Kate Flannery Is Fine Being Mostly Known As 'The Drunk From The Office'
The employees of Dunder Mifflin know exactly how to work hard, play hard. But sometimes, they overdo it a bit on the latter. On the few occasions when alcohol is involved on "The Office," someone drinks more than they can handle. Examples include Pam Beesly (Jenna Fischer), who surpasses the drink limit at Chili's and falls off her stool after drunkenly kissing Jim Halpert (John Krasinski). Then there's Jim, who takes shots with Andy Bernard (Ed Helms) during a late night shift at the Stamford branch.
However, no one gets into more drunken antics than Meredith Palmer (Kate Flannery). In Season 2, Episode 10 ("Christmas Party"), she drunkenly flashes her breasts to Michael Scott (Steve Carell), who snaps a photo. Then, in Season 5, Episode 11 ("Moroccan Christmas"), she downs an unknown amount of Michael's specialty cocktail and accidentally sets her hair on fire. An intervention is held, with Michael attempting to bring her to rehab, but she refuses.
Her drinking habits, as well as her extremely promiscuous nature, are things that Meredith seems to be aware of and embraces. She also enjoys being single "like Clooney" and has no shame in random body parts popping out for her colleagues to witness.
This supplier relations representative is unabashedly herself and is perfectly OK with the fact that others judge her. As for Flannery, the actress who brings Meredith to life for nine seasons, she's perfectly OK with being known as the resident drunk on "The Office."
Kate Flannery is thrilled that love for The Office keeps growing
Kate Flannery has nearly 80 credits to her name, including 2018's Heather Matarazzo-led "Stuck" and 2014's "Cooties." Despite her lengthy career, the actress is still mostly recognized as Meredith Palmer...and she has fully embraced it. As old fans continue to watch "The Office" and new fans discover it via streaming, fresh generations are getting to witness Meredith's many mishaps.
Flannery said in an interview with Nerds and Beyond, "I feel like if I'm only mostly known as Meredith, the drunk from 'The Office,' I'm super happy with that. I feel like the affection for this show just grows and grows, and I feel like there's so many smart kids that really get all the subtleties ... You can watch the same episode five times and find something new to laugh at or to notice. And it's just so cool. It's really a dream come true and, you know, it's crazy. It's fantastic."
At a glimpse, Meredith is exactly what Flannery described – the drunk from "The Office." However, a number of fans have noticed subtleties about the character and how she's more than her vices.
On Reddit, u/peskipiksi76 stated how Meredith is actually the nicest person at Dunder Mifflin. She's often forgiving (including when Pam wrongly blames her for spreading lice), and is open to things (like the Dundie Awards) that others complain about. This user said, "...underneath that rough exterior is a woman with a truly kind and generous heart."
In a separate interview with TODAY, Flannery agreed that Meredith has many quieter, understated moments. But when she does come forward, her honesty and highly-inappropriate nature makes the wait worthwhile.