No matter what your age is, or where you are from, ‘The Office’ will be a forever delight to watch for all of us. Not only did we fall in love with the actors and the roles they played, but we found a place in our hearts for the whole idea of a weird and goofy work environment.
Although the show is a sensational hit and well-casted wonder, did you know that the ones selected were almost not selected? Could the show have been different to what is it today? Before the creators of the show set their minds to our favourites Michael, Jim, and Pam, they had run through an extensive list of actors who auditioned for the former roles. Would the chemistry between Pam and Jim remain the same?
The popularity of ‘The Office’ represents the era of sitcom mockumentaries that won our hearts. Now, are we ready to have a flashback and catch fellow young actors who just could have been our favourites on screen? Although they were a promising set of actors looking to launch the peak of their careers by auditioning for ‘The Office’, they did not quite make it.
Let’s run down a tight list of five other actors who auditioned for the show and run down a lane of coulda, woulda, shoulda.
Five huge actors who were considered for roles in ‘The Office’
5. Kathryn Hahn for Pam Beesly
The witch from ‘WandaVision’ starring Elizabeth Olsen, yes, this is her and very well could have been our Pam Beesly. Yes, you recognise this celebrated TV star from ‘Agatha’s All Along‘. Although she was unable to land the role of Pam Beesly in one of the most entertaining sitcoms ever made in the history of television, she did gain a lot from the experience. So, she landed the role of a political campaign manager, Jennifer Barkley.
You will find Jennifer on ‘Parks and Recreation’. Safe to say Hahn picked up a thing or two from her experience at the auditions.
4. Adam Scott for Jim Halpert
Just like Hahn, you will find this talented actor in ‘Parks and Recreation’ as well playing the role of Ben. But did you ever know that this talented actor also auditioned for the role of Jim? Goofy, restrictive, rude, yet charming. If you ask me, I think he would indeed be a good fit, and I understand why the creators considered auditioning him.
But our John has played the role so well that it is indeed difficult to imagine anyone else being our Jim. Does make me wonder, would the funny head-bob ever be a thing if Adam were to play him?
3. Bob Odenkirk for Michael Scott
Coming to the most interesting one of all. Let’s be honest, Steve Carell plays probably one of the most dominating roles in the show. This is perhaps why his leaving the show in its later year left the fans feeling empty and wanting more. But did you know that Bob Odenkirk had indeed been finalised as Michael Scott until later when Steve Carell cleared up his schedule to say yes to the offer? Let’s not forget that Carell was indeed the producer’s first choice. All of this happened because a pilot that he had been working on NBC had failed- lucky for us.
Regardless, ‘Better Call Saul’s Bob Odenkirk reappears on the series for an episode (sixteenth) in season 9. He was cast as Pam’s new boss for a company she interviewed for whilst moving to Philadelphia. It did not take her a long time to realise that he oddly reassembled Michael.
2. Eric Stonestreet for Kevin Malone
Widely recognised as Cam or Cameron Tucker from yet another mockumentary called ‘Modern Family’ also auditioned for the role of Kevin Malone. However, the role was passed onto the producer’s first choice, Brian Baumgartner.
If you ask me, the casting gods have done their magic because I don’t think there could be a better Kevin out there. Or for that matter, a better Cam which might not have happened had Stonestreet been cast as Kevin.
1. Seth Rogan for Dwight Schrute
Let’s start this discussion with facts. The fact is there could not possibly have been a better Dwight Schrute out there besides Rainn Wilson. Not only does he hold the show together until the very last episode, but he also brought the seriousness that Dwight has to offer to the table. Seth Rogen is best at playing comic characters which might have not made the character Dwight stand out as much as he did. Nevertheless, as we all know, Rogen continued on his journey to land some great roles in both TV and films after. Success has been limitless.
Check out the trailer for this fun show filled with love, laughter, weirdness, and an inappropriate boss if you somehow missed out on this masterpiece.
