A surprising behind-the-scenes story has emerged that the iconic Michael Scott of Hollywood's legendary sitcom The Office almost never came to be. The person who strongly discouraged actor Steve Carell from auditioning was none other than his close friend and the actor famous for Ant-Man, Paul Rudd.
On the 25th local time, Steve Carell appeared on Amy Poehler's podcast Good Hang and recalled the situation in 2005.
At the time, news circulated in Hollywood that Ricky Gervais's original British series The Office would be remade for the U.S., and the industry's reaction was cold. Carell burst out laughing, saying, Paul Rudd called me aside and seriously advised, "Please don't do it. Don't even audition. There's no way that would work." It was the heartfelt plea of a close friend, mixed with concern that the original's stature would be hard to surpass.
The reaction wasn't limited to Paul Rudd. Amy Poehler also recalled, "Everyone was saying, 'Don't touch that,'" and added, "I thought no one could do it as well as Ricky Gervais." According to Steve Carell, the pilot episode of The Office actually recorded the lowest test score in NBC history, making it seem destined to fail.
But when news spread that the producers chose Steve Carell as the lead, the atmosphere changed. Poehler said, "When I heard Steve was doing it, I thought, 'Oh, the producers really want to make a funny show,'" expressing boundless confidence in his acting.
In the end, Steve Carell ignored Paul Rudd's advice (?), auditioned, and created the unparalleled character Michael Scott, becoming a sitcom icon. The success of the 2005 film The 40-Year-Old Virgin and The Office combined to instantly elevate him to A-list stardom.
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