As one of the best sitcoms of all time, The Office changed much of what modern comedy TV looks like today. The American version was, of course, adapted from the U.K. version of the same name, but took on a life all its own. Steve Carell held the center point of the ensemble cast as Michael Scott, the wildly wacky but good-hearted boss who occasionally did his job well. Carrell departed after Season 7 and ultimately returned for the series finale. However, the actor was initially hesitant to do so and had some valid reasons for that.
With more than a decade now sitting between the present day and the hit NBC show’s finale in 2013, two of its alums -- Jenna Fischer (Pam Beesly) and Angela Kinsey (Angela Martin/Martin-Lipton/Schrute) -- started a rewatch podcast, in case you missed it. The Office Ladies recently covered the finale of the mockumentary sitcom, during which it was explained that Steve Carell wasn’t completely into the idea of reprising Michael. Fischer explained that her former co-star's thinking stemmed from storytelling:
Well, it was [series creator Greg Daniels] idea to have Steve come back. He had wanted that for a very long time, and he asked him pretty early in season 9. But Steve was reluctant. 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.
The 40-Year-Old Virgin star’s reasoning is certainly logical and just makes me love him (and Michael Scott) even more. He was very adamant about making sure that his ex-castmates were able to say a proper goodbye to the show like he was able to, and that’s incredibly cool. Not all A-listers would offer the same reasoning, so kudos to the Foxcatcher star for being so considerate.
So the remaining question you probably have is: what changed Steve Carell's mind? Well, Jenna Fischer, who recently disclosed her breast cancer diagnosis, shared that series creator Greg Daniels, developed the finale in a way that would make it logical for Michael Scott to appear:
But then Greg had the idea of the final episode being Dwight and Angela's wedding, and Steve agreed Michael would be there.
The podcasting duo also mentioned that the actor's name wasn’t listed in the opening credits so it was a big surprise to fans. It definitely does make sense that Michael would be there for Dwight's big day, and Angela Kinsey agreed with that assessment as well:
I believe that. I believe Michael would wanna be there for Dwight and Angela.
I have to say that in the end, it was wonderful to see Steve Carell's Michael Scott not only return for the finale but be added in a way that made sense. Carell and co. truly were top-notch on the beloved NBC comedy. I think that’s what made the show as watchable as it was, that and the Office cast -- who went on to other movies and shows -- just worked together so well.
If you’d like to stream all nine seasons of The Office, you can do so with a Peacock+ subscription.