Although it's been over 12 years since The Office aired its final episode, fans still can't stop quoting their favorite lines and sharing moments from the show. It is arguably one of NBC's best series ever, and regardless of how much time has passed, it continues to attract new fans every day. Yet behind the laughter and memorable scenes, the popular mockumentary sitcom faced significant challenges during its nine-season run, especially after Steve Carell’s departure.
The Office was created by Greg Daniels and followed the daily lives of employees at the Scranton branch of the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. The show mainly centered around the company's regional manager, Michael Scott (Carell), whose misguided attempts at leadership often led to hilariously awkward situations.
Sadly, Carell left the NBC show after seven seasons in 2011, marking a major turning point for the series. In fact, fans remain divided to this day over whether The Office was able to maintain its original magic without him. Now, we've just learned from one of the series stars the impact Carell's departure had behind the scenes.
Rainn Wilson, who portrayed the role of Dwight Schrute for all nine seasons of The Office, recently sat down for a chat on the Good Guys podcast hosted by Josh Peck and Ben Soffer and talked about the behind-the-scenes atmosphere after Carell left the show. He described that time period as one of uncertainty and chaos, as the show's team struggled to find the right direction and identify a new lead without the show’s central comedic figure. Wilson also mentioned that the cast wasn’t surprised by Carell’s departure since he was becoming a major movie star at the time, and they had expected it for a while.
"When Steve left, then it was a little bit chaotic of trying to figure out the tone of the show and who’s the lead and, how are we telling these stories without, you know, the comic engine of the show, which is Michael Scott?” - via Deadline
His comments come only a month after fellow The Office star Jenna Fischer shared her perspective on Carell's exit and the impact it had on the show on the Fly on the Wall podcast. While some fans thought the workplace comedy struggled without Carell, Fischer thought the series remained strong. She even stated on the podcast that some of her favorite episodes aired in the later seasons that did not include him.
While Carell's exit definitely left a void on-screen, the cast and writers worked diligently to reshape the show’s dynamic, giving more spotlight to other characters and exploring fresh storylines to keep audiences engaged. Now, fans have a spinoff series to look forward to called The Paper. It is slated for release on Peacock sometime in September 2025.
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