Steve Carell Leaving NBC's The Office

After seven season, Steve Carell decides not to renew his contract to the hit NBC comedy series.

Steve Carell has been playing Michael Scott, the hilarious, clueless boss of Dunder Mifflin's Scranton, Pennsylvania regional office, since the series premiere of The Office in 2005. Now, after seven seasons, Carell has decided to call it quits. The television and film actor recently told E! Online's Kristina Guerrero he feels his time headlining the NBC sitcom is over, but is very confident The Office can successfully go on without him:

"I just think it's time. I want to fulfill my contract. When I first signed on I had a contract for seven seasons, and this coming year is my seventh. I just thought it was time for my character to go.

It doesn't certainly mean the end of the show. I think it's just a dynamic change to the show, which could be a good thing, actually. Add some new life and some new energy...I see it as a positive in general for the show."

Rumor has it that veteran film star Harvey Keitel could be the one to fill Carell's absence, albeit briefly.The Hollywood Reporter quotes an unnamed source as saying: "That [story] got out of control. It was an idea on the table [and] it could be a fun arc, but it's not going to be a long-term option."

Even with this startling announcement, Carell expects things to be business as usual for the rest of the gang over at Dunder Mifflin; the fictitious paper distribution company Micheal Scott manages.

"I didn't see it as a huge thing, and I certainly didn't anticipate any sort of hubbub over it. I'm just not going to extend my contract, but I didn't see it as a huge deal. And the show is great, and the ensemble is so strong, and the writers are great, so it's just one part of that ensemble drifting off. They've incorporated so many new characters and so many new, great story lines that I have no doubt it'll continue as strong if not stronger than ever."