Posted at 12:15 a.m. Wednesday July 9

Below is a partial transcript from a conference call that “The Office” stars Mindy Kaling and Brian Baumgartner took part in Monday with reporters. I’ve already posted one story from the call, but had to share with you these highlights from the Q&A session. Baumgartner is promoting the funny “Office” Webisodes that begin Thursday at nbc.com. He stars as Dunder-Mifflin accountant Kevin—who’s trying to get a bank loan to pay off gambling debts. Kaling, who plays Kelly Kapoor on the series and also is a writer and producer, was promoting her appearance at “The Office Games” in Scranton, Penn., on July 19.

Enjoy!

Q: You guys have become pop culture icons on the show …

Brian Baumgartner: Definitely, especially me.

Q: … Being on “Family Feud” and now the Webisodes being all about Kevin, how much fun were they to make knowing that they would be this little extra things for the fans?

BB: Well, you know, Steve Carell may be the star of “The Office,” but I am HUGE on the Internet. I am like a complete and total star of two-minute clips online.

It was fun, you know. We got to work with people doing different things. Brent Forrester was directing; he’s one of the writers on the show.

We kind of got together guerilla style with a crew and you know, I think they turned out really great. I just saw them last night actually and yeah, I’m proud of them.

And I think that’s something cool “The Office” does too, that we’re able to get original clips going over the summer when everybody else is dark. Hopefully the fans enjoy them.

Mindy Kaling: I got a sneak peek and Brian is amazing in it. He’s very, very, very funny and I think people who are big fans of Kevin, which seems to be all of America, will be very excited to see this new adventure.

Q: Mindy, what role will you be playing in “The Office Games.” I see you’ll be officiating but will you try your hands at some of the events?

MK: Oh, I’m definitely trying my hands at some of the events. I perused what the events are and it seems as though someone with my athletic ability—which is none—can do fairly well. Especially if people feel they should let me win because I’m on “The Office.” I’m hoping to seep the events in all categories.

BB: Is there a hot dog eating contest?

MK: [Laughs.] Oh my God I hope so. If there’s not a hot dog eating contest then there should be some kind of food thing where you have to eat an enormous quantity and I’ll be ecstatic.

Q: Mindy, how do you split up your writing vs. acting obligations to the show?

MK: Because I don’t have a huge part on “The Office” most of the time I’m writing or preparing for writing. I would say it’s probably like a 70-30 split although during scenes and episodes that are written by other people, because I’m a producer now, it’s sort of acknowledged that I should always be aware of any punch-up, which means if there’s a joke that could be funnier or something like that.

Which is good because I’m miserable at keeping a straight face as Brian knows and the less time I’m onscreen the less there is a possibility I’ll ruin several takes by laughing at the thing that Brian or Steve or Rainn says that’s hilarious. I think that affects everybody.

Q: What’s been your favorite episode that you’ve been part of writing?

MK: My favorite episode that I’ve written is probably from the second season; it’s called “The Injury.” It’s probably our broadest episode so people critique it for that. But it’s also just one of the goofiest and most fun.

Q: Brian, what is your favorite episode that you’ve been in?

BB: Oh man, I would say two, but they’re really for nostalgia’s sake. I don’t know that they’re actually still the best.

The first is actually the first episode that we produced after the pilot, which is “Diversity Day.” It was doing that that I was like, “OK, we have a cool, special show here, if people give it a chance.” Just because I felt like we were doing something really bold and different and talking about race in a way that people hadn’t in so long.

And the second one again was sort of a launching for us, was in the second season, the Christmas episode. I felt like that was sort of where the show in terms of everybody had something to do and really the show from that place on a practical level really took off.

Those two are certainly special to me.

Q: Brian, do these Webisodes present any particular challenge for you as an actor as opposed to a full-length episode?

BB: That’s interesting. … There’s a particular rhythm that you have to find that’s different. The idea is to wrap up an at least semi-satisfying story within 2, 2 ½ minutes but also make it connect to the whole series.

Practically we’re dealing with a much smaller crew and fewer people which, in some ways because, you know, Mindy isn’t around, it makes things much easier. It’s also, more people are having to do more things, which I think is cool. It’s sort of like an old school, theater piece, kind of guerilla filmmaking.

The crew is still the same and we all of a shorthand of working together, so it doesn’t present too much of a challenge in that way.

I think most of the challenge is with the writers and having to wrap up some sort of satisfying morsel into 2 ½ minutes and then also connect it to something larger.

Q: How did you get involved in “The Office” games? What made you decide to take part?

MK: I was honored that they asked me to come and be an MC. I do stand-up comedy in addition to writing so it was great for me to come out to Scranton. The Scranton convention was so fun so I thought any chance to get back to Scranton I’ll take it.

Q: Mindy, are you going to be writing with the spin off or are you sticking to the original “Office”?

MK: I will be sticking on the mothership for as long as I can. Although the spin-off, from what I’ve heard, sounds amazing and that will be really fun for those writers.

Q: You said you did stand up, where in L.A. are you doing it?

MK: Yeah I do a lot of stand up at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre which is sort of in central Hollywood. And now I’m doing a lot of colleges. Well not right now because it’s summer break but in the fall I’ll continue to do some colleges.

Q: Brian, are we going to see more money problems for Kevin next season or maybe even Malone’s Cones, or is this just strictly the Webisodes?

BB: You know, that’s probably actually more a question for Mindy. I don’t know—really know exactly what the writers are dreaming up right now. I mean I think that his, well, this sort of irony of how terrible he is with money yet he’s an accountant at Dunder-Mifflin has played out a few times.

Q: What’s the status of Paul Lieberstein (far left) and B.J. Novak (left)? As they do more behind-the-scenes work are we going to see a little bit less of Toby and Ryan this season coming up?

MK: I think that we, without giving away anything from this next season, I think that we will be satisfied with how much we see Toby and Ryan. Because both of them have, you know, Toby disappeared in the finale of last season and Ryan seemingly is arrested. So solving tying up those stories will be interesting and we haven’t seen the last of Toby what I can tell of him.

Those are the worst. So personally I don’t mind seeing less of him. I’m just kidding everybody.

Q: Here’s a chance to rebut that Entertainment Weekly with the so-called new classes for the past 25 years. They had the British “Office” in the top 10, they had your “Office” in the ’70s or ’80s. So do you want to say anything to that?

BB: Well, you know, first of all I love Entertainment Weekly and I hope they never say anything bad about me. And second of all, you know, TV Land would certainly rebut that in that we were just named a new classic or the new classic show from TV Land, which was actually a total gasp, like it was us and the Golden Girls getting like a lifetime achievement award so just us being able to share the stage with Bea Arthur was—and Gary Coleman that was pretty cool.

MK: Well, you know, the original “Office,” I think everyone in the cast and crew, we think of as kind of a perfect show.

BB: Oh it’s terrible, terrible.

MK: Just that, yeah, I mean it’s like as a writer certainly the writing in that show is so amazing that I—of course it should be in the top 10, if not the best show ever. And so, you know, we’re honored just to be ever thought of in that group. Entertainment Weekly has been pretty good to us so I can’t complain.

BB: I do love Entertainment Weekly but the British “Office” was terrible and let’s face it we have far exceeded …

MK: Entertainment Weekly loves you …

BB: What?

MK: Entertainment Weekly thinks you should run for president. Like they love you.

BB: No, I know, that’s what I said three times, I love Entertainment Weekly. I think that they are the best publication except for everyone on this conference call of course. But I mean—no, yeah.

Q: They just got it wrong here, right?

BB: They just made a slight error—I bet it was a typo. They meant 7 but then there was a 70 put in. I’m going to give them the benefit of the doubt though because they really are a fantastic publication.

Q: Brian, the Webisodes say Kevin finds a unique solution to pay back his gambling debts. What’s he gambling on?

BB: You know, what isn’t he gambling on? Well I think that he loves sports gambling. I mean I think that that’s been in a couple of episodes. It was actually also sort of a call back to the original Webisode series of a couple of years ago where he was betting on sports.

But as in the episode that I can’t remember the title that was directed by Harold Ramis that was written by BJ Novak …

MK: “Safety Training,” “Safety Training.”

BB: “Safety Training,” you know, he made a bet that—he basically said that anytime you can get odds you should take it even if it’s a horrible bet. So I guess I’m rolling with the fact that he would pretty much bet on anything.

MINDY LEAVES CALL

Q: You mentioned Mindy’s crossing to in front of the camera was because she needed to offset your extreme sexiness.

BB: Right, exactly.

Q: Are you upset about her kind of evolution over the show? Because I was re-watching some of the early episodes and, you know, they have her in some crazy frumpy clothes.

BB: They really do, don’t they? And for some reason as she’s become a producer on the show her clothes have gotten better.

Whereas I am not a producer on the show I believe I’m still wearing the same Dockers and kind of heavy, heavy, hot material wool sport coats. I’m not quite sure how—that’s weird that it’s happened that way. But yes, my—I mean I think that actually Kevin has evolved quite a bit but his wardrobe has not. And they’re really pushing down my sexiness I think. They’re afraid of it.

Q: I know. I think you need to stage some sort of revolt.

BB: There you go. All right, I’m going to do that.

Q: How has the success of this how changed your life?

BB: Wow, well, you know, even, you know, taking into account of course my extreme sexiness that we discussed earlier I am a fairly distinct looking guy and I’ll just tell you a brief story about that. I was shooting a movie in Vancouver with John Krasinski and Mandy Moore. And the three of us were sitting at dinner and a group of people came over to the table to me for me to get up and take pictures and sign things for them.

And I wanted to yell, of course I didn’t, like look who else is sitting at this table. This is Mandy Moore and I’m sure the guy you all love, John Krasinski. But I think that there’s, you know, my well let’s just say distinctive head that I think draws people’s eye. And so I think actually in some ways I get a little more attention actually than most of the other people.

Q: Brian, you had a lot of really good scenes in the finale with Amy Ryan (right). I was just wondering, are you exciting she’s going to make these episodes this season?

BB: I’m thrilled. Go ahead, sorry.

Q: How will Kevin’s relationship with Holly evolve do you think?

BB: You know, I have recently heard how it is going to play out and I can only say I guess at this point that it will play out from here. You know, we’re still so far off now and obviously everything can change. But I was so thrilled that she’s coming back. She was fantastic to work with, I thought she brought a great new color and level to the show. She’s a fantastic actor and was really fun for me to work with. And it really—it was fun for Kevin to be able to play in that way as well.

I mean some people said it was sort of a joke that had been setting up unbeknownst to anybody for four years but I feel like when it played itself out it was very, very funny. It—well it did very well in our table read, I’ll say that. And yeah, I’m thrilled she’s coming back and I do understand that she will have—she and Kevin will have some more interactions coming up the first part of the year.

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