‘The Office’: Michael Scott’s Look Changed Because of Steve Carell’s ’40-Year-Old Virgin’ Role

Steve Carell joined the cast of The Office just as he was becoming a movie star. Anchorman had already come out and Carell was on the set of The 40-Year-Old Virgin between the pilot and filming the first season of The Office. That had a direct effect on Michael Scott’s initial appearance, Carell said. 

Carell was on a Television Critics Association panel for The Office on the set in 2009. Approaching season 6 of the show, Carell looked back at how far Michael had come from the pilot. The Office is now streaming on Peacock.

Michael Scott was in better shape in ‘The Office’ because of Steve Carell’s movie

In the first season, Michael slicked back his hair. Not only did Carell stop doing that, but he happened to get into better shape for his character in The 40-Year-Old Virgin.

“Part of the evolution was between that pilot and season two, I lost about 25 pounds,” Carell said. “And in part because of 40-Year-Old Virgin. That sort of formed the look partially there.”

At the beginning of ‘The Office’ Michael Scott was too scary

Looking back at those initial episodes of The Office, Carell was glad he changed. 

“I think that first year, the look was really scary,” Carell said. “I don’t know if there was any [note] from the hierarchy at NBC that he needed to be at least reasonably watchable. There wasn’t any big conscious decision. The hair just changed a little bit and got a little fluffy.”

Greg Daniels, who adapted The Office from the British show, acknowledged Michael changed more than just superficially since the first season. Carell’s portrayal of Michael has since won over critics too.

“Part of the character changed, though,” Daniels said. “Michael was more an antagonist in the first season, and became much more a person that you rooted for. So you had to root for somebody with less hair gel.”

Steve Carell found new aspects of Michael Scott 

Going into his sixth year as Michael Scott, Carell reflected on the more subtle changes he discovered. 

“I attribute it to the writing,” Carell said. “The writers are always finding ways to make  the character evolve, to enable him to change or to maybe get a little more self-perspective. And that’s fun, over the course of doing a few seasons to  figure out what else makes this guy tick and how he might change and grow.”

Carell also said that the conceit of The Office, that a documentary crew was filming the staff at Dunder Mifflin, evolved too. Once Michael got used to the cameras, he opened up more. 

“Your first season, your first couple, I try to be more wary of the camera and sort of less willing to show all aspects, whether they be emotional or what have you,” Carell said. “And then in later seasons, you know, everybody gets more accustomed to this crew there. So I think all the characters are a little bit more amenable to let their guards down. And I think in that way, you get to know the characters better, because they, as characters, are more confident, which you see.”