It's no secret that nostalgia has quickly become the most popular trend in Hollywood. NBC isn't one to be left out, and the network recently revealed its plans to bring the beloved and acclaimed series The Office back from the dead. While this was exciting for the droves of fans who have been binge watching since the series concluded in 2013, the main question was whether or not the original cast would be returning. I recently had the chance to speak with Rainn Wilson about his new streaming play Thom Pain on BroadwayHD, when I asked about the possibility of The Office returning. He revealed that apparently no calls have been made, and noted how busy most of the cast is in their respective careers.
It was all over the internet, and it was all over Twitter and stuff like that. And NBC even released a statement about it. But I don't even know if any contacts have been made, or offers, or anything like that. Our showrunner Greg Daniels is busy on another show, Jenna's on another show, John's on another show. Everyone on The Office is working. Steve is a gigantic movie star.
It looks like trying to get the entire ensemble cast in one room will be a bit of a scheduling nightmare. After all, they've all got a variety of projects, and have maintained strong careers since the series concluded. Wilson was specifically referencing the shows the shows of co-stars Jenna Fischer (Splitting Up Together), John Krasinski (Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan), as well as Greg Daniels' work on People of Earth. Of course, they're not the only Office alums who have been working, as supporting cast members like Phyllis Smith have made their own name for themselves.
Rainn Wilson does seem open to playing Dwight alongside the rest of the large ensemble cast, although he does have a few stipulations. He told me,
I think everyone feels the same way. If the timing is right, if the idea is right then we'd love to do something. I don't wanna go do new Office episodes. Kinda like on Will & Grace, they're just doing the show again. I don't really have a desire to do that. But if there was some fun little arc where we get to revisit our characters in a given time, that could be a lot of fun.
The Office bringing back the original cast is likely the only way a new series of episodes could happen, given the massive popularity the series has maintained. This is mostly due to its availability on Netflix, and the growing trend of binge watching. Rainn Wilson seems ready to put that center part back in his hair, but the timing and story would just have to be right. Now we just have to wait and see how NBC continues developing the series, following its initial announcement of a revival.
You can catch Rainn Wilson in Thom Pain, streaming exclusively on BroadwayHD.
