With decades-long acting experience under his belt and boasting a fair share of film and television projects, Steve Carell is often known for his impeccable comedic timing, both on and off-screen. But believe it or not, even the legendary actor has had his awkward moments, particularly during auditions.
During an interview, Steve Carell thus recalled one of his most cringeworthy and hilarious audition experiences that involved—dry French fries. Well, while his embarrassing story involved choking on those fries, the hilarious moment seemingly inspired one of his most career-changing performances in The Office.
Steve Carell Recalled His Awful Audition Where He Almost Choked on French Fries
No matter the amount of experience one gains in the industry, new auditions often feel nerve-wracking for even the most seasoned stars. And as for Steve Carell, the actor recalled a particularly mortifying experience from early on in his career, when he auditioned for a fast-food commercial.
Sitting for an interview with ScreenRant, Steve Carell recalled auditioning for a simple commercial, where he had to eat fries, deliver lines, and maybe land a gig. But while the premise and requirement of the audition seemed simple enough, Carell revealed how the process actually went through.
I remember I was auditioning for a fast food restaurant commercial, and I had to eat fries for the audition. But it so happened that the fries were a day or two old, and they were very dry.
I’m even drying up just thinking about it. And once I ate a couple of the fries, I started choking because they were so dry. I couldn’t even say the lines, and I didn’t get the part.
Well, watching Steve Carell with a mouth full of fries, choking on them, and trying to deliver his lines might seem hilarious to fans, but the fast food restaurant had a different vision. Clearly, the dry fries became an obstacle and Carell thus failed the audition.
Steve Carell’s Hilarious Audition May Have Found Its Way Into The Office
Meanwhile, although Steve Carell’s audition for the fast-food commercial turned into a complete disaster, it seems the comedic gold may have found a second life on The Office. Well, apparently, the American mockumentary sitcom that later catapulted Carell to stardom, might have incorporated the actor’s embarrassing audition experience into one of the most iconic scenes.
Remember when Michael Scott, Steve Carell’s bumbling yet lovable character from The Office was seen choking on a tiramisu while on the phone with David Wallace? Yes, this chaotic, funny, and deeply awkward scene appears to have been inspired by the actor’s failed fast-food commercial.
In season 4, episode 10 The Surplus, Jim and Pam can be seen arguing after he took Oscar’s side in an office debate. However, to settle things between him and Pam, Jim returns with a piece of tiramisu as a peace offering, which Pam rejects and throws in the bin. Later on, Michael is seen eating a piece of tiramisu and choking on it, while speaking with David Wallace on the phone.
Michael then gives a big speech about how the office is wasteful, stating how “people throw away perfectly good tiramisu because it has a little tiny hair on it”. Well, people are then left to interpret where the tiramisu came from. But while this comedic situation seemed awkward and hilarious, it seemed to have probably drawn inspiration from Steve Carell’s audition fiasco.
The Office is currently available to watch on Peacock.
