The Office Star Astounds Fans: Returns Jaw-Dropping $110K for Delayed Stanley Hudson Spinoff!

Leslie David Baker, the actor famous for portraying Stanley Hudson on The Office, is giving back donations to his fans who showed support for his proposed spinoff series centered around the character of Stanley.

In an Instagram statement on Tuesday, August 1, Baker, aged 65, expressed his apologies for the delay in providing updates. He mentioned that the team has been diligently working in the background to ensure everything is progressing smoothly and that rewards are being fulfilled. Baker also conveyed his enthusiasm and gratitude for the patience and support shown by his fans, as they eagerly await the release of the project.

The spinoff show, known as Uncle Stan, was planned to chronicle Stanley's journey out of retirement in Florida to assist his struggling nephew in Los Angeles. As stated on the project's Kickstarter page, the fundraising campaign started in 2020 and has raised over $300,000 in the past three years. However, it appears that no progress has been made in the actual production of the show, leading fans to question the cause of the delay on social media.

In an Instagram post, Baker explained, "The project took longer than expected due to circumstances beyond our control. Initial setbacks were due to the Covid lockdowns, which pushed us further behind schedule. As things were gradually returning to normal and we were fulfilling rewards and preparing for production, the WGA strike was announced, prompting us to pause once again. Currently, the ongoing SAG strike has compelled us to indefinitely hold the project until a resolution is reached."

Baker subsequently made an announcement indicating that both he and his team had reached a decision to provide refunds to all contributors, regardless if they had already received their promised incentives, such as a digital version of the show's script or a personal phone call from Baker. Nevertheless, Baker disclosed that the refunded sum would be noticeably lesser than the official dollar amount documented on Kickstarter.

Leslie David Baker Rob Latour/Shutterstock

"We stated the total funded amount on our Kickstarter campaign page as $336,450.53; however, this was not the final amount that we received," Baker explained. "A significant portion of the backers' pledges were reduced or even cancelled entirely after the campaign concluded. The exact amount we ultimately received from Kickstarter was $110,629.81."

Despite the disparity in figures, Baker confirmed that the funds contributed by fans were exclusively utilized for reward fulfillment and reimbursing backers. He asserted that the remainder of the funds were meticulously tracked and left untouched.

Stanley, portrayed by Baker, was a mainstay in The Office for a remarkable span of nine seasons. Following the show's conclusion in 2013, Baker has made noteworthy appearances in numerous television series and movies, including Still the King, Raven's Home, Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie, and The Happytime Murders. Additionally, in 2020, he showcased his talent in advertisements for Honey Nut Cheerios.