Will Ferrell Signs On For Four Episodes Of 'The Office'

Actor will play a branch manager who is 'just as inappropriate as Steve Carell's Michael Scott character.'
By Kara Warner

Will Ferrell
Photo: John Sciulli/ Getty Images

Many fans of "The Office" have likely been lamenting the upcoming exit of star Steve Carell since it was announced last summer. Unfortunately, with just a few months left in the funnyman's tenure, that end is very near. However given the popularity of both Carell and the show, it was likely that NBC wouldn't let him depart without a big send-off.

On Wednesday (January 26), it was revealed that Carell's exit from "The Office" will indeed be big. According to , Carell's pal and "Anchorman" co-star Will Ferrell has signed on to appear in a four-episode arc of the comedy series.

Ferrell will reportedly play a branch manager who visits the Scranton, Pennsylvania, branch from the home office and is "just as inappropriate as Steve Carell's Michael Scott character." NBC has not yet announced when those episodes will air, but Ferrell is said to be committed to appear in one episode after Carell's finale.

The Emmy-winning show's executive producer Paul Lieberstein (who also appears on the show as HR executive/ Michael Scott nemesis Toby Flenderson) explained to Deadline that their goal in signing on Ferrell was twofold: to help send off Carell in a big way, but also to help get "The Other Guys" star more exposure.

"We found Steve Carell when he was nothing but a movie star and we turned him into a television star," Lieberstein said. "We are proud to continue 'The Office's' tradition of discovering famous talent, and we hope that once America gets a good look at Will, they'll see what we see. Tremendous raw sexuality."

Do you think this Will Ferrell guy has what it takes to be a TV star? Let us know in the comments!

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