‘The Office’ Almost Had an Oscar Winner Playing Michael Scott but Settled for Steve Carell Because “Comedy was the bottom of the barrel”

SUMMARY

• Given the success of The Office, it is hard to imagine anyone other than Steve Carell in the role of Michael Scott.
• However, the show's casting director revealed that the network initially wanted to cast Philip Seymour Hoffman as Michael Scott.
• After Hoffman turned down the role, the network looked at Carell with the creators liking his take on Michael Scott.

The Office ranks among the best sitcoms of all time with Steve Carell’s performance as Michael Scott being the primary reason behind its success. The series was adapted from the British version with a similar premise, but Carell’s antics as the Dunder Mifflin regional manager resulted in the American adaptation setting itself apart from its predecessor.

Steve Carell played Michael Scott in The Office (Credit: NBC).

As a result, it might surprise certain fans that Carell initially wasn’t going to be picked for the lead role. In an interview, the show’s casting director Allison Jones talked about the process of finding the lead actor, with a short list headlined by one Oscar-winner the network wanted to land ahead of Carell. Here is what you need to know about the casting process for Michael Scott in The Office.

The Office originally looked to cast Oscar-winner Philip Seymour Hoffman as Michael Scott

The Office premiered in 2005 with Steve Carell leading the cast as Michael Scott. However, Carell wasn’t the first actor to be approached for the lead role. During an appearance on the Office Ladies podcast, the show’s casting director Allison Jones talked about the process of finding its lead star.

Capote star Philip Seymour Hoffman was approached for the Michael Scott role (Credit: Sony).

In the conversation, Jones revealed that among the list of names the producers had gathered, the network asked them to first pursue Philip Seymour Hoffman for the role. The late Academy Award-winning actor was known for his eccentric and misfit character roles making him an ideal pick.

Nobody did TV. Comedy was the bottom of the barrel.

Jones made the above statement, explaining that she did not think Hoffman would be interested in appearing in a network sitcom given his successful film career at the time.

The same year The Office premiered, Hoffman appeared in the biographical drama movie Capote. He played the role of novelist Truman Capote and won a Best Actor Academy Award for his performance. As a result, had Hoffman signed on for The Office, he most likely would’ve missed out on an Oscar.

The Office casting director revealed why Steve Carell was always the first choice for Michael Scott

Steve Carell’s other commitments initially prevented The Office from casting him (Credit: NBC).

In the same podcast, Jones also reflected on the casting of Steve Carell who she described as the original top choice for Michael Scott. However, Jones revealed that Carell’s commitment to the comedy series Come To Papa prevented the network from pursuing the actor.

Nancy Perkins, who was the head of casting at NBC Universal, always knew Steve would be a top choice for this.

Jones made the above comment, adding that after Come To Papa was canceled in just four episodes, the network quickly moved to test Carell and he eventually landed the role that would earn him six Emmy nominations for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series.

At the same time, Jones also admitted that the producers also tested out other actors, naming Patton Oswalt and Bob Odenkirk whose take on Michael Scott the creative team had liked. While Jones felt that their versions could also have worked well, the network ultimately settled on Carell and the rest as they say is history.

The Office is streaming on Peacock.

Written by Pratik Handore

Articles Published: 1099

Pratik is a writer at FandomWire, with a content writing experience of five years. Although he has a Bachelors in Hospitality, his fascination with all things pop culture led him to writing articles on a variety of topics ranging from latest streaming releases to unheard movie trivia. When not writing, you can find him reading manga, or watching classic TV shows.