James Gandolfini as the head of The Office? Yep, it almost happened! A recent episode of the Talking Sopranos podcast revealed that HBO paid the actor $3 million to turn down the role that would've served as Steve Carell's replacement once he left The Office.
During the recent episode, co-hosts Michael Imperioli and Steve Schirripa, who played Christopher Moltisanti and Bobby Baccalieri on The Sopranos, revealed that James Gandolfini was paid $3 million by HBO to turn down a role as the new boss on The Office. The story was brought up during a conversation with Ricky Gervais, who created the original UK version of the show. Imperioli said, "You know, they talked about having Gandolfini at one point replace him [Steve Carell], did you know that?" According to the duo, several years after The Sopranos wrapped up its run, NBC needed a big replacement to take Carell's place on The Office. Schirripa claimed that NBC offered the actor $4 million dollars for one season.
Sounds like it would've been a sweet deal for Gandolfini but HBO then stepped in and paid the actor $3 million not to do it. Schirripa said, "Jim was going to do it because he hadn't worked and it was a number of years removed from when the show ended." After Gervais jokes by saying, "So they paid him that to keep the legacy of The Sopranos pure?", Schirripa says, "I guess that and also he had a deal with them. The Night Of, he was developing that." The Night Of was an HBO crime thriller that wouldn't debut until 2016, about three years after Gandolfini passed away. The actor died in 2013 at the age of 51 from a massive heart attack while traveling with family in Rome.
The Sopranos wrapped up its prolific run after six seasons in 2007, four years before Carell would depart from his starring role in The Office. Gandolfini could've stepped in but the character of Tony Soprano seems completely linked to the legacy of James Gandolfini and if HBO did have a deal with him, I could see the cable network shelling out the necessary money to keep him in their fold. Honestly, what a position for an actor to be in. As fans of The Office know, Andy Bernard, played by Ed Helms, ultimately was named as Michael Scott's replacement.
Do YOU think James Gandolfini should've accepted the role on The Office?