Suits LA Episode 3 Sees An Actor From The Office Channel His Real-Life Frustrations

This article contains spoilers for "Suits LA" Season 1, Episode 3, "He Knew."

Every actor has regrets — even the best ones. For example, the late Gene Hackman wished he hadn't starred in two of his films, noting that he accepted one role for the money and hated the title of the other project. Elsewhere, the list of actors who regret making superhero movies just keeps growing, with everyone from Ryan Reynolds to Sylvester Stallone wishing they'd been pickier at certain times. And then you have actors who regret being typecast, even if they don't necessarily hate the role that led to their frustrations. "The Office" star Brian Baumgartner can relate to the latter, and he pokes fun at his career woes in "Suits LA" Episode 3.

The episode in question, "He Knew," has Baumgartner playing a very exaggerated version of himself, who visits entertainment lawyer Erica Rollins' (Lex Scott David) office and claims that he's tired of being perceived as a comedian. He wants to star in Oscar-worthy dramas, like Robin Williams before him, and break the Kevin Malone curse once and for all. This leads to him getting some advice from comedian-turned-respectable-dramatist Patton Oswalt, which culminates in an argument where the "Ratatouille" star trashes "The Office," forcing Baumgartner to defend the sitcom that led to him being typecast.

The scene between Oswalt and Baumgartner can be interpreted as the latter learning to appreciate one of his most famous roles, even if it forced him into a box. At the same time, the frustrations he voices in "Suits LA" Episode 3 reflect comments he's made in real life before.

Kevin Malone is portrayed as Dunder Mifflin's resident lovable sad-sack, but he's also responsible for some of the funniest moments on "The Office," What's more, his famous chili recipe even found its way into Peacock's terms and conditions, proving that the character has left a lasting impact on pop culture. However, Brian Baumgartner wants to be known for other roles as well, and he was conscious about separating himself from the character after the sitcom ended.

While speaking to Entertainment Weekly in 2022, Baumgartner revealed he was conscious about being typecast after "The Office," especially since he spent most of his 30s playing Kevin. In his own words:

"I wanted to distance myself. I thought, 'I don't want to be Kevin Malone forever.' I spent a long time turning down roles that I felt were too similar or wanted a similar sort of feeling and character."

Unfortunately for Baumgartner, "The Office" is still a cultural phenomenon thanks to its popularity on streaming services, so escaping the shadow of his beloved character has been difficult. These days, the actor seems to have accepted being known as Kevin in the eyes of many people, which might explain why he agreed to rib himself in "Suits LA."

New episodes of "Suits LA" air Sundays at 9pm EST on NBC before streaming on Peacock the next day.