'Podcasting is a lot of work!' Kevin and Andy from 'The Office' talk life behind the mics

If you’re a fan of the American cult TV comedy, “The Office,” you might recognize Ed Helms and Brian Baumgartner as their show characters, Andy Bernard and Kevin Malone.

Since the show ended in 2013, both men have moved on to other projects, the latest being podcasting through iHeartPodcasts.

On Saturday afternoon at South by Southwest, Helms and Baumgartner shared a delightfully disjointed conversation with moderator Holly Frey, host of the “Stuff You Missed in History Class” podcast. These are our favorite takeaways and tidbits.

Helms and Baumgartner went to the same high school

It’s true: Helms and Baumgartner had already met before joining the cast of "The Office." In fact, moderator Frey jokingly introduced the two men as “best known for going to the Westminster school together” as an image of their yearbook photos side-by-side appeared on the projector screen.

Baumgartner graduated in 1991, a year before Helms.

'The Office' was the catalyst for Baumgartner’s introduction to podcasting

Most TV shows gently fade into pleasant memories after they end, yet “The Office” continues to remain a pop culture favorite. In fact, the show is “now bigger than it ever was,” Baumgartner said, which led to the launch of a podcast, “An Oral History of The Office,” hosted by Baumgartner featuring interviews with the cast and crew.

“The podcast gave us a chance to talk about the show itself, which was such a vibrant part of our lives for almost 10 years,” Helms said. “In the aftermath of the show, we were all excited and stunned and surprised by how the show lived on after it ended. I really loved that opportunity to go into a safe space with (Baumgartner) and think about it and talk about it.”

Today, Baumgartner hosts “Off the Beat,” a weekly conversation with TV’s favorite actors and other famous people. Helms hosts "SNAFU," which delves into the back story of a 1983 military exercise that a lot of people claim "to be the closest we’ve ever come to nuclear confrontation.”

Helms paid the bills for many years through voice acting

Helms credits his past career in commercial voice acting for his ease in a front of a podcast microphone.

“I was doing stand-up for years in the trenches making $5 per spot,” Helms said, “but I was actually making more as a commercial voiceover guy recording multiple sessions a week for years. I really credit that experience for giving me a weird comfort level with my time in a booth.”

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Baumgartner’s peer-to-peer approach allows for 'very unguarded' conversations

“What I love and what I’m trying to capture is a conversation between two people that … can’t happen with a member of the press,” Baumgartner said about his approach to “Off the Beat.”

One of Baumgartner’s favorite interviews was with Nastia Liukin, five-time Olympics medalist in gymnastics. Although Baumgartner had interviewed Liukin years earlier for a sports package, he had the opportunity to dig deeper into her life story when she was a guest on his podcast.

“I truly cried three times while talking to her because I found it so emotional and moving,” Baumgartner said of the episode with Liukin. “She was so passionate, and what her parents did for her was incredible.”

Helms jumped in with a compliment for Baumgartner, saying, “It comes off how much you love it. You’re so good at this medium; it’s a pleasure to listen to.”

“That episode felt almost a little like I was eavesdropping because both of you were so incredibly open,” Frey said. “Two people who trust each other with their life stories.”

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Effective microphone technique can add drama, flair and intimacy

“One of the really special, weird things” about podcasting is the way sound can be manipulated through the microphone “by leaning in and getting a little bit more intense or standing back,” Helms said. “You feel so close because the speakers are so close to the microphone. I love that.”

Actor Nick Offerman has a fallen tree from Baumgartner’s yard

In true podcaster fashion, Baumgartner regaled the podcasters and audience with a random anecdote from Hollywood neighborhood life.

“As many of you know, Nick (Offerman) … works well with wood,” Baumgartner began. Several years ago, he had “the most beautiful Chinese elm tree” in his yard which unexpectedly fell one day. “This tree was so meaningful to me and my children; I have a connection with my child to this tree. So Nick came himself, got the tree trunk. And right before he left, in his very Nick way, he goes, ‘It’ll be about five or six years before it’s ready.’ It’s been about five years, and it’s on my to-do list, and I keep thinking I should ask him …”

Podcasting is a lot of work

Asked if they had any advice for the audience, both men immediately said, “Podcasting is a lot of work!”

Baumgartner spent more than 120 hours recording guest interviews, which were then distilled down to a mere eight hours of total air time.

“The bulk of my editing is in the booth,” Helms said. “It wasn’t until I heard it out loud or said it that I was like, ‘I can do this better’ or ‘I can reframe this.’ It’s really in the booth where my wheels are firing."

“Everyone thinks podcasting is just talking, but it’s so much more than that,” Frey said.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: 'The Office' stars Brian Baumgartner, Ed Helms speak podcasts at SXSW