The original British version of The Office was a phenomenon overseas, but the American version truly grew to out of control proportions that nobody could have anticipated. Even now, the series remains absurdly popular and it’s apparently the most watched program on Netflix out of their entire library. The Office’s influence is tremendous and it’s turned most of its cast into household names, but arguably the biggest success story is Steve Carell who found a dream role in Michael Scott. Every character on The Office resonates with the audience, but Michael Scott certainly stands out as the glue that held the show together. While the sitcom did soldier on for two seasons without him, many cite those years as not having the same magic as the Michael Scott seasons.
As fans obsessively watch reruns of the series for the umpteenth time, they may be able to quote all of Michael Scott’s dialogue or list their favorite moments for the character, but the head of Dunder Mifflin is full of interesting and unusual trivia that might be very easy to miss. Michael Scott may often seem like a dunce, but he can also be quite the unpredictable enigma. Accordingly, Here Are 25 Crazy Details About Michael Scott From The Office That Only True Fans Know!
25 He Bought Himself His World’s Best Boss Mug
At least during the earliest seasons of The Office, one of Michael Scott’s most iconic accessories was his brash “World’s Best Boss” mug. The boastful item seems fairly par for the course with Michael and it’s something that he would often try to shove into people’s faces, as if to hide up his actual insecurities over being an ineffective boss. This mug remains a security blanket of sorts for the boss of Dunder Mifflin.
The mug’s history becomes even more interesting when it’s revealed that Michael actually bought the mug for himself from Spencer Gifts. It’d be one thing if someone else gifted him it as a joke, but the reality is much sadder.
24 He Has A Half-Sister
Michael is someone on The Office that seems like he thrives with a family. Over the course of the series, many of the characters gain relationships and families that blossom, but Michael has such a capacity for giving that he’d likely benefit the most by having other people in his life.
It takes Michael some time to chisel out a romantic life for himself, but in spite of that, he actually does have a half-sibling! Michael has admittedly been estranged from his half-sister for years and it looks like she’s not an active part of his life. There’s surely some bad blood there because it seems unlike Michael to willingly turn his back on family.
23 He Appeared On A TV Show As A Child
Only brief glimpses of Michael Scott’s childhood have been alluded to throughout the course of The Office, but the few examples that have come up paint a rather sad childhood for Michael. If adult Michael is someone who’s desperate to be popular and liked, that’s even more present in his child self, albeit even more insecure.
A trip down memory lane results in an old episode of Fundle Bundle being shown to Dunder Mifflin. It’s here that a young Michal appears alongside some friendly puppets. Michael reveals some crushing information about his loneliness, desire for friends, and provides some insight into how he views a “boss.”
22 He Started The Dundies
Office life can become so dreary that it’s important to have activities that boost morale and keep the mind sane. Since Dunder Mifflin can sometimes prioritize fun over actual work, this means that there are a fair amount of events that focus on the positive and rewarding employees and their enthusiasm.
One of the earliest and best examples of this in the series is the annual “Dundies” ceremony. The Dundies turn into a pivotal event for Jim and Pam, but it’s even more touching to know that Michael is the one that’s responsible for such an important piece of history for Dunder Mifflin.
21 His Role Models Are Quite Eclectic
Michael Scott is the kind of individual who believes that if less can be more, then more must equate to an even better thing. He’s not one to limit his passions and he’ll rope in a whole committee’s worth of opinions when it’s possible. This passion for excess and being the “best” tends to invade every facet of Michael’s life, but a great example of it in action is his list of role models.
Michael sees himself as such an important person, so therefore his role models should be an all-star list of influencers. Michael covers his bases here and considers Abraham Lincoln, Bob Hope, Bono, and God to be his major inspirations.
20 He Never Went To College Because Of A Pyramid Scheme
Often Michael Scott’s pre-Dunder Mifflin years are looked at as humorous character-building events that helped get Michael to where he is today. Michael’s misadventures are primarily played for laughs, but there’s actually a very dark undertone to a lot of his life.
For instance, Michael gets candid about how he slaved away at a fast food job so he could save up for college. Unfortunately, Michael blows these savings when he gives his trust over to a pyramid scheme and he’s left with nothing. Michael’s unable to afford school, but the setback does cause him to apply to Dunder Mifflin.
19 He Went To High School With Phyllis
Back in high school when Michael still had dreams of going off to college and didn’t even have employment at a paper company on his radar, he actually had a relationship with someone he’d later cross paths with at Dunder Mifflin. Michael Scott is a bit of an anomaly to most of his employees, but Phyllis Vance views him in a special light, considering she went to high school with him and they’re even the same age.
Phyllis paints quite the tortured picture of Michal’s tenure at school. He wasn’t a very popular student, but at least he and Phyllis didn’t lose touch.
18 He Eventually Has Kids
A lot of Michael Scott’s arc on The Office sees him eager for love in his life. He works through a handful of difficult relationships during the series and while it seems for a while that Jan might be his endgame, Michael’s life thankfully goes in a very different direction.
Michael and Holly Flax are truly a perfect couple and it’s wonderful that they find each other. The two may exit the series before it’s conclusion, but Michael reveals to Pam that he and Holly have children. We may not actually get to see Michael be a great parent, but it’s still a happy ending for him.
17 His Safe Word Is “Foliage”
Michael’s enormous capacity for love gets him into a number of romantic situations, some of which are healthier than others. Even though their dynamic is largely toxic, Michael and Jan remain a couple through a sizable stretch of the series. This relationship is certainly a cringe-worthy experience, but there are still brief instances of happiness.
Michael and Jan figure out that they have a number of legitimate problems as a couple, but one of their smaller issues is in the bedroom. Michael reveals that his “safe word” with Jan is “foliage.” That being said, apparently Jan doesn’t always respect the word.
16 He Used To Work At A Men’s Warehouse
Michael Scott may consider his job at Dunder Mifflin to be his dream profession in many respects, but that doesn’t mean that he’s always been a part of the company. When The Office begins, Michael is already firmly entrenched as the company’s regional manager, but he still had to work his way up the corporate ladder.
Before Michael was a cog in the Dunder Mifflin machine, he actually worked at a Men’s Warehouse. Michael’s job over there was a greeter and it’s something that he treated with a tremendous amount of passion. Michael was eventually able to parlay those skills over to an opening at Dunder Mifflin.
15 He Loves The Show Entourage
HBO has grown up a lot with its programming slate over the past decade, but there was still a time where Entourage was a crown jewel of the network. Entourage may seem like a relic of the past, but it was curiously a piece of pop culture that Michael couldn’t help but gravitate towards. The show was full of very big, unbearable personalities, so the fact that Michael worships such behavior feels pretty appropriate.
Not only has Michael quoted Jeremy Piven’s Ari Gold character throughout the series, but his love for the comedy was most apparent when he pushed for the office to watch an episode six times during one of their movie sessions.
14 He’s Written An Unproduced Screenplay
It was a legendary moment in the Dunder Mifflin offices when some unsanctioned goofing around led to the discovery of a cheesy action script that Michael had been working on in his spare time. Michael’s Threat Level Midnight screenplay is like an awkward mash-up of James Bond, Jason Bourne, and countless other action franchises. The villain in the script even has the uncreative name of “Golden Face.”
Threat Level Midnight features Michael Scott as Agent Michael Scarn, with Catherine Zeta-Jones poised as his love interest. The best part about all of this is that seasons later, they actually get to bring the script to life.
13 He’s A Budding Musical Parody Artist
It’s fair to say that Michael Scott probably considers him to be an expert at any creative endeavor that he throws himself into. If he can do it, then he likely thinks that he’s good enough to brag at that specific thing. One “talent” that Michael frequently puts on display are not just his vocal stylings, but his ability to pen a witty song parody.
Now, Michael Scott is no Weird Al, but he’s paid homage to several pop songs throughout the show, with such classy hits as “Total Eclipse of the Fart,” “My Stumps,” and “Beers in Heaven.”
12 The Happiest Day Of His Life Is When Toby Leaves Dunder Mifflin
Michael Scott is an individual that has many joys in his life, but he’s also someone that knows what he passionately hates, too. Toby Flenderson quickly turns into Michael’s punching bag and office nemesis and he never wastes an opportunity to throw the poor guy under the bus.
Toby endures Michael’s abuse for a number of years and never retaliates. This perhaps makes it even more tragic that Michael considers Toby’s last day at work to be one of the happiest moments of his entire life. Michael even throws a huge party for the occasion, which is just a little more sweet than it is terrible.
11 He’s Terrible At Keeping Secrets
Keeping a secret is a difficult task for Michael Scott. This obstacle has a lot to do with the fact that Michael aims to be a people pleaser and a good friend. He’s the kind of person that would relish the opportunity to be entrusted with someone’s secret. However, it’s this same enthusiastic attitude that makes Michael want to spill secrets and have something to share with others.
This level of trust has been terrible for Michael in the past, but at least the rest of Dunder Mifflin has figured this out. Jim has gone so far as to say that Michael’s the worst secret keeper in the office and that he can’t do it.
10 Favorite Ice Cream Flavor Is Mint Chocolate Chip
Everybody has their weaknesses and when you’re stuck in an office job all day, the simple pleasures of life can sometimes seem a lot more important. Ice cream is at the top of the list as far as Michael’s favorite snacks are concerned. Settling on a favorite ice cream flavor can be a difficult task, but Michael’s put a lot of thought into his selection.
The cream of the ice cream crop, as far as Michael is concerned, is mint chocolate chip. In fact, Michael is so nuts for the stuff that he’s said that he’d want to end his life if he was allergic to dairy and couldn’t enjoy ice cream.
9 He Shares A Birthday With Eva Longoria
There are a lot of birthdays that get celebrated on The Office. It makes sense, since tiny office birthdays can be a welcome moment of unity among co-workers. At Dunder Mifflin, it shouldn’t be a surprise that Michael tends to turn his own birthday into quite the extravagant event.
Michael loves to celebrate his birth and include as many others as possible, but he also takes some odd pride in who he shares his birthday with. Michael was born on March 15th at 11:23 am, the same as Eva Longoria, however he hopes to be able to use this information to break the ice with Teri Hatcher.
8 His PIN Number Is 9622
PIN numbers can be an interesting glimpse into someone’s psyche. Four digits don't allow for a ton of creativity, but there are still plenty of ways to use these numbers to reflect who you are in some covert way. Some people use significant dates and others try to spell out words. Michael isn’t the brainiest person out there, so the fact that he uses the latter method makes sense.
Michael Scott’s PIN is revealed to be 9622. This may not seem important, but these numbers correspond to the letters from “YMCA,” since Michael loves the Village People song so much.
7 He Grew Up In Lackawanna County In Scranton
Every character on The Office grows up and matures in significant ways through the span of the show, but much of its appeal stems from the fact that these are ordinary, boring individuals who don’t lead fancy lives. Sure, some of the people at Dunder Mifflin have experienced a few of the finer things in life, but largely these are small-town people with simple values.
This is incredibly apparent in Michael Scott himself, who’s barely treaded outside of Scranton for most of his life. Michael grew up in Scranton’s Lackawanna County and has remained there for most of his existence.
6 He Invested In Blockbuster
Sometimes there’s such a small difference between a good idea and a bad idea that it’s just a few random factors that spell success or failure. Michael is certainly someone who’s easily influenced and wants to take advantage of a hot opportunity. One can imagine that Michael was presented with such a situation when he makes the poor decision to invest in Blockbuster Video.
We now know that Blockbuster wouldn’t be forever, but this piece of Michael’s past is used to illustrate his poor business sense when he decides to buy stock in the company. It’s not a major plot point, but it is seriously funny.