Since the American remake of Ricky Gervais‘s and Stephen Merchant‘s The Office started airing, sitcoms have never been the same. Soon surpassing its predecessor, the show proved to be one of the most influential, beloved, and acclaimed TV shows the genre has seen in the 21st century, pioneering the mockumentary-style sitcom and turning each member of its stacked cast into a bona fide star.
The series follows the daily goings-on in a paper sales office in Scranton, Pennsylvania. But this isn’t just any office, oh no. It’s one of the most hilariously dysfunctional workplaces the world has ever seen, packed with people like Creed Bratton (Creed Bratton) and Kevin Malone (Brian Baumgartner) who couldn’t do their jobs properly even if they tried. However, every now and then, someone sets foot in the office that can actually get things done — without sacrificing any of the laughs.
10.Michael Scott (Steve Carell)
Position: Sales Representative
It’s largely thanks to the character of Michael Scott (played by the brilliantly funny Steve Carell) that The Office is today remembered as one of the best sitcoms of all time. Ignorant, socially clumsy, and rather inept, but also profoundly loving, well-meaning, and occasionally quite clever, he’s the regional manager of Dunder Mifflin’s Scranton branch.
As a regional manager, Michael most often does an absolutely abysmal job (though he does have his shining moments of competence). As a salesman, though, he’s one of Dunder Mifflin’s best assets, which he shows on numerous occasions throughout the series. Persuasive, charming, and able to immediately become a client’s best friend, he’s someone who the company might have been better off not promoting.
9.Robert California (James Spader)
Position: CEO
Being that The Office is one of the best satire TV shows ever made, it’s obvious that it’s usually full of caricaturistic characters, and Robert California is one of its funniest. Played with tremendous charisma by James Spader, Robert “The F**king Lizard King” California somehow persuaded Jo Bennett into making him the CEO of Dunder Mifflin-Sabre.
Anyone able to talk his way into such a high position is worthy enough of being considered great at his job. On top of that, Robert had effective (though unconventional) ways of motivating his employees and getting sales to go up. Even in spite of all that, however, he wasn’t exactly an exemplary boss. Drinking problems, an obsession with sex, and unpredictable behavior all made it better for the company when he eventually left.
8.Angela Martin (Angela Kinsey)
Position: Accountant
Thankfully for the Scranton branch of Dunder Mifflin, two of their three accountants are genuinely good, even if they don’t actually need three accountants. One half of that duo is Angela Martin, a cold and judgmental woman who takes pride in doing something that’s not at all common in her workplace: Actually doing what she was hired to do.
Angela can be rude and condescending, and her tumultuous entanglements with coworkers like Dwight and Andy (the latter making for what might be one of the worst-ever sitcom couples) can be very problematic; but most of the time, she sticks to what she has to do and steers clear of office shenanigans.
7.Holly Flax (Amy Ryan)
Position: HR Representative
Coming into Scranton to replace Toby as the branch’s HR Representative at the end of Season 4, Holly Flax soon proved to be one of the most pivotal presences in the show’s whole run. Played by Amy Ryan with the only kind of charm and playfulness that can match Carell’s Michael’s energy, she’s a fun and kindhearted woman with everyone’s best interest in mind.
Where Toby had shortcomings as an HR Representative, Holly excels. She’s funny, she’s communicative, and she takes an active interest in what’s going on with every worker in the office, even if her desire to fit into the office can sometimes generate counterproductive results. As the cherry on top, her dynamic with Michael makes for one of the sitcom genre’s best couples.
6.Darryl Philbin (Craig Robinson)
Position: Warehouse Foreman
No one does hilarious sitcom side characters quite like Craig Robinson. He’s done his fair share, but his most iconic and beloved character remains The Office‘s Darryl Philbin. The foreman at the office’s warehouse, he’s a calm but fun, creative, and no-nonsense leader who prefers working alone, but occasionally blesses the office with his presence.
His good ideas impressed Jo Bennett enough that he got as far as becoming Marketing Director after the Dunder Mifflin-Sabre merger. But most of all, fans will always remember Darryl as Scranton’s trusty warehouse foreman. Every time viewers are taken backstage, they get to see the friendly, hard-working environment that Darryl fosters there.
5.Karen Filippelli (Rashida Jones)
Position: Sales Representative
At the end of The Office Season 2, Jim and Pam’s dynamic needed to have a little drama going on. So, naturally, the writers did what anyone in their position would have thought of: Make it a love triangle. That was clearly the function that birthed the character of Karen Filippelli, but very soon, she became one of the show’s most endearing and realistic characters.
Karen is such a good Sales Representative that she eventually became the Regional Manager of Dunder Mifflin’s Utica branch. Frankly, it came as no surprise. Kind but ambitious, sweet but unafraid to speak her mind, she’s precisely the kind of saleswoman that the company clearly needed more of. If anything, she’s one of the show’s most tragically underrated characters.
4.Oscar Martinez (Oscar Nunez)
Position: Accountant
The best accountant at Dunder Mifflin Scranton, Oscar is a smart and introverted man who knows exactly just how crazy his workplace is, often making him the voice of reason. He’s The Office‘s best characters, having seen an interesting evolution over the course of his arc. One thing remained constant, though: He’s a pretty damn good accountant.
Oscar can be a bit of a smartass, and his affair with a certain coworker’s partner was a rather unprofessional move, but those are nothing but small blemishes in an otherwise pretty remarkable career — at least for an accountant at a paper-selling company. Dunder Mifflin Scranton always needs someone to bring everyone’s feet down to Earth, and Oscar fulfills that role many a time.
3.Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson)
Position: Sales Representative and Assistant (to the) Regional Manager
When a salesman makes more sales than a self-aware computer, that’s when you know he’s really, really good at his job. Then again, that’s exactly the kind of Sales Representative that Dwight Schrute is. Played brilliantly by Rainn Wilson giving a scene-stealing performance, Dwight is a natural-born leader, highly ambitious, and incredibly effective.
Sure, Dwight’s prank-filled relationship with Jim and his many other weird dynamics with many of the other workers in Scranton would probably make him a less-than-ideal employee for a real-life company. But this is The Office, and as far as The Office goes, salespeople hardly get more effective than this. Intelligent, hard-working, loyal, and willing to do anything for his company, Dwight is the Scranton branch’s most valuable employee.
2.Charles Miner (Idris Elba)
Position: VP of Sales
Temporarily during the show’s fifth season, Idris Elba‘s Charles Miner was brought in to replace Ryan Howard as VP of the Northeastern Region. He’s such a normal guy with such an “I just want to get my job done” mentality that he surprisingly sticks out like a sore thumb, making for some of The Office‘s most hilarious episodes.
A smart, no-nonsense leader with an accounting background that leads him to make a bunch of rational decisions that clash with Michael’s managerial style more often than not, Charles is probably the show’s most realistic worker. He doesn’t exactly get Dunder Mifflin’s sales to soar, but he might just be the only character from the show that a real-life company might actually want to hire.
1.Jo Bennett (Kathy Bates)
Position: CEO
Charles may be a good leader, but it takes someone like Jo Bennett to qualify as a great one. Played by the legendary Kathy Bates, Jo is the CEO of Sabre (later Dunder Mifflin-Sabre). Upfront, successful, creative, and very Southern, she’s the kind of hyper-prosperous woman who has an autobiography. Intelligent and a natural problem-solver, she could have probably gotten the company very far if a particular sex-obsessed man hadn’t persuaded her into giving up the position of CEO.
Stubborn and frank to a fault, Jo may not exactly be the kind of boss that someone would like to have, but she’s exactly the kind of boss that the folks over at Dunder Mifflin needed. Charismatic and interested in giving all her employees challenges to overcome, she’s an admirable magnate that people would not want to mess with.
