"I'm even drying up just thinking about it”—When Steve Carell opened up about his worst audition ever 

Steve Carell, renowned as The Office's Michael Scott, is famous for his comic timing and flamboyant screen presence. What made his role iconic in The Office was the uncanny humor and wit his character portrayed. However, it appears as though this humor also struggled in his initial days as he described his worst audition as a humiliating experience.

Steve Carell shared a story about a disastrous audition for a fast-food commercial. He had to eat fries while delivering his lines. The fries, however, were stale and very dry. As he ate, he started choking. He couldn’t speak his lines because of the dryness. The incident caused him to lose the role.

In an interview with Screen Rant, he said:

“I remember I was auditioning for a fast-food restaurant commercial, and I had to eat fries for the audition. But it so happened that the fries were a day or two old, and they were very dry.

Carell further added:

"I’m even drying up just thinking about it. And once I ate a couple of the fries, I started choking because they were so dry. I couldn’t even say the lines, and I didn’t get the part”.

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How Steve Carell's worst audition resulted in one of the funniest scenes in The Office

Reflecting on his commercial mishap, he joked about how nerve-wracking auditions can be, even for seasoned actors.

In the same interview, he said:

“No matter the amount of experience one gains in the industry, new auditions often feel nerve-wracking for even the most seasoned stars.”

Interestingly, this awkward moment inspired one of his most memorable scenes in The Office. Fans remember when Michael Scott hilariously choked on tiramisu during a phone call with David Wallace. This hilarious scene seems to be rooted in Carell's worst audition.

Notably, Carell’s ability to turn such a mortifying experience into comedic gold highlights his talent for embracing imperfection and finding humor in life’s embarrassing moments.

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Why Steve Carell left The Office & would he return for the spinoff?

A still of Steve Carell from The Office (Image via Netflix)

Steve Carell shared in 2010 that he planned to leave The Office after his seven-season contract. He explained his decision by saying he wanted to spend more time with his family.

However, in 2020, another interview revealed that there was more to the story. This is because in An Oral History of The Office podcast, Brian Baumgartner, renowned as Kevin Malone in The Office, revealed that NBC never contacted Carell about renewing his contract. Subsequently, Carell moved on to bigger and better opportunities available to him.

Later, on the Office Ladies podcast with Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey, Carell gave another reason for his departure. He said he wanted the show to focus on other characters and felt Michael Scott's exit would allow them to shine.

Thereafter, speculation about Steve Carell joining The Office spinoff became rife. However, in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the American actor clarified that he will not reprise his role as Michael Scott in The Office spin-off. He confirmed this, saying:

“I will be watching but I will not be showing up. It’s just a new thing, and there’s really no reason for my character to show up in something like that.”

He further added:

“It sounds like a great concept. I love the idea — I guess it’s set in a failing newspaper company.”

This decision aligns with his earlier comments in 2018, where he expressed no interest in returning to The Office. He told Collider that revisiting Michael Scott might not resonate with audiences the same way today. Carell supports the new show’s direction but prefers to keep his legacy on The Office untouched.