We don’t usually cover television, but when Will Ferrell decides to drop in, we make an exception. In an effort to retain interest in hit-show The Office after Steve Carell leaves toward the end of this season, NBC plans to bring in the funniest guy they can find: Will Ferrell. The actor will guest star in four episodes toward the end of the workplace comedy’s current (seventh) season.
The last time the two worked together was Anchorman, which helped launch Steve Carell’s acting career, which has taken off since The Office premiered. Ferrell will play a branch manager who arrives from corporate, but ends up being just as terrible a boss as Michael Scott. Three of the episodes will have Carell in them as well, with Ferrell managing solo in the last. Steve Carell is leaving the show four episodes before the season finale.
“We found Steve Carell when he was nothing but a movie star and we turned him into a television star,” executive producer Paul Lieberstein told EW. “We are proud to continue The Office‘s tradition of discovering famous talent, and we hope that once America gets a good look at Will, they’ll see what we see: tremendous raw sexuality.”
What NBC’s plans are for the last four episodes, we do not know. It is presumed that another manager will come in and permanently replace Carell, though Dunder Mifflin could promote from within. Carell announced his departure from the show last fall when his contract was up for renewal, saying he’d like to have more time to spend with his family. We speculate his blossoming movie career may have something to do with the move as well.
