Ellie Kemper Talks Her Favorite Memories from ‘The Office’ and ‘Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt’: ‘I Won the Jackpot’ (Exclusive)
Plus, find out how the actress is spending time with her sons this summer, thanks to her Pirate’s Booty partnership!
Key Takeaways
- Ellie Kemper spoke with Woman's World about her time on 'The Office'
- Ellie Kemper misses working with the people on 'Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt'
- The actress is partnered with Pirate's Booty for a fun, kid-friendly summer!
Ellie Kemper’s career has been filled with a lot of heart, tons of laughter and quite a few incredible projects that are widely beloved by fans. From The Office to Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Kemper has starred in a slew of shows and movies that still tug at viewers’ heartstrings and make fans double over in laughter.
Now, the actress and mom of two young sons is partnering with Pirate’s Booty for their new Captain Bob’s Summer Quest, which is “a collection of playful activities designed to inspire creativity, curiosity and family connection.”
Woman’s World had a moment to chat with Ellie Kemper to discuss her iconic roles on the beloved sitcoms and her new partnership with Pirate’s Booty.
Woman’s World: You portrayed Erin Hannon on The Office. What was your favorite part about being a part of that show?
Ellie Kemper: I loved the show before I got a job on it. Erin, my character, didn’t enter until Season 5, so I had plenty of time to watch the show and love the show. That’s how I feel I can relate to a fan because I also like it. The characters are great, the show is comforting and it has a lot of heart in it. I feel like not every show might be really funny and have a lot of heart—it’s rare to find that the two go hand in hand. I just feel so lucky to have been a part of that show at all because it is written so well and performed so well, and it felt like the gift of a lifetime to enter that world. I’m happy that it’s still resonating with people. I won the jackpot getting a job on that. It has stood the test of time
WW: The entire show is full of hilarious quotes and sayings—is there an Erin quote that fans bring up to you the most or just an Office quote in general?
Ellie Kemper: Honestly, it’s like the stupidest one of all, but “That’s what she said.” It’s just so easy. It applies to anything. I use it a lot, just stupidly. Also, this isn’t a line, but I loved Erin’s quote about the disposable camera, about taking pictures with the disposable camera, and the only downside is you never get to see the photos because you throw it away.
WW: You also did four seasons of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, which was another major project. What do you miss the most about being on that show and part of the cast?
Ellie Kemper: I miss the people there. I miss working with Robert [Carlock] and Tina [Fey], who created the show and are so smart and so funny. And I miss my co-stars because they were all icons and also really nice people. I miss the crew. I miss every piece of it. It was such a special time in my life [and]we were in New York. Personally, I had my boys [during that time] so they were very young and it all feels very tied up together. It’s all very precious.
WW: You’ve partnered with Pirate’s Booty. Can you share a bit about this partnership and what drew you to it?
Ellie Kemper: The first thing that drew me is Pirate’s Booty. I’ve always loved Pirate’s Booty. I’ve genetically passed on my love to my two sons, so it’s always in our pantry. Then, when I learned about the actual campaign, I doubled down on it because it’s all about fueling imaginative play, which I’m a big proponent of. Captain Bob’s Summer Quest Guide is full of activities that you can do in your household, with items from around your house. You don’t have to go out and purchase anything. These are simple straightforward activities that I’ve had a lot of fun doing with my boys. I have particularly enjoyed the captain’s closet, which is basically dressing up like pirates on a ship. We have a lot of dress-up clothes in my house, so this is just fun for us as a family
WW: This partnership emphasizes the importance of children playing outside or just screen-free. As a mom of two young sons, why is this partnership and the idea of giving children that type of childhood important to you?
Ellie Kemper: I understand the constant high wire act of balancing screen time. It’s tricky, so I do like that Pirate’s Booty is coming up with ideas of things to do that don’t involve screens. It’s always a plus. It’s harder to pull off these days, but I think this does a great job of pulling that off.
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