The Office's John Krasinski Made Jenna Fischer Cry With Emotional Farewell Letter

The Office Pam Beesley Jenna Fischer NBC

(Image credit: The Office Screenshot / NBC)

When it comes to The Office, the cast has remained pretty close. The beloved comedy went off the air in 2013, and it turns out there was a particularly heartfelt moment shared between Jenna Fischer and John Krasinski, thanks to a farewell letter from Krasinski. Fischer and Krasinski played co-workers turned married parents, Jim and Pam.

Well, a moment between the fan-favorite couple in the final season doubled as something else entirely for Pam and Jim’s portrayers. Fans will recall that Jim had swiped away a note intended for Pam in the Season 2 episode “Christmas Party.” In The Office’s penultimate episode ever, Jim finally gives it to Pam. For years, fans have wondered what was written in it?

Cue Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey’s Office Ladies podcast, which takes fans behind-the-scenes of the NBC series. During the episode about “Christmas Party,” Fischer recounted reading the contents of Jim’s note, which John Krasinski had actually written during Season 9 at the behest of The Office’s developer, Greg Daniels. Of the note’s contents, Fischer explained on Office Ladies:

I’m the only one who knows, and John [Krasinski] knows. In that episode in Season 9, I believe Greg [Daniels] suggested to John that he write a personal message from himself to me. Just saying what our time together on The Office meant to him. Because we were wrapping up filming. We were wrapping up the series. We were all so emotional at that time, you know. And so that was his goodbye.

On The Office, Pam only learned about the note’s existence in Season 9's second-to-last-episode during a video montage. It was a gesture that Jim made after Pam had expressed her fears that she was not enough for him. She got to read the note right after watching the video.

Following the video montage and the note, Pam’s worries seemed to be put entirely at ease. So, what did John Krasinski write to Jenna Fischer in his farewell note to his long-time co-star? Jenna Fischer told listeners and fans of The Office:

So, I’m on-camera, and I open up this note that John’s written to me, and I just start crying. I just start bawling. The first take was probably not usable. It was the sweetest note, and you know, on-camera Pam says, 'I’ll never say what it said. But just know it was perfect.' Well, I’ll never say exactly what John wrote, but I will say, just know it was perfect. So that was what was in the teapot note guys. It was a note from John to me.

Jenna Fischer continued to explain that it was John Krasinski’s feelings about what it meant to work with Fischer on The Office. She may have provided insight into what Pam told Michael during his final scene, but she is keeping Jim’s letter a secret. Whatever it was, Fischer summed up what John Krasinski wrote along the lines of Pam, saying it was “perfect.”

Just like that, The Office mystery continues! I would imagine that whatever it said was pretty sweet since it got Jenna Fischer to cry. While Fischer has given up some behind-the-scenes details before, she is still holding on to the secret of Jim’s note. Could a reunion special in any way lead to the reveal of this much sought-after information?

I doubt it. Jenna Fischer seems pretty content to keep John Krasinski/Jim’s letter just between them. At least, fans can take solace in one thing The Office star has shared. Jenna Fischer has said she believes that Jim and Pam are still together. Thank goodness!

After all they (and fans) went through for them to unite on The Office, the idea of them splitting up would be tough for me. As for the letter, I think it is safe to say this is one unsolved mystery that will probably remain that way.

For now, you can still stream The Office on Netflix along with lots of new 2020 content. If you need some other television options, check out this winter and spring’s premieres.

Britt Lawrence

Like a contented Hallmark movie character, Britt happily lives in the same city she grew up in. Along with movies and television, she is passionate about competitive figure skating. She has been writing about entertainment for 5 years, and as you may suspect, still finds it as entertaining to do as when she began.