Felicity Ward, Star of The Office, Talks Aussie Version, Toxic Fandom

“New Office. New Aussie boss.”

That’s the tagline for the brand new Australian model of The Workplace, that launches Oct. 18 on Amazon Prime Video in every single place, besides the U.S. The newest iteration — the thirteenth totally different nation model of the BBC office sitcom created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Service provider that extremely first hit screens in 2001 — has garnered so much of chatter on social media, YouTube and within the world press, not least as a result of it’s one other accessible English-language adaptation that follows the beloved British and U.S. variations, but additionally as a result of it’s the first adaptation that includes a feminine boss.

The set-up to the Aussie Workplace follows the tried and examined franchise components: the mockumentary model, the boredom, the assortment of odd ball characters, the will-they-won’t-they workplace romance, and of course the overconfident, delusional boss missing in self consciousness. Australian standup comic and actress Felicity Ward heads the forged of the Aussie Workplace, enjoying Hannah Howard, the managing director of the Western Sydney packaging firm Flinley Craddick. Amongst these caught working beneath Hannah are gross sales rep Nick ((suppose Tim/Jim), gross sales rep Greta (Daybreak/Pam) and Lizze (Gareth/Dwight).

So my first query, The Workplace is of course a model, a really effectively established and well-known IP. What’s it like coming into one thing that’s already effectively established?

It’s so thrilling and so terrifying. I’ve simply had each single feeling and emotion about it. Once I received the job, I simply I cried as a result of I used to be so glad. To get the lead in any sitcom may be very, very thrilling, however to get to be a component of The Workplace! It’s like ceaselessly, I will likely be a component of The Workplace. No matter occurs to any extent further, I used to be in The Workplace. Like name your mum, you recognize what I imply? After which 5 minutes later, I used to be like, ‘Oh, I’m gonna get fucking dragged by the web. They’re actually gonna come for me.’ And so I don’t get entangled within the Web in any respect. It’s none of my enterprise. I don’t learn feedback, articles, headlines, nothing. Not for me. Not for my eyes.

That’s a very good angle to have.

Yeah, it’s known as delusion [laughs].

There are tons of variations of The Workplace, did you watch them to assist with preparation for this model?

I’ve solely seen the American and the British one. Once I received the job, I don’t know if I stayed away from [the various iterations] deliberately, however I used to be like, what objective will it serve [if I watched them]? I didn’t really watch an episode of the American Workplace till we’d completed filming. And funnily sufficient on the finish of one of the takes, I keep in mind one of the background actors saying, ‘Oh, my God, that was such a Michael Scott thing to do.’ And I used to be like, ‘I have never seen the show… so good, I think?’

The Workplace was created by Ricky Gervais and Steve Service provider, did you ask them for any enter?

You allow these males alone! [laughs] They’re busy. They made it a very long time in the past. I don’t know the way concerned they have been. I do know that that now we have their approval to make it. It’s not stolen. I’m positive they received some cash for it.

That is how far I stayed away from it: I did a gig with Stephen Service provider earlier this yr, and we each did a brand new materials night time. We’re each get up comics, and I didn’t deliver it up within the inexperienced room. He didn’t deliver it up. It was like we’d been to a celebration, and we’d slept collectively years in the past. And we have been like, ‘You know what? We’re amongst new buddies. Don’t say [anything].’ So neither of us introduced it up. I don’t know if he knew that it was me, as a result of I feel that I appeared totally different.

Might you describe Hannah Howard?

A delusional optimist or an optimistic delusionist? That’s not a phrase. Incompetent. Horrible at her job. Determined. Needy. Lonely. Joyful. Fool. And a chump. And that’s the best reward for a feminine comedian, to be in a sitcom and to have the ability to play a feminine chump, it’s the best.

I’ve seen a number of episodes, I do know I shouldn’t examine, however David Brent will not be a likeable individual, however Hannah may be very likeable, was {that a} acutely aware determination to play her to be extra likeable?

I feel she is definitely fairly likeable. She’s fairly humorous. And regardless that she’s an fool, it’s very attention-grabbing. I feel that Hannah is extra much like Michael Scott should you’re going to check the 2. However I really feel just like the present itself has more room. The British one has tons of scenes of photocopiers, and there’s so much of the boredom that’s captured to present that sense of mundanity to the viewers. I really feel like now we have tons of that within the present, too. [I don’t know] how a lot of a acutely aware alternative that was by, you recognize, the administrators and editors and stuff like that. However once I watched it again, that’s what it felt prefer to me. After which I feel that the humor may be very, very Australian, however not in an alienating means.

You point out the Aussie sense of humor, but additionally I assumed that it was very Kiwi in a way.

Yeah, we faux that the Kiwis don’t exist [laughs]. So [the executive producer, writer and director Jackie van Beek ] is a Kiwi. [Jessie Griffin], who’s one other one of the administrators, is a Kiwi. 4 of the forged are Kiwis. So it was really very nice to have them. I feel Australians are far more direct, we’re a lot bolder. I feel we’re extra joyful than Kiwi individuals… not that they’re not! [Laughs] They’re simply extra reserved. However I feel the distinction of that, that the Australians may be fairly bombastic and vulgar, and then you definately’ve received the understatedness of [Kiwis]. I imply, who doesn’t like Kiwi comedy, should you take a look at Flight of the Conchords for instance.

It’s attention-grabbing you point out Flight of the Conchords, I felt that there was a component of that humor, there are moments the place it’s so deadpan.

Properly [Taika Waititi], [Jemaine Clement], Jackie and Jesse all went to the identical theater faculty, all of them got here up collectively, I feel. All of them type of created this contemporary type of Kiwi comedy, which is so humorous.

So I’ve to ask, and I’m positive you’ve in all probability answered this 15 to twenty instances already, the entire gender swap factor and the unfavorable response from some parts of the Workplace fandom, how do you’re feeling about that?

I imply, it’s like everybody’s asking me ‘Do you feel the pressure?’ And I’ve heard that 40 instances within the final week. ‘Are you feeling pressure, Felicity? Are you getting the pressure? What do you think of the pressure? How’s the stress attending to you?’ And I’m prefer it’s you [journalists]. No, I’m not getting it from anybody else. My household are like ‘we’re so proud of you.’

Right here is an train: Go on YouTube or Google actually any humorist that may be a lady after which learn the feedback. In order that’s gonna occur with this. In fact, that is gonna occur. There’s some offended individuals on the market. And so of course they’re gonna come for me as a result of it’s a double whammy as a result of it’s The Workplace and since I’m a girl and I don’t say that as a sufferer. It’s identical to the info. I’ve been a humorist for 16 years. I’ve had this shit earlier than, like that simply exists.

Additionally, I do know what it’s to like one thing and have it remade and really feel livid about it. Now that sounds insane to me saying out loud, however I completely have felt livid about some issues. Level Break is my favourite movie of all time, love Level Break. Why would you contact Level Break if it’s an ideal movie? After which they remade it, and I used to be offended. What I didn’t do is get on the Web and seek out the lead actors to attempt to make them perceive how terrible they’re. That’s the insanity. I get the anger, however name a pal, you recognize what I’m saying?

With the American Workplace, this very same factor occurred 20 years in the past. The American Workplace got here out and other people have been mad. They have been like, ‘You can’t contact this British legacy comedy, it’s an establishment.’ And it’s. For the primary collection [of the U.S. Office] they have been utilizing British scripts after which after they began writing their very own tales, it’s become actually probably the most beloved comedy of all time. It’s a special present. It’s simply not the identical factor. We’ve received all unique scripts, all unique characters, all unique story traces. We’re simply having the identical factor that the American Workplace had 20 years in the past.

How do you’re feeling concerning the world curiosity within the Aussie Workplace? Or are you extra taken with making Australians giggle?

I would like as many motherfuckers to observe this as potential and revel in it [laughs]. I don’t care the place you’re getting it from. When the press launch got here out, after we first introduced that it was even being made, I used to be getting tagged in articles in Brazil and Italy and Denmark, and I’m like, ‘Oh, I didn’t know that was gonna occur.’ So I don’t know, possibly one thing will change [in how I feel about the attention]. Possibly it received’t change. I can’t predict the longer term. We’ll simply see what occurs, proper?

This interview was edited for size and readability.