"Sometimes you have to take a break from being the kind of boss that's always trying to teach people things. Sometimes you just have to be the boss of dancing." — Michael Scott (Steve Carell)
Michael Gary Scott might just be the most notorious office manager on this side of the Atlantic. Childish, irritating, and often overwhelming with his antics and tirade of bad ideas, Michael drives his employees insane on a daily basis while still somehow managing to keep his branch afloat through company downsizing and later, a merger. To his credit, and fans' relief, his character grows and matures throughout The Office storyline so that by the time Michael moves away, he is actually missed by his staff, not to mention his viewers. Here are 42 obnoxious (but loveable) facts about Michael Scott.
Michael Scott Facts
42. Mirror, Mirror, on the Wall, Who's the Best Boss of Them All?
Michael bought himself the "World's Best Boss" mug that sits on his desk. Don't worry, he thinks he genuinely deserves it. It was a gift from himself to himself, purchased at Spencer Gifts.
The Office, 2009, Deedle-Dee_Productions
41. Inspiration
His role models are Bob Hope, Abraham Lincoln, Bono, and God. Yes, you read that right. He goes on to say, "And I just think all those people really helped the world in so many ways that it's … it's really beyond words. It's really incalculable [mispronounces]."
The office, 2007, Deedle-Dee Productions
40. I Scream for Ice Cream!
His favorite flavor of ice cream is mint chocolate chip. When he finds out Meredith is allergic to dairy and can't have any of the ice cream cake he forced Angela to buy for her birthday, he says, "If I was allergic to dairy, I think I would kill myself. It's too good."
Pexels
39. A Man of Commission
He is, perhaps surprisingly, a talented salesman. Unfortunately, those skills don't translate into management, but it does explain how he was able to be promoted. He even won Salesman of the Year in 1996 and 1997.
38. Pisces
His birthday is March 15 and he was born at exactly 11:23 a.m. He makes sure to point out that he shares the date with Eva Longoria, so he'll have something to discuss with Teri Hatcher if they ever meet.
Shutterstock
37. Where Do Lonely Hearts Go?
His deepest fear is being alone. When he buys a new phone plan and is allowed unlimited calls to his top five friends, he doesn’t even have five friends to add. Cue the awwws.
The office, 2009, Deedle-Dee Productions
36. Share This With 20 of Your Friends
Michael is the king of vexatious forwarded emails. Thank goodness this is a trend that has died down over the years. Michael sees nothing wrong with passing on offensive emails as long as he finds them hilarious. According to him, no one should have a problem with it because "I don't come up with this stuff. I just forward it along." Don't shoot the messenger?
35. Unexplored Curiosity
Michael is possibly bisexual. He is obviously attracted to Ryan throughout the series. Notably, he awards Ryan the “hottest in the office” Dundie year after year. Also, in the episode "The Fire," when the staff is outside playing Who'd You Rather, Michael automatically answers "Ryan."
The office, 2007, Deedle-Dee Productions
34. He Wants His Baby Back, Baby Back, Baby Back Ribs
Michael loves to go to Chili's. According to him, it's the new place to do business. And he loves their Awesome Blossom.
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33. Undiscovered Talent
Michael wrote a screenplay called Threat Level Midnight. It stars himself as Agent Michael Scarn opposite his love interest, Catharine Zeta-Jones. Michael Scarn must save the world from the evil Golden Face. James Bond who?
The office, 2006, Deedle-Dee Productions
32. Hometown Proud
Michael grew up in Lackawanna County and has lived there his whole life.
Wikipedia
31. Keep Your Distance
Several of his employees throughout the show agree Michael has coffee breath, and he makes it worse by standing too close to them. Ew.
The Office, 2011, Deedle-Dee Productions
30. Blabbermouth
Michael is incapable of keeping a secret. Jim Halpert describes him as "the world's worst confidant."
The Office, 2011, Deedle-Dee Productions
29. Big Spender
Surprise, surprise. Michael's immaturity and spontaneity also translate into money, making him fiscally irresponsible. Remember when he was being considered for a corporate position in New York? He sold his condo on eBay for 80 percent of what he paid for it in anticipation of the move. Before the interview. He did not get the job.
28. Keep It in the Family
Michael sees his employees as his family, with him sitting at the head of the table as their father figure. In "Health Care," he said, "The most sacred thing I do is care and provide for my workers, my family. I give them money. I give them food. Not directly, but through the money. I heal them."
The Office, 2011, Deedle-Dee Productions
27. Embarrassing Wardrobe Choices
Michael apparently wore ties and matching socks in high school. In "Gay Witch Hunt," Phyllis reveals that little tidbit to Michael's coworkers and surprises him when she informs him many people thought he was possibly gay in high school because of the clothes he wore.
26. Let's Hug It Out
Michael is a fan of Entourage. During Movie Mondays, he made the staff watch one of his favorite episodes six times.
25. Do You Even Lift, Bro?
He works out with two-and-a-half-pound weights. Back off, guys. As he said, "I'm not going for bulk, I'm going for toned."
24. Devoted Employee
Michael worked at Dunder Mifflin for 9,986,000 minutes. As of "Michael's Last Dundies," he would have been with the company since May 6, 1992.
The Office, 2009, Deedle-Dee Productions
23. The Ultimate Procrastinator
Michael hates to work hard and procrastinates whenever he can. He once admits to specifically going on vacation at the end of December so he wouldn't have to do the loathed inventory with the rest of the staff, who had to postpone it until he came back because they needed his signature as the manager.
The Office, 2009, Deedle-Dee Productions
22. Hello and Welcome
At one point, Michael worked as a greeter at Men's Warehouse. In "Safety Training" when he is starting to feel unwelcome in the warehouse, he says, "Darryl thinks he is such a man because he works in a warehouse. I worked in a warehouse. Men's Warehouse. I was a greeter. I'd like to see Darryl greet people."
The Office, 2009, Deedle-Dee Productions
21. Let Those Tears Flow
Michael believes in the power of a good cry. In "Good Grief," he says it's okay to cry, then continues, "Society teaches us that having feelings and crying is bad and wrong," he said. "Well, that's baloney, because grief isn't wrong. There's such a thing as good grief. Just ask Charlie Brown."
The Office, 2008, Deedle-Dee Productions
20. Kinky in the Bedroom
Michael and Jan have a safe word in the bedroom. It's "foliage." And apparently, Jan does not always respect his boundaries when he uses it.
19. R-E-S-P-E-C-T, Find Out What It Means to … All Women
Michael is sexist. You can argue about whether it's intentional or he is simply too ignorant to know how to act appropriately around women, but Michael has many sexist moments on the show. In "Women's Appreciation," Pam complains he asks the female employees if they are on their periods when they get upset. He replies he needs to know whether or not to take them seriously.
The Office, 2007, Deedle-Dee Productions
18. Just Hold Me
Michael loves cuddling and spooning. This shows a more romantic side of him. Too bad Jan doesn't like it.
The Office, 2007, Deedle-Dee Productions
17. Rebranding Ideas
Michael loves his company but not its name. He tells David Wallace that he has never been a fan of the name Dunder Mifflin, and suggests a couple of alternatives he feels would be better: "Paper Great – Where paper is our passion" and "Super Duper Paper – It’s super duper!"
The Office, 2007, Deedle-Dee Productions
16. Get Rich Quick
A pyramid scheme kept Michael from going to college. After working at a fast food restaurant to save up the money, Michael fell for a pyramid scheme and lost all his savings. Hey, maybe without that, he never would've ended up at Dunder Mifflin. Unfortunately, that would not be the first time he fell for a scam, as he gets involved in a calling card scheme and an email scam from "the son of the deposed king of Nigeria."
The Office, 2009, Deedle-Dee Productions
15. Troublemaker
Michael's code name in the warehouse is "Dennis the Menace." Once Michael has left Dunder Mifflin, Darryl mentions to a few others in the office, "Oh, in the warehouse we used code names for people we want to talk about. Andy was Jelly Roll. Mike was Dennis the Menace. Ryan was douchebag."
The Office, 2009, Deedle-Dee Productions
14. Family Ties
Michael has a half-sister whom he was estranged from for many years. He also has a nephew named Luke, who he once hired to work as an office assistant. Luke turned out to be incompetent and Michael had to fire him (after spanking him in front of everyone to discipline him).
The Office, 2011, Deedle-Dee Productions
13. Whose Phone Is That?
His ringtone choice is … unique. Selections include "My Humps," "Mambo Number Five," and Salt N Pepa.
12. Bow Down to Meryl
He thinks Meryl Streep is the best actress. Not many people would disagree with him on this one.
11. Love Me, Love Me, Say That You Love Me
Michael admits that he has a compulsive need to be praised. In "Fun Run," he says, "Do I need to be liked? Absolutely not. I like to be liked. I enjoy being liked. I have to be liked. But it's not like this compulsive need to be liked, like my need to be praised."
The Office, 2011, Deedle-Dee Productions
10. Not Exactly a 40-Year-Old Virgin
Michael lost his virginity when he was 28. However, he frames it as a choice. When the branch is participating in a weight loss program put on by corporate, he says, "What is wrong with these people? They have no willpower. I went... I once went 28 years without having sex. And then again for seven years."
The Office, 2011, Deedle-Dee Productions
9. Men Deserve Nice Shoes Too
One of his entrepreneurial dreams is to open a fancy men's shoe store. And call it Shoe La La. Because every man needs a new pair of shoes for the special occasions in life, "like when you get married, or the day your wife has a baby, or for just lounging around the house," according to Michael.
8. In the Paper Biz for Life
Michael continues to work in the paper industry in Colorado. In fact, real-life Colorado governor John Hickenlooper issued a press release appointing Michael Scott to the position of Director of Paper Distribution in the Department of Natural Resources.
7. Finish Him
Michael's mortal enemy is Toby Flenderson. Working in HR, Toby represents the limitations Michael despises. Michael expresses his hatred for Toby when he says, "If I had a gun with two bullets, and if I was in a room with Hitler, Bin Laden, and Toby, I would shoot Toby twice." Steve Carell, who plays Michael, nearly broke the Internet in 2017 when he tweeted that The Office—which had been off the air since 2013—was returning, only to follow it up by saying he meant Will & Grace. He then used the classic “I was hacked” excuse and blamed his office nemesis Toby Flenderson.
The Office, 2009, Deedle-Dee Productions
6. Stock Market Woes
Michael invested in Blockbuster—a testament to his business acumen.
5. The Next Weird Al Yankovic?
Michael enjoys writing and performing musical parodies. Notable attempts include "The Chanukah Song" (used for Diwali), "Beers in Heaven," "Total Eclipse of the Fart," and "My Stumps."
4. Daddy Issues
Michael disliked his stepdad. In a short video clip shown of his past when his mom was getting married, young Michael clearly yells "I hate you!" to the groom as he wets his pants. A humanizing and revealing moment.
The Office, 2010, Deedle-Dee Productions
3. Five Minutes of Fame
Michael once appeared on a children's TV show called Fundle Bundle. On the episode, young Michael expresses that his wish for the future is to "get married and have 100 kids, so I can have 100 friends, and no one can say 'no' to being my friend." Aw.
The Office, 2009, Deedle-Dee Productions
2. High School Reunion
Michael and Phyllis are the same age and attended the same high school. Michael is not comfortable admitting any of this, believing himself to younger and better looking than her.
The Office, 2009, Deedle-Dee Productions
1. All's Well That Ends Well
Michael gets his happy ending. When he returns for his brief appearance on the series finale to be Dwight's best man in his wedding to Angela, Pam reveals that Michael had to buy two phones because of all the pictures he has on them of his kids with Holly. "He's just so happy to have a family plan," she says. But don't expect Carell to reprise his role any time soon. When asked about doing an Office reboot, Carell said to the Daily News, "I don't think it's a good idea." He continued, "Fans of any show think that they want to see more of that show but I don't really (believe) that's the case, because they want it to be exactly what it was, and there's no way it can be exactly what it was." He then finished by saying, "Even in the best possible scenario, it's always a slight disappointment. I don't see any reason to slightly disappoint people who might have loved your show to begin with."
The Office, 2013, Deedle-Dee Productions
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