At the table-read for this episode, they had not cast the part yet and Daniels had Wilmore read for the role to fill in. After the read, producer Greg Daniels thought he was perfect for the role.
At the table read of the script, they were still looking for a cast member for the role, and Daniels asked Wilmore to try out for it. After reading the part, producer Greg Daniels thought Wilmore would be perfect for the role.