James Spader Joins Cast of The Office!
Credit: NBC; Jim Spellman/WireImage.com
The Office's candidate search is over!
James Spader will join the cast of The Office when it returns this fall, NBC announced in a press release on Wednesday.
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Replacing the departed Steve Carell, the Emmy winner will reprise his role as Robert California, who interviewed for the position of manager (vacated by Carell's Michael Scott) at Dunder-Mifflin's Scranton branch during a hilariously intense cameo last spring.
California is "this uber-salesman that has a power to convince and manipulate, like a high-class weirdo Jedi warrior," said Paul Lieberstein (who plays Toby and serves as one of the show's executive producers.) "He'll have been hired over the summer as the new manager, but within hours, got himself promoted. Within days, he took over the company."
Accordingly, the remaining Dunder-Mifflin employees (including castmates Jenna Fischer, John Krasinski and Rainn Wilson) "have no tools for dealing with this guy," Lieberstein adds.
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"James has an energy that is completely his own," Lieberstein added. "We're thrilled he's joining our cast."
Tell Us: Are you psyched for Spader to take over The Office?
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6My FIRST love! Such an amazing actor and intellectual. The ONLY reason to start watching The Office.
This article is misleading. He isn't replacing Michael Scott. If you read Lieberstein's quote again, he takes Michael's job, but gets promoted within hours. Meaning, Michael's position is still open.
I may start watching this show now. Love him!
Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh love! I love James Spader! I will obviously miss Steve dearly but James is going to fit right in.
I think he will be a great addition to the cast! I love James Spader :-)
We will all miss Steve, but I LOVE James Spader!!! He'll fit in nicely I think! :)