Timothy Olyphant, recognized for portraying Danny Cordray in *The Office*, appears to have only vague recollections of his experience on the series.

Recently, the actor was a guest on the [*Office Ladies* podcast](https://officeladies.com/episodes/2025/22/01/episode-232-an-interview-with-timothy-olyphant), hosted by Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey, who played Pam Beesly and Angela Martin, respectively. Olyphant’s appearance on the show was short-lived, with just two episodes in Season 7 as the charismatic and talented salesman Cordray. Given his limited duration on the set, it’s not surprising that the memory might not be clear.

Nevertheless, one aspect that Olyphant recalls vividly is the comedic genius of Steve Carell in his role as Michael Scott. During the podcast, Olyphant reminisced about a deleted scene where Carell’s Michael Scott attempts to prevent Cordray from leaving, trying to recruit him for the Dunder Mifflin Scranton branch. The scene’s intensity and humor overwhelmed Olyphant, who found himself unable to keep his composure.

“I do remember laughing. I’m sure I messed up what could have been a fantastic scene with Carell where I just couldn’t stop giggling because it was so intense and funny,” Olyphant expressed. “And there’s still a little bit of disappointment that I couldn’t maintain a serious face.”

Olyphant held nothing but respect for Carell’s performance, even if it made him break character. “He’s amazing,” Olyphant remarked. “He’s completely committed. And I’m pretty sure, I haven’t seen it, you know, that I’m the one laughing more than he is.”

[Video evidence](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUpg7YnDVGY) of the deleted scene supports Olyphant’s narrative. In the footage, Carell delivers his lines earnestly, while Olyphant tries to suppress his laughter.

It’s difficult to blame Olyphant, though — Michael Scott had a talent for eliciting laughter from everyone, both on-screen and off.