Angela Kinsey may have acted in one of the most popular sitcoms of the early 2000s, but even as her first paychecks came in, she didn’t rush to make any major lifestyle upgrades, she told CNBC Make It in partnership with AT&T Business.
In fact, the 54-year-old actress kept her job in the box office of an improv theatre even after “The Office” was picked up for a second season, says Kinsey, who played accountant Angela Martin.
It wasn’t until the start of season three that she “finally felt comfortable enough” to quit the side gig, Kinsey says.
Her financial caution stems from her larger philosophy about money and savings, she says: save early, spend modestly and always plan for the next job.
Even steady gigs can be uncertain
Even while filming the “Christmas Party” episode in season two, when Kinsey found out “The Office” was the No. 1 downloaded show on iTunes and realized it could be “a hit,” she still felt weary of counting on complete financial security from the show, she says.
“I just knew that even though I was on a hit show, that I would need to be already thinking ahead and strategizing ahead about what’s my next job,” Kinsey says. Her advice: “Don’t take anything for granted and save.”
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Even once Kinsey officially became a series regular, right after filming the “Booze Cruise” episode in season two, she says, she was still reluctant to make any big purchases and “didn’t do anything flashy.”
So when her 10-year-old Chevy Blazer broke down around that time, she didn’t go out and purchase a car that may have signified major Hollywood success. Instead, she opted for a more practical option, she says: a Honda.
“I tried to keep a level head now that I had consistent income, knowing that everything has a finite end date and that consistent income would eventually go away, and I didn’t want to be stuck with a lot of big purchases,” Kinsey says.
Plus, she says, as a supporting actress on the show, her salary wasn’t “as grandiose as people might think.” Kinsey didn’t specify a specific amount, but says it was enough for her to start building her savings.
She wasn’t the only cast member on the show who kept their second job during the series’ early days. Kate Flannery, who played Meredith Palmer, continued working as a waitress through the show’s first season, she said during a 2018 episode of “Living the Dream with Rory O’Malley,” a podcast about show business.
Looking back, Kinsey credits her financial responsibility during the show’s success for her ability to continue making strides afterward in a “fickle industry,” she says.
Prioritizing savings allowed her to feel prepared for periods without work, she says. Not spending excessively on a flashy car or quitting her second job before she was ready also allowed her to feel comfortable splurging in other ways — like finally taking her parents on the trip she’d long dreamt of.
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