Dakota Johnson Spent Two Weeks On The Office Set For Just A Few Minutes Of Screentime
They say to never meet your heroes. But for Dakota Johnson, the adage might be better reframed as "never sign on for the finale of a show you enjoy."
Though the actress is best known for starring in major productions like the "50 Shades of Grey" trilogy and Netflix's recent "Persuasion" adaptation, she had a small cameo in finale of "The Office" long before either literary adaptation made it to the big (or medium) screen. Johnson played Dakota — no last name — an accountant hired to replace Kevin. Yet despite the fact that her role was so minor, Johnson ended up spending way more time on-set than expected — and felt like a fish out of water the whole time. She told Vanity Fair that:
"I'm in it for like three minutes, and I spent two weeks on that set. I was there every day, all day ... I felt like I was crashing someone's birthday party when they actually really didn't mean to invite me ... and then I was stuck there."
While spending two weeks on set for a show that you're a fan of might normally sound like a great deal, the cast on "The Office" was remarkably tight-knit. Given the fact that the finale would be the perfect environment to reminisce (especially with Steve Carrell making a triumphant return), it's no surprise that Johnson felt like an outsider. That being said, it's a shame that what could've been an exciting memory felt so awkward instead — especially since she spent so long on-set.
Yet another character for the finale to juggle
"The Office"'s two-part finale was well-received, but it packed a lot into its hour-long runtime. Sure, that was inevitable given the show's large ensemble cast — the show wrapped up nearly every major character's storyline, set them on a new path going forward, and fit in a final round of interviews. But while the densely populated plot and skillful editing allowed the finale to feel as long as possible — a treat for dedicated viewers as the show's end loomed ahead — the episodes inevitably had a lot of ground to cover. Like a well-prepared sirloin, the excess had to be cut away.
While the on-screen Dakota wasn't exactly a waste of screen time, she did fit into a larger problematic trend for the show's final two episodes: new characters who were only really introduced in the finale. A bigger offender? Angela's sister Rachael (Rachael Harris), who was mentioned earlier in the show but had supposedly fallen out with her sister. Sure, it's nice that the pair made up in time for Angela's wedding — but in such a tightly packed episode, any time spent on Rachael (or Dakota) could've been used to make more memories with the core cast — or give an absent Dunder Mifflin employee a satisfying ending.
Don't get us wrong — overall, "The Office" finale was impressively executed. But considering the fact that its devotion to honoring characters came across as a love letter to the show's earlier seasons and the zany antics that Dunder Mifflin employees had to endure, we can't help but wonder if newer characters were really necessary (especially if they put the actors out).