'Breaking Bad' Alum-To-Be Joining 'The Office' Spin-Off
by Sean Comer
Another "Breaking Bad" veteran's exit strategy centers upon a some peaceful, easy times circa Scranton, Pennsylvania.
After playing Badger, dim-witted friend and sometime meth street dealer under Aaron Paul's Jesse Pinkman, since the award-hoarding AMC drama's inception five seasons ago, Matt Jones is making a leap to broadcast-network primetime. According to "Access Hollywood" Monday, Jones is set to join Rainn Wilson's "The Office" spin-off "The Farm."
Wilson himself confirmed the casting and Jones' role personally with a single Friday tweet.
Wanna know what Mose's brother Zeke looks like?
— RainnWilson (@rainnwilson) August 25, 2012@mattjonesisdead is what he looks like.#TheFarm
Mose is the oft-referenced cousin to Wilson's sycophantic, Machiavellian Dunder Mifflin salesman Dwight Schrute, appearing sparingly throughout the eight completed seasons of NBC's "The Office." The upcoming ninth season has been officially announced as the series finale, in no small part due to Wilsonn's expected mid-season departure when "The Farm" premieres its freshman campaign.
Jones becomes the second "Breaking Bad" mainstay to establish a connection with the long-running NBC comedy: three-time Emmy winning star Bryan Cranston was announced last week as directing an episode this season. For both, the NBC endeavors should be welcome diversions as they await the Summer 2013 conclusion of the fifth and final "Break Bad" season's last eight-episode batch.
Jones joins Schrute Clan castings Thomas Middleditch of "The Campaign as Dwight's brother Jeb, and "State of Georgia" and "Roswell" co-star Majandra Delfino as Dwight's younger sister, Fannie. Introduced with an episode of "The Office" this fall, former "The Office" showrunner Paul Lieberstein is writing what NBC is hoping will be a Wilsonn breakout and continuation of the concluding comedy's legacy.