Brian Baumgartner Had One The Office Stipulation Before Guesting on Suits LA
Black & Lane had to break out the gold red carpet...or in the case of Kevin Malone, red chili.
Brian Baumgartner was happy to make a guest appearance on Suits LA...with one teeny-tiny stipulation. And no, it wasn't a steaming pot of chili.
In a recent interview with NBC Insider, The Office alum explained that his in-show character's desire to kill off Kevin Malone had to be done with the utmost respect to the hit workplace comedy that made him a national icon.
RELATED: Suits LA Saw Patton Oswalt Hate on The Office But Does He Truly Dislike The Show?
Brian Baumgartner had one Office stipulation for Suits LA guest spot
"The Office does mean a lot to me, and I know it means a lot to other people. I say that with a full heart," he told us. "The only concern for me in terms of this was to make sure that that was very clear that. I'm playing a fictional version of myself. I still very much honor and respect the legacy of that show. That was the only part that was tricky. The rest of it was just fun."
Baumgartner went on to praise series creator and showrunner Aaron Korsh for addressing his concerns beforehand," stating: "We had some conversation about it beforehand. I don't think this is going too inside baseball or whatever to say. Suits LA is on NBC and The Office is an NBC property. I think if that were not the case, [if] we were going on [another network], it might've been a little bit different. I knew that ultimately, NBC has no desire to disparage The Office or Kevin Malone — or make fun of it in any way. I think for me, it was just important that it be clear that I very much value that still."
Will Kevin Malone be in The Office spinoff series?
Last spring, Peacock placed an order for a spinoff series set in the same universe as The Office, albeit with a brand-new setting and cast of characters. Hailing from the creative duo of Greg Daniels and Michael Koman, the show is said to take place at a failing Midwest newspaper.
Previously announced cast members include Domhnall Gleeson (Ex Machina), Sabrina Impacciatore (The White Lotus), Chelsea Frei (Poker Face), Melvin Gregg (American Vandal), Ramona Young (Santa Clarita Diet), Gbemisola Ikumelo (A League Of Their Own), Alex Edelman (Unfrosted), Tim Key (This Time with Alan Partridge) and Eric Rahill (The Bear).
While the jury is still out on whether we'll see any familiar faces from Dunder Mifflin, the good folks over at ScreenRant couldn't help but ask Mr. Baumgartner for his thoughts on a potential appearance from Kevin Malone.
"I don't know what the rules are there in the new show, or where Greg [Daniels] sees Kevin," the actor said. "I hope Kevin's still working at the bar right around the corner from Dunder Mifflin. I hope he's still there, so I don't know about a trip to the Midwest, or who knows maybe those guys need to write a story about the people in Scranton and come in."
He continued: "I have no idea, but look, I'm really excited, as I'm sure everyone is, to see what they've come up with. Michael Koman and, of course, Greg Daniels, [are] genius, so I'm sure that it's going to be a lot of fun for people."
RELATED: The Office: What You Might Not Know About Kevin’s Chili (and the Spill That Became a Permanent Meme)
How to watch Suits LA and The Office
New episodes of Suits LA premiere on NBC every Sunday at 9:00 p.m. ET before making their way to Peacock next-day. Stream the pilot episode here along with all nine seasons of the original Suits!
All nine seasons of The Office are also streaming alongside Seasons 1-8 of the extended Superfan episodes.
Peacock offers two monthly subscription plans: Premium ($7.99 a month with ads) and Premium Plus ($13.99 a month with no ads and download access for certain titles). If you're a student, you can enjoy the Premium plan for just $1.99 for an entire year!
