The Office casting director Allison Jones reveals that the show’s network, NBC, originally considered two different Oscar-nominated actors for the role of Michael Scott. Based on the original British mockumentary created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, the American version starred Steve Carell as David Brent-lite Michael Scott and followed the employees (and boss) of fictional Pennsylvania paper merchants Dunder Mifflin. The Office featured an ensemble cast, and first debuted in 2005 to generally positive critical acclaim, with praise for Carell’s performance, but there could have been a different actor in the role altogether.
While on an episode of Office Ladies podcast (via People), Jones opened up to The Office co-stars Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey that NBC actually wanted some big-name stars when seeking to cast Michael Scott. She said that Carell was not the first choice and stated that the network wanted Academy Award nominees Philip Seymour Hoffman or Paul Giamatti in the leading role. She claims to have felt that neither actor would have wanted the role, as TV comedy was not taken seriously then, before revealing that Bob Odenkirk auditioned for the role. Check out Jones’ comments below:
“I remember vividly the first meeting we had with the network when [creator Greg Daniels] had a list of names and they were like, ‘Let’s try Philip Seymour Hoffman. And then, you know, let’s go for Paul Giamatti or whatever.’ Nobody did TV. Comedy was the bottom of the barrel. This was the first time other than [casting] Freaks and Geeks , I had the opportunity to get real people who didn’t have to be, you know, vaudeville funny or sitcom funny, which is a very difficult thing to be.
NBC was more into standups at the time…. Nancy Perkins, who was the head of casting at NBC Universal, always knew Steve would be a top choice for this. We brought in the best of the best. Everybody was a different version of Michael Scott that could have worked. Patton Oswalt could have worked. Bob Odenkirk would have been amazing.”
What This Reveal Means For How The Office Could Have Been
The Show Might Have Looked Very Different With A Big Star In The Lead
The Office eventually became one of the most iconic and popular shows on American television and is widely regarded as one of the strongest remakes in TV history, but the series could have been a lot different. Much like its British counterpart, one of the reasons the show worked so well is because of the lack of big stars in the key roles. The fact that the show featured a little-known cast of actors added to the authenticity of the narrative and fed into the mundane life in corporate middle-management, making the show more believable, and funnier as a result.
Had NBC gotten their way, the show’s dynamic would certainly have been different, and the focus would have shifted more onto Michael’s character, with a household name in the role. This would likely have been to the detriment of many of the supporting characters, whose interesting interactions and interpersonal conflicts are a big part of what made the show such a success. Series creator Greg Daniels clearly had a vision, and the casting choices allowed the most effective way possible for the show to be a success.
Our Thoughts On If The Office Had Been A Success Without Carell
The Actor Is So Synonymous With Michael Scott It’s Difficult To Imagine Anyone Else In The Role
There is a case to be made that both Hoffman and Giamatti would have been as excellent as Michael Scott. Giamatti brings an off-beat and eccentric edge to the character, and Hoffman injects a bombastic, larger-than-life quality, but it would not have been the same Michael Scott that we know. Carell’s Michael Scott portrayal worked so well because he was unshackled by the constraints of formula and expectation, so he could approach the role with a fresh and interesting take. I think this made audiences connect so well with Michael Scott, and was a huge factor in the success of The Office.
