The Office Casting director Allison Jones revealed that there were several other notable actors in the running to play Michael Scott on the hit NBC comedy series.
Jones stopped Office gentleman, the podcast hosted by sitcom stars Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey, in which she provided insight into the casting process behind the show that still maintains a cult following.
“I vividly remember the first meeting we had with the network when [creator Greg Daniels] they had a list of names, and they said, 'Let's go for Philip Seymour Hoffman,' and then, 'Let's go for Paul Giamatti or whatever,'” Jones said. She then added that she was “so tired” that she didn't think anyone of the actors would have been interested because “no one was doing TV and it was the bottom of the barrel.
He remembered it The Office it was the first time in his career Freaks and geeks that he had the opportunity to meet “real people,” who didn't have to be “vaudeville or sitcom funny,” which was always hard to find.
The fact that NBC was trying to attach a “big name” to the show was rare for the network back then. He was more interested in stand-up comedians than lead actors. Steve Carell, who eventually took over the role of Michael Scott, was actually in another stand-up showCome to dad.
“Nancy Perkins, who was head of casting at NBC Universal, always knew that Steve would be the best choice for this role,” Jones said, but her commitment to the Tom Papa series required them to audition at other people for the role.
“We brought the best of the best,” he noted. “Everyone was a different version of Michael Scott that could have worked. Patton Oswalt could have worked. Bob Odenkirk would have been fantastic.”
However, Come to dad it was canceled after four episodes, which allowed Carell to join The Office.
Michael Scott wasn't the only role for which several actors were in the running. Kinsey, who played Angela, first auditioned for Pam, who ultimately went to Fischer. Kathryn Hahn, Aubrey Plaza, Kristen Schaal, and Zach Woods also auditioned for the show that day.
“We had famous people on that couch,” Jones recalled. “I remember it was a crappy little couch.”
The casting director has also worked on shows such as The Good Place, Arrested Development, Veep, Parks and Recreation AND Brooklyn Nine-Nineas well as the films included Barbie, bridesmaids AND Lady Bird.
The Office it became such a sensation that it led to a sequel by Daniels and Michael Koman. Domhnall Gleeson and Sabrina Impacciatore will lead the cast, which also includes Melvin Gregg, Chelsea Frei, Ramona Young, Gbemisola Ikumelo, Alex Edelman, Tim Key and Eric Rahill. The reboot will take place in the same world as the original show and will follow its mockumentary style.
According to the show's description, “The documentary crew that immortalized Dunder Mifflin's Scranton branch is looking for a new topic when they discover a historic dying Midwestern newspaper and the publisher trying to revive it with volunteer journalists.”