Paul Lieberstein is known for playing the role of Toby and serving as one of the showrunners of the hit sitcom The Office. However, a major turning point in the series came when lead star Steve Carell decided to exit after the show’s seventh season. As a result, Lieberstein was forced to deal with a Michael Scott-shaped hole in the final two seasons.
During an interview, Lieberstein opened up about dealing with Carell’s departure and bringing James Spader on board as his replacement. Despite Spader’s tenure on the series only lasting one, Lieberstein credited the actor with saving the series. Here is what Lieberstein had to say about Spader’s one-season run on The Office.
The Office Star Paul Lieberstein Credited James Spader With Saving the Sitcom
The Office season 7 saw series star Steve Carell exit the hit sitcom, with James Spader appearing as Robert California in a guest capacity. Spader was later selected as Michael Scott’s replacement for the post of regional manager of the Dunder Mifflin Scranton Branch.
While Spader’s turn only lasted one season, the actor delivered a truly fascinating performance, holding the series together during its twilight years. As a result, the then-showrunner Paul Lieberstein, who played Toby in the series, opened up about Spader’s short run on the series.
He’s been a great friend to me and the show, helping us successfully transition into the post-Michael Scott years, and I’m grateful for that.
Lieberstein made the above statement (via The Hollywood Reporter), revealing that Spader had only signed on for a single season.
Despite wanting his character’s arc to last only one season, Spader impacted the sitcom, especially by filling in the void left behind by Carell’s exit. The eighth season drew in 6.51 million viewers, only slightly declining from the seventh installment. Hence, it is understandable why Lieberstein credited Spader with keeping the sitcom alive.
James Spader Revealed Why He Took The Office Gig
Spader’s run on the hit sitcom is an anomaly in his television career as he has otherwise been a lead actor on long-running shows such as Boston Legal and The Blacklist. In The Office: The Untold Story of the Greatest Sitcom of the 2000s, author Andy Greene revealed that Spader only took the gig because he was broke at the time.
I did a David Mamet play [Race] in New York for a year […] when it was done, I knew I was going to need some money because I was hemorrhaging cash doing the play. And then all of a sudden, I got the call from The Office.
Spader is quoted as stating the above in the book (via /Film), adding that he had mostly burned out his paychecks from his Boston Legal days on the renovation of his house.
Ultimately, given Spader’s financial woes at the time, it is easy to understand why the actor agreed to play Robert California for only one season of the hit sitcom. Despite most fans disliking season 8, many agree that Spader’s performance was spotless.
The Office is streaming on Peacock.
