Standing on the set of The Office as the Australian version of the iconic, globally loved comedy filmed its last scene, it finally dawned on Felicity Ward just why she was so annoyed by her latest on-screen alter ego’s quirks.
While she was honoured to step into the lead role, Felicity, 44, was baffled as to why cast and crew adored Hannah Howard – the manager of Sydney-based package company Flinley Craddick.
“As filming went on, I was like to everyone, “She’s so annoying’, but everyone was like, ‘I love her so much,’” she tells TV WEEK in a chat from London over Zoom.
“But – I think I’m going to cry even just talking about it – by the end of filming, I realised that all the things I found annoying about Hannah and really hated, and that I thought other people hated, were actually things I hated about myself. And [I realised] that other people actually didn’t mind at all.
“So, I actually got a lot of weird personal self-acceptance. I’m like, ‘Oh, it’s you who hates yourself – it’s not everyone else who hates you.’”
The Prime Video series is the 13th version of the global hit juggernaut franchise, and Felicity is the show’s first-ever female lead. She’s repeatedly assured fans that Ricky Gervais, The Office co-creator and original “cringy” manager David Brent, is cool with her in the role. She has protected herself from social media opinions, though.
“I’m too mentally ill to be involved in other people’s unsolicited feedback about me or my choices, my life and my career,” Felicity shares. “People are allowed their opinions – but it’s none of my business and I’m trying to hold on to that.”
The first episode sees Hannah get news from Head Office that they’ll be shutting down her branch and making everyone work from home. Cue Hannah making wild promises she can’t keep to keep her “work family” together.
That work family is an impressive ensemble of Australian acting talent that includes Edith Poor, Steen Raskopoulos, Shari Sebbens, Josh Thomson, Zoe Terakes, Pallavi Sharda and Claude Jabbour.
Felicity says she’s experiencing “about 800 emotions a day” – everything from trepidation to excitement – ahead of the eight episodes dropping this month and she’s somewhat exhausted by her packed schedule.
It’s 8am in London when TV WEEK chats to the star. The night before, she’d walked the red carpet as part of Prime Video Presents: Trailblazers event. And she was gearing up for a preview show that night ahead of resuming her I’m Exhausting comedy tour.
Throw in another media obligation and picking up her son from school and she wasn’t confident how it would all pan out. What she is confident about is the quality of Australian comedy.
“Australian comedies are really having a worldwide moment – you know, Deadloch, Fisk and Colin From Accounts,” Felicity says. “It’s wonderful to have this worldwide recognition, especially as they’re [the shows] all written and led by women, and it’s really exciting and cool. Hopefully, The Office follows that trend.”
Stream The Office on Prime Video from $6.58/mth, with a 30-day free trial.
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