Ant-Man Star Tried to Talk Steve Carell Out of The Office; Good Thing He Failed
Today, The Office is a pop culture phenomenon, but it wasn't always that way.
Back when Steve Carell told future Ant-Man star Paul Rudd that he was auditioning for the U.S. adaptation of the British sitcom The Office, Rudd was very skeptical and tried to talk him out of it.
That's what Brian Baumgartner (Kevin Malone) revealed in his book Welcome to Dunder Mifflin: The Ultimate Oral History of 'The Office,' which was published in 2021. According to the book, Rudd did not believe in the success of the US adaptation at all.
"Ugh, don't do it. Bad, bad move. I mean, it's never going to be as good [as the British version]," Rudd told Carell, per the book.
Well, look how the turntables. These days, it is the U.S. adaptation that has made The Office a global phenomenon, with fans still binge-watching the show even though it ended a decade ago. From an underdog with little support and little faith, The Office quickly became a pop culture phenomenon that continues to thrive thanks to memes, quotes, and thousands of people around the world who are always ready for a nine-season marathon.
When it comes to Paul Rudd's advice that didn't age well, fans joke that it may have been the only thing the Ant-Man star did wrong in his entire life. In fact, some fans regret that Rudd never joined The Office when it became a huge hit, as fandom believes he would have been a great addition to the already chaotic cast. Rudd doesn't have much to complain about, though, as he's currently a big Marvel star, portraying Scott Land, aka Ant-Man, in the MCU, with a new solo film, And-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, hitting theaters on February 17.
The Office aired on NBC from 2005 to 2013, ending after nine seasons. It is currently streaming on Peacock.