Saying that The Office is one of the biggest shows of all time is quite the understatement. While it has some lackluster seasons, and some might even find it overrated, the series maintains a massive global audience thanks to the brilliant work it did while it was still on air.
During the show's first season, Michael Scott looked a lot different than he does in other seasons. Turns out, there was a reason behind his noticeable transformation on the show.
Let's hear what a former hairstylist from the show had to say about Michael Scott's hair makeover!
'The Office' Is Sitcom Royalty
March 24, 2005 was the night that TV audiences were first introduced to The Office, an adaptation of a British series. The mockumentary series might not have had the most outstanding first season overall, but it was the beginning of a legendary run.
The show' use of largely unknown performers was a strategy that played dividends. Instead of finding the biggest names, the show found the best names for the characters, and this approach helped propel it to success.
For 9 seasons and over 200 episodes, the series dominated its competition. Its popularity continued to grow throughout its run, and it cemented its place as one of the most successful sitcoms ever made.
Since its initial end, the series has been a force on streaming. Let's just put it this way, it literally made headlines when it left Netflix. That's how big this show still is, and it's why others will struggle to match its success.
The show's characters underwent plenty of changes, and fans have noticed that Michael Scott had a unique physical transformation on the show.
Related: The Office Almost Took A Dark Twist With Michael Scott Killing Off A Character
Michael Looked A Lot Different In Season One
If you've seen enough episodes of The Office, then you've definitely noticed that Michael Scott looks way different in season one than he does in other seasons. This, unbelievably, was intentional.
Kim Ferry, who did superb work as a hairstylist on the show, opened up about the way Michael looked at first, chalking it up to having different people on board.
"Season 1 was a different hair department head, so I didn't have any control of that. But when I knew that I had the job they sent me some tapes of the show, and when I watched the tapes I was like, 'Oof.' I felt like it was a very severe look on [Steve]. I wanted to talk to [him] about it, and that's the first thing I did. He was like, 'Yeah, I definitely want to change it,'" she said.
The conversation that she had with Carell got the ball rolling on one of the most necessary changes on the show.
"What I was told was that his character in the first six episodes — basically they were going for like a Gordon Gekko [Michael Douglas' character in the 1987 movie, Wall Street]. They wanted it to be slick. But I felt like it made him too, I don't want to say creepy, but it wasn't flattering,"
Eventually, the big change was made.
Related: How Jenna Fischer Saved Her Castmates' Lives During Work Bus Episode On The Office
Why His Look Changed
So, why the change? Michael needed a makeover to help reshape his image, and to increase his likability.
Ferry even touched on what she wanted to do with Michael.
"Steve's] a good-looking guy. I wanted to showcase that… and really make him look well-groomed and a little more put together," she said.
Thankfully, this decision paid off, as Michael went from looking creepy to looking like a well-groomed regional manager of a paper company.
In the same interview, Ferry also dished on John Krasinski having to wear a wig for some time on the show.
"He paid for the wig — a human hair wig made by a friend of mine, Natascha Ladek, who's the best wig maker in town. She came in to do a secret little fitting for him, she made the wig, we got it, and it looked amazing. [Krasinski] came in a little later that day, and I had the wig hidden in a little secret spot ready for him. When it was just him and I, I put it on him, and then he went out and filmed," she said.
Kim Ferry played a major part in helping Michael Scott take shape on the show. Who knows how things would have played out with his old hairstyle at the forefront.
Next: This Actor Was Originally Preferred To Steve Carell For The Role Of Michael Scott In 'The Office'
