Stephen Root Reveals How Many Red Staplers He's Been Gifted Since Office Space
Mike Judge's Office Space has remained a cultural focal point since its premiere in 1999, but no piece of it more meme'd than Stephen Root's performance as Milton. The character actor's performance is a clear highlight, but his iconic line "I believe you have my stapler" has been one of his biggest calling cards as a performer for decades. Speaking with ComicBook.com in a new interview for the Freeform animated series Praise Petey, we had the opportunity to ask Stephen Root about his association with red staplers and how it has continued to follow him. When we asked him how many red staplers he thinks he's been gifted, he replied:
"Not so much that as that people expect me to have them on me to sign them," Root said with a laugh. "It's like, so I've had to buy them and take them to different sets. Although pretty much every set I go to has a cardboard box of seven staplers in it and I sign them up. Apparently the ADs new job is to do that on every set that I go to...No, I'm happy to do it. I, I love the fact that Mike's work has lasted that long, that different generations keep seeing it and even though the computers look old and weird, it's still relevant."
As fans may recall, Office Space wasn't a success at the time of its release but would develop a cult following and now has a special place in the heart of audiences everywhere. Stephen Root's Milton and his red stapler are just one element that lead to this. Nothing should prove the cult appeal of Office Space more than the fact that Swingline began to manuifacture and sell red staplers based on the one seen in the film, they hadn't actually been sold prior to Office Space's release.
Praise Petey premieres on Freeform on Friday, July 21 with two back-to-back episodes. Root is part of an ensemble cast that also includes Annie Murphy as Petey, plus Christine Baranski, John Cho, Amy Hill, and Kiersey Clemons. The series follows Petey (Murphy), a New York City "it" girl who has it all until her life comes crashing down around her. As luck would have it, a mysterious gift from her father gives her a new lease on life: She's going to "lean into" modernizing his small-town cult.
Editors note: This interview was conducted prior to the SAG actors' strike.
