The Office Cast’s Secret After-Hours Fantasy Football Ragers on Set — And It Wasn’t Just for Fun
Jordan Collins here, your resident expert in the art of celebrity minutiae — because clearly, you’re too busy to notice these things yourself. Let’s cut through the noise: you’ve seen The Office, right? The mockumentary that made paper salesmen household names and turned a mundane office into a cultural phenomenon. But what if I told you the real magic wasn’t in the scripts or the cringe-worthy humor — it was in the after-hours chaos? That’s right, folks. While most of us were asleep, Brian Baumgartner — the man who played the chili-obsessed Kevin Malone — and his castmates weren’t just packing up their bags. They were sneaking back onto the Dunder Mifflin set like a crew of late-night digital bandits, all for one sacred purpose: fantasy football.
Yes, you read that correctly. According to Baumgartner himself, the cast would return to the soundstage long after filming wrapped, drawn not by nostalgia, but by the thrill of drafting players in person — using the very same computers their characters had once used to fill out TPS reports. “We’d finish shooting,” he revealed to the New York Post, “and just sort of let us use the set to host our fantasy football draft parties.” Imagine it: Rainn Wilson, Steve Carell, Mindy Kaling, Jenna Fischer, John Krasinski — all huddled around desks in Scranton, trading barbs and strategy while pretending they weren’t still in character. It wasn’t just a game; it was a full-blown reunion with snacks, trash talk, and zero regard for continuity.
Baumgartner, now 52 and promoting a limited-edition Fall Legends Commissioner’s Kit with Samuel Adams Octoberfest beer, admitted he’s still active in the league — and yes, he’s notorious for his post-draft scolding. “If you draft wrong, you’re going to hear from me,” he said with a smirk. “Probably Rainn Wilson as well. He’s a big trash talker.” Though Steve Carell is notably absent from the league — “He’s kind of a Patriots guy,” Baumgartner noted — he wasn’t exactly idle during filming. The former Michael Scott was reportedly playing hockey in a rec league, proving even the most fictionalized office workers needed real-life outlets.
But the antics didn’t stop at fantasy drafts. The cast also used downtime to pay bills, check emails, and handle personal business — all under the watchful eyes of the cameras. “We were doing that, and paying bills. That was another popular activity because we were there so many hours during the week,” Baumgartner recalled. Talk about multitasking: balancing sitcom drama with actual adulting. It’s no wonder the show felt so authentic — they lived it.
And speaking of authenticity, the show’s resurgence during the pandemic was nothing short of seismic. Nielsen data confirmed The Office was the most streamed series of 2020, racking up over 57 billion minutes viewed. When Baumgartner reflected on this, he shared a chilling moment: “I was chatting with Rainn… and I said, ‘it feels like the show is as big as it was when we were at the height.’ And I remember this specifically, he said, ‘no, it feels bigger.’” Bigger than ever — and still thriving, decades later.
Even the tiny conference room, where so many pivotal scenes unfolded, holds a special place in Baumgartner’s heart. “It’s hard to really have people understand how small that conference room really was,” he said. Creator Greg Daniels intentionally kept it cramped for that claustrophobic vibe — and it worked. “Steve really thrived in those moments,” Baumgartner added. “Very clearly to me, he did his best to try to make us laugh.”
So next time you rewatch an episode and chuckle at Kevin’s chili obsession, remember: behind the scenes, the real chaos was happening after hours — with fantasy drafts, bill payments, and enough banter to power a sitcom season. Honestly, who needs a script when you’ve got chemistry like that?
Glad I could clear that up for you.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and New York Post
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