The premise seemed intriguing enough for any diehard fan of The Office: At a Schrute family funeral, complete with cars driven into graves and our introduction to a motley crew of Schrute family members, Dwight learns he's inherited the beloved family beet farm, and must galvanize his fellow Schrutes to keep it running. Paul Lieberstein had fans laughing nonstop with his portrayal of Toby Flenderson on The Office. But Michael realizes Toby's technique, and Toby gives up, handing Michael the check-off therapy folder (Counseling). Can I just say that of all the idiots in all of the idiot villages, in all of the idiot worlds, you stand alone, my friend. Toby is present at the closing ceremonies (Office Olympics). Widely regarded as the one of greatest stage and screen actors both in his native Great Britain and internationally, Toby Edward Heslewood Jones was born on September 7, 1966 in Hammersmith, London. There are a few pieces of evidence that fans think shows Toby's role as the Strangler. In The Lover, Michael tries to befriend Toby to try to get him to stop Pam from being mad at Michael, but when Toby fails, Michael calls him a jackass. In 2014, he appeared in one episode of the short-lived Bad Teacher, and in 2016, he filmed an episode of HBO's Togetherness. Michael decides to take the office staff on a field trip to the warehouse. No word on precisely why NBC passed on the series, but Wilson told Larry King in 2013 that though he was sad to see it go, he was okay with hanging up the Dwight Schrute character for good. Daniels was the one who decided that the series' writers should try writing bit parts for themselves, and what was meant to be a one-episode appearance as HR rep Toby Flenderson became the introduction of a regular character. He is also the first to finish the run and doesn't seem winded, unlike many of the other members who seriously participated. When Michael pushes religion in the office during Secret Santa, Michael calls Toby the antichrist. Cookies help us deliver our Services. Toby's avoidance of (or exclusion from) Michael's activities serves a production purpose: It allows Paul Lieberstein to continue working as a writer instead of having to be on set. Paul Lieberstein was born on February 22, 1967 in Westport, Connecticut, USA as Paul Bevan Lieberstein. Lieberstein continued to serve double duty on the series until its finale, and was named showrunner and executive producer in 2011. Toby later asks Michael if he can sign the papers so he can go home but Michael responds with "Toby, you don't even have anyone to go home to". Paul Lieberstein is an American screenwriter, actor and television producer who has an estimated net worth of $14 million. In the season premiere, The List, Toby is put on the same side of Robert California's list as Jim, Dwight, Kevin, Oscar, Phyllis, Angela, and Darryl. He debuted as an actor in the pilot episode in the much adored role of Toby Flenderson, the sad-eyed Human Resources director. He is seen in the background playing video games with Sadiq (Email Surveillance). Toby refuses, as Nellie has no record of misconduct. Paul Bevan Lieberstein (born February 22, 1967) is an American actor, screenwriter, and television producer. Riding on the success, Paul went on to write & co-produce several TV shows such as The Bernie Mac Show, The Drew Carey Show, and the short-lived cult classic Greg the Bunny. Paul Lieberstein had fans laughing nonstop with his portrayal of Toby Flenderson on The Office. Toby purchases a camera just so he can take a picture with Pam. Examples include: It is implied that Toby is perhaps a runner. He is generally soft-spoken and mild-mannered. By using our Services, you agree to our use of cookies. Those notes themselves may have an explanation, though. Later in the same episode, Toby enters the office and shares an uncomfortable kiss with a woman he identifies as his girlfriend, Amy. After she did that, Toby took off his glasses and kissed her passionately. We watched poor Toby Flenderson absorb insults and injuries for years on The Office. Another of Lieberstein's inter-office relatives? Take your favorite fandoms with you and never miss a beat. In Goodbye, Toby, Toby has a huge going away party, which Michael says matches the joy in his heart. During Michael and Dwight's confrontation in the kitchen, Toby interrupts to see if Michael signed the paperwork yet as if he hasn't then that means he would have to stay late. Another giant moment that could prove Toby guilty is that Strangler car chase that passes the office. Could he have been the Strangler all along? Despite often getting annoyed with each other, Toby and Kelly are shown to be close friends. Prior to his termination in the series finale, he was the Human Resources Representative at the Scranton branch of Dunder Mifflin/Sabre. In Whistleblower, Jo Bennett criticizes Toby's mystery novel that he was writing in his spare time at work. To continue reading login or create an account. The idea of Creed seemed a bit more obvious. Paul made his directorial debut in an episode of season 4. Toby may still feel sore about his divorce, because as soon as Jim brought it up, Toby snapped at Clark and muttered: "I'm gonna kill him". During his time at Staples High, he tried his hand at creative writing where he wrote and produced a program called “Hotel New Jersey”, with his friends in an abandoned TV Studio. Part of Paul Lieberstein's deal with NBC when he was named showrunner at The Office included developing new projects for the network. He then adds under his breath, "My ex-wife used to demolish me.". Check out some of the IMDb editors' favorites movies and shows to round out your Watchlist. In the episode "Fun Run", Toby tells the camera crew that he usually has to take bathroom breaks in "runs like these", showing that he has participated in runs more than once. The writer/actor sat down with the Today Show earlier this year to share why he personally found Toby so funny. The start of an episode shows the beloved coworkers eating popcorn and watching the news, as the Strangler's home is surrounded, and he eventually ends up in a car chase with police. As Dunder Mifflin's trusty HR exec, he had lots of memorable moments on the show's nine-season run. First, Michael tries to rope Toby into smacking him, but the calm Toby is not pressured into it. He mostly feels in control, and like a baby sitter with a couple of out of control kids," he explains. Paul’s work in The Office won him many recognitions including a Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Broadband Program in Comedy Genre, the 2006 Screen Actors Guild Award for “Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a comedy series”, the 2006 Writers Guild of America Award for Writer of The Office & the 2006 Emmy for Outstanding Comedy Series. He is generally soft-spoken and mild-mannered. Toby, however, seems to think Skub was really innocent after he was on the jury that locked him up for good. The film co-stars Rosemarie DeWitt, who has appeared in a variety of films and television programs like Poltergeist, La La Land and Black Mirror, and Broadway star Brian D'arcy James, from the film Spotlight. Tony Gardner said that Toby was a nice and very helpful guy, as he helped him settle in which was the only reason he would have stayed before quitting because of Michael's management style (The Merger). Toby was invited to attend Jim's barbecue. But dedicated fans have taken it upon themselves to introduce two theories. Andy, however, shows kindness to Toby in the Finale and encourages him to come to the office after party. In the just-concluded season of The Office (season 7), Paul Lieberstein, who plays Toby Flenderson, looks much thinner than he did in the past. (Diversity Day). Michael then corrects himself, only mentioning that he would only shoot Toby once. Michael seems to hate Toby even more, if possible. Toby gets Pete and Clark to participate in the Movember fundraising program. John Krasinski, who played Jim Halpert and has since gone on to a successful career as a director, screenwriter, and leading man, has said he'd love a reunion, but doubts a whole series could happen with the same cast. He went to Staples High School where he became interested in the genre of comedy and would spend hours watching Steve Martin’s albums. Producer Jennifer Prediger told Variety, "If Charlie Kaufman and Buster Keaton had a baby with a bad back, it would be Paul Lieberstein's painfully funny first feature.". Despite mainly being a passive victim to Michael's abuse, Toby himself has shown on a few occasions in the series that he enjoys seeing Michael in misery and has even stood up to him too. "As Toby, I had a lot of scenes with Steve Carell, and that was just a master class in acting. Toby was present at the Secret Santa ceremony. Andy chews him out, saying "no wonder Michael hated you". He is unsure whether this was intentional. Finally, to Michael's absolute horror, Toby returns in Frame Toby. He cries openly, stating that everything's wrong. Ed Helms and Steve Carell seem like no-shows, with Carell telling ET that he thinks audiences would be disappointed by a show that tried to recreate a moment in time that can never be recaptured. He also continually addresses Michael like an adult, instead of pandering to his antics. ", Lieberstein also admits most of his lines on The Office were completely impromptu. Toby's parents divorced when he was a child. Deadline suggested that the tone of the show could be changing to a workplace comedy premise, so the addition of Lieberstein as showrunner and executive producer makes a lot of sense. Toby stands around in the parking lot with the rest of the staff during the fire. You know him as Toby Flenderson, the beleaguered HR rep at the Scranton branch of Dunder Mifflin and the perpetual bane of Michael Scott's existence. Toby's mustache grows rapidly during this time, but in such a way that makes him look unsettling. Michael was resistant to cooperate in counseling, giving Toby the silent treatment, telling false stories about his life, and eventually giving him the finger.