The Office,in its British and US interpretations, is famed for making stars out of its male cast. But the often forgotten accolades of Jenna Fischer as Pam Beesly have been a great example of underrated stars who have helped make the show so iconic. Taking on the new version of the personal assistant is South Africa’s very own Daniah de Villiers, who plays the PA Emma — or as her character says it in Afrikaans, Pa — inDie Kantoor.
The show follows a polony company with its overenthusiastic interim head, Flip, whose drive to be a great leader lands him in hot water. Prior to getting the role, Daniah starred inLondon Callingwith Josh Duhamel. She nearly missed the chance to try out for the role, however — it landed in her spam folder — and she says she only realised what it was all about after she had auditioned.
“It was so cool to see how Emma has her own flair and quirks. While reading through the episodes I loved seeing how the character grows and the audience gets to know her more,” she said. Each cast mate felt the pressure of walking in the shoes of bigger names, said Daniah.
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However, South African flair and humour defined how they approached the roles. For her, Emma’s uniquely South African approach is defined by how “extremely Afrikaans and driven” she is, while still being determined to put up with a boss like Flip. In the workplace Emma represents Gen Zs branded as incapable of performing in difficult or demanding jobs — although as an actress whose career kicked off at the age of 12, this is something Daniah doesn’t relate to.
“Our generation has challenges with instant gratification … because of technology. You’re not failing if you are not where you want to be; you are still on the way there, as long as you are moving forward.
Our generation [feels that if we] won’t get something immediately, we are failing … [but] it’s OK to stay in one place and learn to grow.” With the character still developing, there has been some talk of Emma possibly taking on music — a secret talent of Daniah. While she has halted that pursuit, she is currently a media studies student with hopes of playing a bigger role in the entertainment world.
Following the advice of industry veterans, she also considers acting a hobby due to the limited opportunities available locally. “I love writing, so I want to get into that — and directing,” she said. Putting her pen to work, she hopes Emma’s shyness can one day be challenged and the feisty persona she keeps under wraps can be revealed.
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