Bob Odenkirk Recalls Losing Out to Steve Carell for Michael Scott Role in The Office

Summary

• Bob Odenkirk missed out on playing Michael Scott in
  The Office
  .
• He believes Steve Carell’s fun factor was better suited for the role in the end.
• Despite missing out on
  The Office
  , Odenkirk found success with
  Breaking Bad
  and
  Nobody.

Bob Odenkirk could have played Michael Scott in The Office, but believes that, in the end, Steve Carell’s “fun” factor ended up winning him the role. Odenkirk has become known for his role as Saul Goodman in the Breaking Bad universe, but things might have been a lot different if he had managed to nab the lead role in the popular sitcom.

While appearing as a guest on the Office Ladies podcast, the actor spoke with hosts Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey about how the character of Michael Scott didn’t gel with his style. Making particular note to his “earnest” approach to all of his characters, he told the two The Office stars:

“I am, in a strange way, a very earnest person for a person in comedy. I am oddly earnest, and … it’s one of the reasons I think Steve Carell is a better, you know — is the one who got the role [in The Office]… There were other parts that I think I was up for that Steve got, and it’s because he’s better at being genuinely fun.”

I think I bring with me a little bit too much earnest seriousness, and it’s just kinda there.

“And there’s nothing I can do about it except play other roles where it’s helpful to have that. And, you know, you just don’t believe me as a purely light character. You just are looking for the darkness, and that’s actually great in drama. That’s a plus, you know? But in comedy, it’s not a plus.”

Bob Odenkirk Has Carved Himself a Memorable Career Without The Office

Although there is always a “one that got away” in the history of many actors, Odenkirk hasn’t done too badly for not succeeding in landing the lead in The Office. If he had secured the role that Steve Carell made his own, there is a chance that he would have missed out on his Breaking Bad role, and that would have deprived the world of his performance as Saul Goodman.

As the slimy lawyer, Odenkirk was able to bring his “earnest” humor to the fore and created a character that resonated with audiences so well that he received his own spin-off prequel series. Better Call Saul ran for six seasons, coming to an end in 2023. While the show was well-received by audiences, it also caused controversy because of the fact that the series never won any Emmy Awards, something that continues to baffle and annoy the Breaking Bad fandom.

Odenkirk may have left Saul Goodman behind, but he still has plenty more to come. It was recently announced that his movie Nobody will be getting a sequel, with filmmaker Timo Tjahjanto taking over director duties this time. The unexpected action hit managed to take $57.5 million during its box office run (a success based on its $16 million budget) and landed an impressive 94% approval rating from audiences. Although it took three years for confirmation of the sequel to finally arrive, the wait is not over yet, as Nobody 2 is not set to be released until August 15, 2025.

The Office
and
Nobody
are both available to stream on Peacock, while
Breaking Bad
and
Better Call Saul
can be found on Netflix.