Steve Carell's Appearance in the Finale of The Office 'Was a Big Reveal' — Even for the Cast: 'Swore Us to Secrecy'

Office cast members reflect on Steve Carell’s final appearance on the show.

On Wednesday, May 15, John Krasinski, who played Jim Halpert on the sitcom, stopped by Office ladies — a rewatch podcast hosted by his former colleagues Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey.

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The trio laid out their take on Carell’s return for the 2013 series finale following his 2011 departure.

“Society, do you remember? Again, maybe I’m remembering wrong because I’m 98 years old, but do you remember that we — Greg [Daniels] I haven’t officially talked to Steve about the ending. Do you remember this?” Krasinski, 44, said one of the show’s writers wanted to include Carell’s character in the final episode.

The cast of “The Office”.

Paul Drinkwater/NBCU Photo Bank/NBCUniversal via Getty

According to Krasinski, the idea was floated but never finalized because Carell was busy with other commitments.

“[Daniels] he threw it out to Steve at the beginning. Am I remembering this correctly? And then as we got closer to the end, it was like, will Steve too [do it?] And I remember he was filming something,” said Krasinski.

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“It wasn’t like he didn’t want to do it. It was like scheduling and all that,” he added, noting that Daniels, 60, was too “nice” to pressure Carell to agree.

“And then the whole discovery of Steve was a big discovery for us as well. It was as if his appearance was enormous.”

Steve Carell April 2024

Cindy Ord/Getty

However, some had caveats.

“He told us very close to when it would happen. He, I think he got you, me and Rainn [Wilson] aside, John, and he told us a few days before, but then we – he swore us to secrecy,” Fischer said.

The memories seemed to come back to Krasinski, who agreed: “That’s right.”

Office Reunion! Steve Carell and John Krasinski are together again on the set of a new movie IF

Kinsey added, “And Jenna told me that Rainn pulled her aside and said, ‘Jenna, you can’t tell Angela!’ ”

Fischer joked that she was “so afraid” to keep such a big secret.

According to Kinsey, despite the rumors surrounding the set, she didn’t know about Carell’s return until she walked into the hair and makeup room and saw him for herself.

Office students recalled their time together as “the best”.

Steve Carell and John Krasinski, May 2024.

Nina Westervelt/Variety via Getty

Krasinski visited the podcast to promote his new film, IF, in which he stars and directs. Carell also stars in a family comedy.

“I wrote it with him in mind,” Quiet place star discovered.

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“I think he’s the funniest person I’ve ever met in my life. So it was not difficult for him to write. But it was also strange. I would laugh so hard as I was writing it thinking about my friend Steve saying things like that,” Krasinski said.

“And then it would bring me right back to the set Office, And I would remember the delivery of not only his lines on the show, but his off-camera lines, like the parts he would do. And I was like, oh my God, he’s going to be great.”

IF it’s in theaters on May 17.

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Source: HIS Education