‘The Office’ Star Melora Hardin Teases Jan’s Return in Series Reboot
But will she bring her candle business, her “very talented” (young) assistant Hunter, and a fresh bottle of wine with her?
NBC/NBCUniversal via Getty Images
Rumors about the new spin-off series in the faux-documentary world of The Office have long been swirling, and now Melora Hardin—best known as the workplace sitcom’s spectacularly unhinged Jan Levinson, the commanding businesswoman with a weakness for Michael Scott—is fueling speculation that she could make a boss lady return.
In this week’s episode of The Daily Beast Podcast, Hardin addressed the forthcoming reboot. She was clear that the show would feature a new primary cast, rather than bringing back familiar faces from Dunder Mifflin.
But when asked whether she might reprise her iconic role for a cameo, she left the door open: “Maybe I would pop in, maybe something like that.”
(Dwight would argue that leaving a door open is a fire hazard of course, but let’s not quibble.)
Daniels himself addressed the reboot chatter in a 2023 interview with The Wrap, clarifying that he sees the new project as something distinct. “I don’t like to think of anything as a reboot, you know what I mean?” he explained. “Because I feel like we ended that story beautifully. The characters had closure.”
The upcoming series will follow the original series' documentary crew as they shift their focus to a new subject: a historic Midwestern newspaper struggling to stay afloat with the help of volunteer reporters.
But, of course, you can’t print a newspaper without requiring high-quality paper supplies! So the possibility of Hardin making a guest appearance has fans buzzing—especially those who still quote her lines from "Dinner Party," often thought of as one of the greatest sitcom episodes of all time. “People have seen it so many times,” Hardin told podcast co-hosts Joanna Coles and Samantha Bee, laughing. “I am always like, ‘Oh, you know the lines better than I do.’”
New episodes of The Daily Beast Podcast are released every Thursday. Like and download on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, or your favorite podcast app. And click here for email updates as each new episode drops.
Get the best of The Beast delivered right to your inbox
By clicking “SUBSCRIBE” you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
See more of our coverage in your search results.
Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast here.
Unlock a year of full access to The Looker and The Daily Beast for $35.
Monthly
$1
First month then $5.99/month
Annual
$35
First year then $59.99/year
Premium
$79
First year then $119.99/year
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.
Looks like you already have a subscription!
You're all set!
Thanks for subscribing.
Register below to read this article for free or subscribe
to unlock unlimited access to The Looker and The Daily Beast.
Monthly
$1
First month then $5.99/month
Annual
$35
First year then $59.99/year
Premium
$79
First year then $119.99/year
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.
Already have an account? Sign In
Looks like you already have a subscription!
You're all set!
Thanks for subscribing.
Sign in
Login dialog