Steve Carell has explained that he deliberately avoided watching more than a minute of The Office UK because he didn’t want to end up copying Ricky Gervais’ original performance.
Speaking in an interview with LADBible, Carell said he briefly tried watching the British version of the sitcom but quickly stopped once he realised how easy it would be to mimic Gervais’ portrayal of David Brent, the character that inspired his own role as Michael Scott in the US remake.
He said:
"I will admit, this Office, I've only watched about less than a minute of that, of this Office because I had not seen it prior to auditioning for the American Office."
Carell explained that even that short exposure was enough for him to make a decision to step away from it completely, because he wanted to avoid unconsciously copying the original performance.
He continued:
"I started to watch a tiny bit, and I knew instantly that if I watched any more, I would just do a copy of Ricky [Gervais], and I didn't want to do that because I figured if it had any chance of success, it's not going to be the same show. It has to be different in some way and his depiction of that character was so specific and so great that I knew I could never, ever come close to that level."
He concluded the interview by equating Ricky Gervais' portrayal of David Brent in The Office UK to Rowan Atkinson's Mr. Bean: 'Both of them are comedic genuises. I don't say that about many people.'
Steve Carell ultimately went on to play Michael Scott in the US version of The Office from 2005 to 2011, later returning briefly for the series finale in 2013. His performance became one of the defining elements of the American adaptation, which evolved significantly from its British predecessor.
The US version was developed by Greg Daniels and reimagined the format for American audiences, shifting away from direct replication and instead building its own tone, characters, and long-term story arcs. While the UK original starred Ricky Gervais as David Brent, the American version allowed Carell’s Michael Scott to develop over multiple seasons, becoming more emotionally layered and less closely aligned to the original character.
Steve Carell has also previously revealed that he was initially advised not to take the role at all. On Amy Poehler’s Good Hang podcast, he recalled that Paul Rudd warned him against auditioning, believing the US adaptation might not work.
He said:
"I remember Rudd pulled me aside and was like, ‘Don't do it, man. Don't audition.’ It was like, ‘There is no way.’”
Despite early doubts from some in Hollywood, The Office US went on to become one of the most successful sitcoms of its era, influencing later shows such as Parks and Recreation and Abbott Elementary.
Carell’s decision to avoid studying the UK version is now widely seen as a key reason his performance felt distinct, allowing Michael Scott to become a separate cultural figure rather than a direct imitation of David Brent.
