Paul Lieberstein is the genius behind Toby Flenderson from NBC's The Office. The show ended back in 2013 but with Netflix streaming the series, it has picked up a new cult following. Lieberstein's character was in front of the camera for all nine seasons but there's so much about him that fans don't know.
Lieberstein is much more than a single character or his job on one iconic sitcom. Actors like Steve Carell, John Krasinski, and Ed Helms went on to become Hollywood stars but today we're taking a look at a very underrated person from The Office and the work he's done to prove it. Keep reading to find 10 things fans didn't know about Paul Lieberstein.
Paul Lieberstein & Rainn Wilson Were Set On An Office Spin-Off
Seeing how big The Office became, it's obvious fans wanted more of the show when it ended after nine seasons in 2013. The series wrapped up nicely but there were so many avenues that would make for a great spin-off. Thanks to Lieberstein, he and Rainn Wilson (Dwight) thought the perfect continuation of the series would be to chronicle Dwight's life on the farm.
Lieberstein stepped down from writing on The Office in the eighth season to pen the Dwight spin-off called The Farm. Sadly, NBC turned down the idea. Lieberstein decided to turn his spin-off idea into an episode titled "The Farm" instead.
Angela Kinsey Used To Be His Sister-In-Law...
The most shocking revelation about Paul Lieberstein is that he used to be Angela Kinsey's (Angela) brother-in-law. Angela married Paul's brother Warren and the two had a daughter together — whom she was pregnant with during the fourth season of The Office.
After 10 years of marriage, however, the couple got divorced. But it appears Paul Lieberstein and Angela Kinsey stayed friends throughout filming.
...And One Of The Show's Creator's Is His Brother-In-Law
Fans could say that Paul Lieberstein's personal life was more connected to The Office than others. Not only was Angela Kinsey his sister-in-law in real life, but his brother Warren was also a producer on the show and his brother-in-law, Greg Daniels, was the man who brought The Office to the U.S..
The idea to adapt the BBC version of The Office was brought to Daniels' attention, and he made it happen. It was he who brought Lieberstein in as a writer and actor for the series.
He Used To Write For Clarissa Explains It All
Clarissa Explains It All was one of the biggest shows on Nickelodeon for '90s kids. The series starred Melissa Joan Hart and followed Clarissa's daily life as an American teen. What made the series unique was Clarissa would explain viewers her motives or summarize events to the viewer in the middle of the scene.
When Lieberstein was just getting started in the TV world, one of his first jobs as a professional writer was on this ever-popular Nickelodeon series. He wrote the episode "President Ferguson," where Ferguson ran for school president.
His First Hit Was King Of The Hill
King of the Hill is one of those cartoons that will be loved forever. It ran for 13 seasons and gave many big shots their first break in the TV world. Paul Lieberstein was one of those people. With Greg Daniels already working on King of the Hill, he asked Lieberstein to come on as a writer. Lieberstein wrote 12 episodes for the series from 1997-2000 and won an Emmy Award for his work.
He Has 2020 Sitcom Plans
In the midst of the coronavirus, everyone around the world is urged to stay home and take precautions when running to the grocery store or other essential businesses that remain open. The change in everyday life has affected billions and is new for everyone.
In April of this year, Lieberstein and Ben Silverman announced that they were working on a new workplace comedy where employees are forced to stay home. Silverman said, "We are in a new normal and are personally navigating ways to remain connected and productive at work and in our home lives." With Lieberstein by his side, this could be the next big TV hit.
He Started Out Writing For The Office Before Being Asked To Act, Too
What makes The Office so fantastic are the creative minds behind it. When Paul Lieberstein signed on to write for the series, he was also asked to act in it, too. The Office is known for hiring performers who can do it all. And for the writing team, it's much easier to get inside the minds of these characters when they're being portrayed by one of their own. That's how Toby was created. However, writers didn't plan on Michael Scott hating him until Steve Carell made an improv decision to hate human resources, and that's how it all started.
He Added Parts Of His Personal Life To Andy's Character
The fun part of being a writer for the series is having the opportunity to add bits of your own life into the characters. The writers room was filled with stories and embarrassing moments that they implemented into the series.
For Paul Lieberstein, he didn't attend Cornell like Andy Bernard but he was apart of Chi Psi in college, which is how he contributed to Andy's character. Andy was transformed into this preppy frat boy from Cornell, thanks to Lieberstein's little adaptation.
He Directed Episodes For The Mindy Project
Paul Lieberstein wasn't the only writing performer on The Office, B.J. Novak and Mindy Kaling were, too. We learn about the cast and crew's tight bond on The Office Ladies podcast and how different writers and actors teamed up for other projects outside of The Office.
When Mindy Kaling created The Mindy Project back in 2012, she had Paul Lieberstein make an appearance on the show, and he even directed three episodes.
Song Of Back And Neck Is Very Personal For Lieberstein
In 2018, Lieberstein released a dark comedy titled Song of Back and Neck. Not only did he star as the movie's lead but he wrote and directed it, too. The movie revolves around a man named Fred who is often overlooked in life and battles neck and back pain. His pain is debilitating and he ends up getting help from an acupuncturist.
In real life, Lieberstein also battled horrible neck and back pain. He had said that the pain would be so severe that he didn't feel safe driving. Lieberstein found that the pain in his neck and back weren't physical, but psychological. Once he dealt with those personal demons, his pain would release.