The most memorable guest stars from “The Office”
by Frank Caldwell
Despite its big-name star in Steve Carell, “The Office” rarely brought in many truly big name guest stars. The low-key, documentary-style atmosphere of the show likely wouldn’t have tolerated the cognitive dissonance, anyway. But there were some notable pop-ins from Hollywood’s greatest:
The Best: Kathy Bates as Joleen MaryAnn “Jo” Bennett
Kathy Bates filled a recurring role within the show that had a surprising amount of screen time, but never outlasted its welcome. In the middle seasons of the show, the Scranton branch of Dunder Mifflin was purchased by a company headed by Jo Bennett, a hard-talking, hard-walking woman who had very little patience for the incredibly bizarre workings of the Dunder Mifflin paper company. Instead, she was mostly concerned with the profitability of the company, which would make her one of the very few people who was. Her role was a classic example of a guest role playing to the strengths of its star. Kathy Bates, being the consummate professional she is, filled the role superbly.
The Worst: Will Ferrell as Deangelo Vickers
After Michael Scott (Carell) left “The Office,” there was an incredible void left in the show that no one believed could be appropriately filled. The show runners brought Will Ferrell in as a replacement for the lovable Michael Scott, but he just didn’t mesh well with the rest of the cast, and his character became muddled and confused. He was so hated by fans, the show runners were forced to write him out entirely, even though he’d been intended as a permanent replacement. Part of the problem was that Carell had managed to infuse Michael Scott with a sort of adorable charm. He may have been selfish and misguided, but at his core he was a genuinely good person. Ferrell’s Deangelo Vickers had absolutely none of the likability of Carell’s Michael Scott, but plenty of the buffoonery, which led many to wonder whether he had even seen the show before starring in it.
The Ambiguous: Catherine Tate as Nellie Bertram
American audiences might not have even been aware the character of Nellie Bertram was a famous British comedienne, Catherine Tate. Tate has starred in such fine productions as “Doctor Who” in the United Kingdom. Nellie Bertram immediately became a love-her-or-hate-her character who divided fans like no other, but one thing neither group can deny is that Tate played the role absolutely wonderfully. Played as an incompetent and overly ambitious woman with a plethora of personal issues and social issues, Nellie embodied the archetype of someone who had made a history for herself by failing upwards.
The Surprising: Warren Buffet as a Prospective New Hire
In one of the most wonderful and certainly strangest cameos in television history, Warren Buffett appeared on “The Office” as someone interviewing for Michael Scott’s position. Buffett, for those that haven’t been paying attention for the last 40 years, is often considered by many the most successful investor in the world. During his brief but memorable cameo, he asked if they could do better on their salary, how the mileage would be reimbursed, and whether long distance calls would be on the honor system. There are two interesting things about this cameo. One, Buffett had never watched the show, but still thought the idea would be fun. Two, in exchange for his appearance, Buffett had them film a five-minute spoof of “The Office” with the cast and himself. The spoof is said to be under lock-and-key, and only members of Berkshire Hathaway were ever allowed to view it.
Those who miss the show or for some strange reason didn’t watch it during its lengthy run can still catch it being played on a few channels since its syndication, and packages such as those available on Bundle.tv will allow viewers to either DVR it or play it on a portable device.
Who was your favorite guest star on “The Office”?
Creative Commons image by Live Music Photographer
Frank Caldwell is an entertainment writer and music junkie who loves to surf.