No more Dunder Mifflin for Michael Scott. Carell is out of "The Office".

Actor Steve Carell told US Magazine that he will be leaving The Office after this next season. He stated, “It’s the last (season) on my contract, and I want to honor my contract.” He also added that, “These are some of my best friends in the world! But it will be good — it will be good for everybody.” This might not be the end for the series, however, as the show is built around an ensemble cast and has used that more and more this past season.

Carell states one of the main reasons he wants to end his tenure on the office is to spend more time with his wife and young children. Movie schedules allow more time to be with your family than a television series, so it makes sense that this would be the time for Carell to step down. His recent movies Get Smart and Date Night show that he has some box office cred, and focusing only on movies – or even retiring for a few years – seem sensible for this family man.

Even though I am a fan of Carell, this could be a breath of fresh air for the series as dwindling ratings this past year showed wear and tear on NBC’s veteran sitcom. But on the other side, it could have the opposite effect since Carell has been a force in the box office. It will be interesting to see what the producers decide to do this season to say goodbye to Michael Scott.

The Office will be back in the fall for its seventh season on NBC, Thursdays at 9:00 PM.