The Office star Brian Baumgartner has addressed the possible chances of his character Kevin appearing in spinoff series, The Paper. Baumgartner played the role of eccentric fan-favorite character Kevin Malone for nine seasons on NBC’s remake of the British comedy classic, for which he won two Screen Actors Guild Awards and two Daytime Emmy Awards. The Office cast was diverse and sprawling, but the character of Kevin endured for his off-beat personality and humor. With upcoming revival show The Paper set to air soon, there is speculation about which characters from The Office might appear.
In an interview with ScreenRant at SXSW, to discuss his appearance in Suits LA, Baumgartner answered a question about the possibility of reprising his role as Kevin in the upcoming spinoff. Baumgartner revealed that he is unsure whether the makeup of the show would allow for an appearance, before revealing his hopes for what he believes Kevin would be doing now. He concluded by stating that he was excited for the new show and then hailed creators Greg Daniels and Michael Koman. Check out Baumgartner’s comments below:
Andy Behbakht: Our ScreenRant readers would murder me if I didn’t at least try, but because of the subject of The Office in this episode of Suits LA, we know that world is getting ready to expand, what are the chances that *this* Brian would want to go revisit Kevin again?
Brian Baumgartner: [Laughs] Uh, That’s interesting…I don’t know what the rules are there in the new show, or where Greg [Daniels] sees Kevin. I hope Kevin’s still working at the bar right around the corner from Dunder Mifflin. I hope he’s still there, so I don’t know about a trip to the Midwest, or who knows maybe those guys need to write a story about the people in Scranton and come in.
I have no idea, but look, I’m really excited, as I’m sure everyone is, to see what they’ve come up with. Michael Koman and, of course, Greg Daniels, [are] genius, so I’m sure that it’s going to be a lot of fun for people.
Baumgartner Seems Like He’s Open To The Idea, But Fine If He’s Not Involved
From Baumgartner’s comments, though he is excited to see the direction The Paper will take, he also seems fine with not being involved if a place cannot be found to accommodate Kevin. The fact that he has a positive working relationship with Daniels, who was showrunner on The Office, increases the chances that he could return for a stint on the spinoff. Of course, all will depend on whether Daniels and (co-creator) Koman can find a way to integrate Kevin into the show.
His comments about where he sees Kevin now suggest that Baumgartner embraces the fact that his character’s journey has reached its natural conclusion, but there is story scope to bring him back. What’s more, with The Office cast member Oscar Nuñez joining the spinoff, which is headed up by Domhnall Gleeson and Sabrina Impacciatore, more stars of the original show could appear, and there’s every chance Baumgartner might be one of them.
Our Verdict On Kevin Appearing In The Paper
Despite Being Fired & Leaving The Industry, Kevin Could Be Brought Back
Kevin is fired by Dwight, as revealed in The Office series finale, and was last seen by viewers as the owner of a bar where Dwight was celebrating his bachelor party. Despite Kevin being a little dimwitted, and prone to mistakes, he could be brought back because The Paper is set to follow a dying newspaper relying on volunteers to keep afloat, and having Kevin as a volunteer could be a simple way to bring the character back into the fold along with other characters from The Office.
The Office
8/10