John Krasinski is one of the biggest names in Hollywood, but it almost never happened for him.
The actor got his big break in the US version of The Office, which was a smash hit and ran from 2005 to 2013, playing Jim Halpert.
But speaking to Stephen Colbert about how he got into show business, the 42-year-old said he was close to giving up on his dream of becoming an actor, and it was only thanks to his mother that it worked out.
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Recalling a conversation with his mum in the car after leaving theatre school, Krasinski said: "I said, 'I'm moving to New York and I'm going to be an actor'.
"My mom paused for probably half a second and she said, 'Great, go and do it. The only thing I ask is that if you don't have a nibble or a bite in two-and-a-half or three years, you have to make me one promise, you have to pull yourself out, because as your mother, you can't ask me to tell you to give up on your dream.
"I said, 'That's so profound, and, yes, fair'. Cut to two-and-a-half years, I was, like, 'So I'm out, this is terrible, it's so scary. This is the worst, waiting tables, not as fun as they say'.
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"And she said, 'You know, it's September, just wait it out until the end of the year. Don't give up just yet'.
"I was telling her to come and get me, and three weeks later, I got The Office."
Listen to his story below:
But it's not just Krasinski's absence that could have potentially changed the course of the show, another of its characters was almost played by a different star.
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Earlier this week, incredible footage resurfaced showing Bob Odenkirk auditioning to play Steve Carell's Michael Scott.
Although it's quite unimaginable for anyone else to play the role that Carell made his own for a number of years, it seems as if fans have been left pretty impressed with Odenkirk's audition after watching the clip.
As per Screen Rant, Odenkirk was actually a member of the cast when the series was presented to NBC.
Also, Carell had already committed to star in NBC's Come to Papa, however, it was cancelled after just four episodes, which freed up his availability.
Afterwards, he was then considered in contention for the role of Michael that he eventually played for seven seasons.
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For those who don't know, Odenkirk, despite not getting cast for the role, still appeared in the sixteenth episode of the final season.
The episode was titled 'Moving On' where Pam (Jenna Fischer) was interviewing for a job in Philadelphia so she could possibly be closer to Jim (John Krasinski).
It's pretty impossible whether to know if Odenkirk would have had the impact of Carell has had on fans of The Office, but it's safe to say that his career wasn't hindered by missing out on the lead role.
He has since gone on to star in Breaking Bad and Better Call Saul.
Featured Image Credit: AlamyTopics: Entertainment, US Entertainment, The Office