I’m not quite sure who out there needs to be reminded of this, but Steve Carell is an exceptionally funny performer. From his time as a correspondent on The Daily Show to leading The 40-Year-Old-Virgin to his most epic and beloved role as Michael Scott on The Office, he has been making audiences belly laugh for decades. Because of this impressive and still growing legacy, it’s hard to pick out just one particularly special moment – but for Craig Robinson, he can recall shooting a specific scene that left him stunned by the “genius” of his co-star.
While The Office was ultimately very scripted, there were opportunities for the cast to try out a bit of improv, and Robinson – who memorably played Darryl Philbin on the show – recalled a particularly special example during a recent sitdown with Entertainment Weekly. In “The Negotiation,” the nineteenth episode of the third season, Darryl schedules a meeting with Michael to discuss a pay raise, and everything goes to hell for the manager when his employee realizes that he is wearing a woman’s suit. Discussing Careel, Robinson remembered,
One thing comes to mind that Steve said in the moment. He could just turn it on and off, but one thing that comes to mind, which I didn't even realize he said until I saw it on the show — it was on the lady clothes episode.
In said episode (for those who don’t specifically recall), the negotiation between Michael and Darryl gets so out of hand that Michael ends up requesting his own raise from Jan (Melora Hardin). Wanting his boss to get a pay bump so that he can get a pay bump, Darryl offers him some words of encouragement – which is what led to Steve Carrell’s memorable improv. Said Robinson,
[Darryl is] just trying to get a raise, and I was trying to talk to him. I was like, 'Come on, man, go talk to Jan [Melora Hardin]. Make it happen, captain.' And he said, 'I will make it happen, sergeant.' I don't remember reacting to that. I saw it [later] and was like, 'Oh, my God.' The genius of that in that moment. That was all him coming up with that.
It’s a perfect Michael moment, as it’s a wonderful illustration of the character’s obliviousness. There’s a bouncyness to Darryl’s verbal boost thanks to the rhyme, but the Dunder Mifflin Scranton boss steamrolls right over it while focusing on the military rank part.
There are a number of great Darryl/Michael episodes of The Office (“Safety Training” is another one of my personal favorites), and Craig Robinson recalls loving every opportunity that he got to work alongside the sitcom’s biggest star:
Just to get a scene with Steve, I was always like, 'Oh s—, I'm going to do what?'
Those who ever want to re-experience the complicated Darryl/Michael dynamic and the great comedic talents of Craig Robinson and Steve Carell can do so at any time with a Peacock subscription. In addition to the seasons that originally broadcast on NBC, the streaming service also provides extended versions (a.k.a. Superfan cuts) of every single episode, and if you’ve never watched them before, I highly recommend it, as it’s like experiencing the show as brand new.
