When Steve Carell first considered auditioning for The Office, the odds were stacked against him and the show itself. A remake of Ricky Gervais' cult British series, the American version was widely dismissed as unnecessary, even doomed.
Many in the industry advised Steve to stay far away, but he chose to ignore the noise and that decision would go on to define his career.
Even then, success was far from guaranteed. Steve revealed that their pilot was the lowest testing pilot in the history of NBC, but he deliberately avoided watching The Office in full to avoid imitation.
That decision allowed him to create a version of Michael Scott that stood on its own, one that would eventually resonate with audiences worldwide.
Over nine seasons and 201 episodes, The Office evolved from a critically doubted remake into one of television's most beloved sitcoms. Steve earned six Emmy nominations, and his performance helped turn the show into a cultural phenomenon.
