Steve Carell Departing The Office Made Continuing the Show a 'Struggle', Dwight Actor Admits

The Office prima Rainn Wilson has said that it was pugnacious to proceed the deed drama amusement without pb histrion Steve Carell, who departed 2 seasons earlier the series' eventual finale.

Dwight Schrute histrion Wilson told Variety that Carell's departure had not travel arsenic a astonishment to the remainder of The Office's cast, arsenic the antheral playing their brag was already successful request for movie roles. "We knew it was coming for a agelong time," Wilson said.

Still, the amusement took clip to rediscover its footing pursuing the exit of Carell's quality Michael Scott — a play Wilson described arsenic "a small spot chaotic" down the scenes.

"When Steve left, past it was a small spot chaotic," Wilson said, "trying to fig retired the code of the amusement and who's the pb and, however are we telling these stories without, you know, the comic motor of the show, which is Michael Scott, and without 1 of the top comic actors successful American past astatine the halfway of our show. That was besides a struggle."

Carell was already a movie prima anterior to The Office, with roles successful Anchorman and The 40-Year-Old Virgin filmed earlier his crook arsenic Dunder Mifflin's infamous determination manager.

But it was The Office which supercharged Carell's vocation — conscionable arsenic it besides has for Wilson himself, arsenic good arsenic chap co-star John Krasinski.

Steve Carell arsenic The Office's Michael Scott. Image credit: Chris Haston/NBCU Photo Bank

With Carell gone, the show's concluding seasons saw the instauration of caller characters played by James Spader and Catherine Tate successful caller elder roles, earlier a last play wrapped up the stories of the series' archetypal characters — ending successful the wedding of Dwight and semipermanent emotion involvement Angela, an lawsuit for which Carell concisely returned successful a long-awaited cameo.

Next for The Office fans is caller spin-off amusement The Paper, acceptable to debut this September co-created by shaper Greg Daniels and starring Domhnall Gleeson. The bid volition diagnostic the aforesaid mockumentary format, this clip successful the bureau of a failing section newspaper, and featuring The Office quality Oscar successful a recurring role.

Carell has antecedently confirmed helium would not beryllium progressive successful The Paper, arsenic determination would beryllium "really nary reason" for Michael Scott to appear.

Image: Chris Haston/NBCU Photo Bank

Tom Phillips is IGN's News Editor. You tin scope Tom astatine [email protected] oregon find him connected Bluesky @tomphillipseg.bsky.social