The Office casting director Allison Jones revealed that there were quite a few other major actors in the running to play Michael Scott in the hit NBC comedy series.
Jones stopped by Office Ladies, the podcast hosted by sitcom stars Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey, where she gave insight into the casting process behind the show that still maintains a cult following.
“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,’” Jones said. She then added that she was “so jaded” she didn’t think either actor would be interested in it because “nobody did TV. Comedy was the bottom of the barrel.”
She recalled that The Office was the first time in her career besides Freaks and Geeks that she had the opportunity to get “real people,” who didn’t have to be “vaudeville funny or sitcom funny,” which was always difficult to find.
The fact that NBC was looking to attach a “big name” to the show was rare for the network then. It was more into stand-up comedians than major actors. Steve Carell, who ended up taking on the role of Michael Scott, was actually on another stand-up-led show, Come to Papa.
“Nancy Perkins, who was the head of casting at NBC Universal, always knew Steve would be a top choice for this,” Jones said, but his commitment to the Tom Papa series required them to audition other people for the role.
“We brought in the best of the best,” she noted. “Everybody was a different version of Michael Scott that could have worked. Patton Oswalt could have worked. Bob Odenkirk would have been amazing.”
However, Come to Papa was canceled after four episodes, which allowed Carell to join The Office.
Michael Scott wasn’t the only role that had several actors vying for it. Kinsey, who portrayed Angela, first auditioned for Pam, which eventually 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 remembered. “I recall it was a small, crappy little couch.”
The casting director also worked on shows like The Good Place, Arrested Development, Veep, Parks and Recreation and Brooklyn Nine-Nine, as well as movies including Barbie, Bridesmaids and Lady Bird.
The Office became such a sensation that it led to a follow-up from Daniels and Michael Koman. Domhnall Gleeson and Sabrina Impacciatore will lead the ensemble 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 follow the mockumentary style of it.
According to the show’s description, “The documentary crew that immortalized Dunder Mifflin’s Scranton branch is in search of a new subject when they discover a dying historic Midwestern newspaper and the publisher trying to revive it with volunteer reporters.”
