“The Office” of Dunder Mifflin Sabre is going through many renovations, Robert California is the new CEO and Andy Bernard has been promoted to Office Manager. With all the changes occurring, how could all the characters possibly stay the same? Well, it sounds like viewers are in for a real treat during Season 8!
Robert, James Spader, came onto the scene with a mysterious aura and Paul Lieberstein, Executive Producer, said, “He’s the guy who’s just very interested in the interactions with people and playing out power dynamics and watching people squirm and putting them in situations where they’re tested…he’s a voyeur of the process.”
The subtle but robust control that Robert has over the office and his employees leaves viewers wondering if Spader’s character will open up, or will he remain a mystery? Ed Helms, Andy, said, “The episode that we’re shooting right now, I’m having a tremendous amount of fun with. We know Robert California pretty well by now. He’s not a one-not character by any stretch.”
Andy’s overconfident but sneaky personality is determined to understand Robert but also figure where he fits into the new hierarchy as Office Manager. Helms said, “Andy, I think, has some real leadership potential. But it’s just a mater of finding it…I’m excited for that journey.”
And Helms wasn’t reluctant to accept the fact that he shares similar characteristics to Andy in real life. Helms said, “I really like the way Andy dresses in certain episodes. But, you know, I struggle with confidence like most people. And I certainly relate to Andy’s fear walking in to a situation, but I do think I’m a little better equipped at handling it than Andy.”
Change seems to be a good thing for “The Office” and definitely a healthy challenge. Lieberstein said, “I always felt pressure to make the show as best I could. And for every table read, I get nervous, and that was with Steve or without Steve. Certainly there are a lot of eyes on the show right now.”
The Office’s Halloween episode will definitely have plenty of eyes watching. Lieberstein said, “We do a lot of costumes with Rainn because he had a series of flashbacks to about six different Halloweens.” Helms said the episode was “A really fun one to shoot just because the office is completely decorated to the hilt!”
‘The Office’ airs Thursday’s at 9p ET on NBC.