Given Michael Scott's untimely exit from the show, it only makes sense to have Steve Carell return for The Office's finale and make a cameo to honor the show and the character upon curtain call.
But here's what made the actor adamant about coming back to the series.
Steve Carell was 'Reluctant' in Making The Office Finale Return
Even years after the sitcom series had ended on NBC, fans could never forget how iconic the ending turned out to be. The Office season 9 episode 26 unfolded with Dwight and Angela getting married on his farm.
But Jim Halpert had one last prank before Dwight gets to tie the knot: the original Michael Scott actor Steve Carell shows up to his wedding as a present!
As memorable as that finale was, Jenna Fischer, who played Pam Beesly on the show, detailed a behind-the-scene secret about the finale bombshell.
"Well, it was [series creator Greg Daniels] idea to have Steve come back," co-star Jenna Fischer said on the recent Office Ladies podcast, "He had wanted that for a very long time and he asked [Carell] pretty early in season 9."
Fischer added, however, that the Michael Scott actor was 'reluctant.' Considering that Carell felt that Michael's story had ended its chapter in The Office, returning to it wouldn't make sense.
"Steve felt like, 'My character had his ending.' This is everybody else's ending and he didn't wanna overshadow that," Fisched explained, while recalling Steve saying he didn't want to 'come back after two years' just to have the finale episode 'be about him.'
Why Michael Scott's Cameo Made Sense in The Office Finale
During filming, apparently, Daniels didn't tell anyone, not even NBC, that Steve Carell would return for one final appearance in the episode. Their table read had a 'placeholder' to keep the secret.
"He was afraid that if he turned in any footage of Steve Carell on the show before it aired that NBC would make promos out of it and ruin the surprise," Fischer said.
But honestly, ask any fan of The Office and they would tell them the same thing: bringing back Michael Scott is exactly what made the finale all the more perfect to watch over and over again.
It not only gave Michael another shot at spending one last moment with his former employees but it also included his iconic catchphrase.
As Dwight said, "I can't believe you came," to be his 'best-est' man, Michael couldn't hold it in, "That's what she said."
READ NEXT: Wicked: What Has Cynthia Erivo Said About the 'Offensive' Fan-Made Poster?
Make sure to follow our official Facebook page for more news and explainer articles about your favorite films and TV shows!