10 Women Who Could Step Into Steve Carell's Shoes in the Office Reboot

Updated on Jan 11, 2018 at 8:20 AM

When news broke that NBC might be reviving beloved sitcom The Office, there was one big question on our minds: would Steve Carell, who led the show's first seven seasons as Dunder Mifflin's regional manager, Michael Scott, be returning?

Based on The Hollywood Reporter's sources, the answer appears to be no. The magazine revealed that NBC is reportedly looking for a new star to lead an ensemble cast for the revival, and we think the network should focus its search on women.

Many fans of the US version of The Office — lest we forget, the NBC show was inspired by a UK television series — probably remember workplace pranks like Jim (John Krasinski) encasing Dwight's (Rainn Wilson) stapler in Jell-O. But not all of the show's jokes were so harmless. Michael was, at best, bumbling, and at worst, extremely inappropriate toward his employees. He said things towards his female employees, as well as toward gay employee Oscar (Oscar Nunez), that would never be considered appropriate in an actual workplace.

Some fans of the show will argue that Michael's bad behavior was a part of the joke, but with the recent revelations about widespread sexual harassment, it's hard to find those scenes funny. Remember, for instance, when Michael sent a sensitive photo of his female superior Jan (Melora Hardin) to the company's entire warehouse department? Yes, he only meant to send it to one person — but even that is still a complete violation of her privacy.

Yes, a new version of The Office needs a boss, but it doesn't need Michael Scott.

With a woman in the regional manager role, The Office could do away with the uncomfortable power dynamics that accompanied Michael Scott's tenure. And not being guilty of sexual misconduct doesn't mean that character has to be completely serious, either. (Just look at Superstore's Glenn — he'd never hurt his employees, though he's anything but the show's voice-of-reason character.) In today's day and age, though, harassment jokes are a fine line, and there's no reason The Office needs to walk it again.

Keeping all that in mind, here are 10 women who'd be absolutely perfect as the lead character in an Office revival.

Tiffany Haddish

If you've seen Girls Trip, you already know just how hilarious Haddish is. It would never be a dull moment on The Office with Haddish in charge — just imagine what her version of the "Office Olympics" episode might look like.

Maribeth Monroe

We already know Monroe can play an office manager — she did so for years as Alice on Workaholics. Now that the Comedy Central series has wrapped, Monroe deserves her own chance in the sitcom spotlight. Recently, Monroe has appeared as a guest star on The Good Place, as well as a supporting character in Downsizing and Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle — but we need her back on our TVs on a regular basis.

Ali Wong

Wong is currently a supporting character on ABC's American Housewife, and as much as I'd miss her character, I'd be happy to hear that Doris's family left Westport if it meant Wong was starring in her own show. Wong's Netflix special, Baby Cobra, is hilarious, and there's no reason to think her starring in The Office would be any less funny.

Casey Wilson

Wilson has guest-starred in plenty of TV shows in the last couple of years, but she hasn't had a regular TV role since Hulu's Real Housewives parody, the The Hotwives of Orlando, and NBC's short-lived Marry Me. But Wilson always had great comedic timing in Happy Endings, and it's past time for her to star in a new series.

Hannah Simone

With New Girl coming to a close, Simone will have more time to focus on new projects. And what better way to shed Cece Parekh's character than by taking on a job Cece would never have: working at a paper company?

Ashley Williams

Williams has appeared in a number of TV shows, recently playing Jim Gaffigan's wife, Jeannie, in The Jim Gaffigan Show. (Fans of How I Met Your Mother will recognize her as Victoria from that series.) Williams is more than a love interest or a supporting character, though — she'd excel as a benevolent but mischievous boss.

Chrissy Teigen

Yes, she's a cohost on Lip Sync Battle, but Teigen might exit the show if she could star in her own sitcom. If you follow Teigen on Twitter, you already know she's one of the funniest people alive, so why not give her a chance to show off her funniness in a comedy series? Plus, Teigen has guest-starred in other shows like The Mindy Project and Inside Amy Schumer, so it wouldn't be totally out of character for the star.

Nicole Byer

If you watched Loosely Exactly Nicole, you're familiar with Byer's unique sense of humor. Her fresh take on comedy could be just what an Office revival needs to stand out from its predecessor.

Bridget Everett

Everett's standup shows are always memorable, and her acting on Inside Amy Schumer and Lady Dynamite proves that she can cover a wide range of funny characters. She would perfectly encapsulate Michael Scott's weirdness — but maybe not his creepiness.

Kristen Wiig

Wiig had many projects in 2017 — when doesn't she? — but none delighted me more than her guest role as Pamela Brinton on Fox's The Last Man on Earth. Pamela is quirky, but not to the point of seeming like she couldn't be a real person. That's the space where Wiig's characters shine the most — and it would be a perfect place for the next Dunder Mifflin regional manager, too.