Knox graduate to appear on ‘The Office’ - Galesburg Register-Mail

Former Knox College student Amy Rieckelman will appear on NBC’s “The Office” tonight.
Rieckelman, a 1997 graduate of Macomb High School who majored in theater at Knox College, moved from Chicago to Los Angeles in October 2007. She works at Chango Coffee and Spaceland, a live music venue.

For Rieckelman, her role on “The Office” is another step up the ladder to achieving her dream of becoming an actress. Although she doesn’t have an agent yet, Rieckelman is hopeful her role on “The Office” will make agents notice her.

The episode is the show’s return after the Winter Olympics and will feature the long-awaited birth of Pam and Jim’s baby.

For those who don’t watch “The Office,” Pam and Jim are co-workers who, after dancing around each other for four seasons, finally married during an October 2009 episode.

In tonight’s episode, Rieckelman will play the girlfriend of one of “The Office” co-workers.

Rieckelman landed the part after auditioning for writer and co-executive producer Paul Lieberstein, who plays “Toby” on the show, and the episode’s director, who turned out to be quite a surprise.

“I walked in and there was Harold Ramis,” Rieckelman said about her audition during a phone interview Wednesday. “I was like ‘I don’t care if I get this role, I’m on the set of ‘The Office,’ this has been a good day.’ ”

But Rieckelman, who lives in Los Angeles, said she wasn’t  intimidated by the legendary director of “Caddyshack” or by the actors on the show.

Rieckelman said everyone on the show went out of their way to make her feel welcome on the set, where she even had her own trailer.

Rieckelman said actors Leslie David Baker and Jenna Fischer, who play “Stanley” and “Pam,” came up to her on the set right away.

“Everyone was so friendly and nice,” she said.

Rieckelman credits Rainn Wilson, who plays “Dwight Schrute,” with expanding her role â€" and her lines â€" on the show. Rieckelman’s small role was expanded to “four or five” scenes, with one really big scene Rieckelman can’t talk about, other than to say that she had a really good time shooting it.

“I think you’ll know why we had so much fun,” she said.

“Rainn Wilson was giving me a lots of encouragement, which was nice,” she said.

“It’s a really fun show to work,” she added. “You can tell there’s a good energy about everyone. It’s everything I expected.”

While continuing to land small roles and extra work, Rieckelman is playing keyboards in a indie rock band, Yes Me to Death.

“I’m doing both, full speed ahead,” she said of her acting and music passions.

Rieckelman said her Spaceland and Chango Coffee co-workers are planning “The Office” viewing parties tonight.

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