It’s impossible to envision “The Office” without John Krasinski as Jim Halpert. The dubious glances Jim shoots at the camera in response to the shenanigans that occur at his ostensibly mundane job set a whole new standard for deadpan comedic responses. But if a few things had gone differently behind the scenes, Jim could’ve been played by Josh Radnor of “How I Met Your Mother” fame instead.
During an appearance on the “How We Made Your Mother” flashback podcast, Krasinski’s former co-star Jenna Fischer asked Radnor if he ever auditioned for Jim. Radnor answered in the affirmative, adding that he “auditioned for everything” (including “Arrested Development”). Although Radnor recalled feeling good about his reading for Jim, he felt that his improvisational skills made his interpretation of Jim come off as “too dim” for what “The Office” producers envisioned.
“I didn’t quite understand if [Jim] was smart or not smart,” Radnor claimed. “I was a little confused about whether he was part of the ‘smart gang’ or ‘not smart gang.'”
Who else could’ve been Jim?
On the “How We Made Your Mother” podcast, Radnor said he and Krasinski both “landed in the right place” in the long run — and he’s not the only would-be Jim that eventually popped up on a different sitcom.
Two other notable actors to audition for the role of Jim include Adam Scott and John Cho. Scott eventually ended up as auditor Ben Wyatt on NBC’s “Parks & Recreation,” another one of Greg Daniels’ mockumentary series. As for Cho, he made a guest appearance in Season 3 of “How I Met Your Mother.”
On the flip side, there’s also an alternate timeline where Radnor didn’t play Ted Mosby. Originally, Jason Biggs was offered the role, turned it down, and has since described that decision as the “biggest regret” of his career. Ironically, Biggs’ “American Pie” co-star Alyson Hannigan joined Radnor in the main cast of “How I Met Your Mother,” playing teacher and artist Lily Aldrin.