DREAM JOB

‘The Office’ Stars Reunite for Actor’s Surprising Career Pivot

The Emmy-winning cast reunited to celebrate the actor’s new venture.

Leslie David Baker, who played Stanley on The Office, had the support of his co-stars during the grand opening of his new shop.

Baker, 68, unveiled the Honey Baked Ham shop in Sherman Oaks over the weekend and was joined by Craig Robinson (Darryl), Phyllis Smith (Phyllis), and Rainn Wilson (Dwight), according to the Daily Mail.

Baker revived the neighborhood’s franchise years after the last one closed 10 years ago, he told the outlet, while expressing gratitude for his former castmates’ support.

“It was such a joy to be able to share such a delicious moment with my friends, family, and cohorts from The Office,” he told the site. “Lots of fun, laughter, and good food.”

Baker played Stanley Hudson for all nine seasons of the show from 2005 to 2013. Baker told NBC Los Angeles that he decided to open the shop after he “came home one day and was complaining about waiting in the long line at another store.”

He’s since fully committed to the endeavor, posting to Instagram, “I’m Leslie David Baker, co-owner of The Honey Baked Ham Co., and I couldn’t be prouder to bring this new home to our neighborhood.”

The actor’s small-screen career, including his turn as Stanley in The Office, was itself a major pivot after Baker moved to L.A. at the age of 40, ending his career as an administrator at the Chicago health department to pursue acting full-time. Since the show—which won 5 Emmys out of 42 nominations—ended, Baker has expressed continued interest in continuing his character’s story arc.

He launched a Kickstarter to produce an Office spinoff titled Uncle Stan in 2020. Though he raised $336,450, the project never materialized, and the donor gifts were refunded.

In lieu of a spinoff, Baker said he still enjoys when fans recognize him for the role, 10 years after the show went off the air.

He told The Los Angeles Times last March, “I know you hear some celebrities say, ‘It’s a bother when people call me by my character name. It’s a bother when people are talking about the show I did this many years ago.” That isn’t the case for him, Baker said. “It’s an honor and a privilege to have that type of recognition.”

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Eboni Boykin-PattersonEntertainment Reporter

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