It is hard to imagine any other actor in the role of Michael Scott in The Office besides Steve Carell. Carell’s impeccable comic timing, delivery, and physical comedy took the character to incomparable levels. However, Bob Odenkirk, who played a fan-favorite role in Breaking Bad, came incredibly close to landing the role of the Dunder Mifflin boss.
Bob Odenkirk was initially slated to play a small role in Breaking Bad, but he made the character so iconic that he went on to play a more substantial role in the series and even landed himself a spin-off. The Office eventually gave Odenkirk a meta cameo, teasing the audience with a ‘what if’ moment.
Bob Odenkirk Came Close To Playing Michael Scott In The Office
Steve Carell’s Michael Scott was the linchpin of the show, and many credit him with being the reason behind the show’s massive popularity. However, during the casting process, Carell almost missed out on the role due to his commitments to another show, Come to Papa. Bob Odenkirk had also auditioned for the role and was presented to NBC executives as Michael Scott. However, when Come to Papa got canceled, Carell returned to The Office, replacing Odenkirk.
Odenkirk was thriving in his comedy career at this time, having worked for Saturday Night Live at a very young age. He created the iconic sketch character of Matt Foley on SNL and also starred in his own sketch show, Mr. Show with Bob and David, alongside David Cross. Odenkirk also made guest appearances in sitcoms, including Just Shoot Me!, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and Arrested Development.
Apart from Odenkirk and Carell, actors like Paul Giamatti, Martin Short, and Hank Azaria were actively considered for the role, and several other famous actors turned down the role. However, the Better Call Saul actor was able to give the audience a glimpse of what he could have brought to The Office. He appeared as the boss of another company, who’s an exact copy of Michael Scott, in one of the season nine episodes.
Bob Odenkirk Would Have Played A Meaner Version Of Michael Scott
While Steve Carell brought a sweetness to all of Michael Scott’s crazy and inappropriate behavior, Odenkirk would have played a version that was meaner. It would have drawn inspiration from Ricky Gervais’s portrayal in The Office U.K. Some of the audition tapes from the show surfaced on YouTube, revealing Odenkirk’s audition for the role. The show’s executive producer, Ben Silverman, shared insights about Odenkirk and Carell’s versions of Michael Scott to Esquire:
“We still had Bob as somebody we were in love with as a comedic performer. But Steve, even though he’s from the Northeast, had such a Midwestern-accessible, lovable comedic energy, like the great primetime sitcom stars of the fifties and sixties. He had that thing. There was something about us that wanted to soften the character. Bob has hard edges, like he has angularity to him. He’s brilliant, but he literally has angularity.”
Even though the Nobody actor missed out on an iconic role, he went on to create another iconic role in the form of Saul Goodman. What didn’t quite work for him in Michael Scott became a springboard for the Breaking Bad character. Fans of the actor can enjoy his exceptional performance as Saul Goodman in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul, both now streaming on Netflix.
For fans of Steve Carell’s Michael Scott, The Office is now available for streaming on Peacock.
