Ellie Kemper reveals why landing role in 'The Office' still feels 'rare'

Ellie Kemper still feels elated thinking about her role in the famous sitcom The Office.

For those unaware, the 46-year-old American actress and comedian played the role of Erin Hannon in the American mockumentary sitcom television series, which is based on the BBC series The Office, created by Stephen Merchant and Ricky Gervais, and adapted for NBC by Greg Daniels.

Kemper talked to PEOPLE magazine at the AT&T Business Small Business Appreciation event on May 27, where she sang praises of the series for bringing the cast together, as Angela Kinsey, Jenna Fischer, and Craig Robinson also attended the event.

Articulating her thoughts on playing a role in fans’ favorite series, she said, “Isn't it the gift of a lifetime? I feel like I won the lottery getting cast on the show because it is so organic, and it is a very natural friendship that we share, which feels rare.”

The Bridesmaids star went on to admit that she was a “big fan of the show” as a viewer before landing the cheerful, quirky, naive receptionist Hannon’s role in 2009.

She quipped, “I think what speaks to audiences, or at least I'll speak for myself, was that you can relate to everybody in that show.”

“There's a character for everyone in your life. Like you can say, ‘Oh that's Uncle Kenny, [or] whatever.’ It is like you see people in your life in that show and I think that makes it easy for audiences to relate [to],” Ellie Kemper noted.

It is pertinent to mention that The Office, which ran for nine seasons, dropped its first episode on March 24, 2005, and its final episode on May 16, 2013.