James Gandolfini
(Image credit: Matthew Peyton/Getty Images)

Dunder Mifflin very nearly swapped out Michael Scott for Tony Soprano.

The Sopranos stars Michael Imperioli and Steve Schirripa revealed on a recent podcast that James Gandolfini was in talks to replace Steve Carell on The Office after Carell left the show, but according to Schirripa, HBO "paid him $3 million not to do it."

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Brendan Morrow

Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.