The Office Cast & Character Guide (2024)

What made The Office such a special mockumentary were the cast and the characters. Based on the mid-level Scranton paper company Dunder Mifflin, The Office showed how much regional manager Michael Scott wanted his colleagues to be his friends and family. Working in an unconventional way where everyone was involved in each other's business and work romances occurred in most seasons, the storylines throughout The Office were both heartfelt and chaotic.

When NBC first greenlit The Office, the network allowed nine episodes in season 1 to see how it would do considering it was based on the British series of the same name. The Office became longer than the original version after slowly gaining traction and became an award-winning series for nine seasons and continues to gain more fans through streaming. The actors who were a part of The Office were so passionate about their characters that they set the series apart from other workplace comedies.

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Steve Carell As Michael Scott

Steve Carell played Scranton's oddest boss, Michael Scott. Michael was lovable as much as he was cringe-worthy. He had no boundaries and lived impulsively, creating hilarious and awkward scenes. Throughout The Office, Michael grew as a boss and a friend, but he never let go of his eagerness to be loved by his colleagues. Once he fell in love with HR rep Holly Flax, guest stars interviewed for Michael's job and he left Scranton for good to create a life with Holly he always wished to have.

Critics agree that no one could have portrayed Michael the way Steve Carell did. He was a character who was so uncomfortable it was hard to look away. While the series won countless awards, Carell earned a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Television Series in a Musical or Comedy. Carell went on to do big things in acting after The Office, including Date Night, and the Despicable Me franchise.

Rainn Wilson As Dwight Schrute

As odd as Michael Scott was, salesman Dwight Schrute was just as strange. Dwight was dedicated to selling paper and it was his life's mission to become the regional manager of the office. Along the way to reaching his goals, Dwight spent his time pranking fellow salesperson Jim (although Jim spent more money on pranking Dwight). Outside of work, Dwight had a secret relationship with accountant Angela Martin for years (and in the end, the two had a son and got married). Wilson continued acting in high-profile projects after The Office, like Star Trek: Discovery and voicing Lex Luther in shows like Reign of the Superman.

John Krasinski As Jim Halpert

Jim Halpert was the lovable prankster who was madly in love with the receptionist Pam but refrained from sharing his feelings because of their friendship and her relationship with Roy. He let his guard down eventually and the two went on to have one of the best relationships in the series. After The Office ended, John Krasinski became a star. He went on to feature in Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan and created and starred in the chilling horror movies A Quiet Place and A Quiet Place II. Krasinski has also appeared in the MCU as Earth-838 Mr Fantastic.

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Jenna Fischer As Pam Beasley

Jenna Fischer's Pam Beasley wouldn't have been the same without her and Jim's tumultuous relationship on The Office. Pam started as a quiet receptionist who also acted as Michael's assistant. She knew her time at Dunder Mifflin wasn't fulfilling but she stayed because of her best friend Jim. While the two eventually ended up together, Pam found her voice at Dunder Mifflin and later became the office administrator. Fischer has also been in Will Ferrell's Blades of Glory and Hall Pass.

Ellie Kemper As Erin Hannon

Ellie Kemper played Erin, one of the sweetest characters on The Office. One of Erin’s bigger storylines was when she fell in love with salesman Andy Bernard. The two had a bumpy relationship and eventually ended things for good in the final season, but Erin matured from that relationship. When The Office ended, Kemper starred in her own Netflix series Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. She also had big roles in Bridesmaids and Home Sweet Home Alone.

Ed Helms As Andy Bernard

Ed Helms played the musically inclined Andy Bernard. Although Andy became unlikable in season 9 of The Office, he was once one of the more likable characters. As a transfer from Stanford, Andy grew a liking to his new coworkers (primarily his on-and-off girlfriend Erin) and made the cast of misfits whole with his energy and awkward one-liners. Andy later became the regional manager of Dunder Mifflin before quitting entirely for a new profession.

While on The Office, Ed Helms took breaks from filming because he starred in The Hangover franchise. Ed continued his stardom when he appeared as himself in The Muppets, alongside Jennifer Aniston in We Are the Millers, and co-star Mindy Kaling's The Mindy Project.

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B.J. Novak As Ryan Howard

B.J. Novak was both a writer and an actor on The Office. Portraying Ryan Howard, Novak was infuriating as a character. He started his time at Dunder Mifflin as a temp before becoming a salesman. However, Ryan should have been fired multiple times for his lack of attention to detail. Still, while his shenanigans annoyed the characters, Ryan was, overall, entertaining. Novak's brilliant mind for TV led him to appearances in The Mindy Project, The Founder, and the star of the movie Vengeance. Novak was nominated for awards for his role of Ryan and won multiple for being a part of the ensemble.

Angela Kinsey As Angela Martin

Angela Kinsey played the villainous Angela Martin. As the head of accounting, Angela was strict with her department and thought less of her colleagues. Over the course of nine seasons, Angela softened up and became friendlier with her coworkers, especially after her divorce. Angela's biggest storyline, however, was her relationship with Dwight Schrute. After hiding their love from their coworkers, they finally came out as a couple in the final season and got married in the finale. After The Office, Kinsley stared on Fresh Off the Boat, The Hotwives of Orlando, and Haters Back Off!

The Office Side Characters

Phyllis Smith As Phyllis Lappin Vance: Phyllis Smith played Phyllis Lappin Vance. As a salesperson, Phyllis was good at her job and stayed at Dunder Mifflin because her husband, Bob Vance. After The Office, Smith went on to voice Sadness in Pixar's Inside Out and alongside Cameron Diaz in Bad Teacher.

Leslie David Baker As Stanley Hudson: Stanley Hudson was a quiet, grumpy salesman who only showed up at work to one day retire. Since The Office, Baker has lent his voice to multiple projects like Tom & Jerry in New York, Vivo, and Puppy Dog Pals.

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Mindy Kaling As Kelly Kapoor: Mindy Kaling's Kelly Kapoor left The Office after season 8, but she left a lasting impression on the series as everyone's favorite customer service representative. Kaling was also a writer for the show and went on to create The Mindy Project, Never Have I Ever, The Sex Lives of College Girls, and Velma.

Craig Robinson As Darryl Philbin: Craig Robinson's Darryl Philbin went from a distant warehouse manager to the head of marketing. Robinson offered his talents and voice to Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Ghosted, and Big Mouth, to name a few.

Creed Bratton As Creed Bratton: Creed Bratton played a character of the same name, but the two are very different. The Creed Bratton on The Office was mischievous and secretive. In real life, Bratton has focused his talents on his music career, but he's also appeared on Upload and PBC.

Kate Flannery As Meredith Palmer: Kate Flannery's Meredith Palmer was one of the more abrasive characters in The Office. Some of The Office's cringiest episodes involved her inapt behavior at work because of her love for drinking and partying. Flannery also appeared on the hit show Young Sheldon, PBC, and All Night.

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Andy Buckley As David Wallace: Andy Buckley was Dunder Mifflin's CEO, He went on to be a part of projects like Veep, Jurassic World, and Shameless.

Oscar Nunez As Oscar Martinez: Oscar Martinez was one of the smartest characters and one of the few LGBTQ+ characters on The Office. In real life, Oscar Nunez flourished after the series, appearing in The Proposal, Baywatch, and The Lost City.

Paul Lieberstein As Toby Flenderson: Toby Flenderson was Scranton’s HR Rep, and, as hard as he tried, he had a hard time making friends at work. Along with Creed, many theorized that Toby was the Scranton Strangler because of his interest in the case and whereabouts at certain times. The biggest storyline Toby had involved Michael's hatred for him, which became a series-long gag. Paul Lieberstein was also a writer for the series. He also produced episodes for Space Force, Ghosted, and The Bernie Mac Show.

Brian Baumgartner As Kevin Malone: Kevin Malone was one of the most endearing characters in The Office. While he has his own The Office podcast, he's also been in The Goldbergs and lends his voice to Netflix's Trash Truck.

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Melora Hardin As Jan Levinson: Melora Hardin's Jan Levinson was Michael's former boss and one of the antagonists on The Office. Hardin was impeccable as Jan, and she carries the same sparkle in projects like A Million Little Things, The Bold Type, and Transparent.

Amy Ryan As Holly Flax: The details that made Holly Flax the perfect match for Michael were her sense of humor and attention to detail. After coming to Dunder Mifflin in season 5, the two fell in love at the office. While they had their ups and downs, they eventually got married off-camera after Michael left Scranton to be with her. Other than The Office, Ryan is recognized for her time on Hulu's Only Murders in the Building, Lost Girls, and Late Night.

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