One of James Spader’s greatest TV show characters, Robert California, had such a large presence that it is hard to believe that he only appeared in 19 episodes of James Spader has landed plenty of roles, excelling as morally dubious and occasionally somewhat eccentric characters. Therefore, it made sense for The Office to have him as Robert California in 2011, a self-assured and mysterious character who was just one of the many newcomers who were interviewed for Michael Scott’s position at Dunder Mifflin at the end of season 7.
As a result of his charismatic performance, James Spader ended up ing the The Blacklist’s Raymond Reddington
Robert California Only Appeared In 19 Episodes Of The Office
Spader’s Character Had A Large On-Screen Presence
Despite his memorable performance, Robert California only ever appeared in 19 episodes of The Office. When James Spader first made an appearance in season 7’s finale, “Search Committee,” the original plan for The Office’s Robert California was that he would be a cameo-only character among many others in the finale. However, writer Paul Lieberstein stated, via The Hollywood Reporter around the time of the episode’s release, that “The actor had signed to play a two-scene role in the season-seven finale,” but the “life and intrigue that [James Spader] brought to the part, made two scenes become a full season.”
Robert California episodes of The Office |
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Season 7 |
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Season 8 |
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As Robert California, James Spader delivered a hilariously overconfident character performance, outlandishly remarking that “everything is sex” in the job interview scene. His strange opinions, often interjected at random moments, made him an alluring and comedic figurehead as Robert California returned in The Office season 8. However, Spader left the series after season 8, with Lieberstein reinforcing that “James always wanted this to be a one-year arc.” That being said, Robert California’s role felt much longer and more prevalent than just 19 episodes, as Spader’s character quietly took over the eighth season, distracting viewers from the lack of Michael Scott.
Robert California's Role In The Office Was Much Shorter Than Spader's Other Iconic TV Characters
Robert California Appeared 10 Times Less Than Other Characters
Interestingly, despite Robert California feeling larger than life in The Office, his role was actually much shorter than any of James Spader’s other iconic TV characters. Prior to The Office, James Spader was known for his role in The Practice and its spinoff series, Boston Legal. He appeared as the character Alan Shore in 121 episodes across the two shows. Furthermore, after The Office, Spader reached a higher level of popularity with The Blacklist, especially as he appeared as Raymond Reddington in 218 episodes of the show.
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Considering Robert California has to compete with the likes of Raymond Reddington and Alan Shore, who have appeared on-screen ten times more often, it is impressive that James Spader’s role on The Office is so memorable. In just one season, he solidified himself as one of the most important characters to ever appear on The Office, for better or worse.
Sources: The Hollywood Reporter
The Office
- Release Date
- 2005 - 2013-00-00
- Network
- NBC
- Showrunner
- Greg Daniels
Cast
Michael Scott
Dwight Schrute
WHERE TO WATCH
- Directors
- Greg Daniels, Paul Lieberstein, Paul Feig, Randall Einhorn, Ken Kwapis
- Writers
- Ricky Gervais, Greg Daniels, B.J. Novak
- Franchise(s)
- The Office
- Creator(s)
- Greg Daniels
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