A-list actors Paul Giamatti and Philip Seymour Hoffman were repeatedly courted by NBC to play Michael Scott on The Office. During her recent appearance on the Office Ladies podcast, which is hosted by series actors Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey, casting director Allison Jones offered some insight into the initial casting concepts of the iconic sitcom.
Jones disclosed that NBC wanted to cast not just anybody for Michael Scott, but well-known actors like Paul Giamatti and Philip Seymour Hoffman. She did not believe this would happen because the actors would never consent to do comedy on television.
She revealed, "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 recalled the early stages of the movie's casting and
pointed out that, particularly for sitcoms, it was typical for networks like
NBC to feature comedians as their main stars more than any actors. Steve
Carell, who later played Michael, was unable to get confirmed for his role on
The Office since he was then booked for a production called Come to Papa.
Jones continued, "Nancy Perkins, who was the head of casting at NBC
Universal, always knew Steve would be a top choice for [Scott]."
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