Jenna Fischer Blades of Glory

Born Regina Marie Fischer in Fort Wayne, Indiana in 1974, Jenna Fischer is an up and coming comic actress (and poker player) who is best known for her work on the hit comedy The Office. Fischer's occasionally deadpan delivery and natural beauty make her a born film star, and though she has only appeared in 9 films, she has been seen on TV and on the theatrical stage many times. Her work is well respected by her peers and she should continue to have a stellar career.

Fischer earned a BA in Theatre from Truman State University in 1995, and went on to work (as most students of theatre do) in the clerical field. Fischer claimed, in an interview with NPR, that she could type 85 words per minute with 90% accuracy -- not outstanding by clerical standards but certainly impressive. Her first roles were small parts in indie films and television, appearing in shows as diverse as 6 Feet Under, That 70s Show, Cold Case Files, Spin City, and Undeclared.

Besides her acting work, Fischer has credits as a writer and director, for the 2004 indie mockumentary LolliLove, in which she also starred. Made with her then-husband film director James Gunn, LolliLove was something of a cult success. Working with an extremely low budget (reportedly around $1500), Fischer produced a work that was awarded with a Screen Actors Guild Emerging Actor award.

An animal lover, Fischer is actively involved with two animal rescue organizations, Kitten Rescue and Rescue Rover, both operating out of Los Angeles, going so far as to host silent auctions and other events at her home.

Fischer also did a stint as a poker shark for the Bravo networks Celebrity Poker Showdown. Appearing on the 8th seasons, aired in the summer of 2006, Fischer did not get to the final table, but was memorable as the only female in the fourth game.

In The Office, Fischer plays Pam Beesly, the attractive and intelligent receptionist for the Dunder Mifflin paper company. Her immediate supervisor is the idiotic Michael Scott, regional manager of Dunder Mifflin. Scott and Beesly are perfect foils for one another, being exact opposites in personality and work ethic. Fischer's character became engaged to another character on the show during the fifth season premiere, and the current season finds the two of them under a lot of strain, leaving fans wondering if the engagement will work out. Rumor has it that Pam Beesly is pregnant, although Fischer and the show's writers aren't giving anything away.

Jenna Fischer's film work spans from early 2004 to her current work on production of "Solitary Man" with Susan Sarandon, Michael Douglas, and Danny Devito. Her most recent feature film was 2008s The Promotion, a small scale American comedy released in the summer of 2008. Co-starring John C. Reilly and Fred Armisen, the film looks at a pair of men vying for a promotion to escape the doldrums of managing a grocery store. It was not exactly a success, with some critics calling it "an ultimate disappointment". Fischer's role is relatively small.

Her first film appearance was also a minor role -- in 2004s Employee of the Month. No, not the Dane Cook movie from 2006, this Employee of the Month was a Sundance film starring Matt Dillon and Steve Zahn. The film did not have a wide release.

Not until 2006s horror / comedy film Slither did Fischer have a substantial role. James Gunn, then Fischer's husband, directed the film -- which should have been a success. Critics loved the blend of comedy and gore, with influential Rolling Stone critic Peter Travers calling it one of the year's "25 best" releases. Unfortunately, the film failed even to earn back its budget, with a dismal box office showing of just under $13 million. For a film with a $25 million budget, this was a disaster. The Hollywood Reporter went so far as to speculate that the poor performance of Slither probably "killed off the horror / comedy genre for the near future". Luckily, Fischer's career survived the disaster, though her marriage to Gunn did not -- within a year of the film's release, they were divorced.

Jenna Fischer's appearance in Blades of Glory was one of the highlights of the film. She portrays Katie Van Waldenberg, sister to Will Arnett and Amy Poehler's champion figure skating duo. Fischer's character plays a pivotal role in the near breakup of Ferrell and Heder's figure skating duo, though all turns out well in the end -- of course it does, its a comedy. This film would be the first box office success of Fischer's career, raking in well over $100 million dollars.

Jenna Fischer has stated in an interview that she'd like to have more "dramatic" roles in the future. Speaking in an E! network red carpet interview, Fischer made reference to Amy Adams recent appearance in the drama Doubt, saying "She's so talented and I'd like to follow in her footsteps. She does it all."

Fischer found herself in the news in early 2007 when she fell down a flight of stairs in a Manhattan bar after filming promos for the show. Claims of drunkenness and substance abuse were quickly put aside by the actress, who claims she simply lost her footing. Fischer ended up with a fractured back, but healed in time for the show's fourth season to be filmed.

Fischer is currently rumored to be dating little known screenwriter Lee Kirk -- scandalous because he was the writer behind Fischer's 2004 role in a film short called The Women. Kirk and Fischer have made several public announcements about their dating, including a hilarious story about how owning a crockpot improved their sex life -- ostensibly by reducing cooking time and allowing for more one on one opportunities.

Jenna Fischer is an up and coming actress whose film roles have been a bit hit or miss. Her work on The Office is widely praised, and for good reason. Hopefully, The Office and the character of Pam Beesly will be with us for a long time. There aren't many solid comedies on television today, and there are even fewer beautiful and talented actresses.

If you like The Office, be sure to check out Amazon's The Office store, where you can buy entire seasons on DVD, as well as find other cool The Office products, like The Office Game, The Office Poster, and The Office t-shirts.

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