The Office is still one of the most popular sitcoms of all time despite its final episode airing almost a decade ago. Even Rolling Stone magazine considers it one of the 100 greatest television shows of all time! It’s no wonder why. Over the years, this hilarious sitcom has become a pop culture reference thanks to its iconic lines and meme-worthy scenes.
Fans can’t get enough of The Office, and neither can its actors. For instance, Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsley created the Office Ladies, a heartfelt The Office re-watch podcast where they share bits and pieces about what it was like to be on the show. Most recently, The Office star Leslie David Baker tried to create a spinoff series following the life of his character, founded mostly on fan donations, but they had to give all the money back because the production was ultimately stalled.
Leslie David Baker Didn't Think The Office Was Going To Be A Hit
You probably recognize Leslie David Baker for his role as Stanley Hudson in The Office, but this actor has been working since the late 90s. In fact, before The Office, he had minor roles in popular series such as That 70s Show and Malcolm in the Middle.
Baker initially auditioned for The Office (UK) but didn’t get the role. Six years later, he heard they were making an American version of the show and he decided to try his luck. Before his audition, he met Phyllis Smith (who played Phyllis on the show) but neither of them thought that the series would become such a big deal. In fact, he even left the audition room to go to another audition!
“I got a call to audition for something called The Office. It was very crowded for the callback, and I had another audition scheduled, so I went to the other audition. [On the way] back, I ran into a whole bunch of traffic,” Baker revealed in an interview with Chicago Magazine. “[When I] came back in, they said, “Oh, Leslie! Thank you so much for waiting! You’ve been so patient! They said you were in the men’s room!” And by then, I was kind of sweaty, my clothes were rumpled, and I was cranky. And the character was written the way I was feeling that day, and I just let ‘er rip. Two weeks later, I got a call: “You got the pilot.” And, voilà.”
Originally, Stanley was only meant to be a recurring character in The Office, but after seeing how well the fans took to him, he was upped to a series regular for the remainder of the show’s run. “That’s been the most fun character of my career,” he admitted during a conference for Endicott College.
Appearing On The Office Helped Leslie David Baker Make Millions
Leslie David Baker is not the richest The Office cast member, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have considerable wealth. Baker has an estimated net worth of $4 million. As you’ve probably guessed, most of his money came from his time in The Office. After all, before landing the role of Stanley in this hit show, he had only had small roles in television series and a couple of commercials.
After The Office came to an end, Baker continue to act. Since the end of this sitcom, he has appeared in movies such as Wish I Was Here (2014) and Fallen Stars (2017). He also guest-starred on Key & Peele (2013), Marry Me (2014), The Exes (2015), Austin & Ally (2015), Scorpion (2016), Raven's Home (2017), and Billy Ray Cyrus’ sitcom Still the King (also in 2017).
Leslie David Baker Tried To Make A Spinoff Of The Office With Fan Donations But The Project Stalled
In 2020, Leslie David Baker, who played Stanley Hudson across the nine seasons of The Office, announced that a spin-off following Stanley’s life post-retirement was in the works. The project, titled Uncle Stan, would focus on Stanley as he comes out of his retirement in Florida and travels to Los Angeles to help his nephew save a fledgling motorcycle/flower shop business.
Baker launched a crowdfunding campaign to get the project started. The end goal was $300,000 but, ultimately, the actor got $110,629.81 in fan donations. But, in recent weeks, fans started to question what had happened with Baker’s spin-off project, as there were no signs of a Stanley spin-off happening any time in the future.
“We apologize about the delay in updates,” Baker wrote in a statement we shared on social media. “We have been working behind the scenes to get everything on track and rewards fulfilled. We are just as excited as all of you to get this project out and truly appreciate all of your patience and support. The project took longer than anticipated due to circumstances beyond our control.”
Ultimately, Baker decided to give back all the money to the fans, as the project had been indefinitely stalled following the ongoing writers' and actors’ strikes. Despite this, the actor still intends to make the show, so who knows? We might get that long-awaited The Office spin-off some time in the future.
