TIL: Big Actors Like Seth Rogen Auditioned for ‘The Office’
“Today I Learned” from “The Office” audition tapes that big name actors auditioned for major roles!
I’m a huge fan of the “The Office” which led me to some extensive research (aka “googling”) about the hit television series. During that research I discovered a popular audition tape from 2003 that revealed some major stars of today that initially auditioned for key roles in the NBC series. I was both intrigued and shocked to discover some of the big name actors like Seth Rogen who were included in the footage. Take a look for yourself below.
It’s absolutely amazing how many actors were interested in being part of “The Office.” What’s even more amazing is how clear the choice was for particular roles. While Seth Rogen has seen a lot of mainstream success, Rainn Wilson proved from day one that he was more than worthy for the role of Dwight Schrute. The same goes for Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul) in comparison to Steve Carell for the role of Michael Scott. While Odenkirk’s audition seemed closer to the Ricky Gervais version of Michael Scott, Steve Carell managed to redefine the character and shined as the star of the show.
The auditions that actually did impress me were John Cho and Adam Scott for the role of Jim Halpert. John Krasinski was amazing as Jim and his chemistry with Jenna Fischer (Pam Beesley) is unmatched by most TV relationships today. But both Scott and Cho seemed to do very well in capturing the calm, unmotivated nature of the character.
Surprisingly I think the most impressive audition was from “Modern Family’s” Eric Stonestreet for the role of Kevin Malone. In the end Brian Baumgartner proved that he was perfect for the part and I would not change a thing. But based on the auditions, I would have picked Stonestreet as the clear winner. His audition was fluid and even had the casting agents laughing. Brian Baumgartner seemed to have developed Kevin’s voice after he was cast and sounded a bit too articulate for the simplicity of Kevin’s character.
Overall it was very interesting to see the cast that was chosen and given the success of the show, this opportunity probably changed their lives forever. “The Office” turned out to be an amazing experience for those that tuned in. As we looked at the auditions representing the show’s beginnings, I found it suitable to leave you all with a video that represents one of the most impactful moments towards the show’s end.
