Steve Carell Says Paul Rudd Warned Him ‘Don’t Audition’ for ‘The Office’ and ‘Our Pilot Was the Lowest-Testing Pilot in the History of NBC’
Steve Carell appeared on the newest episode of Amy Poehler’s “Good Hang” podcast (by way of Entertainment Weekly) and remembered how everybody warned him towards starring as Michael Scott in NBC’s “The Office” given the acclaimed popularity of Ricky Gervais’ unique model from the UK Even Poehler admitted that when she first heard NBC was remaking the sitcom that she thought: “This is a terrible idea. No one can be as good as Ricky Gervais, no one can do that show.”
“Anchorman” was in manufacturing at the time of NBC’s remake announcement, which left Carell mulling over whether or not or to not audition whereas in shut proximity to his comedy co-stars. Carell remembered Paul Rudd pulling him apart throughout manufacturing and warning him towards auditioning for “The Office.”
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“Rudd pulled me aside and was like, ‘Don’t do it, man. Don’t audition,'” Carell advised Poehler. “It was like, ‘There is no way.’”
Carell stated many individuals in the trade suggested him to not contact NBC’s “The Office” remake with a “10-foot pole.” He did not pay attention and booked the job anyway. Poehler stated that it was solely when Carell’s casting as Michael Scott grew to become public that she modified her tune and began considering perhaps an “Office” remake might work, however the relaxation of the trade didn’t comply with go well with.
“Our pilot was the lowest testing pilot in the history of NBC,” Carell stated. “People really hated it. They actively hated it. And I don’t quite know how it got legs after that.”
Saying the present discovered its legs is an understatement. Headlined by Carell, “The Office” would change into one of NBC’s most iconic sitcoms throughout 9 seasons and 201 episodes. Carell earned six Emmy nominations for enjoying Michael Scott, as the function made him a family title worldwide following his film breakout in “The 40-Year-Old Virgin.” Given all the stress Carell confronted from remaking Gervais’ unique, he revealed he solely watched one minute of the UK model earlier than turning it off.
“I watched a minute of one and he was so good and so specific and so funny, I thought, ‘If I watch a second more, I’m just gonna go on an audition with that,’” Carell stated. “I won’t be able to even imagine it a different way.”
“The Office” franchise returned final 12 months with the Peacock unique spinoff “The Paper,” which has the similar arrange as Carell’s present however focuses on a gaggle of staff at a struggling newspaper. Carell has lengthy stated he has no need to reprise Michael Scott.
“I think it’s maybe best to leave well enough alone and just let it exist as what it was,” he advised Collider in 2018. It was a particular factor. It was a particular factor earlier than folks thought it was a particular factor. It was particular to us, earlier than different folks began feeling that method. So, no.”
Watch Carell’s full interview on the “Good Hang” podcast in the video under.
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