Characters from The Office
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This article is about the characters from the American version of The Office. For characters from the British version, see Characters from The Office (UK). The following is a list of characters from the U.S. version of The Office. The Office is a television series based on the British television comedy of the same name. The format of the series, which intersperses traditional situation comedy segments with mock interviews with the show's characters, provides the audience access to the ongoing interior monologues for all of the main characters, as well as occasional insights into other characters within the show.
Similarities between characters in the U.S and UK versions is summarized separately.
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[edit] Major characters
| Name | Portrayed by | Description (at series start) |
|---|---|---|
 Michael Scott |
Steve Carell | Regional Manager of the Scranton Branch of Dunder-Mifflin |
 Dwight Schrute |
Rainn Wilson | Assistant to the Regional Manager |
 Jim Halpert |
John Krasinski | Sales representative |
 Pam Beesly |
Jenna Fischer | Receptionist |
 Ryan Howard |
B. J. Novak | Sales representative (temporary) |
[edit] Secondary Characters
| Name | Portrayed by | Description (at series start) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accounting employees | |||
 Angela Martin |
Angela Kinsey | Accounting Supervisor | |
 Oscar Martinez |
Oscar Nuñez | Accountant | |
 Kevin Malone |
Brian Baumgartner | Accountant | |
| Other sales employees | |||
 Stanley Hudson |
Leslie David Baker | Sales representative | |
 Phyllis Lapin |
Phyllis Smith | Sales representative | |
 Andy Bernard |
Ed Helms | Regional Director in Charge of Sales (Joins show in Season 3) |
|
 Karen Filippelli |
Rashida Jones | Sales representative (Joins show in Season 3) |
|
| Other office employees | |||
 Meredith Palmer |
Kate Flannery | Customer relations | |
 Kelly Kapoor |
Mindy Kaling | Customer service representative | |
 Creed Bratton |
Creed Bratton (himself) | Quality assurance | |
| Warehouse employees | |||
 Roy Anderson |
David Denman | Dock worker | |
| Darryl Philbin | Craig Robinson | Warehouse supervisor | |
| Corporate employees | |||
 Jan Levinson-Gould |
Melora Hardin | Corporate manager | |
 Toby Flenderson |
Paul Lieberstein | Human Resources representative | |
The following characters have undergone a change of status during the run of the show.
| Name | Description (current) |
|---|---|
| Jim Halpert | promoted to Assistant Regional Manager |
| Ryan Howard | Junior sales representative |
| Jan Levinson | (name changed due to divorce) |
[edit] Other warehouse employees
[edit] Lonny
Lonny (Patrice Oneal) Dock Worker. Lonny joins his friend Darryl in open displays of irritation and intimidation toward Michael. He became a vocal supporter of Darryl in trying to establish a union, citing the low pay they receive in comparison to the office employees. He is known most notably for yelling at Michael for destroying the entire warehouse. "Dammit, Michael!"
[edit] Madge
Madge (Karly Rothenberg) Dock Worker. Madge is a female warehouse employee who played against the office team during the Basketball game (which led to Michael's crude reference to her as "the East German gal"). When Michael led the male office workers into the warehouse for some "guy time," Madge excused herself from the proceedings.
[edit] Phillip
Phillip is a Dock Worker and one who is visibly shocked at Michael's antics.
[edit] Lester
Lester is a Dock Worker. Along with Darryl, Roy, and Michael, he watched the sexual harassment video sent by corporate.
[edit] Other corporate employees
[edit] Todd Packer
Todd F. Packer (David Koechner) Traveling Sales Manager is an obnoxious traveling sales representative who is good friends with Michael and tells obscene, disrespectful jokes that offend everyone. Michael, however, isn't bothered by the jokes; instead, he refuses to stop Packer and joins in on the insults. Michael refers to Todd and himself as "BFF" (Best Friends Forever), and they have been friends for many years, ever since Michael's days as a sales rep in the Scranton branch before he was promoted. The two also share company gossip, highlighting one conversation involving a manager sleeping with his secretary, whom Packer refers to as "blonde incompetent". A dedicated prankster, Packer deposited a highly odorous substance in Michael's office in "The Carpet", which was never clearly revealed to viewers (although it was hinted strongly that it was Packer's own feces). Due to a DUI, Packer cannot drive his red Chevrolet Corvette convertible, which sports a Pennsylvania license plate reading "WLHUNG". While the meaning is "well hung", in Sexual Harassment Ryan asks Todd if he's a big fan of William Hung, to which Todd replies, "Why does everybody ask me that? Who the hell is that?" It is revealed in "The Fight" that Todd is Michael's emergency contact (mentioned as 'Todd F. Packer'). When Michael, attempting a joke, asks Ryan if he knows what the "F" stands for, Ryan correctly replies "Fudge?", ruining Michael's punchline. Packer also always makes fun of Jim and calls him "queer".
Todd Packer's counterpart in the UK version is Chris Finch.
[edit] David Wallace
David Wallace (Andy Buckley), the Chief financial officer was first introduced in "Valentine's Day". Wallace replaced Randall, the former CFO who resigned after sexual harassment charges were brought against him. He attends a meeting with Jan, Michael, and Josh along with the two other regional managers: Craig from the Albany branch and Dan Gore from the Buffalo branch. After Craig reveals that Michael and Jan hooked up, Wallace does not punish the two after hearing Michael's explanation. When it is announced in "Branch Closing" that the Scranton Branch would be closing, Michael and Dwight go to his house to get Wallace to change his mind. However, he is not home and the Scranton branch is later saved by reasons unrelated to their presence. In "Cocktails", Wallace invites the company to his home for cocktails. However, he finds the event boring and shoots hoops with Jim. He is married to a woman named Rachel and has a son.
[edit] Craig
Craig (Craig Anton) was introduced in "Valentine's Day" as the regional manager of the Albany branch. Craig failed to do a report on his branch's financial performance, which put his branch in a bad light, and made Michael's presentation (which included a cheesy video) look more professional. In retaliation, Craig revealed the affair between Michael and Jan to the CFO. Michael refers to him as "Craig the idiot" when explaining the incident to David Wallace.
[edit] Dan Gore
Dan Gore (Dan Cole) was introduced in "Valentine's Day" as the regional manager of the Buffalo branch. He was also present at David Wallace's cocktail party in "Cocktails". He is also called an idiot by Dwight for not watching Battlestar Galactica.
[edit] Brenda Matlow
Brenda Matlow (Brenda Withers). From corporate training, Brenda joins the Scranton crew on the "Booze Cruise" to supervise Michael and observe his presentation on company priorities. After breaking up with Katy, Jim makes a feeble attempt at asking Brenda out over the phone. It is speculated that she is Jim's date when he has to decline Abby's (Kevin's fiance's daughter) dinner invitation. In a deleted scene from Drug Testing, Brenda calls the office, asking for Jim, but since he is under Pam's jinx, he does not answer. Jim seems to be fine with that, after writing a note that says "It's okay, she'll call back." and showing it to the camera.
[edit] Mr. Brown
Mr. Brown (Larry Wilmore). In "Diversity Day", after hearing news of Michael's inflammatory impersonation of a Chris Rock speech, corporate sends Mr. Brown to mediate a healthy discussion of diversity issues with the office staff. However, Michael's juvenile humor and off-the-wall antics took a toll on Mr. Brown, and he departed not really able to accomplish anything at all. Mr Brown is later seen in the episode "Gay Witch Hunt" giving the Stamford branch the same diversity training he gave the Scranton Branch; he alludes to incidents at the Scranton branch as the reason he's in Stamford.
[edit] Former Dunder-Mifflin Employees
[edit] Josh Porter
Josh Porter (Charles Esten) Stamford Regional Manager. Introduced in the "Valentine's Day" episode, Porter was the Regional Manager of the Stamford branch before its closure in Branch Closing.
A colleague of Michael's and seemingly a more responsible and competent boss, his presentation to the new CFO of Dunder-Mifflin was professional in comparison to Michael's and was the only branch that was shown to have a growth in clients. Jim worked for him in Stamford and seemed to look up to him (taking after his practice of biking to work).
When it was announced in "Branch Closing" that Dunder-Mifflin Scranton would be closing, Josh was offered a promotion. However, he leveraged the offer to get a job with Staples, throwing plans for the Scranton closing into disarray. As a direct result of Josh's decision to leave Dunder-Mifflin, it was decided to close the Stamford branch instead.
Jim later says of Josh, "Say what you will about Michael Scott, but he would never do that."
Josh's character is loosely based on Neil Godwin, the Swindon office branch manager in the Office UK series.
[edit] Ed Truck
Ed Truck (Ken Howard) was regional manager at Scranton when Michael first started working at Dunder-Mifflin. He also hired Creed and Phyllis. Apparently, Ed was not a fun boss and Michael vowed to not become him. In "The Carpet", Michael briefly meets with him; he tells Michael that he should have his employees be his employees instead of his friends. In "Grief Counseling", Michael learns of Ed's death when it's mentioned by Jan over the phone. Later, Creed describes Ed's death in detail, saying that he was decapitated after driving down Route 6 while intoxicated, and sliding his vehicle beneath an 18-wheeler. Overcome with grief, Michael proposes a realistic robotic statue of Ed complete with glowing eyes and mobile arms.
[edit] Devon
Devon (Devon Abner); former office worker. An office employee who sat across from Creed (who is directly responsible for getting Devon fired, to save his own job). Devon was reluctantly laid off by Michael on "Halloween", and took it badly. In a bid to salvage their "friendship", Michael offered Devon free Chili's gift certificates which Devon ripped up in Michael's face. While storming out, Devon invited "Kevin, Jim, Pam, Kelly, Toby, Oscar, Meredith, Phyllis, Stanley, and the temp," to drinks, leaving out Angela, Dwight, Michael, and Creed. This implies he was never friendly with Angela and Dwight. Devon then smashes a pumpkin on Michael's car in sad retaliation. The episode marks his only dialogue in front of the camera. When Michael later receives a $3,000 Christmas bonus due to Dunder-Mifflin saving money through downsizing, he considers calling Devon to thank him, saying "some good came of it."
He was also warned by Dwight in The Dundies to keep his speech short. On the first season DVD, a deleted scene from the episode Diversity Day shows Devon with a "West Nile" sign on his forehead, as he escapes the seminar for a smoke. On the second season DVD, a deleted scene from the episode "Valentine's Day" shows Michael walking down the street in New York City, only to have a pedestrian begin to chase after him, yelling at Michael as he chases him. In the following scene, Michael reveals that it was Devon chasing him.
[edit] Tony Gardner
Tony Gardner (Mike Bruner) was a worker at the Stamford branch, and is one of the employees that was transferred to Scranton during "The Merger". His first appearance is in the "Diwali" episode, when his chips get stuck in a vending machine, and Karen helps him get them out, joking with him about "shaking it". Dwight, before even meeting Tony, tries to persuade Michael to fire him on his first day in order to scare the new employees straight. On Tony's first day, he can hardly take Michael's antics (sitting through a painful orientation video made by Michael), but he hits his breaking point when Michael and Dwight tried to lift his extremely large frame onto a table for an orientation demonstration (Michael refers to his leg as a "hock"). Humiliated and angry, Tony quits, admitting that he was not completely sure about transferring to begin with, but mostly blaming Michael's management style. An insulted Michael fires Tony instead, resulting in Dunder-Mifflin having to pay him severance.
[edit] Martin Nash
Martin Nash (Wayne Wilderson) Finance. Martin Nash worked at the Stamford branch, and was one of the employees transferred to Scranton in "The Merger". Before working at Dunder-Mifflin, he served time in prison after getting busted for insider trading (which Kevin says is strangely similar to what he does). However, since he was put in a minimum-security facility, Martin claims his time in prison was just really boring. When he was released, he was hired by Josh through a federal reformed convict employment program, which allows Dunder-Mifflin to receive rebate checks. Michael made a bad first impression on Martin, when he told the African-American employee, "I will show you where all the slaves work." He attempted to befriend Stanley, but failed. In "The Convict", when Martin's past is revealed to the office, Michael overly stresses his trust in Martin to everyone, worried that people would see him as a racist for looking at him as an ex-convict. However, since Martin's tales from prison were generally positive, everyone actually envies his experience compared to their jobs, frustrating Michael. Martin is the second employee from the Stamford branch to leave, due to Michael's management style, particularly after Michael makes his prison sentence the focal point of one of his seminars.
[edit] Hannah Smoterich-Barr
Hannah Smoterich-Barr (Ursula Burton) worked at the Stamford branch, and was one of the employees transferred to Scranton. In "The Merger", Hannah had unpleasant encounters with Ryan (who stared at her while she was using a breast milk pump) and Creed (who took a photo of her left breast while she was using the pump and put it on his computer). She dresses her infant son (who she brings into the office) in pink because she says it is his favorite color. She quit her job because she was a working mother. She is the third from the Stamford Branch to leave. Pam mentions to Michael when he gets back from Jamaica that Hannah had also filed complaints against the Scranton Branch while he was away.
[edit] Characters Mentioned in Passing
In the episode "Sexual Harassment", Michael mentions a very attractive former employee named Catherine.
In the episode "The Fire", Dwight tells Ryan that he can be number fourteen in the count off, because Marjorie is absent.
In the episode "Performance Review", Michael reads a long-forgotten note from a former accountant Tom. Phyllis has to remind Michael that Tom committed suicide due to depression. In the commentary for the episode, it is suggested that Tom will be mentioned again sometime in the third season.
In the episode "The Carpet", Dwight mentions a former employee named Miles who left to begin his own company.
In the episode "Initiation", Dwight quizzes Ryan about company co-founder Robert Mifflin who killed himself from depression, though Dwight says the reason for his suicide was "he hated himself".
In the episode "Booze Cruise", Jim is helped by the vending machine stocker Steve to pull a prank on Dwight. It is also suggested (by Dwight) that he is very good friends with Jim.
[edit] Other
[edit] Carol Stills
Carol Stills (Nancy Walls, wife of actor Steve Carell). Carol is Michael's real estate agent. She has two children. Michael entertained her kids at an ice-skating rink and she was Michael's date to the casino night. In a deleted scene, it is revealed that after Casino Night, Michael continued seeing her over the three months in between the second and third seasons [1]. Carol rejected Michael's marriage proposal after they had been on nine dates. In A Benihana Christmas, after Michael sent out an inappropriate Christmas card of them (which was actually a family photo with Michael's face superimposed over Carol's ex-husband) she rejects his Christmas gift of two tickets to Jamaica and breaks up with him. She drives an early-model Honda CR-V.
[edit] Bob Vance, Vance Refrigeration
Bob Vance (Robert R. Shafer). Phyllis Lapin's husband and owner of Vance Refrigeration, a neighboring tenant in the office park. He always introduces himself as "Bob Vance, Vance Refrigeration". On Valentine's Day, he sent a number of gifts to Phyllis at the office, each card signed with his tagline. He also supplied a mini-fridge as a "Casino Night" prize and once called Stanley and Michael "a pair of Mary's" in frustration. He is a friendly and helpful neighbor to Dunder-Mifflin, including offering to pump the employees' car tires back full of air after Michael had flattened them in an attempt to create office camaraderie in The Merger. When word gets out that the Scranton branch is shutting down, Bob offers to buy the Dunder-Mifflin warehouse, therefore allowing all the workers there to keep their jobs. In Ben Franklin a bachelor party is held for him in the Dunder-Mifflin warehouse before his wedding, but he refuses to be entertained by the stripper Michael hires. He eventually marries Phyllis in Phyllis' Wedding, invites all her coworkers, and kicks Michael out after an an embarrassing toast. He drives a GMC Yukon.
[edit] Gil
Gil (Tom W. Chick) is Oscar's boyfriend. Gil was first discovered by Dwight when he staked out Oscar's home because he believed that he was faking illness to skip work. Although Dwight inadvertently found out that Oscar was gay and was with his live-in boyfriend in "The Secret", he was oblivious to that fact. When Oscar is outed to the entire office in Gay Witch Hunt, Michael still thinks Gil is just Oscar's roommate. Gil is a bit of an art snob - he criticizes Pam's art (calling it "motel art") because it is too formulaic and takes no chances, much like Pam herself.
[edit] Katy
Katy (Amy Adams) is an attractive hand-bag saleswoman that stops by the office in "Hot Girl". Dwight considers her to be his ideal woman. Both Michael and Dwight make a move on her: Michael by flirting aggressively and Dwight by showing interest in purchasing a handbag, which later becomes his "murse". However, she ignores their advances and later dates Jim for a few months. After Pam and Roy decide to set a date, a devastated Jim breaks up with her on the "Booze Cruise" episode when he admits that the two will never be as deeply in love with each other as Roy and Pam seem to be. Along with Toby, Katy is a graduate of Bishop O'Hara High School, where she was a cheerleader. She drives a Volkswagen Jetta. One of her Desert Island Movies is Legally Blonde.
[edit] Billy Merchant
Billy Merchant (Marcus A. York), property manager of the office park in which Dunder-Mifflin Scranton's office is located. Billy has used a wheelchair since the age of four. He is invited to the office in "The Injury" to speak about being disabled after Michael burns his foot in a George Foreman grill. Billy attends "Casino Night" with his girlfriend, a Chili's waitress, whom Michael mistakes for his nurse. This is just one of many offensive assumptions Michael makes of Billy, which he says directly to him. Billy also shares his last name with original series co-creator Stephen Merchant.
[edit] Mose Schrute
Mose Schrute (writer Michael Schur). Dwight's cousin and best friend. A resident of the Schrute beet farm, he and Dwight used to make a living off of selling beets. In the "Initiation", Dwight takes Ryan to the farm to test him before his first sales call. He is first seen darting quickly through the barn, although Ryan is immediately able to guess who it is (despite never meeting him before). As Ryan's final "test", he had to wrestle Mose, prompting Ryan to storm out of barn, with Mose commenting that he "seemed nice." Mose is also an amateur whittler; the object that he gave to Ryan to apologize for his participation in Dwight's hazing incident is in fact a very well executed replica of a famous 22,000- to 24,000-year-old figurine from Austria known as "The Venus of Willendorf." It is also mentioned in a deleted scene of the second season DVD that Mose has never left the beet farm.
[edit] Stacy
Stacy (Trish Gates). Stacy is Kevin's fiancée. She has a daughter named Abby, whom Kevin brought to the office during "Take Your Daughter To Work Day". In a deleted scene from the "Valentine's Day" episode, it is revealed that Stacy often leaves town unexpectedly and rarely tells Kevin when she is coming back, hinting that their relationship is not so great. However, later in the episode, Kevin expresses excitement that she has returned from one of her trips, annoying Angela. She is the fourth woman that Kevin proposed to, and the first to say yes. Kevin had bought her a stripper pole for her birthday, but did not know how to install it.
[edit] Office relationships
- Michael and Jan - dating, in a serious love relationship, have sex five times a week, started dating when Michael asked Jan to go to Jamaica with him in A Benihana Christmas. Officially announced their relationship in Cocktails
- Dwight and Angela - dating secretly, although Pam and Ryan are aware of their relationship
- Jim and Pam - close friends. They have never actually been a couple, although it is clear that they are in love with each other. Jim confessed to Pam in Casino Night that he was in love with her, and the two shared a kiss. However, Pam was reluctant to pursue a relationship with Jim because she was engaged to Roy, and told him he had misinterpreted her feelings.
- Pam and Roy - dated for 7 years, engaged for more than three years, wedding called off in between seasons 2 and 3; revealed to be dating again 8 months later in Business School, but broke up during Cocktails after Roy's violent reaction to Pam telling him that Jim made a move on her during Casino Night
- Jim and Karen - dating since The Convict, Jim dates her because he doesn't think Pam is romantically interested in him. It is revealed that they have had sex
- Ryan and Kelly - dating (Kelly enthusiastically, Ryan reluctantly)
- Oscar and Gil - dating, revealed in The Secret
- Phyllis and Bob Vance, Vance Refrigeration - married, wedding was shown in Phyllis' Wedding
- Kevin and Stacy - engaged, revealed that they set a date in Cocktails
- Jim and Katy - broke up during Booze Cruise
- Michael and Carol - dated for a few months, broke up in A Benihana Christmas
[edit] Notes
- ^ The Office: Online Deleted Scenes
| Characters of The Office (US version) |
|---|
|
Main characters |
|
Michael Scott | Jim Halpert | Pam Beesly | Dwight Schrute | Ryan Howard |
|
Minor characters |
|
Accounting: Angela Martin | Oscar Martinez | Kevin Malone |
|
Miscellaneous characters |
|
Katy | Devon | Carol Stills | Bob Vance | Josh Porter | Billy Merchant | Tony Gardner | Martin Nash | Hannah Smoterich-Barr | Stacy | Brenda Matlow | Hank Tate | Ed Truck | Mose Schrute |
