Another actor almost played Michael Scott in the American version ofThe Office, and the sitcom would have been a lot darker if Steve Carell hadn’t ended up getting it. There aren’tmany better TV charactersthan Michael Scott inThe Office. Steve Carell brings something totally singular to the role.
Not only did Carell manage to create a character distinct from Ricky Gervais' memorable performance as David Brent in the UK’sThe Office, he also kept him hilarious and integral to the show for every season he appeared. However,we almost had a completely different actor play Michael, and a darkerThe Officefor it.
Bob Odenkirk Would’ve Played Michael Scott With More Seriousness And Darkness
Odenkirk’s Michael Scott Would Be More Bitter
Bob Odenkirk was also up for the role of Michael Scott, and if he’d been cast, the character would have probably been a lot darker.Sure there is some darkness to Carell’s performance, his desperation to have a family, and the stories of his sordid and lonely youth, but for the most part, he’s a goofy idiot.
Bob Odenkirk’s Michael Scott would have been a lot darker overall. Now, Odenkirk is best known for his dramatic roles in theBreaking Baduniverse orNobody, but he got his start in comedy, working onSNLand the like. His appearance inI Think You Should Leaveis much closer to his usual roles.
However, evenin those comedic roles, there’s an air of darkness, and he would have brought that to Michael Scott. He toldThe Office Ladiespodcast,
“I am, in a strange way, a very earnest person for a person in comedy. I am oddly earnest, and … it’s one of the reasons I think Steve Carell is a better, you know — is the one who got the role [in The Office]. There were other parts that I think I was up for that Steve got, and it’s because he’s better at being genuinely fun, I think I bring with me a little bit too much earnest seriousness, and it’s just kinda there. And there’s nothing I can do about it except play other roles where it’s helpful to have that. And, you know, you just don’t believe me as a purely light character. You just are looking for the darkness, and that’s actually great in drama. That’s a plus, you know? But in comedy, it’s not a plus.”
Odenkirk’s Michael Scott would probably be closer to David Brent than Steve Carell. He would be bitter about his station rather than wistful, which would change the tone of the series.
Bob Odenkirk’s The Office Character Was A Hilarious Callback To His Michael Scott Audition
Mark Franks' Steals The Episodes
Bob Odenkirk’s Michael Scott still would have been very funny, and we know that becausehe basically came in to play his version of Michaelin season 9, episode 16, “Moving On”. In the episode, Pam (Jenna Fischer) is looking for a new job in Philadelphia so that she and Jim (John Krasinski) can move there.
Mark is obnoxious, ignorant, and a bit of a doofus, though he seems to have a kind heart.
She interviews with her potential manager, Mark Franks, played by Odenkirk, who Pam quickly realizes is exactly like Michael. Mark is obnoxious, ignorant, and a bit of a doofus, though he seems to have a kind heart. He thinks the slurs inDjango Unchainedwere too soon after all.
It’s a hilarious performance, andwhat Michael Scott would have looked like if played by Bob Odenkirk is summed up by Mark in his final scene. He sincerely, almost with tears in his eyes, asks Pam if she thinks his employees like him. We like you, Bob, and it might’ve been a differentThe Office, but we like that too.
The Office
Cast
This mockumentary comedy series observes the mundane and humorous daily lives of employees at the Scranton branch of the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company. It offers insights into office dynamics, personalities, and the eccentric behavior of both management and staff, depicting an ordinary workplace with extraordinary characters.
