Every single fan of NBC’s The Office is still wondering who will become the new manager of Dunder Mifflin come fall. News is coming to us today from Entertainment Weekly who, if correct, may finally have our answer.
In the season finale “Search Committee”, numerous celebrity guest stars including Catherine Tate, Ricky Gervais, Ray Romano, Jim Carrey, and James Spader interviewed for the coveted position of Dunder Mifflin manager. Admittedly, none of the characters brought much to the interviews except for Spader’s Robert California, who is in talks to join the show full time.
“In the finale, he kicked ass,” says a source close to the show. “He was so funny and had this weird energy. We didn’t want to pass it up.”
Although in the fall you’ll see Spader as the manager, he won’t stay there for long. As you may remember, Gabe had asked Robert California if he was “overqualified” for management, and apparently, he is. According to EW, after a few episodes Spader’s character will head to Sabre and convince them to name him CEO of the company.
With Kathy Bates (who plays Sabre CEO Jo Bennett) returning to NBC’s Harry’s Law in the fall, it makes sense that her character would no longer be needed on the show. And while Bates was a recurring character, it is said that Spader will have a “significant weekly presence on the show.”
While contract negotiations are still pending, this “rumor” could turn south and nothing is 100% yet. Hopefully it goes through though as Robert California would be a perfect fit to the quirky Dunder Mifflin world on The Office.