The Officeboasts one of themost iconic ensemble casts in TV history, but it could have been very different if the characters of Jim Halpert and Pam Beesly had been played by actors other than John Krasinski and Jenna Fischer - which they almost were. Jim and Pam are inarguably on the list ofbest TV will-they/won’t-they couples. The actors who ultimately got the parts weren’t the only ones considered, but they proved themselves more than worthy of snagging the roles. However, in another universe, the Jim and Pam we know and love look very different.
The Office’s casthad members come and go throughout its nine-year run, butJim and Pam were among the core group that remained in place the entire time. The characters remain the seminal roles of each actor, due to the sitcom’s immense success. Two other actors who auditioned to play Jim and Pam could have experienced this bump in their careers too, but they went on to have success in other projects regardless. Today, they’re both leading massive shows, but they were cast together in a 2008 comedy movie in a way that quietly acknowledged their attempts to star inThe Office.
Adam Scott And Kathryn Hahn Auditioned For Jim & Pam In The Office
The beloved sitcom couple could have looked very different
Adam Scott is currently the leader of theSeverancecaston Apple TV+, and Kathryn Hahn is perhaps now most widely known as Agatha Harkness in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. So, there’s no denying how well their respective careers are going. However, they haven’t always been quite so fortunate.Their auditions forThe Officedidn’t hit homefor those in charge of casting for the show, so Jim and Pam went to Krasinski and Fischer instead.
Even though Scott and Hahn didn’t ever appear inThe Office, even in a guest or supporting role,producer Michael Schur clearly thought about their auditions a lotwhen he co-createdParks and Recreation. Schur was heavily involved with both mockumentary sitcoms, and this gave Scott and Hahn the opportunity to appear inThe Office’s spiritual successor. After debuting at the end ofParks and Recseason 2, Scott went on to become a member of the main cast as Ben Wyatt - totaling 96 appearances overall. Kathryn Hahn appeared 10 times as Jennifer Barkley.
2008’s Step Brothers Eventually Starred Scott & Hahn As A Married Couple
Derek & Alice Huff were nothing like the couple Scott and Hahn almost played in The Office
Even though they never had the chance to play each other’s love interests inThe Office, the opportunity for Scott and Hahn did arrive three years after the sitcom first aired in 2005. They both appeared in 2008’sStep Brothersin supporting roles alongside Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly.The highly-quotable movie placed Adam Scott and Kathryn Hahn in the roles of Derek and Alice Huff- a married couple with two kids. So, their comedic nuclear family mirrored that of Jim and Pam’s - but they weren’t identical.
Derek and Alice had a very dysfunctional marriage that was played for laughs.
Despite a rocky start,Jim and Pam’s relationship inThe Officewas generally depicted as a storybook workplace romance. They had a couple of rough patches toward the end, but nothing that proved to be insurmountable. Inversely, Derek and Alice had a very dysfunctional marriage that was played for laughs.Derek was self-absorbed and blind to his wife’s misery, which ultimately led her to pursue Reilly’s Dale Doback.The Officetoyed with an infidelity storyline with Jim and Pam, but it thankfully never came to fruition.
The Office Could Have Been A Very Different Show Based On Those Auditions
Other stars from the 2000s tried out for roles in The Office
As is the case with most TV shows,several actors were considered for each role inThe Officebefore final decisions were made. Scott and Hahn weren’t the only ones who missed out on their chance to influence the sitcom and the characters we know today, but it’s safe to say it would have been a different experience with those two in the roles they auditioned for. Other known actors also auditioned for various roles inThe Office, and they would surely have nudged the show in another direction.
Perhaps the biggest consideration was who would play Michael Scott. The show ultimately cast Steve Carell, and it’s tough to imagine anyone else in that role, butBetter Call Saul’s Bob Odenkirk auditioned to play Dunder Mifflin’s regional manager.Seth Rogen also tried out for Dwight Schrute, who would have given the character a very different edge than Rainn Wilson.Modern Family’s Eric Stonestreet auditioned for Kevin Malone, who went on to be played by Brian Baumgartner. Although all are talented actors in their own right, I’m sure I’m not alone in thinking thatThe Officemade the right choices.
