‘The Office’: An Actor Who Almost Got the Role of Dwight Played Another Character in the Show
Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson) is a unique character devoted to his job and boss. Wilson got the part but there were many actors considered for the role on The Office.
One person who almost got the part was asked to come back to play a smaller role. Find out who it is and which character he played in the show.
John Krasinski refused to audition for Dwight on ‘The Office’
Krasinski didn’t get his big break until The Office. But he still wasn’t willing to audition for just any part in the sitcom.
“They said you’re going in for the role of Dwight and I had been a huge fan of the British show and I was like ‘I don’t know man. That’s not…I don’t know if I’m right for that role,’” he said on the Office Ladies podcast.
He continued, “And so I weirdly had no idea what I was thinking I said, ‘You know what, I read the pilot.’ And I said, ‘I want to put my best foot forward. Let me know when they’re casting Jim.’ And I remember the response from the NBC casting director to my manager at the time was ‘No, but honestly who does he think he is?’”
Luckily, he was told about the casting of Jim. He hit it off with Fischer during the audition process and they got their roles. Fischer also tested with actors who were auditioning for Dwight.
Matt Price almost played Dwight and was in ‘The Convention’
“The Convention” shows Jim, Dwight, and Michael (Steve Carell) going to a paper convention. There, Michael confronts Jim about leaving Scranton.
There is a scene where Michael vents to the camera about Jim. “Jim and I have different definitions of friendship,” he says. “I think it’s talking and being friends and Jim thinks it’s moving to Connecticut and being best friends with Josh. Well, phooey on that. I’m done. I’m not going to be speaking to him anymore. “
The camera moves and reveals Michael isn’t alone. He’s with a rep from HammerMill.
“I have a fun fact about the HammerMill rep,” Fischer told Angela Kinsey on Office Ladies. “That was played by actor Matt Price. Angela, Matt Price screen tested for the role of Dwight.” She added, “I screen tested with him. He was one of the people I was paired with at the final audition. They loved him and Greg [Daniels] wanted a way to bring him back.”
This wasn’t just done for Price. “By the way, as we go through the series a lot of the people who had final screen tests for main roles are brought back as guest stars throughout the show because Greg just loved them so much,” continued Fischer.
This was Price’s only appearance in the series. It does give an interesting peek at who else could have played Dwight.
