James Gandolfini Almost Became the New Boss of 'The Office' After Michael Scott's Departure

Really juicy reveals about The Office keep coming out of Andy Greene's new book, The Office: The Untold Story of the Greatest Sitcom of the 2000s: An Oral History. The latest? According to Mashable, a huge name from The Sopranos almost became Steve Carell's replacement as Regional Manager at Dunder Mifflin.

As we all know, those were near-impossible shoes to fill, and many different characters were tried on for size. Everyone from Will Ferrell (as Deangelo Vickers) to James Spader (as Robert California) gave replacing Michael Scott the old college try. However, it seems showrunners initially had their eyes on the late James Gandolfini for the vital role. Now that's one boss you wouldn't want to mess with.

Mashable notes that writers Paul Feig and B.J. Novak even took a meeting with Gandolfini. However, the Emmy winning actor wasn't sure if comedy would be a good fit for him. After some back and forth, Gandolfini finally agreed, but when it came time to join the cast, the New Jersey native got a case of cold feet. What a shame, right?

No one was ever truly replacing Michael Scott, no matter how you slice it. But having such an amazing actor, often regarded with giving one of the greatest performances in television history, take up residence on The Office would've been epic, to say the least. To order Greene's book to read while we all self-quarantine, click the link here.