“I am oddly earnest” — Bob Odenkirk reasons why he thinks Steve Carell landed the role of Michael Scott in The Office over him

Better Call Saul star Bob Odenkirk opened up about why he lost out on being The Office's Michael Scott to Steve Carell. During an appearance on the Wednesday, July 10 episode of the Office Ladies podcast hosted by The Office stars Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey, the actor revealed that his earnestness might have cost him the role of Michael Scott. Odenkirk told the podcast hosts:

"I am oddly earnest, and … it’s one of the reasons I think Steve Carell is a better, you know — is the one who got the role [in The Office]."

The actor further revealed that he had lost out on a few other parts to Carell as well. However, Odenkirk did end up making a cameo appearance during the show’s ninth and final season.

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"You just don’t believe me as a purely light character": Bob Odenkirk

Bob Odenkirk made a guest appearance on Wednesday's episode of the Office Ladies podcast. The podcast, true to its name, is hosted by Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey, who portray the iconic characters of Pam Beesly and Angela Martin, respectively on The Office. During the episode, Odenkirk talked about losing out on the role of Michael Scott to Steve Carell.

The Breaking Bad star explained to the hosts that he was quite strangely a "very earnest person for a person in comedy." He remarked that his signature earnestness may have cost him the role, making Carell a better fit for the childlike demeanor of Michael Scott. The actor further revealed:

"There were other parts that I think I was up for that Steve got, and it’s because he’s better at being genuinely fun."

Bob Odenkirk elaborated that he simply brought with him quite a lot of "earnest seriousness." He continued:

"There’s nothing I can do about it except play other roles where it’s helpful to have that. And, you know, you just don’t believe me as a purely light character. You just are looking for the darkness, and that’s actually great in drama. That’s a plus, you know? But in comedy, it’s not a plus."

Jenna Fischer even recalled getting ready for the auditioning process for the show alongside Odenkirk. who remarked that the show ended up being "exactly what it needed to be." Odenkirk complimented the show's crew and showrunner Greg Daniels for making The Office exactly what it was. According to the Nobody star, the show was "great." He added:

"I had a great time auditioning. And I love Greg Daniels."

However, Bob Odenkirk did end up appearing on the show in its final season. During the sixteenth episode of the ninth season of the show, Pam, played by Jenna Fischer, was interviewed in a Philadelphia real estate company where Odenkirk portrayed the manager.

Fischer recalled that the showrunners thought it would be extremely funny if Pam's life was going to repeat itself in Philadelphia with a boss who was "basically Michael Scott." Odenkirk noted that this was an opportunity for him to show people what he would have done had he been cast as Michael Scott instead of Steve Carell. However, he still added:

"Although, I do think that what I was doing was more a tribute to Steve because that’s what I was supposed to be doing,"

Bob Odenkirk continued:

"My character was meant to be very much a version of what Steve had invented when he played the character."

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In other news, earlier this year NBC brought a lot of joy to fans of The Office when they announced that the show was going to get a spin-off series with showrunner Greg Daniels returning alongside Michael Koman. The show, set in the same universe as its predecessor, will be set in a Midwestern newspaper company.