Steve Carell is the latest star of “The Office” to appear on “Office Ladies”, the podcast hosted by fellow “Office” alums Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey.
During the conversation, the former co-stars discussed the show’s mockumentary style, which involved self-referential glances directly into the camera — something that Carell conceded he had some difficulty setting aside after his exit from the show.
“I have never had a job where I didn’t look into the camera at some point,” he admitted.
Read More: Billie Eilish Says She’s Watched ‘The Office’ Over 30 Times: ‘It’s Playing On My Phone At All Times’
“Same!” Fischer agreed. “I can’t not make the camera a character now. It’s such a habit.”
“At least once,” Carell added. “I’m sure on ‘Foxcatcher’ I like looked into the camera and [then told myself], ‘Nope. You cannot comment on what you just did.'”
Kinsey admitted that...
During the conversation, the former co-stars discussed the show’s mockumentary style, which involved self-referential glances directly into the camera — something that Carell conceded he had some difficulty setting aside after his exit from the show.
“I have never had a job where I didn’t look into the camera at some point,” he admitted.
Read More: Billie Eilish Says She’s Watched ‘The Office’ Over 30 Times: ‘It’s Playing On My Phone At All Times’
“Same!” Fischer agreed. “I can’t not make the camera a character now. It’s such a habit.”
“At least once,” Carell added. “I’m sure on ‘Foxcatcher’ I like looked into the camera and [then told myself], ‘Nope. You cannot comment on what you just did.'”
Kinsey admitted that...
- 3/9/2023
- by Brent Furdyk
- ET Canada
Steve Carell has retained a key habit from his time filming The Office US.
The actor played the flawed but lovable paper company boss Michael Scott in the American version of the deadpan sitcom.
As well as its sharp writing and its oddball sense of humour, The Office is known for its mockumentary framing.
With the unusual setting of the characters being filmed for a fictional documentary, the series included regular instances of characters “breaking the fourth wall” and interacting with the cameras, looking straight into them in moments of incredulity.
Despite leaving the programme in season seven in 2011, and the show’s eventual end in 2013, Carell has admitted to still occasionally looking into the camera when he’s not supposed to on his other projects.
“I have never had a job where I didn’t look into the camera at some point,” Carell told his former castmates Angela Kinsey...
The actor played the flawed but lovable paper company boss Michael Scott in the American version of the deadpan sitcom.
As well as its sharp writing and its oddball sense of humour, The Office is known for its mockumentary framing.
With the unusual setting of the characters being filmed for a fictional documentary, the series included regular instances of characters “breaking the fourth wall” and interacting with the cameras, looking straight into them in moments of incredulity.
Despite leaving the programme in season seven in 2011, and the show’s eventual end in 2013, Carell has admitted to still occasionally looking into the camera when he’s not supposed to on his other projects.
“I have never had a job where I didn’t look into the camera at some point,” Carell told his former castmates Angela Kinsey...
- 3/8/2023
- by Nicole Vassell
- The Independent - TV
Daniel Radcliffe once teamed up with Golden Globe Ricky Gervais on a satire that was different than anything he’d done at the time.
Being hired for the television series in the first place, however, was a unique process on its own.
Daniel Radcliffe once guest-starred on the Ricky Gervais comedy series ‘Extras’ Daniel Radcliffe | Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images
The Office wasn’t the only comedy series Gervais had a hand in. The comedian is responsible for several successful comedic projects including his short-lived Extras. Extras was a series created, written and directed by Gervais and Stephen Merchant. As its name implies, the show was about the experiences of the extras often seen in the background throughout movies. It would feature many real-life celebrities in the series, including Kate Winslet, Samuel L. Jackson, and Daniel Radcliffe.
Gervais had very little difficulty procuring the celebrity faces that he wanted from the show.
Being hired for the television series in the first place, however, was a unique process on its own.
Daniel Radcliffe once guest-starred on the Ricky Gervais comedy series ‘Extras’ Daniel Radcliffe | Matt Winkelmeyer/Getty Images
The Office wasn’t the only comedy series Gervais had a hand in. The comedian is responsible for several successful comedic projects including his short-lived Extras. Extras was a series created, written and directed by Gervais and Stephen Merchant. As its name implies, the show was about the experiences of the extras often seen in the background throughout movies. It would feature many real-life celebrities in the series, including Kate Winslet, Samuel L. Jackson, and Daniel Radcliffe.
Gervais had very little difficulty procuring the celebrity faces that he wanted from the show.
- 2/13/2023
- by Antonio Stallings
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Despite being a very bad manager, The Office kept Michael Scott (Steve Carell) around for seven seasons. To be fair, it wouldn’t have been very funny if Dunder Mifflin had a good boss. Michael was different from David Brent (Ricky Gervais) on the original British series. Despite his flaws, Carell insisted Michael was not a malicious person.
Steve Carell | Justin Lubin/NBCU Photo Bank/Getty Images
Carell was on a Television Critics Association panel for The Office in 2005. When reporters were first getting to know Michael, they wondered about some of his behavior. Carell was quick to clarify. The Office is now streaming on Peacock.
Steve Carell did not play ‘The Office’ manager Michael Scott as a bad guy
Especially in the early seasons of The Office, Michael’s poor decisions and behavior caused most of the employees’ conflicts. However, Carell recognized that it was a “road to hell paved with good intentions” situation.
Steve Carell | Justin Lubin/NBCU Photo Bank/Getty Images
Carell was on a Television Critics Association panel for The Office in 2005. When reporters were first getting to know Michael, they wondered about some of his behavior. Carell was quick to clarify. The Office is now streaming on Peacock.
Steve Carell did not play ‘The Office’ manager Michael Scott as a bad guy
Especially in the early seasons of The Office, Michael’s poor decisions and behavior caused most of the employees’ conflicts. However, Carell recognized that it was a “road to hell paved with good intentions” situation.
- 2/7/2023
- by Fred Topel
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
The thing I appreciate most about Diane Morgan’s Philomena Cunk character, introduced as part of Charlie Brooker’s Weekly Wipe current events mockumentary series, is that once you have a character with the name Philomena Cunk, do you actually need anything else?
It’s a perfect comedy character appellation, with an overly flowery first name and a perfectly terse last name that contains multiple comedy “K” sounds and will always be adjacent to a somewhat taboo — less so in the U.K. — dirty word.
Then you get the actual character herself. Cunk was first presented as a dim-bulb interviewer/commentator in three- to five-minute segments that were characterized by her ignorance and spotty research. But then, somehow, the character and concept were enlarged upon in a number of half-hour specials, and then in the BBC Two series Cunk on Britain. Now her second extended series, Cunk on Earth (another...
It’s a perfect comedy character appellation, with an overly flowery first name and a perfectly terse last name that contains multiple comedy “K” sounds and will always be adjacent to a somewhat taboo — less so in the U.K. — dirty word.
Then you get the actual character herself. Cunk was first presented as a dim-bulb interviewer/commentator in three- to five-minute segments that were characterized by her ignorance and spotty research. But then, somehow, the character and concept were enlarged upon in a number of half-hour specials, and then in the BBC Two series Cunk on Britain. Now her second extended series, Cunk on Earth (another...
- 1/31/2023
- by Daniel Fienberg
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Robert California was one of the few characters on "The Office" that fans seem to either love or hate. The workplace sitcom is filled with "people we know," and several of us have dealt with prickly co-workers similar to Angela (Angela Martin) or people like Stanley (Leslie David Baker), who hate their jobs and live for pretzel day. Many of us have also rooted for obvious workplace romances like Jim (John Krasinski) and Pam (Jenna Fischer).
But Robert California? One of these things is not like the other, as few of us have likely crossed paths with anyone like him. And for that, we can blame Michael Scott (of course we can). When Steve Carell left "The Office" after seven seasons, it left a gaping hole in the cast, and the show would eventually turn to James Spader as the new boss to fill the tremendous void Michael left. The...
But Robert California? One of these things is not like the other, as few of us have likely crossed paths with anyone like him. And for that, we can blame Michael Scott (of course we can). When Steve Carell left "The Office" after seven seasons, it left a gaping hole in the cast, and the show would eventually turn to James Spader as the new boss to fill the tremendous void Michael left. The...
- 1/22/2023
- by Travis Yates
- Slash Film
Am I Being Unreasonable? review: Daisy May Cooper is flawless in her first follow-up to This Country
When I first heard about Am I Being Unreasonable?, I assumed it was some satire on the parenting website Mumsnet. The people on it spend an inordinate amount of their supposedly busy days discussing difficult tradespeople or the unsavoury sexual habits of their “Dh” (Dear Husband). Oftentimes they seek validation for their actions from their fellow members, by asking “…am I being unreasonable?” Or “Aibu” in the Mumsnet argot.
The latest comedy vehicle from This Country’s creator and star Daisy May Cooper isn’t about Mumsnet as such, except that the character she plays, Nic, inhabits a quintessentially middle-class English environment (Cooper’s native Cotswolds by the looks of things), and she seems prone to asking the most intimate questions about herself on Mumsnet. She has a nice house, a clever little son who’s more mature than she is, and an eccentric cleaning lady. She struggles to make friends in the village,...
The latest comedy vehicle from This Country’s creator and star Daisy May Cooper isn’t about Mumsnet as such, except that the character she plays, Nic, inhabits a quintessentially middle-class English environment (Cooper’s native Cotswolds by the looks of things), and she seems prone to asking the most intimate questions about herself on Mumsnet. She has a nice house, a clever little son who’s more mature than she is, and an eccentric cleaning lady. She struggles to make friends in the village,...
- 9/23/2022
- by Sean O'Grady
- The Independent - TV
Comedy's a tricky genre. Sometimes, the jokes seem to come naturally. But other times, it's more effective to create a scene that's so cringe-worthy that tension builds until you can't help but laugh just to break it. Few shows execute the latter better than "The Office," especially when the self-proclaimed world's best boss, Michael Scott (Steve Carell), is on screen.
A bumbling and incompetent (yet well-intentioned) regional manager, Michael is the awkward heart and soul that drives the earlier seasons of the show, setting such a high standard that Carell himself is hesitant to return to the role. More often than not, Michael makes an idiot of himself — much to viewers' simultaneous amusement and horror. But there are more than a few times when the boss simply goes too far. Who could forget the sexual harassment training seminar that Michael hijacked, only to slut-shames the actress in the training video?...
A bumbling and incompetent (yet well-intentioned) regional manager, Michael is the awkward heart and soul that drives the earlier seasons of the show, setting such a high standard that Carell himself is hesitant to return to the role. More often than not, Michael makes an idiot of himself — much to viewers' simultaneous amusement and horror. But there are more than a few times when the boss simply goes too far. Who could forget the sexual harassment training seminar that Michael hijacked, only to slut-shames the actress in the training video?...
- 9/2/2022
- by Demetra Nikolakakis
- Slash Film
David Earl and Chris Haywood’s story of an inventor’s relationship with his creation blends Caractacus Potts with Victor Frankenstein to heartwarming effect
Happiness, loneliness and silliness come together in this startling emotional adventure developed by writer-performers David Earl and Chris Hayward from their 2017 short film of the same name, and directed by Jim Archer. The film is partly about an AI robot called Charles. But thankfully, unlike a lot of serious sci-fi, this film doesn’t demand that we wonder whether or not AI robots are capable of independent thought or if you can fall in love with them, etc, etc. Charles, a free-thinking robot, is burdened with many things, but an ontological crisis isn’t one of them.
Earl himself plays Brian, a nerdy middle-aged bloke living alone in a Welsh cottage that he has all too clearly inherited from his late parents. He talks directly to a figure behind the camera,...
Happiness, loneliness and silliness come together in this startling emotional adventure developed by writer-performers David Earl and Chris Hayward from their 2017 short film of the same name, and directed by Jim Archer. The film is partly about an AI robot called Charles. But thankfully, unlike a lot of serious sci-fi, this film doesn’t demand that we wonder whether or not AI robots are capable of independent thought or if you can fall in love with them, etc, etc. Charles, a free-thinking robot, is burdened with many things, but an ontological crisis isn’t one of them.
Earl himself plays Brian, a nerdy middle-aged bloke living alone in a Welsh cottage that he has all too clearly inherited from his late parents. He talks directly to a figure behind the camera,...
- 7/6/2022
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Streaming services like Netflix often tend to work on a model which favors hype following instead of leading – for every Marvel property or proven commodity like Black Mirror that's preceded by a blitz of hype, there are dozens of series that get released with little fanfare, banking on big leaps of faith that the right folks will find it. (Remember how little advance buzz accompanied Stranger Things before that first weekend turned it into a phenomenon?) Still, on paper, a true-crime satire that harnessed the appeal of both 13 Reasons Why...
- 12/12/2017
- Rollingstone.com
Streaming services like Netflix often tend to work on a model which favors hype following instead of leading – for every Marvel property or proven commodity like Black Mirror that's preceded by a blitz of hype, there are dozens of series that get released with little fanfare, banking on big leaps of faith that the right folks will find it. (Remember how little advance buzz accompanied Stranger Things before that first weekend turned it into a phenomenon?) Still, on paper, a true-crime satire that harnessed the appeal of both 13 Reasons Why...
- 12/12/2017
- Rollingstone.com
Ask the average viewer to conjure up their idea of a TV villain, their answers might vary: Perhaps a spiked baseball bat-wielding maniac or a faceless Killer of the Week on a police procedural.
And then there are some villains that have existed in various forms on the small screen for decades: abstract ideas like alcoholism, technology, or ratings. As the line between reality and fiction start to blur and a non-stop entertainment news apparatus churns ever on, even people from off-screen within network power structures have frequently worn the black hat, from Ailes to Zucker.
Read More:The 20 Best Animated TV Shows of the 21st Century
As we enter into a new era of on-screen terror, real life antagonists have seeped into a TV landscape that’s engaging with the political realm more than ever. They’ve made some fictional bad guys seem even more relevant and have left others wilting in obscurity.
And then there are some villains that have existed in various forms on the small screen for decades: abstract ideas like alcoholism, technology, or ratings. As the line between reality and fiction start to blur and a non-stop entertainment news apparatus churns ever on, even people from off-screen within network power structures have frequently worn the black hat, from Ailes to Zucker.
Read More:The 20 Best Animated TV Shows of the 21st Century
As we enter into a new era of on-screen terror, real life antagonists have seeped into a TV landscape that’s engaging with the political realm more than ever. They’ve made some fictional bad guys seem even more relevant and have left others wilting in obscurity.
- 11/1/2017
- by Steve Greene and Michael Schneider
- Indiewire
Michael Reed Nov 28, 2017
Michael takes a look back at early days of the web, with a 28k modem, a GeoCities webpage, and a webcam stream of a coffee pot...
GeoCities websites, instant messaging, free AOL discs and blocking up the phone line - today we’re gonna party like we’ve just connected at 56 kbit/s. That is, we’re going to take a nostalgic look at the early days of the World Wide Web.
Okay, okay - we know that the Internet existed before the web and that there were other ways of connecting to distant computer networks before the Internet was even established. What we’re interested in is a period that began around the middle of the 90s when the World Wide Web first became a popular destination. Let’s get something straight though - just because we miss something, it doesn’t mean that we want it back.
Michael takes a look back at early days of the web, with a 28k modem, a GeoCities webpage, and a webcam stream of a coffee pot...
GeoCities websites, instant messaging, free AOL discs and blocking up the phone line - today we’re gonna party like we’ve just connected at 56 kbit/s. That is, we’re going to take a nostalgic look at the early days of the World Wide Web.
Okay, okay - we know that the Internet existed before the web and that there were other ways of connecting to distant computer networks before the Internet was even established. What we’re interested in is a period that began around the middle of the 90s when the World Wide Web first became a popular destination. Let’s get something straight though - just because we miss something, it doesn’t mean that we want it back.
- 10/20/2017
- Den of Geek
[Editor’s Note: The below interview includes spoilers for “American Vandal” Season 1.]
When you think about it, “American Vandal” could have only ended one way. Like its many docuseries predecessors, the question of Dylan Maxwell’s (Jimmy Tatro) innocence or guilt may have powered the story forward, but as the show fleshed out characters like amateur sleuth Peter Maldonado, his partner in videography Sam Ecklund (Griffin Gluck), or the multitude of students and teachers who make this universe, there was always room to make the season’s ending something less tangible.
In the farewell episode, Twitch-based evidence leads Dylan to be exonerated in the minds of Peter and the school powers that threatened his expulsion in the first place. But if Dylan wasn’t the one who drew the dicks, who was?
For fans of true crime documentaries, “We may never know” isn’t just an appropriate answer, it’s the only one that made sense for a series that pays tribute to the classics.
When you think about it, “American Vandal” could have only ended one way. Like its many docuseries predecessors, the question of Dylan Maxwell’s (Jimmy Tatro) innocence or guilt may have powered the story forward, but as the show fleshed out characters like amateur sleuth Peter Maldonado, his partner in videography Sam Ecklund (Griffin Gluck), or the multitude of students and teachers who make this universe, there was always room to make the season’s ending something less tangible.
In the farewell episode, Twitch-based evidence leads Dylan to be exonerated in the minds of Peter and the school powers that threatened his expulsion in the first place. But if Dylan wasn’t the one who drew the dicks, who was?
For fans of true crime documentaries, “We may never know” isn’t just an appropriate answer, it’s the only one that made sense for a series that pays tribute to the classics.
- 9/20/2017
- by Steve Greene
- Indiewire
After interviewing the President of Venezuela for Gq magazine, Naomi Campbell has apparently been bitten by the journalism bug. Hmm. While we applaud the supermodel's willingness to expand her skills portfolio - the fashion industry is notoriously fickle, after all - we can't help thinking she's choosing the career wrong path. Wouldn't a job in Pr (specialising in damage limitation) prove more useful in the long run?
10. Bill Cosby
Bill, now 70, morphs from sitcom actor to hip-hop star. Yes, really.
9. Katie Price
Gasp! She admits she doesn't actually write her own books. Tell us something we don't know, Katie!
9. Simon Smith
The Apprentice reject compares himself to David Brent. Eek! We're starting to see where it all went . . .
10. Bill Cosby
Bill, now 70, morphs from sitcom actor to hip-hop star. Yes, really.
9. Katie Price
Gasp! She admits she doesn't actually write her own books. Tell us something we don't know, Katie!
9. Simon Smith
The Apprentice reject compares himself to David Brent. Eek! We're starting to see where it all went . . .
- 4/18/2008
- by Nick_Levine_imdb_@digitalspy.co.uk (Nick Levine)
- Digital Spy
Simon Smith has claimed that he behaved like comedy character David Brent on The Apprentice.
The satellite TV engineer, who became the fourth contestant to be voted off the show yesterday, said his mental deterioration on the programme made him look ridiculous.
Talking about his exit from the show, Smith told Ds: "I blew it spectacularly and it's a real David Brent unraveling moment."
Smith was voted off the show after he took a project manager role and ended up making a financial loss for Sir Alan Sugar.
Explaining his failure, the 35-year-old said: "A dis-unified team, wasn't it? I didn't get any backing from any of the candidates."
The . . .
The satellite TV engineer, who became the fourth contestant to be voted off the show yesterday, said his mental deterioration on the programme made him look ridiculous.
Talking about his exit from the show, Smith told Ds: "I blew it spectacularly and it's a real David Brent unraveling moment."
Smith was voted off the show after he took a project manager role and ended up making a financial loss for Sir Alan Sugar.
Explaining his failure, the 35-year-old said: "A dis-unified team, wasn't it? I didn't get any backing from any of the candidates."
The . . .
- 4/17/2008
- by Alex_Fletcher_imdb_@digitalspy.co.uk (Alex Fletcher)
- Digital Spy
LONDON -- French pay TV operator Canal Plus has acquired the rights to make a French version of the global comedy hit The Office. The deal with BBC Worldwide is the first foreign-language outing for the show, which was formatted for the U.S. market and is currently airing on NBC. The original BBC script has now been adapted to French tastes with the David Brent character, played in the original by Ricky Gervais, renamed Gilles Triquet (played by newcomer Francois Berleand) and relocated to an office in Villepinte, a well-known business park north of Paris.
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