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If you’re a fan ofThe Office(because let’s be honest, who isn’t?), you know that Steve Carell was made to play Michael Scott. Despite having numerous roles in his portfolio, his stint as the lovable regional manager will continue to stand out. While we agree that limiting an actor to one specific character is unfair, we can’t help it. Michael Scott is simply awesome.
Steve Carell played the hell of Michael to the point that it was impossible to tell where the actor ended and the character began. Even though we love all the employees of Dunder Mifflin, it was Michael who turned the small mockumentary into one of the most binge-worthy shows of all time.
Carell’s comedic timing is no secret. He’d sail through hilarious scenes with ease but there was one moment on the show that turned out to be his Achilles’ Heel – Phyllis’ wedding.
Steve Carell Couldn’t Keep His Cool at Phyllis’ Wedding
Season 3 Episode 16 saw the wedding of Phyllis Lapin and Bob Vance of Vance Refrigeration. Of course, despite it being Phyllis and Bob’s day, Michael had to make it all about himself as he tried to capture the spotlight all to himself.
“He didn’t think he was funny”: Steve Carell Refused to Believe His True Talent in The Office Despite Being a True Menace to His Co-Stars
In the episode, Michael goes to the bride’s room to bestow some fatherly advice on her. However,Steve Carellcouldn’t get through that scene without a number of outtakes. As perPhyllis Smithwho appeared on theOffice Ladiespodcast,the actor just couldn’t get over the simple word,“pungent.”
She recalled,
The one scene I had a really hard time not laughing through was … when [Carell] came into the bride’s room to give me advice, and we could not get through the word ‘pungent.’
This was the moment when Michael accused Phyllis of farting and just wouldn’t take no for an answer. Smith added that whenever Carell lost his cool delivering the line, people outside the door would erupt into laughter. The production had to clear the area to ensure a smooth filming process. Well, as smooth as it could get.
Every time he would say ‘pungent,’ he would break out in his cackle. He couldn’t get through it and I couldn’t get through it. And then we hear the sound people sitting outside the door laughing, so they had to move them down the stairway, down into the bottom because every time we said ‘pungent,’ we lost it.
Watch the bloopers below:
Smith added that the only reason the scene ever made it to the show was because she had to hold her breath to not laugh.
Another Difficult Moment for Steve Carell
While Carell may have had his fair share of scenes where he was laughing so hard the director had to yell “CUT,” this particular scene was difficult for him for a completely different season.
InGoodbye, Michael,the employees of Dunder Mifflin surprise their manager with a heartfelt rendition ofRent’s ‘Seasons of Love.’Since his reaction to the song seems so genuine, fans wondered if it was just him being a top-notch actor or did he really not know what was coming his way. Turns out, it was the latter.
“I couldn’t even say the lines”: Steve Carell’s Worst Audition May Have Made its Way Into ‘The Office’ as One of His Best Scenes
InJenna FischerandAngela Kinsey’s book,The Office BFFs, Fischer states,
As we did our final episodes with Steve, it was difficult to contain our sadness at losing our friend and our trusted number one. We cried a lot. The worst was the day we filmed his goodbye song. People often ask if Steve knew we were going to sing to him because the emotion on his face is so genuine.We’d all been given the lyrics and practiced the song in secret. Steve told me that as he was being led into the conference room, he knew something was up. But he did not know we were going to sing, and the whole thing was very moving.
Fischer added that when they shot the scene, it was so emotional for the cast members that they couldn’t get through it the first time. In fact, you can even hearEd Helms’ (Andy Bernard) voice cracking a bit when he speaks. Given the fact thatThe Officecast and crew were more like a family than co-workers by that time, the reaction is completely understandable!
The Officeis available to watch on Peacock Premium.
Mishkaat Khan
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2256
A connoisseur of all things horror, fantasy, and the occasional chick flick, Mishkaat has been penning pieces for FandomWire since 2022. She started off as an intern and has worked her way up to a Senior Writer with over 2000 articles to her name.Outside of entertainment, she has also written well-researched medical content as a freelance writer and has experience in social media management.When not writing, you can find her relaxing with a romance novel and a tall glass of iced coffee in her hand or watching re-runs of ‘Supernatural’ and ‘The Office.’
