The Supporting Interview: Greg Pitts

Our attempt to give you the information you crave on the actors responsible for our favorite supporting roles. 

If you saw the movie Office Space you know Greg Pitts as the “Oh-Face Guy” but what you don’t know is that there is a lot more to Greg Pitts. At least there might be… I don’t know, I interviewed him about The Oh-Face

You ad libbed the Oh-Face line, correct?  Yes, that’s right, it wasn’t scripted.

What was your thought process like at the time, did it just come out?  The original scripted dialogue at the end of that run about Smykowski throwing the BBQ, was basically calling for a cunnilingus tongue gesture. I can remember Mike Judge (the director) telling me that if I didn’t want to do that I could make up something else. Well, I had about 15 minutes in my trailer as the lighting was being adjusted for that scene and I just started goofing with myself in the mirror. The Oh-face was one of about 4 other things I came up with. The only others that I can remember where The Bone Pony and Bone Roller Coaster. I was just praying that it wouldn’t fall flat if I started improvising.

Did you know how awesome the “Oh-Face” line was as soon as you said it?  Based on the laughter (from the cast and crew) after Mike Judge yelled “cut” it seemed to go over pretty well. I was told that one of the women who was in the room when they were watching the dailies (that’s the footage from that day’s shooting) of that scene actually fell out of her seat laughing when I did the Oh-face. I’m guessing she had seen a variation of it somewhere before.

When did you realize how big that line was?  I got some indication of it’s worth when Mike asked me to do a whole run of that line and different takes of it in front of a green screen for the dream sequence with Peter imagining Lumberg doing his girlfriend. I was a floating head in that scene. Beyond that, I guess it slowly became more and more obvious that it was gaining steam as I would go to a bar and people would come up and show me their Oh faces and ask if they could see mine.

Have you ever used that line in your regular life?  Oh hell no! It’s something that certain friends of mine have used to goad me but that’s about it.

How directly does being the guy in Office Space who originated the Oh-Face line effect your sex life?  I think people who don’t really know me think I’m a bit of a deviant because of that. Maybe I am a little, I don’t know. I’m pretty sure it got me laid once in New Orleans in 2000. God I wish I had that girls’ number! But I digress.

When people recognize you on the street, how often is it from your role in Office Space?  It used to be that was the only reason. But now as my career has continued to spread much wider I get noticed for other stuff too. Surprisingly there are still a whole bunch of people who haven’t watched Office Space. And recently I’ve been doing a stint on Grey’s Anatomy and I’m realizing there are a LOT of people who watch that.

Do you think you’ll ever get tired of being asked about the Oh-Face?  I hope not because it was a real defining moment in my career. It’s good to remember that stuff. I owe Mike Judge big time.

If I met you in a bar, and asked you to do the Oh-Face line, would you?  Aren’t you a dude?!

Do you want to go to a bar sometime?  Sure, you buyin’?

So, what is next for Greg Pitts, the originator of the Oh-Face?  I’m currently developing a half hour comedy that I will produce and star in for CBS. It’s very premature but if things go well I might be showing…. wait a second…. on the air in the fall of 2007.

Thanks Greg!

More from Greg at GregPitts.com.  Who do you want us to track down and interview?  Email your favorite supporting star to Streeter.Seidell @ Gmail.com