The Office had a core group of characters that remained largely intact throughout much of the show’s run, but The Office season 3 marked the beginning of the show’s cast slowly transforming over time. Some of the more notable introductions didn’t stick around for long, and others only joined the sitcom for its final season. While some newcomers made lasting impacts on the show and stuck it out until The Office ended with season 9, not all of them turned heads in the same way as their beloved counterparts.
The Office is still one of the most rewatchable shows of all time, with the character-driven comedy being responsible for countless quotable moments that have become immortalized in popular culture. Not many of these iconic scenes involved latecomers to The Office, but they still had a huge role to play in the show’s immense popularity. While members of the show’s original cast would be hard to topple as the show’s best characters overall, those who debuted later after The Office season 2 still have their place in the hierarchy.
10.Pete Miller
Played by: Jake Lacy
While he’s perfectly likable, there aren’t many comedic moments that stick out with Pete at the center. As an introduction for The Office‘s final season, Pete feels more like a last-minute addition so that Erin Hannon can finally have a love interest with whom she has genuine chemistry. Erin’s previous relationships in The Office felt very forced before Pete, and so it was nice to see the writers finally get it right before the show ended.
Pete came paired with Clark Green, with the duo being dubbed “New Jim” and “New Dwight” respectively. However, the half-joke was quickly dispensed with, and other than Andy Bernard occasionally trying to reestablish Pete’s nickname as “Plop,” it’s hard to recall any Pete scenes with much lucidity. Perhaps the “funniest” part of his character is the fact that his “New Jim” moniker turned out to be very ill-suited, as he had almost nothing in common with John Krasinski’s character.
9.Clark Green
Played by: Clark Duke
Duke’s The Office character had the same challenge as Jake Lacy’s, with both personas arriving very late to a show that had once been a comedy juggernaut. Steve Carell’s departure from the sitcom in The Office season 7 had hurt the show, and NBC seemed to be throwing new characters at a Carell-shaped hole to fix the problem. Where Lacy fell short of making an impression, Duke shone a little more brightly in his role.
Clark had some nice moments with Dwight, bringing rare moments of paternal humanity from Rainn Wilson’s character. He also seemed to quickly bond with Pam, before being banished to the Annex once again when Dwight rose to the position of Regional Manager. Duke had a natural affinity for matching the tone of the long-running show, and he could arguably have developed Clark into an even better character if The Office had continued. That being said, he did come across as a massive creep in his earlier episodes.
8.Nellie Bertram
Played by: Catherine Tate
Nellie’s role as a regular member of the cast was teased in The Office season 7, episode 24, “Search Committee.” Tate’s brief cameo in the wake of Carell’s exit eventually became a starring role mid-way through The Office season 8, and the entirety of The Office season 9. As one of the biggest names in British comedy at the time, Tate took to the role of Nellie brilliantly and lent the character her signature brand of snark and wit.
While Nellie’s arc eventually settles into that of a regular Dunder Mifflin employee, her post-Florida episodes make it seem as though the writers weren’t quite sure where she fits into The Office ‘s formula.
While Nellie’s arc eventually settles into that of a regular Dunder Mifflin employee, her post-Florida episodes make it seem as though the writers weren’t quite sure where she fits into The Office‘s formula. The sitcom was still adjusting to life without Michael Scott, and it was unclear which character – if any – would fill the hole the character had left behind. Nellie’s short stint in the boss’ chair was fairly underwhelming, but she contributed well to the show’s vibe after the drama had subsided.
7.Nate Nickerson
Played by: Mark Proksch
Nate first appears in The Office season 7, episode 4, “Sex Ed,” and he continues to appear relatively steadily until the show’s end. It would be difficult to label him as a member of the main cast, but he certainly appears more than the average guest star. He has the unusual role of playing the comic relief character in a show that’s already laden with laughs, with Nate never really being given any genuinely human moments that aren’t immediately played for comedy.
Nate’s off-beat personality makes his scenes impossible to ignore whenever they take place. Like many of the other characters on this list, he’s not one of the most quotable characters from The Office, with that particular honor often being held by the show’s bigger names. However, he does offer a much-needed change of pace to a show that was quickly becoming much of the same during its ailing years.
6.Karen Filippelli
Played by: Rashida Jones
Karen was a mainstay of The Office season 3, serving primarily as Jim’s only other serious love interest before he eventually got together with Pam. She didn’t share the same irreverence as the other members of the cast, which made her level-headed observations about the chaotic goings-on in Scranton all the more amusing. She and Jim seemed to be a good match, but his connection with Pam was simply too strong to overcome.
Despite leaving The Office as a member of the main cast at the end of season 3, Rashida Jones continued to occasionally reprise the role of Karen and made brief appearances in seasons 4, 5, and 7. She was one of the few Dunder Mifflin employees who remained at the Scranton branch for a notable amount of time after it merged with the Stamford branch. She wasn’t the most outwardly amusing character, but her role as the eyes of the audience made her a compelling figure.
5.Jo Bennett
Played by: Kathy Bates
The Office managed to snag acting superstar Kathy Bates as part of the show’s composite and gradual effort to phase out Steve Carell. Bates plays the authoritative CEO of Sabre, with her handful of appearances sticking out as a result of how well she commands any room she enters. Jo is a paradoxical blend of understanding and unforgiving, which makes her exchanges with various characters joyously unpredictable to watch unfold.
Jo acts as a great bridge in leadership between Michael Scott and Robert California, as the Regional Manager’s office remains largely vacant while a new boss of Dunder Mifflin’s Scranton branch is being sourced. It’s a shame when she surrenders her position to Robert, as she had plenty more to offer the show. That being said, someone like Jo Bennett was far too busy and based too far away to continue to be a regular guest star.
4.Andy Bernard
Played by: Ed Helms
It can be easy to forget that Helms was never a part of The Office‘s original cast, with Andy coming over to Scranton following the closure of the Stamford branch and becoming a main character from The Office season 3 onward. He has several compelling arcs during his time on the show, including an impressive anger management journey as well as leaving behind a trail of failed office romances. He’s irritating, but in a way that’s endearing and feels intentional by the show’s writers.
Andy’s best contributions to the show come early on, and then there’s a gradual decline. That being said, his earlier episodes are truly fantastic.
Despite having the most appearances on The Office than anyone else on this list, the sitcom’s final season quickly destroys Andy’s character and makes him desperately unlikable. His treatment of Erin flips quickly from deeply romantic to confusingly standoffish, and it’s never really explained why. He seems almost unapologetic in his poor work ethic after years of trying to be a dedicated employee. Andy’s best contributions to the show come early on, and then there’s a gradual decline. That being said, his earlier episodes are truly fantastic.
3.Gabe Lewis
Played by: Zach Woods
Gabe debuted mid-way through The Office season 6 and remained as part of the formula until the end of season 8. Woods’ guest appearance in The Office season 9, episode 16, “Moving On,” marked his 51st and final appearance as Gabe Lewis. The Saber employee’s attempts to establish himself as an authority figure were endlessly amusing, as his introverted approach to leadership often led to the opposite of the respect he so desperately sought.
Gabe is an easy character to root for, which makes his various failures oddly amusing as he crashes and burns – often through no fault of his own. His unexpected love of the horror genre plays well against his otherwise unassuming demeanor, and it’s a shame his role in The Office season 9 was limited to a single guest spot. He’s a far better character than any of the very late additions to the show, and he should have been given the chance to continue to prove it.
2.Robert California
Played by: James Spader
Spader always had a hill to climb, as he was the eventual and true successor to Steve Carell’s boss character. However, rather than even trying to replicate Carell’s zany performances, Spader chose to make Robert California endlessly intense in a way that brought something very unique to the show. He’s essentially the anti-Michael, and often only cares about himself and how well the company is performing, and this allows him to be something of a satellite character who observes the cast from afar and chooses when to get involved.
While Michael Scott grows throughout the character’s time on The Office, Robert California leaves the show the exact same person as when he enters. Despite debuting in the same episode as Catherine Tate’s Nellie Bertram, Robert returns as a main character much sooner, in the opener of The Office season 8. Like Gabe, Robert’s departure at the end of The Office season 9 feels premature, especially with just Andy Bernard and David Wallace as the leadership characters.
1.Erin Hannon
Played by: Ellie Kemper
Erin comes out of nowhere and suddenly becomes the new office receptionist in The Office season 5, episode 21, “Michael Scott Paper Company.” Although it initially feels as though Erin is only introduced to fill the gap at the front desk caused by Pam’s transition to a sales career, Kemper’s character very quickly finds her feet and flourishes into one of the best personas in The Office. Despite coming across as nervous, confused, and a little overwhelmed during her earlier episodes, Erin’s presence in the show rapidly makes it seem as though she’s been there all along.
There are very few other characters who don’t have a fun dynamic with Erin, and her innocent and under-informed view of the world leads to some hilarious misunderstandings. It would be an easy argument to place her among the best characters in The Office overall, rather than confining her to a category of those who only debuted after the sitcom’s second season. Quirky and oddly insightful in equal measure, Erin Hannon is easily The Office‘s best latecomer.
