The Office: Q&A with Paul Lieberstein and Ed Helms

When Steve Carell announced his plans to move on following a seven-season stint as World’s Greatest Boss on NBC’s The Office, many viewers balked at the prospect of a Scott-free Dunder Mifflin. Speculation about his replacement began almost immediately, though none could begin to imagine what the show might look like without its sweet, bumbling leader wrecking everything in sight for our cringing pleasure. Finally, after ages of tight-lipped discretion from the production staff, the start of Season Eight revealed fan-favorite Andy Bernard (Ed Helms) as the new titleholder.

To discuss this landmark change and the future of the long-running comedy, Helms joined Writer and Producer Paul Lieberstein (Toby Flenderson onscreen) in a question-and-answer session that was thankfully devoid of spontaneous a cappella riffs and anti-HR propaganda.

What was behind the decision to place Andy in the Manager role, and what was the election process like? As it turns out, the cast members themselves weren’t too far ahead of us in the information acquisition department. “I knew about three or four weeks before we started shooting,” said Helms. “Paul and I had lunch, and that’s where I learned of the news.” Insisting that none of the show’s actors did any major campaigning on behalf of their own characters, he continued, “I’ve always trusted the creative judgment of the show creators. There was a lot of internal wondering and questioning. But we all sort of took a little bit of a backseat to the creative considerations upstairs and were eager to support whatever decision came down.”

For Lieberstein, Andy was the perfect choice for the role. “He cares about people more than he does about the product,” he explained. “[Andy is] sort of an adorable human being. He’s really caring and interested and empathetic. Any little problem anyone in the office is having, he would listen, which makes him a really interesting comic lead.”

Faithful fans will keep tuning in to observe how their preferred paper merchant will manage under someone as green as Andy, Helms argued. “Michael was a well-established manager, and Andy is just finding that. It’s a fresh new thing. Andy’s leadership is a little bit of an open question, which I’m excited to flesh out,” he said.

Added to the uncertain equation is James Spader’s cocksure Sabre CEO Robert California, whose raw intensity both repels and intrigues at the same time. Helms observed, “[Robert] seems to take a lot of pleasure in exerting his power. That’s sort of a crazy energy, because it’s new to Dunder Mifflin, and Andy Bernard is not equipped to deal with it, which is why it’s so fun.” The actor is confident about Andy’s ability to show more of a backbone in the future and live up to his good-hearted nature in the face of a scary boss and needy underlings. “He comes from a place of privilege, and he’s also prone to anger management issues,” said Helms about his Cornell-alum character. “But what he’s always trying to do at the end of the day is the right thing. He has so many personal hurts and insecurities that it’s a real struggle…Sales and management are different skills, and I think Andy has some real leadership potential. It’s a matter of Andy doing the work to dig it out of himself.”

The affable and modest screen star Ed Helms has portrayed many an Everyman in his career, but Andy is easily the most earnestly dorky of them all. Asked how much he identifies with his roles, Helms responded, “In some respects, I think I’m a pretty normal guy, but I do work really hard, and I’ve been focused on a lot of goals over time. The characters that I play are sort of heightened versions of myself…Andy Bernard is for me a way to exorcise some of my demons, like the insecurity and the social awkwardness.”

Actually, the two men have more in common than we thought. “The wardrobe’s the same,” Helms continued. “I really like the way Andy dresses. And I struggle with confidence, like most people, and I certainly relate to Andy’s fear in walking into certain situations, but I’m a little more equipped to handle it.”

Only one other Dunder Mifflin employee approaches Andy’s level of clueless ineptitude when it comes to interpersonal matters; fortunately, she’s the one we’d like him to be paired with when the last shipment leaves the DM warehouse. “[Andy and Erin] are a really odd pair, because they have very strong emotions but very poor social skills,” Helms laughed. “There’s always something really charming about them trying to connect and trying to communicate. Things will get tricky, especially during Halloween.” Lieberstein corroborated, “There is definitely some tension brewing. Erin doesn’t know how to interpret the fact that Andy isn’t giving her work and is being really quiet.” Helms added a bit of insight by noting, “Her costume is preposterously adorable this year, so I’m sure that makes it more difficult for Andy.”

An impending lovers’ spat isn’t the only thing to look forward to this season, of course. Michael’s exit, Andy’s promotion, and Robert California’s debut have only just begun to shake things up, and there are many issues to be resolved within this new framework, and much new territory to be discovered. “What’s really exciting about this season is that the writers really are focusing more on Andy, exposing a little more of his background,” said Helms, thrilled to discuss the upcoming guest appearance by Josh Groban, who will play Andy’s brother.

“Josh’s appearance is part of a really exciting episode for me and for Andy, because it’s really where we learn a lot about Andy, and not all of it is good. Some of it’s poignant, and of course there’s some good music in the mix.” How will golden-voiced Andy deal with the competition on his own turf? “There is some rivalry, but it takes a compelling turn that I think is unexpected,” the actor said. “And the source of the rivalry may not be what you expect.” Lieberstein added, “You can see an aspect in Andy that’s exaggerated in Josh. He’s more naive and sweeter, if you can imagine that.”

The new configuration might take a bit of getting used to for audiences, but the cast and production crew behind the beloved network series are treating this shift like any other step in the evolution of their project. Matching the enthusiasm and optimism of his new lead actor, Lieberstein wouldn’t admit to feeling any additional pressure to succeed after the departure of Michael Scott. “For every table read, I get nervous, with Steve or without Steve,” he said. “Certainly there are a lot of eyes on the show now, but I put pressure on everything.”

And when can we expect to learn more about the motives of the camera crew that’s been filming this fledgling paper outfit for several years, Mr. Lieberstein? “I’m not going to tell you, because I think it will be a very fun reveal…In real life, this would have been the most expensive and most expansive and extensive documentary in history.”

The Office airs Thursdays at 9/8c on NBC.

Images courtesy of IMDbPro and NBCUniversal.