Jenna Fischer Reveals Amy Adams Almost Didn’t Get Cast in ‘The Office’ Because “They Looked Too Similar”

Jenna Fischer recently shared a surprising story about the casting of Amy Adams as Katy Moore in “The Office.” On her podcast “Office Ladies,” co-hosted with Angela Kinsey, Fischer said Adams almost didn’t get the role because she looked too much like Fischer herself. This was for the Season 1 episode “Hot Girl,” where Katy played a charming purse saleswoman.

Fischer explained that another actress was first cast as Katy. After filming for a day, the team felt she wasn’t right and replaced her. Adams stepped in, but there was pushback. One writer even said, “We can’t cast her. She’s like Jenna 2.0.”

Still, Adams got the part and made it her own. Fischer noted, “She was so seamlessly Katy. She improvised a lot, and much of her dialogue made it into the episode.”

The writers turned the resemblance into a joke. In “Hot Girl,” Michael Scott, played by Steve Carell, calls Katy “Pam 6.0,” a nod to the casting debate. It added a fun twist to the show’s humor.

Katy appeared in three episodes total. Besides “Hot Girl” in Season 1, she returned in Season 2 for “The Fire” and “Booze Cruise” as Jim Halpert’s love interest. Their romance didn’t last, though. Jim later pursued Pam, leading to their wedding in Season 6’s “Niagara.”

Fischer and Kinsey shared this on their revamped podcast, now featuring episode breakdowns and guest stars from “The Office.” It’s a fresh look at the show’s behind-the-scenes moments.

You can listen to the whole episode here:

I think it’s cool how the team turned a casting problem into something clever with the “Pam 6.0” line. Adams was perfect as Katy, and it’s hard to imagine anyone else in that role now. What do you think about this casting story? Did you spot the similarity between Fischer and Adams? Share your thoughts in the comments below!