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Fans still can’t seem to get over the fact that the beloved mockumentary sitcomThe Officeended after nine seasons. Hoping for it to continue further, netizens seemed to blame Steve Carell for his exit, which significantly affected viewership of the show and killed it after 2 seasons post his exit. But what if we tell you that Carell didn’t want to leave?
While it was always noted that Steve Carell’s exit after season 7 ruined the show and its popularity among fans, reports suggest how the actor was apparently forced to quit. Andy Greene’s bookThe Office: The Untold Story of the Greatest Sitcom of the 2000srevealed how Carell had hoped to renew his contract until NBC let it expire.
Steve Carell was blamed for leavingThe Officewhen he was actually forced to quit
Even today, Steve Carell’s departure fromThe Officeremains a bittersweet moment for fans. Considering how the show had become interestingly popular with its humorous look at the daily lives of employees at Dunder Mifflin, fans had hoped for it to continue some more, after season 9.
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But sadly, as Steve Carell departed with his rumored plans of exploring Hollywood opportunities,The Officestumbled with viewership. Proving Carell to be an integral part of the show, the mockumentary sitcom was later forced to wrap up after two seasons. Therefore, people were quick to blame Carell for the show’s fate.
However, Andy Greene revealed in his book,The Office: The Untold Story of the Greatest Sitcom of the 2000show Steve Carell was actually forced to leave (viaCollider). Based on interviews with the show’s hairstylist Kim Ferry, Carell had not made a definite decision to leave at the time, instead, he was forced to exit by NBC executives.
He didn’t want to leave the show. He had told the network that he was going to sign for another couple of years… He told his manager and his manager contacted them and said he’s willing to sign another contract.
And the deadline came for when [the network was] supposed to give him an offer and it passed and they didn’t make him an offer. So his agent was like, ‘Well, I guess they don’t want to renew you for some reason.’ Which was insane to me. And to him, I think.
Considering how Steve Carell was the heart of the show, Kim Ferry noted that it was shocking and utterly foolish of the NBC executives to let go of the actor. Later on, even casting director Allison Jones corroborated the story and mentioned how NBC refused to make a deal with Carell, despite the star’s desire to stick around for another season.
Andy Greene reinstated Steve Carell’s reputation by clarifying the fact
So it seems thatSteve Carellwas never responsible forleaving the show, especially when he was subtly forced to quit. Therefore, Andy Greene took it upon himself to clarify the truth that went behind the scenes and reinstate Carell’s reputation. Stating how Carell’s negotiations to stay occurred amid NBC’s regime change, Greene noted how things actually happened.
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As the responsibility for NBC projects went from Jeff Zucker to Bob Greenblatt, producer Randy Cordray told Andy Greene that Greenblatt wasn’t a big fan ofThe Office. Taking the show for granted, Greenblatt allegedly believed that the sitcom could survive even without Carell. Therefore, instead of putting effort in trying to keep Carell, they subtly let him go.
Andy Greene noted,
[Carell] was like, ‘Look, I told them I want to do it. I don’t want to leave. I don’t understand.’ It just is mind-boggling how that happened.
And I feel bad because I think a lot of people think he did leave the show on his own merit and it’s absolutely not true. I’m telling you. I was there. He really wanted to stay. And it devastated all of us because he was the heart of our show.
So it seems that both Steve Carell andThe Officesuffered miserably in the midst of NBC’s power shift. The show later continued for two more seasons without Carell appearing as Michael Scott. But then it eventually ended its run after the ninth season, wherein Carell reprised the role for the series finale.
The Officeis currently available to watch on Peacock.
Krittika Mukherjee
Senior Writer
Articles Published :3217
Krittika Mukherjee is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on films, TV shows, and celebrity news with over 3,000 articles published. With an educational background in Journalism, and a keen interest in filmmaking, Krittika blends factual precision with creative flair, when crafting her editorials, or dissecting fan theories.Her coverage often includes news and analyses of critically acclaimed films, celebrity news, and franchises like the Wizarding World, LOTR, DC, and MCU—particularly Harry Potter, Fantastic Beasts, Superheroes, and fan theories. As a Wizarding World aficionado, Krittika has spent countless hours exploring hidden backstories, unadapted book moments, spells, and trivias surrounding J.K. Rowling’s lore.An imaginative writer with a way with words, Krittika has worked as an entertainment journalist for the past two years and a web content writer for a year. She brought her experience and expertise to FandomWire to pursue her desire for sipping coffee while dissecting films and tracking celebrity drama.
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Steve CarellThe Office
