The Office Stars Reveal Zac Efron Turned Down a Season 5 Episode Role
Two stars from the much-loved NBC sitcom The Office have revealed that Zac Efron turned down a role in the show. Angela Kinsey and Jenna Fischer, who played Angela Martin and Pam Beesly respectively, co-host The Office Ladies podcast, in which they do a behind-the-scenes deep dive into every episode in the show. The podcast is massively popular among the show's fanbase and frequently features special guests, including cast members and people from the production team.
The Office ran on NBC for nine seasons from 2005 to 2013 and became a hit during its time on air. The mockumentary-style series follows the everyday lives of employees at Dunder Mifflin Paper Company in Scranton, Pennsylvania. The show features a star-studded cast including the likes of John Krasinski, Rainn Wilson, Ed Helms, Mindy Kaling and Steve Carell as Michael Scott. The show was well-known for its hilarious but cringe-worthy form of comedy, which it inherited from the original UK version of the show, created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant.
In the latest episode of The Office Ladies (via Mashable), Fischer and Kinney spoke to writer's assistant Nate Federman, who revealed that his small cameo in the season 5 episode, "Stress Relief," was supposed to be played by Zac Efron. The role was part of a fictional film, Mrs Albert Hannaday, which Jim, Pam and Andy watch in the break room. The fake drama boasts some iconic actors, including Jack Black, Jessica Alba and Cloris Leachman. Federman revealed that Efron was initially approached for the part (which involved a kissing scene with Leachman) but turned it down, and he was ultimately called to fill in at the last moment. Read Federman's comments below:
"Originally, my part was supposed to be for Zac Efron and there were actual lines, but he turned it down and so did Corbin Bleu and Christopher Mintz-Plasse. And the day before it was supposed to shoot, they hadn't cast it and all the lines had been cut. And they really just needed somebody who was young looking to make out with Cloris Leachman."
Federman was pitched on the role by The Office's executive producer, Paul Lieberstein (who also plays Toby) and director Jeff Blitz. The assistant said he was "terrified" to shoot the scene since he wasn't an actor. In a special perk, Federman got to travel to set with stars Leachman, Black, and Alba. The newcomer said that Leachman was initially "very nice" and chatty, but when it was time to film the kissing scene, the actress committed to her character and got quite "raunchy," encouraging Federman to get as physical as possible during the kiss.
The scene is a testament to the experience and professionalism of the late Cloris Leachman, which is no surprise given her decorated career, which includes films like Young Frankenstein and The Last Picture Show, for which she earned an Academy Award for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. Whether Zac Efron's presence would've made the scene more memorable is up for debate, but it's safe to say that Federman did a fine job creating what proves to be yet another iconic The Office scene.
Source: The Office Ladies (via Mashable)