> “Anchorman” was in production at the time of NBC’s remake announcement, which left Carell mulling over whether or not to audition while in close proximity to his comedy co-stars. Carell remembered Paul Rudd pulling him aside during production and warning him against auditioning for “The Office.”
> “Rudd pulled me aside and was like, ‘Don’t do it, man. Don’t audition,’” Carell told Poehler. “It was like, ‘There is no way.’”
> Carell said many people in the industry advised him not to touch NBC’s “The Offfice” remake with a “10-foot pole.” He didn’t listen and booked the job anyway. Poehler said that it was only when Carell’s casting as Michael Scott became public that she changed her tune and started thinking maybe an “Office” remake could work, but the rest of the industry did not follow suit.
> “Our pilot was the lowest testing pilot in the history of NBC,” Carell said. “People really hated it. They actively hated it. And I don’t quite know how it got legs after that.”
Jack-Cremation on
I remember when the pilot came out! I was immediately hooked. And we watched it religiously for its whole run.
Strange_Specialist4 on
I think people were right that the British office wouldn’t work as an American sitcom, but they changed it enough to make it its own thing.
3 Comments
> “Anchorman” was in production at the time of NBC’s remake announcement, which left Carell mulling over whether or not to audition while in close proximity to his comedy co-stars. Carell remembered Paul Rudd pulling him aside during production and warning him against auditioning for “The Office.”
> “Rudd pulled me aside and was like, ‘Don’t do it, man. Don’t audition,’” Carell told Poehler. “It was like, ‘There is no way.’”
> Carell said many people in the industry advised him not to touch NBC’s “The Offfice” remake with a “10-foot pole.” He didn’t listen and booked the job anyway. Poehler said that it was only when Carell’s casting as Michael Scott became public that she changed her tune and started thinking maybe an “Office” remake could work, but the rest of the industry did not follow suit.
> “Our pilot was the lowest testing pilot in the history of NBC,” Carell said. “People really hated it. They actively hated it. And I don’t quite know how it got legs after that.”
I remember when the pilot came out! I was immediately hooked. And we watched it religiously for its whole run.
I think people were right that the British office wouldn’t work as an American sitcom, but they changed it enough to make it its own thing.