Olyphant’s Office bit sparks Internet buzz

A guest appearance by Timothy Olyphant (Deadwood, Justified) on NBC’s hit show The Office has created lots of buzz on the Internet, sparking rumors that the actor could possibly become a regular cast member.

Olyphant, who has starred in such thrillers as Hitman and The Crazies, made his move to comedy last week when he appeared on The Office, playing Danny Cordray, a charming and attractive paper salesman and rival of Dunder Mifflin.

Olyphant said he felt honored to hear that the show’s producers wanted him to be a part of their show, especially since he does not have much experience in comedic acting.

“They’re all so funny,” Olyphant said in an interview. “Really, I’m just so genuinely flattered that they’d have me and give me an opportunity to do something that’s really so different than just about anything I’ve done.”

In an Oct. 21 episode titled “The Sting,” Dunder Mifflin manager Michael Scott (Steve Carell) creates a sting operation in which Meredith, one of his employees, poses as the CEO of a made-up company in hopes that Danny Cordray (Olyphant) would try to sell her paper, thus revealing his secrets to being the best salesman.  In classic Office fashion the sting is awkwardly revealed and an embarrassed Michael Scott makes Cordray a sales pitch of his own, asking Cordray to work for him.

With Carell having already announced that this would be his last season on the show, and Olyphant’s character apparently taking a full-time job at Dunder Mifflin, viewers could not help but head to the Internet and discuss possibilities of Olyphant joining The Office for good and possibly replacing Steve Carell. When Olyphant appeared on the Oct. 28 episode as well, rumors continued to fly.

Though fans might love to see Olyphant join the show full-time, he already has his own starring role on FX’s Justified, meaning it’s probably best for viewers to look elsewhere for a Michael Scott replacement.