‘The Office’ Star Jenna Fischer Says This Iconic Scene Was the Most Expensive to Film

Jim’s proposal to Pam in The Office Season 5 remains one of the most memorable scenes in the series. In the scene, Jim (John Krasinski) proposes to Pam (Jenna Fischer) in the parking lot of a gas station. It became the moment Jim cemented his love for Pam. Even though the moment marked a new beginning for the couple, the scene became iconic for another reason. 

Jim proposes to Pam in ‘The Office’ Season 5 

In The Office Season 5, Jim and Pam are in a long-distance relationship. While Pam attends a graphic design course in New York City, Jim remains at the Dunder Mifflin branch in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Due to their conflicting schedules, the couple was unable to see each other often. Unable to withstand the distance, Jim invites Pam to a lunch date at a gas station between Scranton and New York. As soon as they meet, Jim gets on one knee and proposes. 

Jenna Fischer explains why the scene was the ‘most expensive’

Although the scene was pretty iconic within itself, there is an interesting story behind the scene. In an episode of the “Office Ladies” podcast, former co-stars Jenna Fischer Angela Kinsey broke down the proposal scene. During the discussion, Fisher revealed the production team recreated the Connecticut gas station in LA. Also, the actor shared the entire scene cost $250,000 to set up and shoot. 

“[The production crew] used Google Street View to capture images of a real gas station,” Fischer explained. “To create the illusion of highway traffic, they built a four-lane circular race track around the gas station set. They set up cameras on the other side of this raceway, and they had cars drive around it at 55 miles/hour.”

Even though the scene only lasts 52 seconds, the scene is still an unforgettable moment for fans. Fischer went on to say The Office creator Greg Daniels wanted the proposal to happen in a place that “feels special” to Jim and Pam. “So first of all, I just want you guys to know that [showrunner] Greg [Daniels] spoke with us about this,” she said. 

“He said that he really wanted Jim’s proposal to Pam to be in the season premiere. He thought, number one – that would be unexpected. You usually end seasons with proposals,” she continued. “He said he also wanted to throw people off by having it in a very ordinary location. So, he wanted [it] to feel special, but he also wanted it to feel like Jim made the decision without a whole lot of planning.”

According to Angela Kinsey, the proposal scene location was slightly less romantic

During the episode, actor Angela Kinsey added the parking lot they filmed in was riddled with waste. In fact, she revealed the location was a toxic waste site. “An old ceramics plant or something had buried lead paint waste into the ground, so they had to seal it and cover it,” Kinsey told Fischer.

Meanwhile, Fischer wasn’t bothered by the location because, in the end, Jim and Pam got their happy ending. “It was actually, to be there, really romantic,” she said.

All nine seasons of The Office are streaming now on Peacock.