Latest news with #SteveCarell
Newsweek
20 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Newsweek
Steve Carell, Morgan Freeman Delivered Mail for USPS. Lots of Other Stars Too
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Even before the Founding Fathers declared that all men are created equal, one truth was already self-evident in the blossoming United States of America: The people need their mail. Established during the Second Continental Congress on July 26, 1775, the United States Postal Service has kept Americans connected for 250 years—from transporting letters on horseback to delivering e-commerce in green trucks. And over the years, some of America's most recognizable figures—including actors Steve Carell and Morgan Freeman—delivered mail before they made their big break. The 16th U.S. President Abraham Lincoln earned his famous moniker "Honest Abe" while postmaster in New Salem, Illinois, and aviator Charles Lindbergh became the famous "Lucky Lindy" as an airmail pilot. Even Walt Disney delivered mail before Mickey Mouse graced the silver screen, and a whole host of musicians started off as postal workers, including the legendary jazz bassist Charles Mingus. A group of United States Postal Service (USPS) mechanics and vehicles, possibly Ford Model A Parcel Post trucks, awaiting repair at an USPS garage, United States, circa 1935. A group of United States Postal Service (USPS) mechanics and vehicles, possibly Ford Model A Parcel Post trucks, awaiting repair at an USPS garage, United States, circa 1935. FPG/Archive Photos/Getty "To be a jazz musician is a meager livelihood for most," USPS historian Steve Kochersperger told Newsweek. "He was a brilliant musician, but he depended on the Postal Service when he needed to pay the bills." Even "I'm Yours" singer Jason Mraz worked as a casual clerk before pursuing his music career. "All of our most precious documents, contracts, presents and checks from grandma go through their trusted hands," Mraz told Newsweek via email. "I personally think they are national service members that get overlooked—like park rangers, but for packages." Today, USPS processes and delivers on average over 370 million pieces of mail daily, thanks to its nationwide network of 640,000 employees and automated sorters. Though vehicular transportation has made mail delivery much faster than in its early days, the system still employs 6,450 "fleet of feet" workers who deliver mail entirely on foot. A testament to the reliability of its workers, the phrase "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds" has long been attributed to the U.S. Postal Service. "That quote from the ancient Greek Herodotus is on the main post office building in New York City, where millions of people have seen it over the years and they've come to associate it with the Postal Service," Kochersperger said. "We embrace that." When I Was a Postal Worker... US actor Steve Carell attends the Fans Premiere of Illumination and Universal Pictures' "Minions: The Rise of Gru" on June 25, 2022, in Hollywood, California. US actor Steve Carell attends the Fans Premiere of Illumination and Universal Pictures' "Minions: The Rise of Gru" on June 25, 2022, in Hollywood, California. VALERIE MACON/AFP via Getty Steve Carell, actor Rural Mail Carrier—Littleton, Massachusetts; 1985 "The hardest job I ever had was being a rural mail carrier. I was terrible at it.... I moved to Chicago a few months later and I found some undelivered mail underneath the seat of my car. So, if someone didn't get that check, it was probably because of me." —60 Minutes interview, November 2014 Morgan Freeman on stage at the Opening Ceremony during the 63rd Monte-Carlo Television Festival on June 14, 2024 in Monte-Carlo, Monaco. Morgan Freeman on stage at the Opening Ceremony during the 63rd Monte-Carlo Television Festival on June 14, 2024 in Monte-Carlo, Monaco. Stephane Cardinale - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Morgan Freeman, actor Substitute Mail Carrier—San Francisco, California; circa 1965 "Any place is the worst place to deliver mail. I was a substitute mail carrier. That's the worst kind of mail carrier you can be because you don't know the don't know anything about it. A lot of mailboxes you can't find, but you better deliver the mail." —Jimmy Kimmel Live interview, March 2016 Jason Mraz arrives at the 2020 MusiCares Person Of The Year Honoring Aerosmith at West Hall At Los Angeles Convention Center on January 24, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. Jason Mraz arrives at the 2020 MusiCares Person Of The Year Honoring Aerosmith at West Hall At Los Angeles Convention Center on January 24, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. Steve Granitz/WireImage Jason Mraz, singer Casual Clerk—Richmond, Virginia; circa 1995 "Working for the USPS taught me about the integrity of delivering on a promise. A concert ticket is like a postage stamp. It's a promise that I will deliver something, on time, and in good condition." —Newsweek via email, July 2025 Brittany Howard attends the 62nd Annual GRAMMY Awards at STAPLES Center on January 26, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. Brittany Howard attends the 62nd Annual GRAMMY Awards at STAPLES Center on January 26, 2020 in Los Angeles, California. John Shearer/Getty for The Recording Academy Brittany Howard, singer Rural Carrier Assistant—Athens, Georgia; 2011 "Good people. I was a rural mail carrier, and I think benefits need to be extended to ALL employees. There is a lot of wear [and] tear to the body." —Newsweek via email, July 2025
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Leo season 2025; Everything you need to know about the zodiac's big cat
Mane shaking, throne claiming Leo hath returned to rule the skies from July 22nd to August 22nd. Leo energy commands attention, demands respect, and requires worship. It will not be ignored. It will not play tambourine in the family band. It will sing lead, and sometimes lead guitar, but only if it can wear a top hat, have a pet mountain lion named Curtis, and steal the goddamn show every time like leather-loving, sleeve-banishing apex Leo, ladies and gentlemen, Slash. To encapsulate Leo, I offer a parable from fellow lion Steve Carell, 'Would I rather be feared or loved? Um easy. Both. I want people to be afraid of how much they love me.' While Leo is the sign voted most likely to masturbate to their own sex tape, they are also most likely to donate to a charitable cause or post bail for an attractive stranger. As a fixed sign, Leos excel at both creating and stabilizing dramatic situations. Leo energy is, above all else, regal AF. It wants recognition but not ultimate power or autocratic rulership. Conquering is curative to Leo, but it wants to rule magnanimously. An initial interaction with a Leo can feel a bit like an audition or a royal appointment; you will be received warmly, assessed carefully, and sorted accordingly. Being consulted is wildly gratifying for a Leo. They like to feel like they matter and are held in high regard. Sometimes a Leo is so regal they pull a power move, relocate to the US with the hotter of the two princes, and reject their royal title and the fraught lineage of the monarchy, all while dressing impeccably like Leo native Meghan Markle. Even when a Leo serves time, they can make the time serve them, case in point lifestyle magnate Martha Stewart, whose stint behind bars made her a vocal advocate for prison reform, a skilled ceramicist, and lent her a newfound humility that ultimately benefited her brand. If there's anything the world loves more than a fall from grace, it's a gritty return to it. Fire signs, though they are, lions prefer to temper their tempers, controlling their energy and dispensing it in ways that benefit others and support their image as benevolent rulers. As the doomed romantic poet and obvious Leo PB Shelly mused, 'A man, to be greatly good, must imagine intensely and comprehensively; he must put himself in the place of another and many others; the pains and pleasures of his species must become his own. The great instrument of moral good is the imagination.' Although Leo gets a bad rap for being self-centered, the best among them understand and regularly execute this moral imperative. For all their warmth and extroversion, Leos keep the details of their love affairs closely guarded. If you ask them what their love language is, they will inevitably admit, 'all of them.' These folks despise indiscretion and cheap romance. Sentimental, they are easily swayed by grand gestures and easily lubricated, emotionally and otherwise, by praise. Planetary ruler: the sun Leo is ruled by the sun, the largest and brightest of all celestial bodies. Leo is rightly associated with creativity, as solar energy encourages growth of the literal and metaphorical variety. Light will always find and follow a Leo. The best of them will use this attention to galvanize, to support causes, bolster others, and illuminate information that stands to benefit their fellow man. A prime example of this is found in lion king Carl Jung, whose psychological scholarship and theories of archetypes and the unconscious mind have widely and wildly influenced the fields of psychiatry, anthropology, religious study, archeology, literature, philosophy, astrology and art. Mythology The Leo constellation is born from the death of a lion, specifically the Nemean lion, slain by the Greek hero Hercules as the first of his twelve labors of atonement. As the name implies, the Nemean lion wreaked toothsome hell on the denizens of Nemea. Larger and more fearsome than his feline contemporaries, his golden skin was impervious to metal, steel, and wood, making him a hard cat to kill. After cornering him in his gold-laden cave, Hercules wrestled the lion, eventually strangling it to death with his bare hands. Wanting a trophy for his efforts, he used the lion's own claw to skin him, wearing the hide and the lion's head as a kind of bestial armor. The goddess Hera, a sworn enemy of Hercules and a pseudo den mother to the Nemean lion, placed him in the night sky where he shines, impenetrable and eternal as the constellation Leo. Charms/strengths Because Leo represents the child within, there's an emphasis on fun and a commitment to play. These folks have a well-earned reputation for being something of a contagion that encourages others to let loose and set free. Consequently, Zelda Fitzgerald, the uncontested life of the party, who became synonymous with the decadence of the flapper era, was a Leo. Mae West, whose subversions of the status quo were always made with a loquacious wink and a smile, is a fellow lion queen. Sometimes the play and the performance take on higher stakes, as was the case with Leo Mata Hari, whose good looks and casual love affairs gave way to claims of espionage that ended in her execution. Executions notwithstanding, Leo excels at finding the levity in life; they make for natural comedians. Kristin Wiig and Maya Rudolph are lions, as is James Corden, whose Carpool Karaoke combines the Leo hallmarks of riotous laughter, vocal showboating, and a camera crew. This sense of humor easily and expertly extends to the world of art, where such Leo masters as Andy Warhol, Andres Serrano, and Marcel Duchamp created works that provide social critique through satire and playful provocation. I'll bet a fistful of gilded pubic hair that Banksy's birth chart is rife with Leo placements. Astrology 101: Your guide to the stars The 12 zodiac signs What are the astrology houses? Here's what each planet represents Sun, moon and rising signs: Get to know your Big 3 On a more serious note, Leo innately understands PR; how to promote themselves, make use of their platform, and shine a light on dark deeds. Case in point, lion and American royalty Jackie Onassis, who, despite being the most famous woman in the world, maintained an air of dignified mystery and self-mastery. Ever mindful of the power of image, in the aftermath of JFK's assassination, the first lady agreed to be present for the swearing in of LBJ but refused to remove the pink suit that carried the blood stains of her slain husband. She famously said of the blood she wore, 'Let them see what they've done.' Indeed, her decision created an image that endures as a revenant of personal loss, a call to bear witness, and a command to remember. To quote the astrologer Elise Wells of Planet Poetica, Onassis, in her lived and projected grief, fulfills the archetype of a death queen. When Onassis finally removed her stained suit, blouse, stockings, and shoes, they were sent to the National Archives, where they remain today as a testament to her power to stand within and ultimately shape our collective history. Be it in images like the one above or in voiced opinion, Leos do not shy away from bold declarations. Among their more aspirational qualities is that, regardless of any insecurity, Leos never let on that anyone or anything intimidates them, even if that someone is Sagittarius sex god Jim Morrison. Leave it to a lion, IE, David Crosby, to denounce the Lizard King as a 'dork.' Burn, indeed. Crosby aside, one of the many merits of Leo is the wide net they cast when it comes to friendship. While they hunger for admiration, they are committed to inclusivity, never leaving a stranger on the fringes or an underdog under the underpass when they could be sharing the stage. Just as the sun illuminates the earth, so too does an actualized Leo burn bright as an example of what can be achieved when you live with the attitude that you are deserving. To paraphrase Madonna, patron saint of Leos, people don't get what they want because they don't say what they want. Perhaps the greatest gift that Leo offers is permission; permission to ask for more and refusal to settle for less, permission to move through the world like it belongs to you and you to it, permission to fill a room and fill your cup, permission for plenty. Challenges/weaknesses Leo energy edges towards the extreme, evident in the fact that lions eat until the point of immobility, including but not limited to, their own young. Conversely, the dark side of Leo energy is found in egotism, petty competition, and the propensity to feed off of drama as though it were an antelope carcass. There is an 85% chance all lions reading this article will glaze over or altogether skip this section, which brings me to my next challenge/weakness/thorn in the paw: these people are easily and deeply wounded by criticism. The only thing that ails them more is apathy. In this sense, it is helpful to imagine Leo as a child; if you pay them plenty of attention and never object to their desires or demands, you are stunting rather than supporting their growth. Similarly, if a Leo fails to integrate constructive criticism or balance the needs of the ego with the needs of the collective, the results can take the shape of boot-wearing, genocide-waging dictator vibes, like that of Leo Benito Mussolini, who let his megalomania pitch his country into chaos. He was ultimately destroyed by the same people he purported to protect, a darkly poetic ending for a lion gone astray and out of mind. Another example of the pitfalls of an unchallenged Leo can be found in Napoleon, whose hubris during his later military campaigns cost him his freedom and many French soldiers their lives. Lest we forget, this mothertrucker also REINSTATED slavery after it was abolished in the wake of the French Revolution, defying the will of the people and the interests of humanity. As we've established, Leo loves to play, but they also play to win, and when made to lose, no one suffers failure more deeply or takes rejection more personally. At its darker expression, this manifests as an ugly competitive streak, one that takes undue credit and celebrates the failure of others. Though Leo is adept at drawing attention where it is due, sometimes they draw it gratuitously, as Leo Demi Lavato did when they decided to wage unholy and wholly unnecessary war on her neighborhood fro yo shop. Leo is by nature both powerful and creative, but those qualities can easily bubble into self-important, artistic tyranny. For your consideration, I bring you impossible genius and full-bore Leo, Stanley Kubrick. The man had a 15-page manual for how to care for his pet cat, whom he believed could read his mind. His fanatical filmmaking knew no limits; 'Eyes Wide Shut' filmed without pause for 400 days, Malcolm McDowell went temporarily blinf after shooting an iconic scene in 'A Clockwork Orange,' Matthew Modine nearly missed the Caesarean birth of his son during 'Full Metal Jacket' and Kubrick halted the production of 'Dr. Strangelove' until a scene could be filmed with a specific green table, despite the film being shot entirely in black and white. Insufferable? Often. Inspired? Always. Tarot In the Major Arcana, Leo corresponds to the card of Strength, the iconography of which reflects the complex nature of the sign. A fierce lion is depicted under the serene presence of a woman, a marriage of physical ferocity and gentle power. The lion represents passion, the ego, and the search for human connection. The cat also expresses the shadow side of Leo energy that can manifest when needs go unmet, deeds go unnoticed, and the self remains unexplored. In contrast and complement, the woman in white symbolizes the self-love required to cure, or tame, these destructive impulses. The Strength card and Leo energy en masse show us the balance that must exist between fire and fortitude, as the lion and woman are not separate entities but different expressions of the same spirit, ever seeking resolution. Fifth House The fifth house is the house of pleasure. It is associated with romance, self-expression, creativity,y and children, as children are the ultimate creation and absolutely unapologetic in their pursuit of joy. For these reasons, Leo and the fifth house are tied to the concept of the inner child and as the brilliant astrologer Alice Sparkly Kat notes, the power of play, 'Leos like to play. Play is not expenditure. Play is far deeper and far richer than that. And, so too, are Leos because Leos live to play. There is silliness to play but there is seriousness too. Play can be a part of grief work, and play informs us what is important to us… Leo is not afraid to be a child, and they are angry for any childhood at all that they may have been deprived of.' In this sense, the fifth house and in turn, the lion pride, teach us what it means to examine pleasure, exalt in play, and honor our right to receive and reciprocate love. Body In terms of the physical body, Leo rules the heart, spine, spinal column, and upper back. Because Leo rules the heart, matters of it are of utmost importance. Leos take heartbreak hard, especially if their pride is compromised in the emotional fallout. Expressing, understanding, seeking, and recovering from love are the ways they make sense of themselves and the world they move through. As Leo luminary James Baldwin writes, 'Love does not begin and end the way we seem to think it does. Love is a battle; love is a war; love is a growing up.' Indeed, for many Leo natives, love relationships serve as the most marked milestones of their becoming. Compatibility True astrological compatibility is divined through synastry, a kind of birth chart cross-examination that takes into account the entire astrological scape of two individuals. For general, expedited purposes, it's safe to say the following signs stand a good chance of going the distance with a lion: In Aries, Leo finds a fellow fire sign and a kindred, kindling spirit. In this match, neither party has to apologize for being themselves or for wanting more. This relationship is like a never-ending round of truth or dare, but with more sex and cars and sex in cars. The same is essentially true of a Leo X Sagittarius match, though archers may tire of Leo's bombast, and lions will yawn at Sag's proselytizing. Space cowboy grade A weirdo Aquarius is Leo's zodiac opposite and the sign they stand to learn the most from. While attraction may not be immediate, intrigue is enduring. Leo loves a challenge and Aquarians are nothing if not a plethora of quirks and mysteries. In turn, Leo warms Aquarius and tethers the star child to the home fires of the body. We see this dynamic at work with Leo mega babe Mila Kunis and her Aquarius husband and suspected extraterrestrial Ashton Kutcher. Warm, affectionate, and prone to grandeur, no one knows how to love as dramatically or fully as a pair of Leos. Case in point, Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck. Of course, when fire and fire get together, there is always a chance for a serious crash and burnout, as was the case for Bennifer and twin Leos Madonna and Sean Penn. Recommended Listening 'This Used to be My Playground' – Madonna 'Bluebird' – Charles Bukowski 'Boom Clap' – Charli XCX '6s to 9s' – Big Wild 'Neon Guts' – Lil Uzi Vert '100 Years Ago' – The Rolling Stones Astrologer Reda Wigle researches and irreverently reports back on planetary configurations and their effect on each zodiac sign. Her horoscopes integrate history, poetry, pop culture, and personal experience. To book a reading, visit her website.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Who gets the friends in a divorce? For many, the answer stings.
In Netflix's The Four Seasons, newly divorced Nick (played by Steve Carell) goes on vacation with all his old couple friends and his new, much younger partner — only to discover that his ex stealth-booked at the resort next door so she could keep an eye on them. I mean, I didn't blame her for a second. As a divorced woman, I was miffed in the first place that the selfish ex-husband still got the friend group — for his first postdivorce vacation, no less, while the ex-wife he left was stuck flying solo. Anne should have at least 'won' the friends! Navigating the awkwardness of postdivorce friendships is something that pretty much every divorced couple has to go through. The split doesn't just involve your partner; it can also mean a reshuffling — or total loss — of a once-shared social life. So, we asked divorced people how they navigated the murky waters of post-split friendships. Who got which friends? Was there drama? Hurt feelings? And, perhaps most telling of all: What happens when one person moves on romantically? We also brought in relationship experts to help make sense of the etiquette, emotions and expectations involved when divorce changes not just your relationship status, but your entire social circle. Winning over friends postdivorce Licensed marriage and family therapist Ciara Bogdanovic says that huge friendship shifts are common post-split. 'Divorce can deeply affect a person's social circle, especially when many friendships were created as a couple,' she tells Yahoo. 'Friends may feel unsure how to navigate loyalty, awkwardness or divided alliances.' No surprise there. What does feel like a surprise to some? The pressure to choose. 'Some friends may feel like they need to 'pick a side,'' says therapist Thomas Westenholz, who specializes in emotionally focused therapy (EFT). 'Oh, I picked a side!' Kate, from Wisconsin, tells Yahoo of her friends' divorce. 'I started out as friends with one (the husband) and ended up on the other's side for life.' She had gone to college with the husband, but after he left his wife and kid and quickly remarried, Kate rallied to support her suddenly single mom friend and hasn't looked back. Erin, from Mississippi, says she's had to pick sides too. But, 'interestingly enough, over time, it's all flown back together where I'm back to being friends with both parties,' she says. 'Time really can heal. It's possible.' She says neither of the exes is hurt that she's remained friends with them both. 'I went to their daughter's wedding, and that was the first time I'd seen them in a room together in 18 years. They got along well!' Bogdanovic says the idea that friends should have to choose after a divorce is a myth. It doesn't have to be this way: As Erin's story shows, friends of a divorced couple can and do continue their friendships with both individuals. Bogdanovic advises divorced folks to 'initiate time together one-on-one' with friends post-split, to ensure they get the message that you want the friendship to continue. Licensed clinical social worker Jessica Plonchak agrees that the idea of 'who gets who' is not a healthy approach to take. 'The healthier way to handle shared friendships should include allowing both parties to acknowledge the awkwardness and give them some space to decide their comfort levels,' Plonchak says. In most cases, she notes, couple friends will gravitate more toward one person naturally, whether that's because of shared interests or overall time spent together. 'Whatever the situation is, it is important not to impose loyalty on anyone and create a sense of guilt,' Plonchak adds. 'True friendships only last when both sides show respect and maturity.' Losing friends who can't handle the change As for the person divorcing, the friendship changes 'can feel like a second layer of loss; they are grieving not only the relationship but the friendships as well,' says Bogdanovic. And if friends don't 'choose' their side, they can feel further abandoned. Renée Bauer is a divorce attorney who has seen this dynamic play out both professionally and personally. 'When I was getting divorced ... I found a lot of my friendships that were tied to my husband disappeared,' Bauer says. 'It was a lonely time.' That meant pushing herself to make new friends on her own. Ann, from Ohio, says she and her ex reverted back to their individual premarriage friend groups only, so she no longer keeps in touch with friends that originated on his side. 'His friends were mostly shit anyway,' she says. 'I should have known.' Sarah, in Canada, says that her divorce caused her to lose many friendships and even relationships with family members. She tells Yahoo that her ex 'told lots of people I cheated on him.' That was a lie, she says: 'I left him because he was verbally and mentally abusive.' After her ex accused her of cheating, their friend group approached her about it, 'and I told them my side,' Sarah says. 'Others never even asked me about it, just wrote me off as a friend. I figure those people weren't my friends in the first place.' A lot of my friendships that were tied to my husband disappearedRenée Bauer Another Sarah, in Maryland, says that when she went through a divorce, she slowly lost all of her close friendships. 'Most of my closest friends from childhood and really, really long relationships started to really wither away in the years after my divorce,' she says. 'I think it's hard for our closest people to watch us go through these huge, mega shifts.' She says she felt 'a lot of judgment from my friends who were mostly newlyweds.' Ultimately, even Sarah's closest friend 'was like, 'I don't relate to you anymore,'' she says. 'And that kind of led to my entire friend group falling apart.' She adds that her ex-husband was very outgoing and charismatic, so people tended not to look beneath the surface when it came to what ended their relationship. 'There was the outward perception that he's this nice guy, and I got the 'evil bitch ex-wife' thing, which is such a common label,' she says. When a new partner enters the chat — or the group vacation If there's one thing that can complicate postdivorce friendship dynamics, fast, it's a new partner. Of course, divorced folks are going to start dating again eventually, but sometimes it happens way faster than their friends — and certainly their ex-partner — may be comfortable with. So it's important to be sensitive, patient and err on the side of overcommunication. 'Introducing a new partner into established group dynamics can put your friends in an uncomfortable position,' says Bogdanovic. Westenholz adds that it 'can feel jarring, especially if the friend group is still adjusting to the divorce. It's not necessarily a betrayal, but it can be perceived as tone-deaf.' He advises having an open conversation with your friends ahead of time about your new partner and gauging their comfort levels about meeting this person. 'Some friends may feel forced to adjust to new dynamics they didn't sign up for,' Bogdanovic points out. 'It's helpful to give your friends a heads-up, gauge their openness and accept that not all group traditions will continue in the same way. People need time to adapt, and that's OK.' Remember: True friends will last 'Some friendships may fade' postdivorce, says Westenholz, 'but others can deepen in new, more authentic ways.' Today, Sarah in Canada is so grateful to be on the other side of her divorce and friend group transformation, despite the loss of many friendships. 'My circle is small, but oh so valuable,' she says. 'I've really had to rebuild a friend group for myself in the past few years after the fallout of all that,' Maryland Sarah says. And she's better for it. After all, the friends who find us during a period of huge transition and are able to listen, empathize and stick around, those are the ones we deserve.
New York Post
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Michael Scott's home from 'The Office' has found a buyer
That's what she sold! A condominium made famous by 'The Office' is poised to welcome a new owner after hitting the market for the first time in nearly 20 years. Listed for $710,000 in April, the three-bedroom, three-bath unit in Reseda, California, went into pending sale status on July 1, The Post has learned. While final closing details have yet to be disclosed, the seller's agents confirmed that the home is under contract at full asking price and that they are continuing to accept backup offers. Though the mockumentary sitcom was set in Scranton, Pennsylvania, exterior shots of the character Michael Scott's condo, played by Steve Carell, were filmed at 126 Kellum Court in the Kellum Court complex, a gated community in suburban Los Angeles. 9 The real-life condo that doubled as Michael Scott's home in 'The Office' — and the setting of the show's most memorably awkward dinner party — is under contract, nearly two decades after its last sale. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices 9 Michael Scott and Dwight Schrute, played by Steve Carell and Rainn Wilson stand in front of the condo. The property featured prominently in several episodes of the NBC series, including 'Fun Run,' 'Dream Team,' and fan-favorite 'Dinner Party,' the latter of which Variety once ranked as the greatest episode of the entire series. According to director Paul Feig, who discussed the set choice during an appearance on the 'Office Ladies' podcast, the condo was selected for its 'flow' and 'openness' — qualities that ultimately made it an ideal location for one of the show's most uncomfortably hilarious scenes. Romeo and Susan Guevara of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices held the listing. 9 Though the series was set in Scranton, Pennsylvania, the actual property sits in a gated LA complex once home to Johnny Depp and M. Night Shyamalan, according to the listing. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices 9 Michael Scott buys a condo in the second season, episode 3 of 'The Office.' 9 The living room. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices The Guevaras told The Post that open-house attendees were quick to make the on-screen connection. 'There were a few that visited the first open house [after they] saw the entry on the MLS state the home's claim to fame was that it was the venue for the dinner episode of 'The Office',' they told The Post. 'Then they recognized the place.' The 1,458-square-foot home, described in the listing as a 'very clean, well kept, turn-key home,' includes direct access to a two-car garage and a private patio. HOA fees of $550 per month cover yard maintenance, controlled gate access and earthquake insurance — standard fare in a region that sees regular seismic activity. 9 The 'Dinner Party' episode was aired during the fourth season. ©NBC/Courtesy Everett Collection While the show's producers took viewers to northeastern Pennsylvania, the real-life setting lies an hour northwest of downtown Los Angeles, in a 36-unit development that has attracted some notable names. According to the listing, past neighbors have included Johnny Depp and director M. Night Shyamalan. The Guevaras noted that the home's pop-culture cachet has helped drive interest. 'The seller mentioned to me that one of the homeowners bought one of the houses specifically because of 'The Office,' being in the same complex as the famous house.' 9 The kitchen. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices 9 Agents say buyers recognized the condo from its cameo, with at least one homeowner in the complex having moved there specifically for its connection to 'The Office.' ©NBC/Courtesy Everett Collection 9 One of three bedrooms. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices The unit last sold in 2005 — coinciding with the US premiere of 'The Office' — for approximately $490,000. The current asking price of $710,000 falls within Zillow's estimated value range of $656,477 to $736,000. In 2022, a nearly identical unit in the same complex sold for about $755,000, The Post previously reported.
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Who gets the friends in a divorce? For many, the answer stings.
In Netflix's The Four Seasons, newly divorced Nick (played by Steve Carell) goes on vacation with all his old couple friends and his new, much younger partner — only to discover that his ex stealth-booked at the resort next door so she could keep an eye on them. I mean, I didn't blame her for a second. As a divorced woman, I was miffed in the first place that the selfish ex-husband still got the friend group — for his first postdivorce vacation, no less, while the ex-wife he left was stuck flying solo. Anne should have at least 'won' the friends! Navigating the awkwardness of postdivorce friendships is something that pretty much every divorced couple has to go through. The split doesn't just involve your partner; it can also mean a reshuffling — or total loss — of a once-shared social life. So, we asked divorced people how they navigated the murky waters of post-split friendships. Who got which friends? Was there drama? Hurt feelings? And, perhaps most telling of all: What happens when one person moves on romantically? We also brought in relationship experts to help make sense of the etiquette, emotions and expectations involved when divorce changes not just your relationship status, but your entire social circle. Licensed marriage and family therapist Ciara Bogdanovic says that huge friendship shifts are common post-split. 'Divorce can deeply affect a person's social circle, especially when many friendships were created as a couple,' she tells Yahoo. 'Friends may feel unsure how to navigate loyalty, awkwardness or divided alliances.' No surprise there. What does feel like a surprise to some? The pressure to choose. 'Some friends may feel like they need to 'pick a side,'' says therapist Thomas Westenholz, who specializes in emotionally focused therapy (EFT). 'Oh, I picked a side!' Kate, from Wisconsin, tells Yahoo of her friends' divorce. 'I started out as friends with one (the husband) and ended up on the other's side for life.' She had gone to college with the husband, but after he left his wife and kid and quickly remarried, Kate rallied to support her suddenly single mom friend and hasn't looked back. Erin, from Mississippi, says she's had to pick sides too. But, 'interestingly enough, over time, it's all flown back together where I'm back to being friends with both parties,' she says. 'Time really can heal. It's possible.' She says neither of the exes is hurt that she's remained friends with them both. 'I went to their daughter's wedding, and that was the first time I'd seen them in a room together in 18 years. They got along well!' Bogdanovic says the idea that friends should have to choose after a divorce is a myth. It doesn't have to be this way: As Erin's story shows, friends of a divorced couple can and do continue their friendships with both individuals. Bogdanovic advises divorced folks to 'initiate time together one-on-one' with friends post-split, to ensure they get the message that you want the friendship to continue. Licensed clinical social worker Jessica Plonchak agrees that the idea of 'who gets who' is not a healthy approach to take. 'The healthier way to handle shared friendships should include allowing both parties to acknowledge the awkwardness and give them some space to decide their comfort levels,' Plonchak says. In most cases, she notes, couple friends will gravitate more toward one person naturally, whether that's because of shared interests or overall time spent together. 'Whatever the situation is, it is important not to impose loyalty on anyone and create a sense of guilt,' Plonchak adds. 'True friendships only last when both sides show respect and maturity.' As for the person divorcing, the friendship changes 'can feel like a second layer of loss; they are grieving not only the relationship but the friendships as well,' says Bogdanovic. And if friends don't 'choose' their side, they can feel further abandoned. Renée Bauer is a divorce attorney who has seen this dynamic play out both professionally and personally. 'When I was getting divorced ... I found a lot of my friendships that were tied to my husband disappeared,' Bauer says. 'It was a lonely time.' That meant pushing herself to make new friends on her own. Ann, from Ohio, says she and her ex reverted back to their individual premarriage friend groups only, so she no longer keeps in touch with friends that originated on his side. 'His friends were mostly shit anyway,' she says. 'I should have known.' Sarah, in Canada, says that her divorce caused her to lose many friendships and even relationships with family members. She tells Yahoo that her ex 'told lots of people I cheated on him.' That was a lie, she says: 'I left him because he was verbally and mentally abusive.' After her ex accused her of cheating, their friend group approached her about it, 'and I told them my side,' Sarah says. 'Others never even asked me about it, just wrote me off as a friend. I figure those people weren't my friends in the first place.' Another Sarah, in Maryland, says that when she went through a divorce, she slowly lost all of her close friendships. 'Most of my closest friends from childhood and really, really long relationships started to really wither away in the years after my divorce,' she says. 'I think it's hard for our closest people to watch us go through these huge, mega shifts.' She says she felt 'a lot of judgment from my friends who were mostly newlyweds.' Ultimately, even Sarah's closest friend 'was like, 'I don't relate to you anymore,'' she says. 'And that kind of led to my entire friend group falling apart.' She adds that her ex-husband was very outgoing and charismatic, so people tended not to look beneath the surface when it came to what ended their relationship. 'There was the outward perception that he's this nice guy, and I got the 'evil bitch ex-wife' thing, which is such a common label,' she says. If there's one thing that can complicate postdivorce friendship dynamics, fast, it's a new partner. Of course, divorced folks are going to start dating again eventually, but sometimes it happens way faster than their friends — and certainly their ex-partner — may be comfortable with. So it's important to be sensitive, patient and err on the side of overcommunication. 'Introducing a new partner into established group dynamics can put your friends in an uncomfortable position,' says Bogdanovic. Westenholz adds that it 'can feel jarring, especially if the friend group is still adjusting to the divorce. It's not necessarily a betrayal, but it can be perceived as tone-deaf.' He advises having an open conversation with your friends ahead of time about your new partner and gauging their comfort levels about meeting this person. 'Some friends may feel forced to adjust to new dynamics they didn't sign up for,' Bogdanovic points out. 'It's helpful to give your friends a heads-up, gauge their openness and accept that not all group traditions will continue in the same way. People need time to adapt, and that's OK.' 'Some friendships may fade' postdivorce, says Westenholz, 'but others can deepen in new, more authentic ways.' Today, Sarah in Canada is so grateful to be on the other side of her divorce and friend group transformation, despite the loss of many friendships. 'My circle is small, but oh so valuable,' she says. 'I've really had to rebuild a friend group for myself in the past few years after the fallout of all that,' Maryland Sarah says. And she's better for it. After all, the friends who find us during a period of huge transition and are able to listen, empathize and stick around, those are the ones we deserve.
