‘The Office’ star Rainn Wilson says it was ‘chaotic’ after Steve Carell left

It was hard to say “Goodbye, Michael” when Steve Carell left The Office, but Rainn Wilson recently opened up about how the cast adjusted to the star’s departure.

In a recent episode of the Good Guys podcast, hosted by Josh Peck and Ben Soffer, Wilson, who played the quirky Dwight Schrute, discussed what it was like to work on the iconic workplace comedy series. After struggling to find their footing in the first season, Wilson said the cast hit a stride that continued for eight more years.

The production was not without its challenges, though, and Wilson shared what it was like when Carell exited the show.

“When Steve left, then it was a little bit chaotic of trying to figure out the tone of the show and who’s the lead and, how are we telling these stories without, you know, the comic engine of the show, which is Michael Scott?” Wilson said.

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When asked if it was a “gut punch” for Carell to leave, Wilson said that the cast was not surprised because Carell was “such a big movie star at the time.” In 2011, after he shut the door on The Office, he starred in the beloved rom-com Crazy, Stupid. Love.

“We knew it was coming for a long time,” Wilson said.

Wilson previously told Entertainment Weekly that there “wasn’t a dry eye in the house” on Carell’s last day on set. Will Ferrell briefly stepped in as the boss of the Scranton branch of Dunder Mifflin, then James Spader took the helm for a season.

Listen to the full Good Guys episode with guest Rainn Wilson below.