<P> All original series characters were adapted for the U.S. version . NBC programmer Tracy McLaughlin suggested Paul Giamatti to producer Ben Silverman for the role of Michael Scott, but the actor declined . Martin Short, Hank Azaria, and Bob Odenkirk were also reported to be interested . In January 2004, Variety reported Steve Carell of the popular Comedy Central program The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, was in talks to play the role . At the time, he was already committed to another NBC midseason replacement comedy, Come to Papa . Due to Carell being unavailable, Bob Odenkirk was selected as Michael Scott and was part of the cast presented to NBC executives . However, Come to Papa was quickly canceled, allowing Carell to commit to The Office . Carell later stated he had only seen about half of the original pilot episode of the British series before he auditioned . He did not continue watching for fear that he would start copying Gervais' characterizations . On the audio commentary of The Pilot episode, director Ken Kwapis says that Carell's unfamiliarity with the British version of The Office and their experience working together on Watching Ellie influenced his being cast as Scott . </P> <P> Two supporting roles in films helped get the attention of audiences: Bruce Almighty, in which Carell plays Evan Baxter (an arrogant rival to Jim Carrey's character), who gets a humorous comeuppance while co-anchoring the news . In Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Carell plays another news personality, as slow - witted weatherman Brick Tamland . Although the series premiered to mediocre ratings, NBC renewed it for another season because of the anticipated success of Carell's movie The 40 - Year - Old Virgin, and the show subsequently became a ratings success . Carell won a Golden Globe and Television Critics Association award in 2006 for his role . He also received Emmy nominations in 2006, 2007 and 2011 for his work in the series . Although The 40 - Year - Old Virgin was a surprise success, Carell revealed in an interview with Entertainment Weekly that he had no plans to leave The Office . However, on the BBC Radio 5 Live Film Review show, he stated in an interview that his time on the show would probably end after his contract ran out after Season 7 . This was later confirmed on June 28, 2010, when Carell confirmed that the seventh season of the show was to be his last after his contract with NBC expired . </P> <P> Michael's hometown is also Scranton, Pennsylvania . His birthdate is March 15, 1964, as given in "Michael's Birthday" and "Dream Team". His full name is Michael Gary Scott, as said in the episode "Double Date". He came from a relatively difficult childhood of loneliness, describing to Jan's child Astrid that she will be able to survive not having a father figure around because he was in that position as a child . In "Diversity Day", Michael claims to be of English, Irish, German and Scottish ancestry . He also claims to be two - fifteenths Native American . He has mentioned a stepfather, Jeff, whom he despises . In "Nepotism", it is revealed that Michael had a half - sister, from whom he was estranged from 1995 through 2010 . As a consequence of their reunion, Michael hires his nephew Luke as an intern for the office, but eventually confronts the incompetent and rude Luke and ends up spanking him in front of the office, leading Luke to burst into tears and quit . </P> <P> In the episode "Take Your Daughter to Work Day", Michael makes the claim that he was a child star on a kids' show called Fundle Bundle; however, it becomes clear that he simply appeared on the show as one of many guest children who usually watched from home . In the old recording being played, he speaks touchingly about what he wanted when he grew up: get married, have "100 kids" so he could then have "100 friends" and none of them could say no to being his friend . Michael did not attend college, having lost all his tuition money in a pyramid scheme . </P>

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