- Carell Claims Rudd Told Him Not To Audition For ‘The Office’

Steve Carell has revealed that fellow actor Paul Rudd once tried to talk him out of auditioning for ‘The Office,’ the show that would come to define his career. Speaking on the ‘Good Hang with Amy Poehler’ podcast, Carell admitted that Rudd “pulled [him] aside” and warned him against the project. “He was like, ‘Don’t do it, man. Don’t audition,’” Carell recalled, adding that Rudd also said he shouldn’t touch the role with a “10-foot pole.” Carell went on to play Michael Scott for seven seasons of the hit NBC series, which became one of the most influential sitcoms of its era. The series ran from 2005 to 2013, won multiple Emmy Awards, and has remained a popular choice worldwide on streaming platforms, with millions of fans still watching reruns. Elsewhere in the interview, Carell also noted that the pilot had “the lowest-testing pilot” on NBC and “people really hat[ed]” it at first. Carell joked that despite its rocky start, the show went on to “provide a public service,” saying it has become a long-lasting comfort comedy for audiences.