Actor’s Announcement Regarding the Stanley Spinoff
Leslie David Baker, widely known for his role as Stanley Hudson on The Office, has announced that he will be returning $110,000 worth of fan donations that were initially raised for a proposed Stanley spinoff series, titled Uncle Stan. The actor took to Instagram on August 1, 2023, to apologize to the fans who supported the project and provide an update on the status of the show.
Baker, 65, shared that the project had faced numerous delays, causing a lack of progress. He reassured fans that he was just as eager to bring the show to life as they were, but circumstances beyond their control had slowed everything down. The Kickstarter campaign for the series, which began in 2020, raised over $300,000 from supporters, but as the years went by, fans began to wonder why there had been no movement.
Delays Due to COVID and Strikes
Baker explained that the delays began during the COVID-19 lockdowns, which set the production timeline back significantly. As the situation started to improve, the team began working on fulfilling rewards for backers and moving forward with preproduction. However, the strikes by both the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and SAG-AFTRA further delayed progress, forcing them to pause the project once again.
“Due to the strikes, we will continue to hold indefinitely until an agreement is reached,” Baker said in his post.
Refunds for Backers
While the project is on hold, Baker and his team decided to issue refunds to all donors who contributed to the campaign, including those who had already received rewards such as digital scripts and personal phone calls from Baker. However, Baker revealed that the total amount refunded was significantly less than the original dollar amount raised on Kickstarter.
Despite the initial fundraising total of $336,450.53, Baker clarified that the actual amount received after the campaign was completed was only $110,629.81. Many backers’ pledges were either lowered or dropped entirely after the campaign ended, which resulted in the smaller sum.
Transparency with Fans
Baker assured supporters that the funds raised had been used solely for reward fulfillment and backer refunds. He also stated that the remaining funds had been accounted for and untouched. He made it clear that no money had been spent improperly, offering transparency to fans who had supported the project.
A Look Back at Baker’s Career
Leslie David Baker portrayed Stanley Hudson on The Office for all nine seasons of the iconic show. Since The Office ended in 2013, Baker has appeared in various other TV shows and films, including Still the King, Raven’s Home, Captain Underpants: The First Epic Movie, and The Happytime Murders. In 2020, he also starred in a series of commercials for Honey Nut Cheerios.
While the Uncle Stan project is currently on hold, Baker’s honesty and transparency with his fans show his continued respect for their support throughout the years.