Tragic Details About The Office Star Angela Kinsey

Oftentimes, the most unlikeable characters are portrayed by the warmest stars. This is certainly the case for Angela Kinsey, who brought the intimidating presence of Angela Martin to life on "The Office" for nine unforgettable seasons. While Kinsey is known to be sunny and approachable, the head of accounting is strict and judgmental (though she might crack a smile while singing her favorite tune, "Little Drummer Boy"). Still, in many ways, Kinsey isn't so different from her on-screen persona.

Despite appearing strong on the outside, both have endured their share of hardship. On "The Office," Kinsey's character is central to several devastating plotlines, most notably Angela's divorce from Sen. Robert Lipton (Jack Coleman). The split leaves her in financial ruin and, as a single mom, forced her to live with colleague Oscar Martinez (Oscar Nuñez). Funnily enough, the love triangle between Angela, Oscar, and Sen. Lipton was Kinsey's favorite post-Steve Carell era plotline. Meanwhile, in her own life, Kinsey also went through a divorce, navigating the challenges of motherhood on her own for some time.

Yet this wasn't the only hurdle Kinsey had to overcome. Over the years, she experienced early career delays and not-so-glamorous jobs, hesitancy to fully embrace success once it did arrive, several heartbreaking family losses, and the pain of watching her best friend navigate cancer.

Angela Kinsey's journey to becoming a household name wasn't quick or easy by any means. Prior to landing her breakout role as Angela Martin on "The Office," she endured the audition grind, appearing in one-off episodes of shows like "Step by Step," "Run of the House," and "All of Us." In order to make a living while pursuing her acting dreams, she worked as a telephone operator for 1-800-Dentist, fielding calls from patients with dental concerns. "I started my day talking to America about their teeth," Kinsey said in an interview at the SHRM Talent Conference & Expo.

During this period of her life, Kinsey's schedule was jam-packed. After working the 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. telephone shift, where she battled an intimidating copy machine and the occasional inappropriate caller, she went on auditions to build her resume and — hopefully — secure her big break. All the while, she also interned at "Late Night with Conan O'Brien." Still, it wasn't all so taxing. In addition to getting her foot in the entertainment door at "Late Night," she became friends with several of her 1-800-Dentist coworkers, whom she remains close to decades later.

It's hard to imagine Angela Kinsey on "The Office" as anyone but the stern, cat-obsessed accountant, Angela Martin. However, if things had panned out as the actress initially hoped, one of the world's top sitcoms would look very different. Originally, Kinsey auditioned for the role of receptionist Pam Beesley, but casting felt that Jenna Fischer — who also struggled to make it as an actress — was a better fit. Yet Kinsey's audition wasn't for naught.

"I did not get the role of Pam, although I did really well. They were like, 'Oh, she did great. She's maybe just a little too feisty,'" Kinsey said in an interview with TODAY. "Two months went by and I thought, 'Well, I didn't get the show, but it's okay.' And I got a call and they were like, 'Listen, there is a role of this woman in accounting. She's a little judgy and we want you to come in for her.'"

The rest is history, with Kinsey happy at the way things panned out. For her, it was a joy to take on a challenging character who is so different from herself. She told TODAY, "I'm Southern and I'm not super confrontational. So it was really fun to play someone who would just put someone in their place right away." Fans of the show agree that the final cast is exactly what it should be. On X, in response to a #ShareYourRejection post by Kinsey, "The Office" viewer @MontyPB told her, "You were the best b***h in accounting ever."

After years spent auditioning and landing one-off roles (all while addressing strangers' dental concerns), Angela Kinsey was fully aware of the entertainment industry's fleeting nature. Therefore, even when she found herself on a major network's hit show, it was difficult for her to imagine long-term success. That's why, throughout the first two seasons of "The Office," Kinsey held fast to her second job working at an improv theater's box office. If the series ended abruptly, she'd still have an income.

"I just knew that even though I was on a hit show, that I would need to be already thinking ahead and strategizing ahead about what's my next job," she told CNBC Make It. "Don't take anything for granted and save."

Though Kinsey did eventually quit the box office gig in Season 3, finally embracing the idea of having steady work as an actress, she didn't trust it enough to fully lean into a lavish Hollywood lifestyle. For Kinsey, growing her savings — in case "The Office" ended sooner rather than later — was more important than flashy purchases. When she needed a new car, she was content with a simple Honda. She added, "I tried to keep a level head now that I had consistent income, knowing that everything has a finite end date and that consistent income would eventually go away, and I didn't want to be stuck with a lot of big purchases."

In February 2009, after eight years of marriage, Angela Kinsey announced that she and her husband Warren Lieberstein were separating. Not only did the two share an infant daughter, Isabel Ruby, they were also colleagues in a sense. Lieberstein was a writer and producer of "The Office," as well as the brother of Paul Lieberstein, who plays sad sack human resources representative Toby Flenderson. Kinsey's rep Tess Finkle told People at the time that "they continue to be friends and spend time together with their daughter."

The following June, Kinsey filed for divorce due to irreconcilable differences. However, just as her character Angela Martin found love again with Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson) after her split from the senator, so did Kinsey. In 2016, she tied the knot with Joshua Snyder, an actor and baker with whom she co-hosted "Baking with Josh & Ange" on YouTube and released a cookbook. The couple is loving life as a blended family, which includes Isabel Ruby and Snyder's two sons, Jack and Cade, both from a previous relationship.

"I certainly didn't think I'd get married again, I don't think Josh did either," Kinsey said in an interview with "Good Morning America." She added, "It was just me and my daughter, and all of a sudden, there were these rowdy boys in our life and they just made our house a home."

In 2015, Angela Kinsey and her family endured immense heartbreak after her nephew, John, died by suicide. Following his death, Kinsey made a series of emotional social media posts that shared special details about John, like his passion for horses and being out in nature, and favorite memories that she shared with him, especially laughing together on the front porch.

One post said, "He was a sweet, kind cowboy. We lost him a year ago this month to depression. As a family, we are still struggling with all of this. The signs we missed, what we could have done differently to help him. I share this with you today because if you are struggling with depression, please know you are not alone. Please do not be afraid to reach out to family or friends. You matter. You are loved!"

Through these posts, Kinsey connected with other individuals whose loved ones died by suicide, allowing them to realize that there are others who understand their pain. In each post, Kinsey also made sure to provide suicide prevention resources.

If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.

One of the most unforgettable installments of "The Office" is Season 9, Episode 4 ("Work Bus"), which sees Dwight Schrute force the Dunder Mifflin crew to set up shop in a mobile workspace after Jim Halpert (John Krasinski) tricks him into believing their office needs repairs. Naturally, chaos ensues as they navigate the roads and attempt to purchase some pie. From a viewer's perspective, this seems like an enjoyable episode to film. But in bringing it to fruition, the cast endured a series of hazardous, almost life-threatening situations. The first came when a stunt driver was brought in to make Dwight's chaotic cruise appear more believable on screen.

In the book "The Office BFFs: Tales of The Office from Two Best Friends Who Were There," which she co-wrote with Jenna Fischer, Angela Kinsey recalled, "The stunt driver swerved HARD. I mean he cranked that wheel like Cole Trickle in 'Days of Thunder.' As a result, the entire cast and contents of the bus went flying into the side of the party bus!" Props — and cast members — went soaring, with Kinsey pressed against the window after Jake Lacy's chair slammed into hers.

Disaster struck again after lunch when, in an attempt to cool off the scorching, nausea-inducing temperatures in the bus, a portable air conditioner was brought in. To minimize noise, it was placed outside the vehicle, its hose looped through the sunroof. Quickly, Fischer noticed a peculiar smell and, moments later, their camera operator began to feel ill. Turns out the hose had been blowing exhaust fumes into the bus rather than cool, refreshing air. Fischer explained in the book, "We were all being slowly poisoned. Or not so slowly, actually."

Filming "The Office" wasn't all sunshine and rainbows. In addition to the occasional dangerous stunt, the cast also experienced its share of gross scenes, like the vomiting moment on the "Booze Cruise" episode. Still, after nine seasons of creating comedic television with some of her best friends, it's not surprising that Angela Kinsey was flooded with emotions when "The Office" came to an end in 2013. Plenty of tears were shed during those final days of filming — especially when she had to shoot her last talking head — as Kinsey prepared to say goodbye to Angela Martin in all of her intense glory.

In an interview with IGN, Kinsey equated those last days to playing a breakup track on repeat. She said, "I'm definitely staying in touch with people, but there is this ache, if you will, this part of you that's gone. I haven't really felt this way since I was a child — we moved from Indonesia to the U.S. — and I said goodbye to some people in Indonesia that I knew I would never see again."

Despite not wanting to part ways, Kinsey is happy that "The Office" followed in the footsteps of shows like "Seinfeld" and "Cheers," ending on a high note before it could overstay its welcome. The story of each character got wrapped in a bow, including that of Angela, who gets her happily ever after with Dwight Schrute. Kinsey said, "It felt like a luxury, in this business, but you get to sort of call your out. You know, like, 'This is how we're going out,' and then we got to plan the whole year for that."

For nearly a year, from December 2023 through October 2024, Angela Kinsey watched as her best friend and colleague, Jenna Fischer, underwent surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation for Stage 1 triple-positive breast cancer. Fischer's one wish was for her cancer journey to remain private aside from those closest to her. Kinsey whole-heartedly respected that, quietly supporting her bestie — whom she first bonded with 20 years prior while filming the "Basketball" episode of "The Office" Season 1 — in any way she could.

"From the beginning she said, 'Whatever you need, you tell me. I'm here,'" Fischer said of Kinsey during an interview with TODAY. In an Instagram post, Fischer elaborated, "Thankfully I've been able to keep working during treatments. This was all because I work with my best friend Angela Kinsey who protected me and advocated for me. For a long time, she was the only person in my workspace who knew."

When the chemotherapy caused Fischer to start losing her hair, she wore "wighats" — hats with attached wigs — into work for her and Kinsey's "Office Ladies" podcast. She wanted to maintain some sense of status quo in her life and didn't want people feeling bad for her. In solidarity, Kinsey donned hats as well, allowing Fischer to feel comfortable continuing with their podcast throughout the duration of her treatment. "It was amazing," said Fischer.

Being well-known for an iconic role — especially one that's part of a multi-year series — is oftentimes a double-edged sword. While fame and acclaim are what most actors strive for, it can be difficult to make audiences and casting directors see them as capable of portraying a different kind of character. After cementing her status in television history as Angela Martin, Angela Kinsey struggled for a while with typecasting by casting directors. Meanwhile, her performance has become so iconic that fans are sometimes afraid to approach her in public.

In an interview with Paste, she said, "I definitely get a lot of calls to play like a really abrasive b***h. I'm like, 'You guys, that was one role. I know it was nine years and I'm very thankful, but we can branch out now?' It's definitely something, getting people to sort of see past that. And then also in my everyday life, I'll be at the grocery store, and someone will come up to me and be like, 'How many cats do you really have?' It so becomes who you are to other people."

Luckily, Kinsey has been able to find a healthy balance. Though she still embraces her "The Office" fame, she has also made a name for herself as a multi-faceted actress, taking on roles like the ditzy Crystal "The Hotwives of Orlando" and pageant mom Helaine Kreyman in Netflix's "Tall Girl" and "Tall Girl 2."

Before uniting with husband Joshua Snyder and his two boys into a blended family, Angela Kinsey spent seven years as a single mother to Isabel Ruby — several of which overlapped with her time on "The Office." For Kinsey, it wasn't always easy. Many days were riddled with exhaustion from long days on set and guilt over not being more present for her daughter.

"[It] was my day off and I took a bunch of meetings and felt horrible that I wasn't the one who picked her up from school," Kinsey told People. "I could have said no to the meeting, but I felt I needed to go to it."

Through it all, she had an amazing support system — including fellow actress/mom Jenna Fischer — by her side. Now, she's trying to be that for other parents, letting them know that sometimes, it's okay to feel overwhelmed by it all. On an episode of "The Kelly Clarkson Show," Kinsey teared up as she told single mom Sylvia, "It is hard sometimes to invest in yourself, even if that just means having quiet alone time...Just know that you're not alone and [don't] be so hard on yourself. Give yourself a little break. Give yourself some slack on days that are harder than others because you're doing it and you're so strong."

Every July, Angela Kinsey takes to social media to share a touching birthday tribute to her late father, Bill, who passed away over a decade ago. Though time has passed, her grief remains present as each year she fondly reflects on her favorite memories. From childhood adventures in Indonesia and laughing at "Meet the Parents" to handwritten notes of encouragement and the box fans he gifted to her just in case, Kinsey's dad left an imprint on her heart that will never fade.

During her appearance on Rainn Wilson's "Soul Boom" podcast, she said, "I carry my grief every day. Some days, I can set it aside. But it's sneaky. It's just always with you. I was in the grocery store and I saw something he liked, and I just instantly remembered this memory of him. I got a little choked up in the grocery store. That's how grief is. It's always there. It's always part of you. I think grief and gratitude really go hand in hand if you can just appreciate what you had."