The Office: Every Main Actor Who Left The Show Early (& Why)
With a stellar ensemble cast that helped make the show such a hit, every actor who left The Office prior to the series finale made a big impact. Although the original UK version of The Office that the US version is based on ran for only 14 episodes, the American show enjoyed a long run on television and is still considered one of the all-time greats of TV comedies and a noteworthy pioneer in the mockumentary sitcom genre. But even though the show was so successful, some actors left before it was over.
The actors who departed from The Office’s cast before the show had run its full course all had their own reasons for doing so, though all parted on good terms. Likewise, many of them went on to do other great projects after leaving The Office and have continued to do so more recently. Some even returned for The Office’s series finale, making for both emotional and hysterical cameos that remained true to their characters. Here’s every main actor who left The Office early, and the reasons why they did so.
Steve Carell (Michael Scott)
Out of every actor who left The Office, Steve Carrell’s exit was the biggest. The show wouldn’t be what it is without self-proclaimed “World’s Best Boss,” Michael Scott. But The Office season 7 sees Michael finally leave Dunder Mifflin and Scranton, PA behind in order to move to Colorado with his fiancé, Holly. It’s one of the sitcom’s most emotional moments, and it was a difficult goodbye for the cast too, as Carell had been such an important member of the show since its original season 1 adaption.
At the time, the official word on Steve Carell’s departure from The Office was that he simply felt it was time to go and he wanted to spend more time with his family. However, in Andy Greene’s 2020 book, The Office: The Untold Story of the Greatest Sitcom of the 2000s, it’s revealed that Carell was actually willing to return for more seasons of the show, but executives at NBC never communicated with him about renewing his contract. Even when Carell had publicly indicated that season 7 might be his last, the network didn’t reach out to him to try to convince him to stay.
Mindy Kaling (Kelly Kapoor)
Customer service rep Kelly’s sendoff comes in the first episode of season 9 as Mindy Kaling left The Office. Kelly announces that she’s moving with her fiancé Ravi to Miami, not aware that it is Ohio and not Florida. However, she does appear in the series finale, fittingly running off with on-again, off-again lover Ryan at Dwight and Angela’s wedding, leaving Ryan’s infant son Drake in the care of the unsuspecting Ravi.
According to the actress, her departure from the show was actually quite seamless. Kaling was starting her own show, The Mindy Project, and she ended up working with some of her friends from The Office on that project as well, such as B.J. Novak and Ed Helms.
B.J. Novak (Ryan Howard)
Like Mindy Kaling, B.J. Novak, who plays Ryan on The Office, was also a writer on the show, as well as a producer. He also left right at the start of season 9, with Ryan following Kelly to Ohio but claiming that his simultaneous departure was actually unrelated. According to B.J. Novak, his Office exit was motivated mostly by burnout.
By season 9, other important cast members like Carell, and especially Kaling, who Novak was actually quite close with when working on the series, had already left. Novak wasn’t feeling as invested in the show as he wanted and didn’t feel like he could do it anymore, even though he was offered a role as The Office showrunner moving forward.
David Denman (Roy Anderson)
Before Jim and Pam’s romance took off, Roy Anderson, played by David Denman, was Pam’s deadbeat fiancé/boyfriend in the show’s early seasons. Inattentive and prone to violence, Roy serves mainly as an obstacle to Jim and Pam’s romance throughout The Office seasons 1 to 3. This is ultimately why Denman left, too.
After Pam and Roy’s Office breakup, the actor knew he wouldn’t be on the show for much longer. Denman’s original contract was rather low for seasons 1 to 3, with the caveat of becoming much more lucrative in seasons 4 and beyond. This rather ominous setup, coupled with the writers’ commitment to get Jim and Pam together, meant that Denman wasn’t destined to stick around as a series regular past season 3.
His character did find redemption in The Office season 9 episode, appropriately entitled “Roy’s Wedding” suggesting Roy was better off without Pam. The episode opens with Jim and Pam somewhat awkwardly attending a lavish (and bizarrely early morning) wedding for Roy and his new bride-to-be. The reception revealed that Roy had actually started a successful gravel company, affording him a beautiful home. He even took piano lessons to impress his new bride, which understandably left his ex, Pam, shocked.
Melora Hardin (Jan Levinson)
One of The Office’s most notorious characters is Jan Levinson, who plays Michael’s uptight corporate boss, domineering girlfriend, and unstable ex at different points in the show. Jan’s appearance in the series mostly dwindles by the end of season 5, though she does appear as a recurring character in season 7 as well. After Jan’s breakup with Michael, Jan’s role becomes less important, which is part of why actress Melora Hardin disappeared from the show.
On the podcast, An Oral History of The Office, Hardin also revealed that she never felt a true sense of belonging on set. Though there was no ill will between her and the rest of the cast, a side effect of Jan’s appearance only in specific scenes as opposed to the consistent Scranton office meant that she didn’t bond as tightly as everyone else did.
