‘The Office’ Star Steve Carell Supported Writers By Shutting Down Production
The Office had a few actors in it that are now very well known, one of them being Steve Carell. He brought to life one of the show’s main characters, the manager of the workplace, Michael Scott.
Over time, Carell starred in some films and was becoming a bigger star. In 2011, he left the show, but most may not know about him, It is just how much he cared and supported the cast and crew of The Office.
Before his final episode aired, The Atlantic wrote an article pointing out how Carell is a fantastic person. One point they made was that he was thoughtful, and he proved that by supporting the writers during the strike of 2008.
What is ‘The Office’ is about?
The Office is an American adaptation of a British show with the same name, and it aired on NBC from 2005 to 2013, with a total of nine seasons. The show is filmed in a mockumentary style.
It follows the lives and everyday antics of the office workers at Dunder Mifflin, a struggling paper company. There are a variety of characters, including Jim Halpert, a laid back salesman. Pam Beesly, the receptionist that Jim has a crush on, and Michael Scott, the bumbling office manager. It took a while for viewers to love the show.
It is now arguably one of the best and loved by many. The Office was a unique show in many ways. For instance, a few of the writers for the show, Mindy Kaling, B.J. Novak, Paul Lieberstein, and Michael Schur, were actors and had small parts.
The 2008 writers strike
The Writers Guild of America decided to go on strike on November 5, 2008. At the time, the writers decided to go on strike because they wanted more profits for the work that was put online. More than 60 shows were affected by the strike.
Production came to a halt for many of them, including The Office. Only 12 out of 30 episodes for season four were filmed before production was suspended, causing a four-month hiatus.
This strike was a big gamble for the Writers Guild since it affected more than just the writers. It put other employees out of work as well. According to BuzzFeed, the Screen Actors Guild encouraged their members to stand with the writers.
A few of the actors working on the affected shows joined the strike and gave their support. One of these actors was Steve Carell, who is also a member of the WGA. Eventually, the Writers Guild won a piece of digital profits. The writers, along with everyone else, returned to work.
How Steve Carell helped the cause
Steve Carell played Michael Scott, the office manager on the show. The character was a bumbling boss who always wanted to have fun and not do any real work.
Michael Scott had questionable leadership methods, and he would often cross boundaries with his employees. However, he managed to keep his branch from closing, downsizing, and protected them from any other issues.
In addition to this, Kevin Falon, writer for The Atlantic, once mentioned that Carell’s performance gave the character depth. When the writer’s strike happened, Carell, who is said to be a thoughtful and caring person, decided to call in sick with a case of “enlarged balls.” He then joined the picket line and refused to return to work until the strike was over. Without the lead actor of the show, NBC was forced to stop production.
