Steve Carell Actually Improvised This Hilarious Joke From The Office
Due to the sustained popularity of "The Office," details about the series' production have remained a talking point for members of its cast and crew even in the years after its conclusion. On numerous occasions, cast members have revealed that various comedic moments from throughout the show's run were either improvised or the result of happenstance. For example, in 2018, Ed Helms detailed how in the Season 6 episode "Secret Santa," Steve Carell's reaction to Kevin Malone actor Brian Baumgartner sitting on his lap elicited genuine laughter from more than one actor present. This was caught on camera and included in the episode.
The Season 3 episode "Gay Witch Hunt," meanwhile, is notorious for a prolonged moment in which Michael Scott (Steve Carell) kisses Oscar Martinez (Oscar Nuñez), which he believes will demonstrate his acceptance of Oscar's sexuality. Years later, Nuñez revealed that the kiss was unscripted, meaning that some ensuing shocked looks on their co-workers' faces may well be expressions of genuine surprise.
In an episode of the podcast "Office Ladies" released on November 3, hosts Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey discussed another such moment, improvised by Carell, that ended up in an episode's final cut.
Michael getting egg in his Crocs was all improv
In the November 3 episode of "Office Ladies," Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey deep dive into the Season 5 episode of "The Office" titled "Dream Team." The episode's name is in reference to Michael Scott leaving his longtime employer Dunder Mifflin and founding The Michael Scott Paper Company. His so-called dream team consists of Pam Beesly (Jenna Fischer), Ryan Howard (B. J. Novak), and former co-worker Vikram (Ranjit Chowdhry).
Soon after quitting their jobs to start their new company, Michael and Pam meet at Michael's home, where he's in the midst of cooking a batch of french toast in a bath robe. As Pam encourages him to focus harder on their new business venture, Michael spills beaten egg on himself. As a tag to this bit of physical comedy, Michael winces and states, "I have egg in my Crocs."
Fischer revealed on "Office Ladies" that Carell improvised this line completely. The camera then pans down to Michael's pair of now eggy Crocs, itself an off-the-cuff response to Carell's line. Furthermore, because the egg would create different patterns on Michael's robe each time they shot the scene anew, Fischer had to make a concerted effort to hold back genuine laughter at Carell's improvisation, given that it would be impossible to edit in footage from another take featuring a different spill pattern. Fortunately, Fischer persevered, and "I have egg in my Crocs" will forever remain a part of "Office" canon.