Top 10 Times Steve Carell Broke the Office Cast

Have you ever played that game where you sit perfectly still and try not to laugh while someone else is looking and making gestures towards you? It’s not easy right? Now, try to do it while Toby Flenderson is snapping at you, trying to get your attention. We have to say we’re impressed with how long Carell was able to hold things steady and keep that blank look on his face. But in the end he had to break - and with that tension broken, the rest of the cast broke along with him.

While we’d definitely call the Chili’s baby back ribs jingle catchy - we don’t think it’s particularly funny in its own right. At least, that was until Steve Carell got his hands on it in season two of “The Office”. But while the version that made it into the episode had us all laughing, there were a number of great takes prior to that which had the cast themselves cracking up. Watch as Tim Meadows and Melora Hardin lose it each time Carell goes into his smooth, melodic “Chili's Baby Back Ribs” solo.

In the season three episode “Cocktails” David Wallace serves Michael Scott, and a few other party guests, high-quality 20-year-old scotch given to him by Lee Iacocca. Scott, as he is wont to do, feels like he has to say something, and makes some ridiculous reference to Iacocca and the DeLorean. It’s a very funny line, but we do wonder if it was the original line written for his toast or if they had to switch it in when they couldn’t get through the previous one without cracking up — as you can see with Scott’s failed version of the “over the gums” toast.

Remember that great scene in season six when Pam’s contractions are only 2 minutes apart and Jim freaks out and Michael pushes him up against the door frame and tells him to hold it together? If you do, then what you’re actually remembering is this great outtake, because that hold-it-together moment never actually made it into the show. And after watching this outtake, with John Krasinski cracking up every time Carell tells him to calm down, we assume the director just gave up, realized they were never going to get it, and cut it altogether.

What do you say when your employee asks you who you’re dating, and the answer is… her mom. Well, if your employee is Jenna Fischer and you don’t want her to crack up then you probably shouldn’t say…. “Hi.” The quietness of the scene, the look on Carell’s face and that out-of-nowhere whispered “Hi” all combined to break Fischer, Krasinski and Carell himself. Now, we don’t know how many other lines Carell tried before he landed on the one that made it into the episode, but we do know that “Hi” didn’t work.

We aren’t here to discuss the awkward and offensive comments Michael makes towards Stanley in assuming he suffers from diabetes. No, what we’re here to look at is the last moment in the scene prior to Stanley exiting the room. The line in which Michael uses the sound Stanley makes when he stands up as evidence of his condition. And while it might be insulting to Stanley, actor Leslie David Baker, as well as the rest of the cast in the room find it very funny. It looks like Rainn Wilson is the first to break, with the others very close behind.

In the season 6 episode, “Happy Hour”, the office denizens all go out to a local pool hall and Pam brings a friend she thinks Michael might like. But when he finds out it’s a date, he changes from Michael Scott to “Date Mike”. What does “Date Mike” do? Well, he tries to tie a cherry stem in his mouth. An act that’s more gross than funny, but in at least one take it broke Krasinski hard. “Date Mike” also does impressions - like this one of the Scranton Strangler that broke Krasinski and Fischer over and over and over again.

Considered by many to be one of, if not the best, episode of the series - season four’s “Dinner Party” has memorable moments throughout, including a focus on Michael’s pride and joy, his new plasma TV - which is laughably small. And speaking of laughing, the behind-the-scenes outtakes of this scene have become iconic amongst fans. To be fair, it might be the overall situation and that tiny television that are cracking everyone up, more than Carell himself. But, he does hold it together longer than the rest of the cast in the scene, so that ought to count for something, right?

You wouldn’t think that Steve Carell just walking into a room and saying “Hello everybody” would be that funny. But what if we told you he said it in a big hilarious voice and was wearing a massive costume. Well, regardless of whether or not you think it’s funny, pretty much the entire cast of the show thought it was, because they broke many times as he tried to enter the scene. Although, it’s not the entire cast, because if you look closely you’ll see that Oscar Nunez (who plays Oscar Martinez on the show) looks to be the only one not breaking.

Despite the many laugh breaks while filming, the show was usually able to get at least one great take without the cast breaking. However, that wasn’t exactly the case with this hysterical scene from season six which had Kevin sitting on Michael Clause’s lap. In the outtake, we see Kevin breaking, Mindy Kaling laughing and Ed Helms stepping behind a wall to hide his face — as well as the rest of the cast cracking up as each attempt to make it through the scene fails. Now check out the version that made it to air… You’ll see Kaling trying (with minimal success) not to burst out laughing, and Helms again disappearing behind the wall.

Did Carell break you in each of these outtakes? Let us know in the comments if you were able to hold it together.