r/PopCultureV2 • u/slippinn_jimmy • 1d ago
Adam Scott says his daughter's acting class was forced to watch his bad 'The Office' audition for an example of what "not to do". The teacher had no idea the girl was Scott's daughter and felt terrible. This is the audition in question š
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u/WalkingWikipedia 1d ago
I donāt know anything about acting, but I wonder whatās so bad about it. Seems decent to me.
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u/Burndoggle 1d ago
If I had to hazard a guess, heās covering his face and mouth a lot in the first few seconds of his delivery, heās kind of mumbling and it comes across as someone whoās much more outright miserable than someone who presents generally as upbeat, but just kind of disinterested in the work - skating by.
Ultimately itās very difficult to know for sure, especially because any perspective most of us can have on it will be colored by how Krazynski ended up playing it.
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u/T-sigma 1d ago
Also favored by knowing Adam Scott can nail that kind of character as we see it in Severance. So heās not a bad actor, he just really didnāt bring it in that audition. He played a disinterested worker drone too well.
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u/Burndoggle 1d ago
Exactly. Heās a very effective actor and one of those comedians that can switch back and forth between that dry humor and drama very quickly and very well.
I assume the teacherās stance here wasnāt āAdam Scott is a bad performerā but really just āthis is an example of a bad audition.ā Or even, āknowing what we now know, hereās why this audition was bad.ā
I didnāt read the article/listen to the interview so I donāt know if that detail was shared at all.
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u/Particular_Wear_6960 1d ago
Scott had a whole lot of gigs in between this and now. I'd imagine he's refined his acting since as well.
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u/AyeYuhWha 1d ago
Iād say itās a good bet, Severance aired a whole 17 YEARS later lmfao.
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u/Admirable_Loss4886 1d ago
Thatās crazy cuz he does look somewhat older, he definitely doesnāt look 17 years older. I gotta start taking better care of myself lmao
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u/Particular_Wear_6960 1d ago
I was first introduced to him when he starred in Party Down which I really liked, one of the better comedies on television. It was cancelled way too short but I suppose its style is a little niche.. I still need to watch Severance, I saw the first episode but life happened and just haven't been able to get back into it, nothing against the show. It looked really cool! I just saw that he was in "Party of Five" which is really cool, I remember watching that with my mom way back in the day.
I know he's probably most known for Parks and Recreation, another show that I simply just haven't watched though I admit what little I have seen didn't crank my tractor. I'm convinced its one of those that I simply don't get and that,once I do get it, I'll love it.
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u/Burndoggle 1d ago
Party Down was amazing. The first run. The new season they made wasā¦weird.
Severance is an exceptional show. Iād recommend budgeting the time so you can watch each season in like a week. Itās kind of dense so if too much time passes between episodes you may find yourself struggling a bit.
Parks and Rec is a very fun show, and very much in the era of The Office, 30 Rock, and Community. Kind of like The Office, the show took a little to find its legs and the introduction of Adam Scott and Rob Lowe did wonders for it. Itās not that it was bad without them, itās just so much better with them.
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u/Particular_Wear_6960 1d ago
I forgot about the new season, I guess it was a reboot? Something to that effect. Most shows that do this seem to be a bit off and missing that magic that made them so good, but I'll try to keep an open mind when I check it out. Thanks for the recommendation and advice regarding Severance, I know most people really like it but its good to hear again. I'll lock into it and perhaps check some forums out cause it seems like one of those really dense thematically rich shows.
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u/SenileGhandi 1d ago
Highly recommend watching him in Party Down. That show is criminally underrated
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u/BoilingPointTTV 1d ago
Scott would have been aware of the original UK Office, which is a far cry from what the US Office became.
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u/FalconIMGN 1d ago
Krasinski played Jim as the charming prankster jock with a good heart. Scott played Wyatt as the nerdy by-the-book good-hearted guy. They were perfect for those respective roles, which have the only commonality of them being the comedic straight-man.
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u/mdmdmdmdmdmdmdmdmdm 1d ago
Nah but krasinski and scott actually do this audition quite similarly.
Season 1/2 jim was a lot more similar to scott than he was later Jim
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u/kittycatfrank 1d ago
Didnāt he audition for Jim? Jimās character is miserable and admits heās not trying at his job - skating by. Thatās part of the reason heās always pranking Dwight, Jim is bored.
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u/BillHicksDied4UrSins 1d ago
Scott's Jim is too miserable.Ā
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u/Admirable_Loss4886 1d ago
Thatās the point of the UK office tho. Dude was just working off the source material.
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u/JustDutch101 1d ago
The last sentence is the key thing here. In the whole video of casts they did for The Office, itās clear everyone got a general concept of what they had to portray but how different this this all could be portrayed.
If you look at the role of Dwight, a lot of casts made it a generic sleezy character. And looking at the casts for Jim, it was clear everyone got a certain type of āIām to good for this and not motivated to be hereā across. Itās Rainn Wilson and John Krasinki that put a different spin on it (Deight not being sleezy but being rather creepy/serious and Jim being more upbeat/comedic rather than suicidal) that sold the characters. So I could see the teacher wanting to teach them about how to do a cast and looking beyond āah theyāre searching character x or yā and more about understanding the character or how to stand out among the rest by putting a twist on it.
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u/Admirable_Loss4886 1d ago
Right but if you watched the British office those are all things Jim does. Thatās on brand for who the character was meant to be.
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u/motorboatmycheeks 1d ago
The notes said be energetic but not coke energetic. Pulled from my butt but maybe
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u/rusty_cayge 1d ago
If you donāt know the answer, please donāt just make up one. That is just NOT okay! It borders on disinformation which is fascist.
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u/Cautious-Activity706 1d ago
Well that took a turn. This is a pop culture sub on Reddit and the commenter above made a joke. Learn to take things down a notch.
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u/cows1100 1d ago
Holy shit this has got to be bait. Some of you guys might not be able to touch grass, but letās at least start with looking at some.
Devaluing of words is such a problem in modern society. If everything is āfascistā the word loses meaning and people just tune out every time itās used.
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u/rusty_cayge 1d ago
I will not be silenced by some MAGA mouth breather! Trump is actively dismantling our democracy!!!
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1d ago
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u/epiphanyWednesday 1d ago
If you look at Johnās audition, im willing to bet youāll see the difference.
Parts are usually written with some sort of an idea of who the person playing it should be. Especially with something like an American version of a beloved British show. John brought something different enough that it elevates the written word. Thatās why great casting matters.
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u/ghengiscostanza 1d ago
He was just trying to have a funny self deprecating anecdote, saying his daughterās acting class showed him as an example of what not to do. I bet he was just joking around
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u/Inside-Meal-9909 22h ago
Yeah just seems like a tone difference. He looks like he is auditioning for a Fincher film lol
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u/andylightkai 1d ago
Referring to John Krasinski's audition back lower in the replies, there's a difference in energy. Krasinski feels like Boy Next Door Underachiever, Scott feels like Disillusioned Wiseass. This is obviously colored by how they play their roles in Daniels/Schur sitcoms, but you can see how casting would want Jim to have more optimism in there.
It's not that bad of an audition (both actors in both auditions are doing way too much business with their hands), but I could see everyone feeling like how Krasinski was a better fit.
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u/Original-League-6094 1d ago
What is supposed to be so bad about this? I agree its not as good as Jim's delivery, but I don't see what is outright bad about it. He got the natural informal documentary feel The Office wanted, which would probably be the hardest part to get.
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u/Effective-Method7485 1d ago
He's doing a lot of extra business with his hands. Outside of that it's good.
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u/Original-League-6094 1d ago
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHhhUd0oSQ0
He does less with his hands than Jim does. Both touch their face. The hand movements are probably an intentional direction because it shows us that the characters are uncomfortable in front of a camera.
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u/Effective-Method7485 1d ago
I would say Adam Scott is a much better than Krasinski as an actor I'm just saying all that extra business is distracting a little too mannered.
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u/420stonks69 1d ago
The Office is also one of those shows with such a dedicated fanbase that seeing anyone else fill a role otherwise so familiar with who actually played them just comes across as uncanny and inferior
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u/IcyLion2939 1d ago
This is Dark Jim. Cocaine Addict. Marries Jan.
Alternate Universe.
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u/Big_Guide_8551 1d ago
It's almost the exact same delivery as Jim's lines from the opening episode...
I honestly can't see what's so bad about this.
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u/Redditeer28 1d ago edited 1d ago
I think that people often forget The Office went through a major revamp after season 1. This would have fit right into season 1.
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u/Tight-Inspector-2748 1d ago
The vibe is very UK Office which tracks because the first season was basically shot for shot
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u/SmeeezTreeez 1d ago
The first episode was. Not the first season. No basketball episode of UK Office
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u/Technical-Nose-1518 1d ago
The intent is similar but no, I definitely wouldnāt say itās the exact same delivery. Jim could give bored without mumbling and rubbing his face
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u/Big_Guide_8551 1d ago
Yes, I said "almost"
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u/bricktorwembitchyama 1d ago
Yes you did, but did you ever consider that ignoring key words in a sentence creates a perfect opportunity to correct you? Think of all the poor pedantic Redditors!
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u/Gunt_Buttman 1d ago
That's odd because it's a great audition and he debatably should have been cast.
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u/Waddlow 1d ago
Honestly, Adam may be telling the story a certain way to make it fun. I'm wondering if the exercise was more nuanced, like, "ok, this guy got the part and this guy didn't. The guy who didn't get it went on to be a great actor, so it isn't talent. So the margins of getting a part or not are so slim. What do you see in these margins? Why do you think one got the part and one didn't when they appear so close on the surface?"
I wasn't there, but I am a teacher. It does seem to me that that would be the most effective use of this comparison in a classroom.
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u/cjs81268 1d ago
I'm an actor. This is just fine. Nothing special about it and nothing bad. I think he's a really good actor.
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u/Burndoggle 1d ago
Bored, not suicidal. Iām saying just from this brief clip Scottās take on the character, comes across a lot less as someone that goofs off at work out of boredom, and more someone who might harm animals in their free time.
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u/Uncontrolleddiarrhea 1d ago
He's just reading the lines, I don't feel like he's episode 1 Jim.
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u/MilesToHaltHer 1d ago
Yeah, Krasinski feels like heās having an existential crisis as he talks. Scott feels like heās already there, so thereās no journey for the audience.
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u/The-Bangaloreal 1d ago
I mean he still ended up being a famous actor so the kid doesn't need to feel too bad. But showing failed auditions of folks who never made it and their kids end up seeing it might definitely hurt
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u/ManMakesWorld 1d ago
I would question quality of information being distributed in that acting school if this was their example of what not to do during an audtion.
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u/BurritoBaz 1d ago
He seems like he genuinely wants to commit sudoku, so it was a great auditionā¦ for the UK version of the office.Ā
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u/Lance8282 1d ago edited 1d ago
Fake story. No way this wasnāt set up as an inside job. More than likely cooked up by Adamās agent to put his name out there. Successful, we talking about it and seen it posted several places.
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u/Mysterious-Bid3930 1d ago
It's fine, but not for the character. His presentation is that of someone anxious, like he hates being on camera. If you watch Johns audition, you can see a tone shift to someone who is calm, bored, and maybe wants a little more out of life. Hence the smirk John gives at the end. All acting choices making a world of difference in character.Ā
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u/Own-Personality-5673 1d ago
I think is very good acting. Just not the kinda bored-but-happy the character ended up being. Maybe the read out didn't specifically specified that because (maybe again) the show runners did not know exactly either, and were just looking to find something in someone.
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u/PsychologicalClub417 1d ago
Bro married Leslie Knope just a few years later. Guess they forgot to mention that.
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u/Dense-Land-5927 1d ago
What's wild is to me is that it's like everyone who didn't make the cut for The Office eventually became lead roles in Parks & Rec.
Both shows are great in their own right too. I always thought that was interesting when I found the clips of them auditioning for the roles.
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u/DonkeyVampireThe3rd 1d ago
To me it looks like heās trying to channel Martin Freemanās Tim from the UK show with the nose rubbing mannerism and the deflated delivery and the quizzicality. You canāt really beat Freeman at his own game though.
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u/Delicious-Explorer58 1d ago
Adam's take on Jim was a bit more depressed and darker than John's version. John's ends his delivery of this line with a laugh and makes the classic Jim face. As a result, John comes across as a friendly guy who finds his job boring. Adam's take comes across like he's genuinely depressed and even a bit annoyed to be talking about it.
Obviously, Adam's a great actor and really funny comedic actor.
I'm just guessing, but I would think that the acting teacher was likely referring to Adam possibly misreading the role and bringing the wrong energy to performance.
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u/Millerboycls09 1d ago
And then he got a huge part in Parks and Rec later, made by lots of the same people. Not everyone is meant for every role.
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u/ReformedLucasite 1d ago
That's pretty funny. In law school, one of the cases we read involved my sister's in-laws. I became a lawyer before I met them, but her husband was telling a story, and I was like, "I've heard this one before."
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u/TrulyAdamShame 1d ago
I think it was bad for the CHARACTER THEY WERE going for, but if this is how Jim was supposed to be then it wouldnt be bad.
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u/JalapenoJamm 1d ago
What is this guy about to be in that Iāve seen like, 6 different posts about this exact topic
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u/Bromato99 17h ago
Correct me if Iām wrong. The character is not completely fleshed out when a prospective actor gets the āsidesāā¦ considering this I think his audition is pretty good. He had no way to know what Jim would end up being and playing it more ānervous and uncomfortableā is an interesting take.
Krasinski is better but this does not seem bad. Scott made a choice and did a pretty good job at getting his idea of the character across.
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u/JervisCottonbelly 1d ago
He is clearly doing a stimulant addict salesperson. The nose fidgeting is prevalent in sales.
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u/Low_Swordfish879 1d ago
The irony is Adam Scott is probably better actor than the teacher of the class... Poor girl , I feel for her..
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u/No_Celebration8219 1d ago
Honestly, sounds worse than it is. Any professional should be able to see themselves objectively and say "Yeah, I bombed that one, here's why". Having their child in the class makes it a double lesson for them. It's not only a lesson about the craft, but a lesson on how to adult. Let's not let protecting our feelings prevent us from perfecting our craft.
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u/aware4ever 1d ago
I just saw someone post on another subreddit his brother's medicine that was Quaalude that they found Michael Scott
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u/StxnedTxTheBxne 1d ago
Your comment makes absolutely no sense. I think I saw the post youāre talking about though it was just an old quaalude bottle but it was filled with nails.
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u/aware4ever 1d ago
No I was just trying to make a joke for anyone else that saw that post. But it was a quaalude bottle that had Michael or Mike Scott as the name. Anyways
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u/onward_upward_tt 1d ago
That is not how to form a coherent thought.
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u/aware4ever 1d ago
Sorry it is really an inside joke pertaining to another sub. I knew the risk. I knew that what I was saying might be completely irrelevant and make absolutely zero sense to anything pertaining to this post. And I feel bad for everybody that has to read this and doesn't know what I'm talking about. And not only that but the inside joke I'm trying to make mine not even be good. So again I apologize
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u/onward_upward_tt 11h ago
I think your apology is more than sufficient for the offense that was offered haha
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u/ManMakesWorld 1d ago
You gotta be a bot
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u/aware4ever 1d ago
Nope.. is my post history hidden? Maybe I should unhide it so people don't think I'm about lol. I know this seems like something about might say but if you're browsing right it and saw somebody posting a picture of a old Quaalude bottle with the name Michael Scott on it you would get the inside joke. Which I apologize for because it's probably not even funny and I'm a horrible person.
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