Steve Carell Wanted To Continue With The Office
“He really wanted to stay. And it devastated all of us because he was the heart of our show.”
It’s crazy to think that it’s 15 years since the US version of The Office aired its first episode.
While the series went on to have an impressive nine-season run before coming to a close in 2013, many were a little saddened that Steve Carell’s Michael Scott didn’t stick around for the show’s final two years – not least Carell himself!
In a new book titled The Office: The Untold Story of the Greatest Sitcom of the 2000s, it’s been revealed how Carell didn’t want to depart the show at the seven-season mark.
Via Collider, an except from the book sees sound mixer Brian Wittle detail conversations he had with Carell about the misunderstanding that led to the actors’ departure from the series.
According to Wittle, Carell “almost unconsciously” blurted out during an interview that he may be leaving The Office. That news then made its way to the powers-that-be behind the series, and it was a lack of action on their part that made Carell think nobody wanted to keep him around. As such, he began to look elsewhere at other projects.
The Untold Story of the Greatest Sitcom of the 2000s also sees hairstylist Kim Ferry back up Wittle’s claims, and she adds how Steve Carell directly told NBC how he’d like to stick around for another season or two – but that the network ultimately didn’t make the move to start official talks on the topic. As Ferry explains, “He really wanted to stay. And it devastated all of us because he was the heart of our show.”
Steve Carell himself has never really elaborated on his exit from The Office, but it now seems as if he would have stuck around until the show’s conclusion if he’d had his way.