Bob Odenkirk Knows Why Steve Carrell Beat Him Out For The Lead On The Office

NBC's "The Office" may now be considered one of the most beloved sitcoms in television history, but when the network first announced its plans to produce an Americanized version of the critically acclaimed BBC series, the reaction from fans of the original was far from joyous. Ricky Gervais and Stephan Merchant's "Office" was spiky and profane in a way that network shows simply couldn't be (thanks to their companies' Standards and Practice watchdogs). It was also narratively compact, running a mere two seasons and 14 episodes (counting the two-part Christmas special), which kept the show from getting stale. Most of all, it just felt kind of perfect (which Gervais proved when he tried to revive the series himself). A U.S. rendition stretched out over 20-plus episodes per season was bound to pale in comparison.

Though NBC's "The Office" got off to a rocky start with its six-episode toe-dip of a first season (which, given its similar length, reinforced its inferiority to Gervais and Merchant's original), Greg Daniels and his brilliant writing staff quickly found their footing in season 2. Even those resistant to the idea of an American version found themselves falling in love with the first-rate ensemble headed up by Steve Carell. And this must've felt like additional vindication for Daniels because, prior to shooting the pilot, he was faced with a massive comedy-casting conundrum.

How do you choose between Steve Carell and Bob Odenkirk for the part of clueless Dunder Mifflin manager Michael Scott?

While most of us can probably agree that both men are comedic geniuses, and that, if placed in Daniels' position, this would've been a coin-flip call, Odenkirk totally understood the decision. And given how his career panned out, it seems to have worked out perfectly for both men.

Bob Odenkirk recently dropped by the Office Ladies podcast hosted by "The Office" actors Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey, and discussed just how a-okay he is about not landing a role that earned Steve Carell as many Primetime Emmy wins as "Better Call Saul" did for him (that would be a grand total of zero). "I am, in a strange way, a very earnest person for a person in comedy," said Odenkirk. "I am oddly earnest. It's one of the reasons I think Steve Carell [...] is the one who got the role."

Odenkirk, who was briefly castmates with Carell on the way-ahead-of-its-time "The Dana Carvey Show," added that this wasn't the first time the two were in competition for a part. As he told Fischer and Kinsey:

"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. I think I bring with me a little bit too much earnest seriousness, and it's just kinda there. And 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."

I can't imagine anyone wanting to live in the timeline where Odenkirk gets cast as Michael Scott, and thus never plays Saul Goodman/Jimmy McGill on "Breaking Bad" and "Better Call Saul." Everyone –- Carell, Odenkirk and television viewers –- won big here. As for that proposed "The Office" spinoff from Greg Daniels, maybe let's not press our luck.