The Office, Steve Carell Wasn't First Choice: Two Oscar-Winning Actors Were Thought to Play Michael Scott

The Office Casting Director Reveals NBC Considered 2 Oscar-Nominated Actors to Play Michael Scott

Image Credit: NBC

Allison Jones, The Office's casting director, recently revealed that NBC, the network behind the series, initially considered two Oscar-nominated actors to play the role of Michael Scott. The American version of the show, inspired by the British mockumentary created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, starred Steve Carell as Michael Scott, a more toned-down version of David Brent, and chronicled the lives of employees at the fictional Pennsylvania paper company Dunder Mifflin. The series debuted in 2005 and received critical acclaim, especially for Carell's performance, but the role could have been cast with a completely different actor.

During an episode of the Office Ladies podcast, Jones shared with former Office co-stars Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey that NBC initially wanted a big-name star to play Michael Scott. He explained that Carell wasn’t the network’s first choice and that NBC would have preferred actors like Philip Seymour Hoffman or Paul Giamatti for the lead role. However, Jones felt that these actors weren’t interested in comedy television, which didn’t have the same prestige at the time that it does today. Jones later mentioned that Bob Odenkirk had also auditioned for the role.

Jones recalled the situation: “I vividly remember the first meeting with the network, when [creator Greg Daniels] had a list of names and they were like, ‘Let’s try Philip Seymour Hoffman. And then maybe Paul Giamatti.’ At the time, no one was doing television, and comedy was considered a B-list choice. For me, it was a rare opportunity, aside from casting Freaks and Geeks, to cast ‘real’ actors who didn’t have to stick to traditional vaudeville or sitcom roles – a really unique challenge.”

According to Jones, NBC initially wanted stand-up comedians to play Michael. However, Nancy Perkins, head of casting at NBC Universal, sensed that Steve Carell would be perfect for the role. Jones added, “We cast the best of the best. Each of the actors had their own interpretation of Michael Scott that could work. Patton Oswalt or Bob Odenkirk would also have been great in the role.”

Source: Screanrant