Seth Rogen once auditioned to be Dwight Schrute in ‘The Office’
Although streaming platforms are oversaturated with content, few American shows have been as impactful as The Office. An offshoot of the UK version, the show used mockumentary techniques to capture the daily absurdities of office life.
The show had its finale in 2013, but it has maintained a loyal following of fans who still watch it online. While the filmmaking crew’s mastery over their craft is evident from the show’s evolution, the primary appeal of The Office is the strength of its ensemble cast which features some of the most talented actors in the industry.
Starring Steve Carell, The Office conducts an extensive exploration of a mid-sized paper company in Pennsylvania. Carell delivers the performance of a lifetime as Michael Scott, the Scranton branch’s infamously incompetent boss whose prejudices and stupidity give flavour to the bizarre activities in the office.
It isn’t easy to imagine anyone else playing the roles of the central cast members, but a lot of talented stars had auditioned for The Office during the initial casting process. One of them was Seth Rogen, who wanted to play the iconic role of Dwight Schrute. Ultimately, it went to Rainn Wilson, who was the perfect fit for the part.
In an interview, Wilson described the character as a “fascist nerd”. He explained: “The concept of the buffoonish, clueless white male who is unwittingly racist, sexist and ableist – it’s funny and it’s been a great mine of comedy for a long time, but I feel there’s a large segment of the population that just would not go for that.”
The actor added: “They would just be like, ‘Enough of this. This isn’t funny any more’ – because it hits so close to home in America, only [in reality it’s] a lot less buffoonish. I think we should be able to laugh at this stuff, but it would be tricky. It would be a tricky tightrope to balance. I think that for Michael Scott to be funny, he’s got to do outrageous things. There’s a humour in that – but that would be a struggle today.”
This sentiment has been echoed by others, including Carell, who believe that The Office’s brand of humour will not resonate with younger audiences. However, that isn’t the case because the show has managed to impress new demographics after its release via streaming platforms such as Netflix.
