Originally, the character of Robert California was just supposed to be a one-episode guest role for Spader; the character made his debut in the show's seventh season finale, "Search Committee," which found the remaining members of upper management at Dunder-Mifflin's Scranton branch looking for a new leader. After Carell's departure midway through the seventh season, Will Ferrell stepped in as Deangelo Vickers, a new manager with some apparent mental problems, but after Deangelo ended up in a coma, the Dunder-Mifflin crew went back to the drawing board.
Though he initially unnerved Jim (John Krasinski) with his sheer intensity, Jim was forced to admit that Robert might be a "genius," and as Robert left the office, he casually told the documentary crew that he was certain he'd be receiving an offer.
Alongside Spader and Romano, several other incredibly famous faces provided cameos as interviewees, including Jim Carrey (in a previous episode), Will Arnett, and even actual billionaire Warren Buffet. However, Spader was the only actor to return to the series. In an interview with Digital Spy, Spader said, "I never really considered whether I would do more [episodes]. Then... suddenly [the producers] called me back again and said, 'We'd really... like your character to come back in some capacity.'"
Meanwhile, the crew was certainly happy to keep Spader around; Paul Lieberstein, who played Toby and also served as the series' showrunner during later seasons, once said that "[Spader] has a way of taking on his character so fully, even in rehearsal, that it's changing the mood on the set. Everyone is discovering who they are with this new energy."
