The Real Reason Ed Helms Took A Break From The Office Season 9

Actors have all kinds of reasons for leaving in the middle of a production, some more drastic than others. In Helms' case, the reason was actually quite simple: his schedule demanded his presence elsewhere — on the set of The Hangover Part III, to be more specific (via MentalFloss). Given that he had starred as dentist Dr. Stuart "Stu" Price since the first entry in the franchise, it wouldn't have been right for him not to appear in what could very well be the final Hangover film. Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis, and Justin Bartha also reprised their respective roles but, for all the star power, The Hangover Part III was left out to dry critically and commercially when compared to its two predecessors.

Helms officially returned to The Office in "Couples Discount," a mere ten episodes before the beloved mockumentary sitcom finally ended its long and successful tenure on NBC. His schedule didn't become any less hectic afterwards, but fans were just happy he was able to help close out a show he'd been a part of since season three — even if they (and Erin) were still fuming at him for boating his life away.