Steve Carell Was Told to Skip his ‘The Office’ Audition by This Marvel Star
2005 was Steve Carell’s breakout year. Sure, Carell had appeared in smaller roles in several successful projects years earlier. Still, his true breakout roles came back-to-back in 2005. First, he landed the lead role in The 40-Year-Old Virgin, then he took on the part of Michael Scott in The Office. Both of those projects completely changed the trajectory of his career. One almost didn’t happen, though. A well-meaning Hollywood A-lister actually advised Carell not to audition for The Office, and industry insiders largely didn’t see the vision. He almost listened, but changed his mind at the last minute. It was an advantageous decision.
Steve Carell was told not to audition for ‘The Office’
Could you imagine anyone other than Steve Carell as Michael Scott in the U.S. version of The Office? Probably not. Carell was iconic in the role, which helped solidify his career as a top name in Hollywood. Still, we almost saw someone different, as Carell was advised to pass on the audition.
During a recent appearance on Amy Poehler’s podcast, Good Hang, Carell opened up about the audition process for The Office. The Emmy-nominated actor revealed that his good friend, Paul Rudd, advised him not to attend the audition. Carell said that everyone believed the show would never live up to the British source material and that Ricky Gervais was simply too good in the British series to be outdone.
Carell considered skipping the audition. In the end, he went. He, however, avoided watching the British version of the show. He said he didn’t want to go into the audition with an idea of how Gervais had played the role. It all worked out well enough: Carell landed the role, and the series was a hit despite industry concerns and poor test-pilot ratings.
Paul Rudd wasn’t the only insider who thought the series was a bad idea
Despite turning out to be one of the most beloved TV sitcoms of all time, with fans taking part in constant rewatches, Paul Rudd wasn’t the only person to think the American version of The Office was going to fail. Amy Poehler backed up Carell as he discussed the series, recalling how everyone in the industry was against the remake.
Poehler argued that everyone thought the series was untouchable and would fail because of how popular and beloved the original was. She recalled being told to stay away from it with a “10-foot pole.”
The Office’s popularity might have been unexpected, but it seems to have laid the groundwork for other shows to be adapted for the US audience. Ghosts and Shameless are two such more recent examples. Both series, adapted from popular British series, have been wildly popular, too.
