those original bit-players, who now headlines sold-out shows across the world thanks to the series, is actor and musician Creed Bratton, who played a fictionalised version of himself.

Ahead of his long-awaited Australian tour this September, Bratton told The Music about a moment early on when he first felt that his hard work was being recognised; an interaction with cast mates that he says was one of his best during the show’s run.

READ MORE: Creed Bratton Originally Tried To Distance His Music From ‘The Office’

Fans will fondly remember Bratton’s breakout moment from season two, episode five, Halloween, in which Michael Scott tries – and fails – to fire his character from Dunder Mifflin.

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The episode was written by showrunner and TV legend Greg Daniels, directed by Paul Feig and had Bratton up against one of the best comedic actors of all time, Steve Carell.

“When they dropped [the script] on my desk, it was a six-and-a-half page scene, and it stayed that way too – it was a big, big scene, of him trying to fire me,” Bratton recalled.

“And it worked. I was playing hardball with arguably one of the best comedic actors on the planet, and of course, you have to raise your game. And I was ready and primed and knew those lines.

“So, we shot it, it aired on a Thursday in America, and on Friday I’m sitting at craft service and I look up and there’s John Krasinski and Rainn Wilson coming in through the front door to the set, getting ready to shoot, and they see me.

“They grab me and put me in a big bear hug, both of them, and said, ‘You knocked it out of the park, buddy.’ I got emotional. I said, ‘Thanks, guys.’ And then they walked around the corner and I was just like, ‘Oh, my god.’ It was overwhelming.

“That personally, for me, was realising that two actors at the time that I respected got what I was going for, so it was a big moment.”

In terms of his favourite moment from the show itself, he’s quick to jump to the iconic Dinner Party episode.

“I don’t think I laughed harder than when I saw the Dinner Party; the Dinner Party had me howling with hysterics,” he said.

Alongside Scott's Tots, it perfectly sums up the ‘cringe comedy’ the show has become known for; and while many have tried their best to reverse engineer its winning formula over the years, no one has been successful.

“That’s like trying to discuss how God made the world… that’s a language that humans don’t have; that’s deciphering lightning in a bottle,” Bratton enthused.