Here's Who Almost Played Michael Scott on 'The Office' & Why He Lost the Part to Steve Carell

Steve Carell played the iconic Michael Scott on The Office and now, fans are being clued in on who almost won the role: Better Call Saul and Breaking Bad star Bob Odenkirk!

“We were circling Bob Odenkirk. He was available. He had a great reputation in the comedy world, and he hadn’t yet become famous. He wasn’t really well known,” one of the producers said in the book “The Office: The Untold Story of the Greatest Sitcom of the 2000s.”

The producer added that “he had an edge to him. His take was as funny as Steve’s, but it was darker…He was a little tougher and meaner.”

So why did the producers go with Steve and not Bob? Apparently, Steve read as more of a “jerk and a douche,” while Bob’s take was more “asshole.”

“The worst thing I have ever had to do ever,” casting agent Allison Jones recalled, “is to tell Bob Odenkirk’s agent that he didn’t get The Office … Believe me, it was a bummer to make that call and I do suspect the show would have worked with Bob Odenkirk.”

Find out the real reason why Steve Carell actually left The Office!