Jenna Fischer says it wasn't fame, and it wasn't burnout from "The Office" - it was the brutal schedule of her next job that convinced her to step back from full-time acting for good.
The 52-year-old actress, best known as Pam Beesly on the NBC sitcom, revealed during an appearance on Jesse Tyler Ferguson's "Dinner's On Me" podcast that her decision came after starring in the ABC comedy "Splitting Up Together," which ended in 2019. "It was during Splitting Up Together, which I really loved that cast so much, but the hours were so intense," she said. "It was like 65-70 hours a week. It was really, really hard and my kids were really small."
"I just decided after that that being like the lead of a television show or even a regular on a television show was not going to be a fit for me anymore," Fischer explained.
Following the show's cancellation, Fischer reevaluated her career entirely. She reconnected with former "Office" co-star Angela Kinsey, and together they launched the rewatch podcast "Office Ladies," which let her control her schedule around her two children instead of the other way around.
Fischer's decision to prioritize family over the demands of a full-time set became even more meaningful in hindsight. She was diagnosed with Stage 1 breast cancer in December 2023 and announced she was cancer-free the following year - a journey she's continued to speak about publicly, including a message of support she sent fellow "Office" actress Lucy Davis earlier this month after Davis revealed her own Stage 4 diagnosis.
Nearly two decades after "The Office" first aired, Fischer's choice still resonates with parents everywhere weighing career demands against time at home.
Related Article: "The Office" Star Jenna Fischer Sends Message to Lucy Davis After Her Own Cancer Battle
