This marks the actor's first series regular role since he left 'The Office' in 2011.
Steve Carell is heading back to TV!
The 56-year-old actor will join Jennifer Aniston and Reese Witherspoon's Apple TV show in a series regular role, ET confirms.
Carell will play Mitch Kessler, a morning show anchor who is struggling to maintain relevance in a changing media landscape. Aniston and Witherspoon were attached to star in the series in July 2017. They'll also executive produce with their respective production companies, Echo Films and Hello Sunshine, alongside former HBO drama head Michael Ellenberg through Media Res, which also serves as the studio. Kerry Ehrin will be the series’ showrunner, while CNN’s Brian Stelter, who wrote a book about morning television, Top of the Morning, will be a consultant.
Gugu Mbatha-Raw and Billy Crudup were also later announced to join Aniston, Witherspoon and Carell as series regulars.
In November 2017, the show was picked up for two seasons with 10 episodes each. The untitled morning show drama begins production in Los Angeles next week.
The part marks Carell's first series regular role since he left The Office in 2011. Revival rumors seemed to start as soon as the show ended in 2013, but the actor told ET in November 2017 that he's not keen on returning to play Michael Scott.
"I kind of don't want to do it because I love the show so much. I just want it to be remembered as the way people remembered it," he explained. "People that liked the show originally would want it to come back the way it was ... But that could never happen."
Carell opened up more about his aversion to a revival in a recent interview with Esquire.
“The climate’s different,” he said. “I mean, the whole idea of that character, Michael Scott, so much of it was predicated on inappropriate behavior. I mean, he’s certainly not a model boss. A lot of what is depicted on that show is completely wrong-minded. That’s the point, you know? But I just don’t know how that would fly now.
“There’s a very high awareness of offensive things today -- which is good, for sure,” he added. “But at the same time, when you take a character like that too literally, it doesn’t really work.”
See more in the video below.
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