The Office alum Leslie David Baker, who played Stanley Hudson on the NBC sitcom, has announced that he will be refunding all donations made by fans towards a proposed Uncle Stan spinoff that was never made.
The actor revealed his plans in an Instagram post shared on Thursday, saying that all funds received by his 2020 Kickstarter campaign will be returned.
The show was to center on a retired Stanley who is recruited by his nephew to help watch his two kids and run his motorcycle/flower shop. The initial goal of the campaign was $300,000 at launch.
“We apologize about the delay in updates,” said Baker on behalf of himself and his business partner, Sardar Khan. “We have been working behind the scenes to get everything on track and rewards fulfilled. We are just as excited as all of you to get this project out and truly appreciate all of your patience and support. The project took longer than anticipated due to circumstances beyond our control.”
He then explained that the project’s initial delays were “caused because of the COVID lockdowns.” While he still had every intent to make the show, the ongoing writers and actors strikes put another wrench in things, now leading the series “to be on hold indefinitely until an agreement is reached.”
“After careful consideration, we have decided to refund our backers,” he shared. He also assured donors that they will still receive the campaign’s promised rewards “as a token of our appreciation for your support and patience.”
“In light of the current economic situation, we felt that this was the best course of action. You will receive a message notifying you of your refund as soon as it is issued and you can expect to receive it over the following weeks. We will also be contacting Kickstarter to facilitate expediting this matter. We have remained in constant communication with our backers via direct messaging and rewards have continued to be fulfilled during this time,” the statement continued.
Baker revealed that the total amount of money to be returned is $110,629.81, despite the Kickstarter campaign page displaying a total funded amount of $336,450.53.
“A large portion of backers’ pledges were lowered, or completely dropped and never collected once the campaign was completed,” he explained. “The funds were never used for any purposes other than reward fulfillment and backer refunds, and have otherwise remained accounted for and untouched in the account.”
“We sincerely apologize for any miscommunication or inconvenience during this campaign…. Thank you for all your love and support,” the statement concluded.
Baker starred on the hit NBC sitcom for nine seasons. In 2020, the actor began teasing a potential return of his character in a series of videos shared on his social media. “Yeah, I’m back,” he said in character as Stanley in one video. “And I’m going to need a cocktail if I’m staying.”
While the campaign was live, Baker thanked fans for their support and shared that the goal was “to bring a high-quality program and involve all of the fans that have been so very supportive” of his career, also adding, “Yes, this project is real, it is legitimate, and it will be a pleasure to bring it to you with your help.”