Nope ― that honour went to John Travolta, who turned it down to star in Pulp Fiction.
Still, even that mind-melter didn’t prepare me for the fact that the role of Michael Scott almost other actors before finally landing on Steve Carrell.
It feels impossible to imagine anyone else playing the part in the US version of The Office now ― but according to the show’s casting director Allison Jones, the actor had some remarkably stiff competition.
Who else was up for the role of Michael Scott?
Allison told The Hollywood Reporter: “I remember vividly the first meeting we had with the network when [the US show’s creator Greg Davies] had a list of names, and they were like, ‘Let’s try Philip Seymour Hoffman,’ and then, ’Let’s go for Paul Giamatti or whatever.”
She said she and Greg wanted to attach a “big name” to the project but were “jaded” about their picks as they weren’t sure anyone would say yes.
“Nobody did TV. Comedy was the bottom of the barrel,” the casting agent said.
Perhaps that’s why Paul and Philip were far from the only names on their “list.”
“Everybody was a different version of Michael Scott that could have worked. Patton Oswalt could have worked,” Allison revealed.
“Bob Odenkirk would have been amazing.”
And though “Nancy Perkins, who was the head of casting at NBC Universal, always knew Steve would be a top choice for this,” the Despicable Me actor was working on comedy Come To Papa at the time.
Fortunately for The Office fans, the rival show was cancelled after four episodes ― leaving Steve free to accept the part.
Meanwhile, James Gandolfini was allegedly paid NOT to play Micheal Scott’s replacement
When Steve Carrell’s character left the show, James Gandolfini was chosen to replace him, his The Sopranos co-stars claimed.
But HBO wanted to keep the actor, offering him $3 million to steer clear of the show.
“I think before James Spader and after [Steve] Carell, they offered [Gandolfini], I want to say, $4 million to play him for the season — and HBO paid him $3 million not to do it,” Steve Schirripa, who played Christopher Moltisanti and Bobby Baccalieri in The Sopranos, alleged.
