‘The Office’ Cast Recalls Steve Carell’s Unplanned Finale Appearance: ‘We Were Bound to Secrecy’

John Krasinski—who played Jim Halpert—spoke with Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey on the ‘Office Ladies’ podcast. He gave some background on Carell’s comeback for the 2013 series finale after leaving the show in 2011.

Recalling the confusion surrounding Carell’s participation, Krasinski pointed out that Greg Daniels, the showrunner, had first suggested including Carell’s character in the last episode but had not formally discussed it with him. Carell’s hectic schedule made things much more difficult, creating uncertainty right up until the last minute.

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For many of his co-stars, Carell’s homecoming was unexpected when it did eventually happen. Carell had sworn them all to secrecy a few days before his arrival. Fischer humourously admitted to feeling nervous about keeping such a significant secret.

Kinsey shared one more anecdote, relating how Wilson had warned Fischer not to tell her. Though there were whispers on site, Kinsey herself didn’t know Carell was back until she ran into him in the hair and makeup area.

Looking back on their time spent together on “The Office,” the cast recalled their friendship as unmatched with fondness.

While on the podcast to promote his new movie ‘IF,’ in which Carell co-stars, Krasinski acknowledged Carell’s comic skill and said that he had Carell in mind when he wrote the script. He described how his recollections of working with Carell on ‘The Office’ informed his writing, highlighting both the lasting influence of their shared experiences on set and Carell’s extraordinary talent.

–Gayathri J