Steve Carell Rescued The Office by Revealing Michael Scott’s Humanity: ‘The Whole Show Turned Around’

Steve Carell Rescued The Office by Revealing Michael Scott’s Humanity: ‘The Whole Show Turned Around’

When The Office made the transition from its U.K. roots to the U.S., its future was uncertain until the creators recognized that Michael Scott, played by Steve Carell, wasn’t merely “an asshole” but rather a well-meaning one.

Paul Feig, a director on several episodes of The Office, discussed this pivotal shift during an interview on Jesse Tyler Ferguson’s podcast, Dinner’s on Me. He highlighted the contrasting approaches of British and American humor in shaping Michael Scott’s character. While British humor often delights in tearing down an unlikable character, American audiences typically prefer to empathize with flawed protagonists. If viewers can’t connect with a character, they are likely to lose interest in the show.

By the time Feig joined the series to direct episodes in season two, Michael Scott was still perceived as “boring and mean.” However, Carell had just starred in The 40-Year-Old Virgin, catapulting him to stardom. Feig noted, “So Steve was this huge star all of a sudden, and they had this major talent in the show that they thought wasn’t working, and it wasn’t reflecting in the ratings.”

A pivotal moment occurred while filming the season two episode “Office Olympics.” Carell made an acting choice that profoundly influenced Michael Scott’s character arc.

Feig recounted, “In the scene, everyone was supposed to be working, but instead, they were messing around and planning to give Michael a gold medal to avoid getting in trouble with him. While we were shooting, Steve got emotional. The character had just experienced a terrible day, and he started to cry, with a tear rolling down his cheek. We were all taken aback, and I thought, ‘Oh my God, do that again. This is fantastic.’ That was the moment we realized he had depth.”

Steve Carell Rescued The Office by Revealing Michael Scott’s Humanity: ‘The Whole Show Turned Around’

Feig continued, “He has a humanity about him. Everyone realized, ‘No, he’s not an asshole. He’s a misguided idiot who tries to be funny.’ So viewers could see, ‘Okay, he means well.’”

In summary, Michael Scott may be a flawed character, but he possesses redeemable qualities, unlike David Brent from the original series, who is portrayed as a total asshole with no redeeming features. This distinction illustrates how comedy can vary between American and British sensibilities.

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