How I Met Your Mother Star Josh Radnor Auditioned For A Key Role In The Office

Imagine someone else besides John Krasinski playing Jim Halpert in "The Office." Impossible, right? Well, thank the casting gods for this wise decision, because Jim could have been portrayed by Josh Radnor, better known as Ted Mosby from "How I Met Your Mother."

The ultimate sitcom crossover occurred in the podcast world, as Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey from "The Office" appeared on "How We Made Your Mother," which is hosted by Radnor and "How I Met Your Mother" co-creator Craig Thomas. During the conversation, Fischer asked Radnor if he had auditioned for the role of Jim. Radnor confirmed he had, adding that he also auditioned for other shows like "Arrested Development." "I remember I auditioned for Jim, and I didn't quite understand if he was smart or not smart," Radnor said. "I was a little confused about whether he was part of the smart gang or not smart gang [on the show], and I remember I had a good audition, but my improvs made him too dim."

Radnor admitted that he didn't quite get the character from a tonal perspective, but he believes everything turned out well for everybody in the end. It's tough to argue this point, because how different would the Jim and Dwight moments in "The Office" be with another actor in the mix?

It's no secret that a number of famous actors auditioned for important parts in the workplace sitcom. After all, who could forget Bob Odenkirk's audition tape for "The Office" that showed off a different type of Michael Scott than what we saw from Steve Carell? Yet, Josh Radnor wasn't the only notable TV actor who threw his hat in the ring to play Jim.

In March 2013, Rainn Wilson, who plays Dwight Schrute in "The Office," posted a picture on his Facebook page of the sign-in sheet for the first day of casting. Not only did this photo show that Wilson was the first person to audition on the day for the parts of Dwight and Michael, but it also revealed two big names read for the role of Jim.

The first name on the list is Adam Scott, who viewers will recognize from "Parks and Recreation" and "Severance." Considering Scott's comedy pedigree, it isn't too difficult to see his name attached here, though his version of Jim would certainly be different from John Krasinski's. The second name is Hamish Linklater, who appeared in "The New Adventures of Old Christine" and "Midnight Mass." Again, a terrific performer, but is he Jim Halpert? Maybe it was destiny for Krasinski to play Jim, or just really good casting. Regardless, we — the audience — won in the end.