Steve Carell’s portrayal of Michael Scott left a lasting impression on him, even after he left the show. Carell’s performance as the hilariously obnoxious Dunder Mifflin regional manager was so iconic that it may have even contributed to a bad acting habit.
One of the most memorable aspects of The Office’s filming style is how the characters often break the fourth wall, stealing sly glances at the camera to let us in on the joke.
Jim Halpert (John Krasinski) was especially skilled at this, often shooting a quick smirk or raised eyebrow in the camera’s direction. But it wasn’t just the sideways glances that made The Office’s camerawork so effective – the “talking head” technique was also used to great effect.
In these moments, characters would look directly into the camera, breaking the illusion of the mockumentary and sharing their private thoughts or feelings.
Whether it was Dwight revealing his intense love for Battlestar Galactica or Michael being creepily poetic about his feelings for Jan, these talking head segments gave us an intimate look into the character’s inner lives.
Despite leaving the show after seven seasons, Steve Carell’s performance as Michael Scott still looms large over The Office’s legacy.
In a recent episode of the Office Ladies podcast, hosted by our beloved Pam (Jenna Fischer) and not-so-beloved Angela (Angela Kinsey), Steve Carell spilled the beans that even after leaving Dunder Mifflin, he couldn’t help but glance at the camera during other acting gigs.
Michael’s signature move of breaking the fourth wall has become a habit for Steve in real life too!
We can’t blame him, though, as it was such an iconic part of the show that we all felt like we were in on the joke.
Even Jenna and Angela admitted that they were guilty of the same.
Listen to the full podcast below:
Carell: I have never had a job where I didn’t look into the camera at some point. At least once. I’m sure on Foxcatcher I like looked into the camera and [then told myself], “Nope. You cannot comment on what you just did.”
Fischer: Same! I can’t not make the camera a character now. It’s such a habit.
Kinsey: I actually had a director say, “Uh, Angela, you just looked right down the barrel.”
Steve Carell has secured several impressive roles since leaving his iconic role in The Office.
One such role was in the movie Foxcatcher, where he portrayed the millionaire and wrestling enthusiast John du Pont in a dramatic departure from his usual comedic style. Carell’s performance in the film earned him his first-ever Academy Award nomination for Best Actor.
Despite being nominated for six Emmys for his portrayal of Michael Scott on The Office, Carell quickly found another Emmy-nominated role as the disgraced morning show co-anchor Mitch Kessler on Apple TV’s The Morning Show.
Steve Carell also played the character of hedge fund manager Mark Baum in the Oscar-winning movie, The Big Short. Carell showed his abilities in both comedy and drama as the character who constantly disdains American banks. Some fans think it was his best performance since his role in The Office.
Recently, He appeared in FX on Hulu’s miniseries The Patient, and he has future roles in Krasinski’s Imaginary Friends and Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City.
Hopefully, Carell ages like fine wine, and his career flourishes even more in the future!
About The Office
The Office is an American mockumentary sitcom depicting office workers’ lives in the Scranton branch of the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company.
The show has nine seasons. It first aired on March 24, 2005, on NBC. It is an American adaptation of the BBC series of the same name.
The show stars recurring cast members Stever Carrell, Rainn Wilson, John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer, B.J. Novak, Mindy Kaling, and more.
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