Joel McHale Just Revealed That He Was Almost Never Cast as Jeff Winger in ‘Community’

It’s hard to imagine anyone but Joel McHale as Community lead Jeff Winger. In fact, McHale’s become so synonymous with that type of role that many of his other television parts, such as his current role as Frank Shaw on Animal Control, feel like a natural continuation to that very specific and emotional thread. McHale plays the tough, emotionally stunted guy well, and it was many of Jeff Winger’s infamous speeches that brought episodes of Community to a close.

However, as beloved as McHale, before he was cast in the leading role, NBC was reportedly interested in casting another 2000s star as Jeff: Michael Rosenbaum. Yeah, you know the one — Lex Luthor from Smallville. But he was more than just the bad guy on one of The CW’s best shows.

According to Joel McHale, Michael Rosenbaum Was the Network’s First Choice for Jeff Winger

On a recent episode of the Dinner’s on Me with Jesse Tyler Ferguson podcast, McHale revealed that he wasn’t NBC’s top pick for the role of Jeff Winger. “Michael Rosenbaum is who the network wanted,” McHale shared in the episode. “And Dan [Harmon] wanted me. I think it was very close, it was so close.” According to McHale, he found himself on Harmon’s radar after the Community scribe’s girlfriend had vocalized her love of the actor’s previous work on The Soup, a satirical talk show that McHale hosted for 12 seasons on E! This prompted Harmon to fight to cast McHale instead, who jumped at the chance to be a part of the show. “Rosenbaum was so cool and supportive,” McHale explained. “‘Cause yeah, I mean, you know, like when you get these shows, you have no idea.”

When Community launched in 2009, Rosenbaum had just recently left his previous series, Smallville, where he played arguably the greatest version of Lex Luthor to hit the screen. Because he was so well-known at the time for his more serious work (which he had to shave his head for), you may not think that Rosenbaum could’ve pulled off playing Jeff Winger. Of course, if you’re one of these people, then you’ve probably never watched the bloopers for Smallville, which reveals a whole different side to Rosenbaum than what you were likely used to while watching the show. NBC saw Rosenbaum’s potential too, though there’s no way of knowing just how close to getting the part the actor may have been.

Michael Rosenbaum Had Plenty of Comedic Material

Over the years, Rosenbaum has tackled plenty of comedic roles, showing his impressive range as an actor. In 2002, he was the star of the college comedy Sorority Boys, and that same year landed a leading role in the comedy-drama Poolhall Junkies. Likewise, Rosenbaum had parts in Bringing Down the House and Kickin’ It Old Skool, and appeared in episodes of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, James Gunn‘s PG Porn, and was a main cast member of the short-lived The Tom Show. This was all before Community even happened, so there’s no doubt that Rosenbaum had the potential to lean into a role like Jeff Winger. His ability to command a scene and add layers of emotion on top of unmistakable laughter has always been impressive. He certainly wouldn’t have been a bad choice.

Even after being passed on by the network, Rosenbaum continued to find himself in comedic parts, most notably as Dutch in the short-lived Christian Slater series Breaking In and in the leading role of Buddy Dobbs on the TV Land original series Impastor. And let’s not forget that he also wrote, directed, produced, and starred in his own comedy flick, Back in the Day, as well.

Would Rosenbaum have been a better Jeff Winger than McHale? It’s hard to say. The character needs a particular level of snark, self-awareness, and magnetic pull that is just perfect for an actor like McHale (more on that in a moment), who made the role completely his own. Frankly, even though Rosenbaum is an incredibly capable actor (indeed, we wish he were more these days), it was wise of Dan Harmon to pursue McHale for the part instead. After all, he just fits it so well.

Joel McHale Was Born To Play Jeff Winger

For a show like Community to work, you need a good-bad guy like Jeff Winger. Jeff commands the study group to bend to his will, but often caves into the needs of those he has grown attached to (even if he tries to deny them). McHale plays this part masterfully, and as with the rest of the show, the role was so well-cast that the series seemed to tailor the character to McHale’s strengths as an actor. Jeff may not be a stand-up guy, that much is clear, but there’s something about the way that McHale plays him that is quite magnetizing. This is exactly why McHale continues to play these sorts of roles.

While he certainly has a broader range than just “a snarky leader type who manipulates others,” that is a role he continues to thrive in. No wonder his Animal Control character (a show he also executive produces) seems to take cues from his days on Community. Without McHale in the part, one might wonder if the show’s fate (“six seasons and a movie”) would have turned out differently.

Community is available for streaming on Peacock.