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The Office Casting Director Reveals THESE A-List Actors Were NBC’s Original Picks For Michael Scott
The Office casting director reveals NBC initially had stars like Paul Giamatti or Philip Seymour Hoffman in mind for the role of Michael Scott before finally casting Steve Carell.
NBC made several attempts to tap A-listers such as Paul Giamatti and Philip Seymour Hoffman to play Michael Scott on The Office. Casting director Allison Jones recently provided some perspective on the original casting ideas of the classic sitcom during her appearance on the Office Ladies podcast hosted by series actors Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey.
Jones revealed that NBC expected to cast not just anyone for Michael Scott but popular actors such as Philip Seymour Hoffman and Paul Giamatti, a possibility she did not think was likely to happen as the actors would never agree to do TV comedy.
She said, "I remember vividly the first meeting we had with the network when [creator Greg Daniels] 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."
While reminiscing about the earlier phases of the casting of the film, Jones noted that it was common for networks like NBC to have comedians as their main stars more than any actors, especially for a sitcom. Steve Carell, who went on to portray the character of Michael, was booked for a show titled Come to Papa at that time, which hindered his confirmation in The Office role.
Jones added, "Nancy Perkins, who was the head of casting at NBC Universal, always knew Steve would be a top choice for [Scott]."
While waiting to get Carell secured, Jones and her crew were having other notable actors audition for the part. Patton Oswalt or Bob Odenkirk portrayed the character very differently. It’s a good thing Come to Papa surprisingly was canceled after just four episodes, as it allowed Carell to join The Office and take the lead role in that series.
Jones, who had worked on The Good Place, Parks and Recreation, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Barbie, Bridesmaids, and many more blockbusters, recalled, “We had famous people on that couch. I recall it was a small, crappy little couch.”
Jones also pointed out that Steve Carell's role was not the only competitive role for The Office; in fact, Kathryn Hahn, Aubrey Plaza, Kristen Schaal, and Zach Woods auditioned as well for various roles, Kinsey first auditioned for a role as Pam but played Angela instead.
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