There are few elements of The Office as iconic as Michael Scott. The regional manager of the Scranton branch of the Dunder Mifflin paper company, Michael Scott became the key to The Office‘s success, with his incompetent and unprofessional leadership style proving the most consistently hilarious aspect of the show. While he started out as an American counterpart of The Office UK‘s David Brent, the character went on to become a far more unique and unforgettable figure over the course of the show. The result is the Michael Scott that fans know and love, who is directly responsible for some of the most iconic sitcom scenes of all time and has given us many endlessly quotable lines.
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Steve Carell’s performance as Michael Scott catapulted both the actor and the show to global stardom. However, he wasn’t the only actor considered for the lead in the now-iconic comedy masterpiece sitcom, as many other names were reportedly included in the conversation around casting Michael Scott. Some of these names will be familiar to comedy fans, with some truly legendary stars coming close to playing the character. While it’s hard to imagine anyone other than Steve Carell as Michael Scott, the following actors once nearly filled the role.
5) Rainn Wilson
Rainn Wilson might have had a prolific comedy career, but he is ultimately best-known for his long-standing role as Dwight Schrute on The Office. As Dwight, Wilson contributed heavily to making some of The Office‘s best and funniest episodes especially memorable, and in many ways, was one of the show’s breakout stars. However, Rainn Wilson initially auditioned for a completely different role: he originally hoped to play the iconic Dunder Mifflin boss, Michael Scott.
Considering one of Dwight’s most notable attributes is his lasting ambition to become the boss, it’s a little ironic that he originally auditioned for the role of Michael Scott. Wilson himself has described his audition as being a “terrible Ricky Gervais impression”, so it’s perhaps unsurprising that the role went instead to Steve Carell. Thankfully, the casting team recognized that Wilson’s comedic energy could be put to better use as the intense and eccentric Dwight Schrute, leading to him appearing as one of the best characters in the show.
4) Martin Short
While many of the other names on this list came incredibly close to playing Michael Scott, that isn’t entirely true of Martin Short. However, there is an alternate universe out there where he was cast, as his name was often floated as a great fit for the manager in The Office, playing the US version of David Brent from the original UK show. Short was even reportedly interested in the role, though it ultimately never evolved beyond being purely hypothetical.
Even so, it’s easy to see what an excellent choice Short would have been. His knack for delivering comedic and eccentric lines in deadpan fashion is legendary, and his energetic, quirky style is something that would have perfectly matched The Office‘s energy. That said, Short was already a pretty huge star at the time, so perhaps his own fame might have overshadowed the role of Michael Scott had he actually been cast. While Martin Short was interested and would have been great in The Office, it ultimately wasn’t to be.
3) Ricky Gervais
Though The Office US ultimately outgrew the original UK show it was based upon, the conceptual days of the American remake saw it grapple with its identity. The Office UK‘s success hinged entirely upon Ricky Gervais’ performance as the cringe-inducing David Brent, and it was clearly hard for even the US remake to see past the British comic’s importance to the show. This led to Gervais being offered the role as the manager in the US show, presumably playing David Brent rather than Michael Scott.
Of course, Gervais turned it down, reportedly claiming that it wouldn’t make any sense for him to star in both versions. We’re inclined to agree, as it was ultimately Steve Carell’s comedic performance as Michael Scott that helped elevate The Office out of its predecessor’s shadow. Ricky Gervais did eventually cameo in The Office, briefly reprising his role as David Brent in one of the show’s more subtle nods to the original, but we’re largely glad that he turned down the chance to star in the US version considering how well Steve Carell eventually led its cast.
2) Alan Tudyk
Around the time The Office‘s final season aired, series star Rainn Wilson shared the original sign-in log for his original audition, and it revealed the names of several actors who attempted to secure parts on the show. Among them was Alan Tudyk, who auditioned to play Michael Scott, and, if the reports are to be believed, he came close to being cast as the regional manager of Dunder Mifflin’s Scranton branch. The role ultimately went to Steve Carell, but it’s interesting that Tudyk was apparently under consideration.
Alan Tudyk’s many comedic credits speak for themselves, but he has also played a handful of more serious roles. Over the years, he has proven himself a master of many genres, and while he never quite secured the level of fame enjoyed by Michael Scott rival Steve Carell, Tudyk could have been perfect for the role. He boasts similarly offbeat comedic chops to Carell, but his track record with dramatic roles suggests that he might just have contributed to some surprisingly emotional moments in The Office had he been cast as Michael Scott.
1) Bob Odenkirk
Bob Odenkirk is another legendary comic actor who made a cameo appearance in The Office, but he was also incredibly close to playing its lead character, Michael Scott. While Steve Carell was the first choice, scheduling conflicts led to Bob Odenkirk being listed on the call sheet for the pilot and included in a presentation to executives, which listed him among the cast. However, the other pilot Steve Carell was working on fell through, enabling him to return to claim the role of Michael Scott.
Odenkirk’s season 9 cameo apparently outlined roughly what his performance as The Office‘s lead character would have looked like. Reportedly, Odenkirk’s Michael Scott was like Carell’s, but with a slightly darker, meaner edge, and had he ultimately played the Dunder Mifflin boss, The Office might have been a very different show. As great as Odenkirk undoubtedly would have been, it’s fair to say that Steve Carell’s Michael Scott is rightly revered as sitcom royalty, and the role ultimately went to the right actor.
