‘The Office’: Who Voiced Michael Scott’s Mom?

Michael Scott’s work life might have been an open book in The Office, but his origin story was shrouded in some mystery. Scott did let out tidbits of information about his family throughout the nine seasons of The Office, but his family was largely unseen. Fans know he was raised by his mother and stepfather. They know that Michael had several siblings, and his grandmother and nephew both made an appearance during the series. Michael’s mother was never seen, though. Her voice, however, was heard. Surprisingly, the actress who lent her voice to the series as Michael’s mom is incredibly well-known.

Who voiced Michael Scott’s mom?

Micheal’s mom is never seen during the entire run of The Office, but it becomes clear that his relationship with his family is rather interesting. During one phone call, to announce his engagement, his mother is less-than-enthusiastic, giving fans a glimpse into the complicated relationship between Michael and his family.

While the role was small, someone had to voice Michael’s mother, and there is a slew of actors who specialize in lending their voice to shows where they’ll never be seen. The production house behind The Office decided to go with an acting veteran to portray Micheal’s mom, who is never given a name. She was voiced by June Squibb, who has had an impressively long Hollywood career.

What other series has she appeared in?

Squibb is incredibly well-known for her cameos in various shows and movies. In fact, she was once nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting actress, according to her IMDB profile. Her first television credit came way back in 1985 on CBS Schoolbreak Special. Squibb was already in her 50s at that point, although she was active in the theater community from a young age.

From there, she collected roles in everything from Scent of a Woman to Just Shoot Me!. She also lent her voice to Toy Story 4 as Margaret the Store Owner, and Ralph Breaks the Internet as Jimmy’s Grandma. Now 90-years-old, Squibb isn’t slowing down either. The famed bit actress will appear in The Humans, a drama film slated for a 2020 release. She is also set to take on a role in Back of Book, a caper-style flick that was just announced. The inclusion of the new role rounds Squibb’s acting credits to 84.

Why was she never seen?

Micheal’s upbringing is considered essential to his overall characteristics, but the inclusion of his family is not pivotal to The Office’s storyline. Ensuring that most of his family is never seen, although they are mentioned, also adds an air of mystery to the character. Several other shows have used mentioned but never seen characters to add a bit of magic to otherwise light sitcoms.

Frasier, for example, used a never seen character to drive its story forward, too. Maris, who was Niles Crane’s first wife, is often mentioned but she is never seen. The Big Bang Theory also never showed Howard Wolowitz’s mother, although her voice is regularly heard. Howard’s mother was voiced by Carol Ann Susi. Susi died in 2014 from cancer, according to The Hollywood Reporter.