Following the popularity of Steve Carrell’s NBC sitcom The Office, fans were proposed a Stanley Hudson spinoff by Leslie David Baker himself. Having a goal to bring back his beloved character on screen the actor had previously launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds and create a spinoff series titled Uncle Stan: Coming Out of Retirement.
Things were almost set as funds were nearly raised through the campaign. However, despite having a goal and his Kickstarter campaign, Leslie David Baker failed to make progress with the work. Thus, eventually, the actor made headlines for returning the money to his fans that was raised during the campaign.
Also read: After Amassing $80,000,000 Fortune, Steve Carell Left ‘The Office’ for the Most Selfless Reason
Leslie David Baker Launched A Kickstarter Campaign For His Spin-Off
Apart from the OG Steve Carrell‘s Michael Scott, even Leslie David Baker’s character, Stanley Hudson, was extremely beloved by the fans. Thus, appreciating his fans’ praise and love, the actor visualized his goal to bring back his character from The Office through a spin-off series.
“This character was and is so beloved that people wanted to know what is going on with him. And after several years, after his retirement, I said, ‘You know what? There is a life for this character after The Office. So let’s explore that,” Leslie David Baker shared.
Revealing what inspired him to bring back his character on screen, Baker recalled all the questions he faced from his fans about his character after retirement. “I kept getting the question of, ‘What happened to Stanley after his retirement? Where is he, what’s going on with him?’” the actor stated.
Thereafter, finding the idea in his mind to bring back his character, Baker shared the title of his series – Uncle Stan: Coming Out of Retirement. Further, discussing the arc of his potential spin-off series, Baker mentioned that his character is “still holding onto the florist shop and wondering what to do with it and what to do with these two kids and his life,”.
Steve Carrell’s The Office Co-Star Returned Funds To His Fans
After having things sorted, Steve Carrell’s The Office co-star decided to launch a Kickstarter campaign, three years back, to raise funds for his series. Baker’s spin-off series which is yet to produce a pilot episode collected more than $330,000 from 1,640 backers, over 3 years. However, recently, the actor was reported returning more than $110,000 of the raised money to his fans.
Failing at his attempts to make his dream come true, Leslie David Baker addressed how his efforts went in vain, amid the ongoing strikes in Hollywood. Watching his fans being curious about his delayed spin-off, Baker addressed fans’ concerns and released a statement mentioning the reason why he decided to return the funds.
“We apologize about the delay in updates. We have been working behind the scenes to get everything on track and rewards fulfilled. We are just as excited as all of you to get this project out and truly appreciate all of your patience and support. The project took longer than anticipated due to circumstances beyond our control” Baker wrote.
Reflecting upon the issues, the actor explained, “Initial delays were caused because of the COVID lockdowns and pushed us back further than expected”. Further citing the WGA and SAG strikes as reasons for the delay, the actor stated his reasons behind his decision to refund the backers while the project remains on hiatus. “In light of the current economic situation, we felt that this was the best course of action,” he explained.
While it’s a shame that despite full-fledged attempts at trying to create a spin-off series, plans went in vain, fans are still hoping to watch their favorite Stanley Hudson onscreen, after his retirement.
Source: Instagram, Entertainment Tonight
