14 DAY TRIAL // The television series “The Office” has plenty of Golden Globes under its belt but it’s about to lose its biggest star come the end of next season. Steve Carell has recently confirmed that he will not be returning to the show after the upcoming season, while also saying that he believed no one would actually miss him all that much, as E! Online reports.
It was Carell who first dropped the bomb that his tenure on the show may come to an end soon, during an interview with BBC Radio. Now, the funnyman confirms for E! that, indeed, he’s leaving the show after the next season, saying that the decision was prompted by his realization that the time was nigh he moved on. Plus, he initially signed with the network for 7 years and his contract is up once the upcoming season ends in the spring of 2011.
“I just think it’s time. I want to fulfill my contract. When I first signed on I had a contract for seven seasons, and this coming year is my seventh. I just thought it was time for my character to go,” Carell explains for E!. Moreover, somehow the actor is convinced that few will actually miss him on the show, saying it could go on without him almost like he never was involved in the first place. “It doesn’t certainly mean the end of the show. I think it’s just a dynamic change to the show, which could be a good thing, actually. Add some new life and some new energy... I see it as a positive in general for the show,” he explains.
The fuss around the story that he’s leaving “The Office” greatly surprised Steve – and he’s the first to admit it. “I didn’t see it as a huge thing and I certainly didn’t anticipate any sort of hubbub over it. I’m just not going to extend my contract, but I didn’t see it as a huge deal. And the show is great, and the ensemble is so strong, and the writers are great, so it’s just one part of that ensemble drifting off. They’ve incorporated so many new characters and so many new, great storylines that I have no doubt it’ll continue as strong if not stronger than ever,” he says of how he sees things progressing after he’s gone.
So far, NBC has not issued any statement regarding Carell’s departure, which still leaves plenty of room for fans to harbor hope that this is just another negotiation strategy, aimed to help the actor land a fatter paycheck. Still, E! points out that this looks nothing like a plot for the renegotiation of the contract, which could very well mean that Carell is really determined to walk away from the show come next year. For an official confirmation (or denial, depending on the case), keep an eye on this space.