‘The Office’: A ‘Glee’ Star Got the Part Dave Franco Auditioned for
Over its nine-season run, The Office featured several rising actors who ended up becoming some of Hollywood’s biggest movie stars. Dave Franco, now known for his roles in blockbusters like Now You See Me and The Disaster Artist, actually auditioned for a small role on The Office, But the part was ultimately given to Glee star Kevin McHale.
‘The Office’ featured stars like Amy Adams and Melissa Rauch
Watching back episodes of The Office, you might recognize some pretty famous stars in smaller supporting roles. Before Amy Adams was nominated for six Academy Awards and ranked as one of the highest-paid actors in Hollywood, she appeared on three episodes of The Office. She played Katy, a purse seller who starts dating Jim Halpert (John Krasinski).
Melissa Rauch, who’s known for her role as Bernadette Rostenkowski on The Big Bang Theory, portrayed a new mom in the episode where Pam (Jenna Fischer) gives birth. And before joining the cast of Community and starring in The Hangover, Ken Jeong appeared on a season 2 episode as Michael Scott’s (Steve Carell) improv partner.
‘Glee’ star Kevin McHale played the pizza delivery guy in season 4
The season 4 episode of The Office, titled ‘Launch Party,’ follows Michael’s frustration as he tries to throw the perfect party to celebrate Dunder Mifflin’s new website. Much to his co-workers’ dismay, he confuses the office’s favorite pizza place, Alfredo’s Pizza Cafe with a horrible one, Pizza by Alfredo. And when he pulls out his coupon, the pizza delivery guy — played by Glee star Kevin McHale — refuses to accept it.
Michael decides to hold the delivery kid hostage until he gives him the discount. While Dwight and Michael go back and forth with their own issues, the teen tries to send out a message about being held against his own will. Michael realizes he’s breaking the law by keeping him locked up, so he lets him go. As he leaves, Michael tells him to drive safely, but the delivery kid responds by giving him the finger.
Dave Franco auditioned for the same role on ‘The Office’
Dave Franco, the younger brother of actor James Franco, was a rising actor in 2007 when the “Launch Party” episode of The Office aired. And in a recent chat with Angela Kinsey and Jenna Fischer for their Office Ladies podcast, McHale revealed that he and Franco both auditioned for the delivery guy’s role.
“So what I remember about the audition is actually the callback,” McHale recalled. “Because the initial audition, no memory, but the callback I was waiting in the stairwell. It was me and Dave Franco and a couple other guys.”
During the audition, McHale had to read across from Carell. And he said that when he finally made the actor laugh, he knew he had done something right.
“I was very unaware that Steve Carell was going to read with us for the callback,” he noted. “I went in I sat there and tried with all my might just to get the words out. And at some point, Steve Carell, like, chuckled, looked at the casting director and they chuckled. And I was like, oh, my God, I made him laugh.”
