The most re-watched show in Netflix history, The Office U.S is arguably the peak of rewatchability, perfect for binging thanks to its jovial nature and incredible character development throughout all 201 episodes and 9 seasons. Much like its predecessor, The Office UK, which originally aired in 2001, the American sibling is executive produced by Ricky Gervais & Stephen Merchant, with a whopping 5.7 million U.S citizens tuning in for the show’s 2013 finale. But with such a huge flurry of characters filling our screens across, which is the greatest? These are CULTR’s favourite characters from The Office (U.S)…
30-1:
The following, whilst mainly bit-part characters in The Office, do just about enough to scrape a spot on our list, without quite deserving a paragraph on their inclusion:
30. CATHY SIMMS
29. DEANGELO VICKERS
28. PETE ‘PLOP’ MILLER
27. CLARK ‘DWIGHT JNR’ GREEN
26. TODD PACKER
25. NELLIE BERTRAM
24. GABE LEWIS
23. ROY ANDERSON
22. DAVID WALLACE
21. ROBERT CALIFORNIA
20. PHYLLIS VANCE
Bless her, she’s the dreary office auntie, with the occasional sprinkling of spice (the image of Phyllis pleasuring herself at her desk whilst listening to a ’50 Shades’ audiobook is burned into our retinas for life), but overall, she’s just a bit mopey.
19. TOBY FLENDERSON
If there’s anybody more dreary than Phyllis, then Toby might just take the crown. His morbid fascination with the Scranton strangler becomes the only personality trait he can cling to, and it becomes quite easy to see why Michael despised him so hilariously.
18. ANGELA MARTIN
Just an all-round bad person, Angela’s hatred for her colleagues and humans in general, is somewhat relatable. But despite her often comedic injections of spite, it must be remembered that this serial cheat does actually possess quite a black soul.
17. OSCAR MARTINEZ
Condescending to… Well, just about everybody, Oscar‘s IQ might be a fair whack higher than his colleagues, but boy does he know it. Especially mean spirited to Kevin, Oscar‘s morality lost all credibility when his affair with Senator Lipton was exposed.
16. KAREN FILIPPELLI
In an alternate reality, TV’s most adored couple are kept apart by this somewhat loveable third-wheel, who was Jim‘s once-GF during his Stamford days. Karen‘s character arc, though, unfortunately expired at the same time as their relationship.
15. MEREDITH PALMER
A raucous hoot-a-minute of a woman, we all know a Meredith Palmer, and if you don’t, I’ve got bad news… It’s you. Her shameless thirst for booze, chaos, and just about anything phallic really gives this car-crash of a character a very… Unique, edge.
14. ERIN HANNON
A slow-burner, viewers are somewhat indifferent on Erin during her initial showings, such is her beige personality. But as time develops, so does her story, and by the season finale, Erin‘s bloomed into a courageous woman with spades of individuality.
13. STANLEY HUDSON
Lazy, cynical, and highly diabetic, Stanley Hudson encapsulates the ‘IDGAF’ attitude that just about every employee in every occupation tries to desperately hide from HR. Except, Stanley doesn’t try to hide it at all, with often hilarious authenticity.
12. KELLY KAPOOR
Born to be a Kardashian, but stuck in a mid-level regional paper-sales company, Kelly‘s brilliant paradox between her dream life and reality is one of the show’s most fantastically accurate snippets of the Insta generation. And don’t even get us started on her relationship with…
11. RYAN HOWARD
… Ah yes, there he is. Underneath Kelly once again. The office rat, whose toxic nature is enough to lure in the likes of Kelly, and so often Michael, with regular ease. He might be a slimy weasel, but he’s the weasel we love to hate, such is B.J Novak‘s brilliant portrayal of the character.
10. JAN LEVINSON
Commanding, terrifying, and yet also, incredibly vulnerable, Jan is the absolute Queen of Cringe, and her infamous ‘Son of Preacher Man‘ vocal might just be one of the greatest 19 second excerpts in modern television history. A powerhouse LinkedIn cougar with a screw loose.
9. CREED BRATTON
Ah Creed, so often the comic relief during moments of tension. Such are his madcap moments of random and often sinister behaviour, he’s become a true cult hero of The Office. The deviant hippie is full of fake identity, and intrigue, and that’s just how we like him.
8. DARRYL PHILBIN
Perhaps the most relatable character in the entirety of The Office, Darryl is the classic average guy just trying to make it in life and do his daughter proud. Despite struggles with his weight, confidence, and even love-life, he ends up living his best life in Philly, and we couldn’t be happier for him.
7. HOLLY FLAX
The most obviously perfect match for Michael from the moment she walked in the door, few characters could match the O.G boss-man’s penchant for the weird, the wacky, and the ‘we don’t care that we’re different’ mentality. A key component in Michael‘s overall storyline, and consequent departure.
6. ANDY BERNARD
The Office writers really did Andy dirty with his Season 9 downfall. What was once a dorky and over-exuberant amateur musician (did you know he went to Cornell?) became a thoroughly dislikable ego-centric narcissist. And yet, such is the acting ability of Ed Helms, he absolutely pulled it off with aplomb.
5. KEVIN MALONE
If you don’t recognise Kevin as the absolute under-rated comic genius of The Office, there might be a tumour in your humour. His wry grin alone is enough to light up a room, as is his adorably juvenile chuckle. And don’t even get us started on the chilli con carne incident. A real highlight of the entire show.
4. PAM BEESLY
We’re into ‘The Big 4’ now, and there can be little doubt that Pam‘s presence is the beating heart of the show’s emotive side. Her relationship with Jim is the on/off beat which pulsates through the core of The Office, and her journey into motherhood is a beautiful coming of age before our eyes.
3. JIM HALPERT
You can’t have one without the other, and Jim is the ultimate hero of The Office, with viewers constantly routing for ‘the average Joe’ to get the girl, and succeed in all he does. His relatability, so perfectly portrayed by John Krasinski, is the grounding force behind the show’s success.
2. DWIGHT SHRUTE
Oh Dwight. In any other world, you’ve be the number 1, but just like his desperate journey to the management position, which evades him for so long, number 2 feels like his rightful position. Carrying the show from Michael‘s departure to Season 9’s finale, Dwight‘s constant militant nature and refusal to ever know when he’s beat are hugely redeeming traits on his somewhat ‘Marmite’ personality.
1. MICHAEL SCOTT
Who else? When it came to picking The true King or Queen of The Office… It wasn’t hard (that’s what she said). Michael was not just the greatest character on this show, but arguably, the greatest character in modern television history. Every moment, quote, or harebrained scheme has lived long in the memory of fans across the world, who quite literally mourned Steve Carell‘s Season 7 departure. Redeemed by his tear-jerking reunion cameo in the show’s finale, sit back and enjoy the man who gave us the following quote:
“If I had a gun with two bullets and I was in a room with Hitler, Bin Laden, and Toby, I would shoot Toby twice.