During a recent episode of the Office Ladies podcast, Jenna Fischer explained why Steve Carell was worried about coming back to ‘The Office.’
“Well, it was [series creator Greg Daniels] idea to have Steve come back,” the actress said. “He had wanted that for a very long time, and he asked him pretty early in season 9. But Steve was reluctant.”
She continued, “He felt like Michael’s story had really ended. He didn’t want to open it back up again, and he especially did not wanna come back after two years and have this finale episode be about him.”
“Steve really felt like, ‘My character had his ending. This is everybody else’s ending.’ And he didn’t wanna overshadow that,” Jenna revealed. “But then Greg had the idea of the final episode being Dwight and Angela’s wedding, and Steve agreed Michael would be there.”
The American ‘Office’ follows the daily lives of Dunder Mifflin employees under Michael’s chaotic leadership. After leaving in season 7, Carell returned for a surprise cameo in the 2013 series finale during Dwight and Angela’s wedding.
‘The Office’ started slowly but became a huge hit. Carell’s character, Michael Scott, was a big part of its success. After Carell left in season 7, the show lost some of its quality, especially in season 8, though season 9 was better.
Carell’s surprise cameo in the series finale was well-received. Fans hoped for his return, but it wasn’t confirmed. His brief appearance was memorable, and he even got to say his famous ‘That’s what she said’ line while sharing an update about his family with Holly.
Some believe ‘The Office’ should have ended after season 7. Michael’s departure hurt the show, and the characters started to feel less real. Season 9 was better than season 8, but it still didn’t reach the show’s best moments.
