Dwight K. Schrute, (Acting) Manager Q&A

In this final Q&A of the season, Rainn Wilson and Justin Spitzer, lead actor and writer of the episode ‘Dwight K. Schrute, (Acting) Manager’ answer your questions about piranha casting, Megadesk 2.0, the Dwight/Kevin massage scene, and much more.

A big thank you to Justin and Rainn!

(Also, there might be a surprise cameo in there. You just never know.)

And now, without further ado, here is the Q&A…

grape: Rainn, where has Dwight’s maintenance worker Nate been? It’s been awhile since we’ve seen him. Also, was it fun leading a conference room meeting? And what kind of a doll was the one you adjusted on the desk in the opening credits, which was hilarious by the way?

Rainn: We’ve moved away from the whole Dwight owning the building subplot but I imagine we’ll come back to it next season.

And when we do, Nate (played by the hysterical Mark Proksch, aka Kenny Strasser the Yo-yo master) will make more appearances. I love how sweetly stupid he is. Nate, not Mark.

The doll I adjusted was a samurai doll to fit with the vaguely Japanese Bond-villain theme of the office. I think that was Greg’s (Daniels) idea. He seems obsessed about matching those opening credits.

Notice the nod to that in “Goodbye, Michael?” When Michael adjusted the Dundie just like in the title sequence?

Sarakaya Komzin: Where did that bullet go?

Rainn: Into the wood of the hardwood floor underneath the carpet. Dwight probably snuck in in the middle of the night and dug it out so the evidence couldn’t be used against him.

Justin: Yes, that’s exactly what happened.

Matt Mentecky: Andy was shown in a very Dwight-esque short sleeve shirt and tie. Was there a subplot that got cut involving Andy wanting to mold his appearance to Dwight’s since Dwight was now (acting) manager? Andy has always been a suck up.

Rainn: Very perceptive. That was a tiny detail in the episode as Andy was currying favor with Dwight but it was (almost) completely cut out.

Justin: I loved that moment. As people file into the office at the start, Andy takes off his jacket very purposefully in front of Dwight, who gives him a really funny, kind of suspicious glance.

It got huge laughs when we screened it in the writers’ room, but ultimately if felt off pace for where it was in the episode.

Anthony Emm: Justin, what was it like writing the first Carell-less episode of the series to rely only on the main ensemble of the show (and not including a guest like Will Ferrell taking a large focus of the episode)? Was there any pressure?

Justin: I was a little nervous when I learned I’d be writing the one episode that was going to fall into the slot between Will Ferrell leaving and the season finale. But as we talked about Dwight being in charge, something a lot of us have been waiting to see for seven years, I started feeling that I’d gotten the perfect episode assignment.

I was also psyched to get to film an episode without Carell around sexually harassing everyone.