When Steve Carell left ‘The Office,’ many fans wondered how the show would go on without him. While there were still plenty of hilarious moments, many felt the show was never the same once Michael Scott left. However, as a new book about the show reveals, things could have been very different, as originally James Gandolfini was supposed to be Carell’s replacement.
In Andy Greene’s new book, ‘The Office: The Untold Story of the Greatest Sitcom of the 2000s,’ the author reveals a number of behind the scenes aspects the beloved series. One of these is the search for Steve Carell’s replacement, and according to Greene, the job almost went to the man made famous for playing Tony Soprano. “Paul Feig and B.J. Novak met with Gandolfini to chat about the role, and though the Sopranos star was very complimentary, he wasn’t sure if he was right for comedy,” the book claims.
Eventually the job went to James Spader, who according to the book, wasn’t loved by many working on the show. “Spader is a good guy and he’s smart, but we needed brilliant comedians and James Spader isn’t funny,” said executive producer Ben Silverman. Fans of ‘The Office’ are now left wondering what could have been with Gandolfini running Dunder Mifflin.
Via UPROXX