California is an original character and has no … James Spader broke out as a movie star in the mid-1980s, but before that, he honed his chops with guest-star work on TV shows. How James Spader got the job on The Office In Andy Greene's new book The Office: The Untold Story of the Greatest Sitcom of the 2000s: An Oral History , audiences first learn how Spader … When good TV goes bad: how the American Office downsized its comic potential. Click the button below to start this article in quick view. Related: James Spader's Pretty In Pink Bully Earned Him The Nickname "Mr Sneer". It seemed as though Spader’s eccentric new chief executive, Robert California, was meant as a sort of replacement. By Nina Starner / May 26, 2020 4:17 pm EST. But rather than pretend that everything could continue as, well, as normal as Dunder Mifflin ever got, they leaned into season 8 as a time for change. James Spader probably had the best character that made the most impact out of all the candidates. Her crushes include Michael Fassbender, Nightwing and the cartoon fox from Robin Hood. James Spader's Robert California was only in The Office for a single year. Despite getting her English degree years ago, she can’t seem to leave her job at the comic shop. James Spader came in as Robert California to fill the void left by the exit of Steve Carell’s Michael Scott at the end of season 7; however, the actor himself left after season 8. The prolific producer also remembers network resistance over casting Mandy Patinkin because he was "too Jewish." Where a character as prominent — and predictably unpredictable — as Michael meant planning ahead for multiple seasons, having someone who was only ever going to be temporary allowed the writers a season to relax and try things on for size. "It was just kind of fun, living in the moment and just enjoying his presence, and not really planning what it was going to be like in seasons to come," Lieberstein told Vulture. That meant building a character arc for California that lasted only one season — something Spader agreed with from the start. fOn the show, Dunder Mifflin CFO David Wallace (Andy Buckley) replaces California after buying the company and promptly "donating" $1 million to allow California to travel around "educating — mentoring — some African, some Asian, but mainly Eastern European women." Eugene and Jimmy defend a female vigilante who killed a drug dealer. She takes far too many pictures of both her dog and her horse, and prefers spending time with them to hanging out with actual human beings. He embraces himself just the way he is, and his fans do too! In the eighth season, Robert managed to persuade Jo Bennett to appoint him CEO in her place. From the 80s, when James owned his breakout role of the arrogant rich jerk in the 1986 hit Pretty in Pink to the demanding-in-more-ways-than-one boss in 2002’s Secretary , he cemented his ability to play unsympathetic or uncomfortably offbeat characters. His first wife's name was Victoria Kheel and they got married in 1987 and they were blessed with two children named Elijah and Sebastian Spader. James Todd Spader was born on February 7, 1960 in Boston, Massachusetts, the son of teachers Jean (Fraser) and Stoddard Greenwood "Todd" Spader. In a Rolling Stones interview, James Spader revealed certain aspects of his personality (namely his OCD, and his unconventional nature) that he does not shy away from. James Spader came in as Robert California to fill the void left by the exit of Steve Carell’s Michael Scott at the end of season 7; however, the actor himself left after season 8. However, it was the "life and intrigue" that Spader brought to his short screen time that convinced them to work in a larger story. All the latest gaming news, game reviews and trailers. In 2012, Lieberstein told Vulture, "We always kind of thought of this as a transition year." Next: NBCUniversal Streaming Service Will Be Very Different To Netflix. However, according to The Office executive producer Paul Liberstein, the character of Robert California and Spader's performance, caught on to the degree that the actor ended up sticking around for season 8. Bob Kazamakis) first entered the picture at the end of season 7, when he interviewed to replace Steve Carell's Michael Scott as the manager of the Scranton branch of Dunder Mifflin. In the eighth-season finale, Robert departs from the company after David Wallace purchases Dunder Mifflin. With stints on The Practice, and a three-time Emmy winning role in Boston Legal, his brilliantly executed guest spot in The Office season 7 finale had fans clamoring for him to be given the fictional position. He explained Robert California helped in “the transition to the post-Michael Scott years.” Apparently, from the time negotiations began, there wasn’t much talk of plans for California beyond season 8. For Spader's part, he was happy to join The Office for even one episode. The show retains a passionate fanbase, due in large part to its rewatchability. “Steve said he would have come back, but [the network] didn’t even try,” added editor Claire Scanlon. By using our Services, you agree to our use of cookies. The Reason James Spader Didn't Return For The Final Season Of The Office. James Spader was only meant to do two scenes James Todd Spader is an American actor and producer. Many fans stuck with the series until the final episode, though there were plenty of viewers who felt that it should’ve ended with Carell’s departure. Will Ferrell came in as Deangelo Vickers but ultimately left. 3. why did james spader leave the office Archive. It turns out we were lucky to spend a full season watching Robert California torment the office. Now they are enjoying their relationship and there is no sign of separation. Though not all viewers felt that he truly fit in, many were still surprised to see the veteran actor leave The Office after a single season. A one-stop shop for all things video games. 3. COMMENTS. James Spader's Robert California made his debut as the new CEO of Sabre, Dundler-Mifflin's parent company, on the season eight premiere of The Office … So why did Spader bow out of The Office after one season, and why didn't he return for the series' last lap? Despite this, the series will be leaving the streaming service after 2020 to stream exclusively on NBCUniversal’s own platform. He attended Phillips Academy in Andover with director Peter Sellars; he dropped out in eleventh grade. She has an obsession with Buffy the Vampire Slayer and enjoys bullying people into playing the Buffy board game. Here's the reason he left when season 8 reached its conclusion. However, the “life and intrigue” that the actor brought to the series is what made Lieberstein want to keep him around. In a statement, executive producer Paul “Toby Flenderson” Lieberstein says: “James came to The Office to play a role that was two scenes long in the season 7 finale. Character Study: Robert California. He also voiced and performed motion-capture of the titular character of Ultron in Avengers: … James Spader enjoyed a lush, full head of hair well into his 40s. Alan defends a homeless man who planted an unwanted kiss on a woman. And it was a lot of fun, indeed, both on set and on screen — to the point that after Spader's episode aired, the team asked him to come back for a longer arc. Sunday. Robert California, also known as Bob Kazamakis, is a fictional character on the U.S. comedy television series The Office, portrayed by James Spader. ... Pam’s maternity leave replacement, ... An upcoming episode will blend Office politics with the politics of fund-raisers. Throughout its nine-season run, The Office grew from a small, humble show starring mostly unknown actors to … The Office may have ended its run six years ago, but it still remains the most popular show on Netflix. Manipulative, intense, and sex-obsessed, California (a.k.a. “It made me so depressed how [the network] had blown something that they could have saved,” producer Ben Silverman said. March 2015. More turnover at Dunder Mifflin: James Spader will not be returning to The Office next season. Although James Spader's Robert California was a fun character, there’s no denying The Office was a somewhat different show after Carell’s exit. Directed by Dennis Smith. The Office had the perfect mixture of heart and humor. California is portrayed by James Spader. In 2012, The Office writer and executive producer Paul Lieberstein — who also played the loathed-by-Michael-Scott human resources representative Toby Flenderson — said that when the producing team first met with James Spader, they were only planning to use him for two scenes, on the episode in which Toby, Jim (John Kransinski), and Gabe (Zach Woods) are interviewing replacements for Michael. His interactions between each of the office regulars was brilliant because of how fresh and different it was to what the others did. At the start of Season 8, we were informed that Robert California (played by James Spader) ... And that leads me to the tenth reason why I hated season 8 of The Office ... Leave a Reply Cancel reply. In 2002, he made his relationship with Leslie Stefanson and they welcomed a son named Nathaneal in August 2008. James Spader, Actor: The Blacklist. Written by Ian Thomas Malone, Posted in Blog, features, Pop Culture. We all remember Robert California from The Office. Cookies help us deliver our Services. In a series as crammed with memorable characters and A-list cameos as The Office, James Spader's guest role as Robert California remains one of the most bizarre standouts. In the eighth-season finale, Robert departs from the company after David Wallace purchases Dunder Mifflin. Jamie Gerber is a writer for Screen Rant, The Quiz and Psycho Drive-In.