Michael Scott is no doubt Steve Carell's finest work, but there was a big chance he wouldn't have played the role at all, if one man, and one of Carell's oldest friends, had gotten his way.
And that man is the Sexiest Man Alive, Paul Rudd.
In the new book Welcome to Dunder Mifflin: The Ultimate Oral History of 'The Office, which was written by Brian Baumgartner who played Kevin on the show and Ben Silverman, an executive producer, Rudd revealed that he once advised Carell to NOT accept the role of Michael Scott.
According to the book, via Collider, when Carell told Rudd that he was auditioning for the show, Rudd allegedly told him, "Ugh, don't do it. Bad, bad move. I mean, it's never going to be as good [as the British version]."
Luckily for all of us, Carell didn't take his friends advice and went on to eventually win the role of Michael Scott, which garnered him six Emmy nominations and led him to becoming a household name.
LISTEN on the Audacy App
