‘I would say, 90 percent improvised’: Melora Hardin on how she and Steve Carell improvised an iconic ‘The Office’ scene

'The Office' continues to remain a fan favourite across the globe. The comedy show, which aired from 2005 to 2013, was a massive hit during its original run and still enjoys a loyal fanbase. Years after its finale, cast members are often asked to revisit memorable moments from the show. Recently, Melora Hardin shared insights into filming the series, including how some scenes were heavily improvised.

Melora Hardin recalls improvising an iconic scene

During her appearance on the ‘Office Ladies’ rewatch podcast, Hardin opened up about one of her most memorable scenes and revealed that it wasn’t entirely scripted.

Speaking with former co-stars Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey, Hardin discussed a scene featuring her character Jan and Steve Carell’s Michael Scott, where the two are seen arguing while walking to and riding an elevator.

Fischer described the sequence as one of her favourite moments from the show, prompting Hardin to reveal that much of it was improvised.

“That was one where we got given the candy bag. That was the scene where they basically said, ‘We’re going to rewrite the scene. We don’t like it. Basically, we need you to hit this beat. You guys improvise. We’re gonna go rewrite it. We’ll be back, have fun,’” Hardin recalled. ‘We had to improvise’. She further explained that the actors had little choice but to rely on improvisation.

“We went off, and I do know that definitely that scene is, I would say, 90 percent improvised,” she said. When asked why the improvisation was necessary, Hardin added, “They weren’t liking the way it was playing, the way it was written.”