Steve Carrell found worldwide fame when he starred in the titular character of Michael Scott in the cultural phenomenon that is The Office. Portraying the role of a man-child boss who is constantly up to his shenanigans with a variety of characters in his office, the sitcom gradually became a hit.
Well, Paul Rudd, the Marvel star known for portraying Ant-Man in the MCU was aware of what Carrell was going to do. Stating that it was going to be a flop, Rudd warned against adapting the British show into an American-oriented series. Luckily, Steve Carrell did not heed the warning, and thus, came The Office.
Paul Rudd Warned Steve Carrell Against Creating The Office
Before Carrell took up the role of Michael Scott, he and Paul Rudd worked together in a film titled Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy. Being a satirical film set in the 1970s, Carrell and Rudd played side characters but were quite notable in the film.
In the recently published book titled Welcome to Dunder Mifflin: The Ultimate Oral History of The Office, the fact came to light that Steve Carrell had pitched his idea to Paul Rudd of adapting the British version of The Office into an American version. The Marvel star did not reply enthusiastically and even warned Carrell against adapting the series.
“Ugh, don’t do it. Bad, bad move. I mean, it’s never going to be as good [as the British version],”
Luckily, Carrell ignored Rudd’s warning (just like what Michael Scott would do) and continued to create the masterpiece that became The Office. Turns out, Rudd wasn’t the only pessimist about the idea. John Krasinski, who portrayed the role of Jim Halpert in the show, was also skeptical about the idea initially.
John Krasinski Wasn’t All Too Interested In The Office
In a different tale, Krasinski was asked whether he was nervous about his audition for the role of Jim Halpert. Stating that he wasn’t nervous at all, Krasinski let it slip that Americans had a knack for ruining shows!
“I’m terrified for the person creating this show because, I mean, I just feel like Americans have such a track record of taking brilliant shows and ruining them.”
Turns out, he was speaking to none other than Greg Daniels…the creator of the show. Well, it was indeed a Jim Halpert thing to do and Krasinski was selected for the role. The Office ran for 9 seasons but is still one of the most talked about shows.
The Office (US) is available to stream on Peacock Premium in the U.S.
Source: Collider
