For the most part, The Office follows the employees of Dunder Mifflin’s Scranton branch, but there are still some less important characters who can come in and steal the show. The mockumentary focuses on an ordinary paper company in Pennsylvania. One of the keys to its lasting popularity is its cast, which includes Steve Carell, Jim Krasinski, Jenna Fischer and Rainn Wilson, but the supporting players are just as important in giving The Office its unique style.
Over a decade after the finale aired, The Office is getting a reboot. The new show is set to feature a completely new cast, as the fictional documentary crew move on to their next subject, but the creators have confirmed that it will be in the same universe as The Office. While fans may be hoping for one or two cameos from the stars of The Office, it’s worth remembering some of the minor characters who helped make the show what it is.
10. Hank
Hugh Dane
Hank is the secutiry guard at the office, and he seems to subscribe to the same philosophy on work as Stanley. He just wants to take his pay check and go home without too much trouble, but he occasionally gets roped into some sort of distraction with the staff at Dunder Mifflin. He is called upstairs to try and settle the dispute over the surplus, and he is forced to read Dwight a phony initiation speech when Michael makes him the branch’s head of security.
Hank shows his hidden musical talent with a rendition of his song “Me and the Blues,” which turns out to be the perfect accompaniment for Dwight’s heartbreak.
Hank’s best moment comes in season 5, episode 4, “Baby Shower,” at the office’s auction. Hank shows his hidden musical talent with a rendition of his song “Me and the Blues,” which turns out to be the perfect accompaniment for Dwight’s heartbreak, as he sees that Angela chooses Andy over him. This shows a completely different side to Hank, who is usually sarcastic and short-tempered.
9. Bob Vance
Robert R. Shafer
The only interesting thing about Bob Vance is that he always has to introduce himself as Bob Vance, Vance Refrigeration, even at his own wedding. Other than that, he is just a normal, sweet guy who finds the love of his life in Phyllis. This means that he only appears in a handful of episodes each season. He’s just too functional and straightforward to be an entertaining character.
Bob may be fairly boring, but his presence highlights just how unusual everyone at Dunder Mifflin is.
Bob may be fairly boring, but his presence highlights just how unusual everyone at Dunder Mifflin is. They could all be happy and wholesome like Bob, rather than engaging in their petty arguments and ludicrous schemes. This dichotomy is shown best in “Phyllis’ Wedding,” one of the funniest episodes of The Office. In a room that is mostly filled with ordinary people, Michael and Dwight disrupt everything and fail to blend in.
8. Charles Miner
Idris Elba
There are plenty of differences between The Office and its British predecessor, but the American version still has a few British actors over the years. Of course, Ricky Gervais returns for a cameo as David Brent, but Catherine Tate and Idris Elba also play important roles. Elba plays Charles Miner, the no-nonsense executive who comes in to watch over Michael like a hawk in season 5.
Charles is especially hard on Jim, who makes the worst first impression possible by wearing a tuxedo on Charles’ first day.
Charles and Michael are polar opposites, and this shows in their management styles. Charles is all about efficiency and cutting costs, and this no-frills approach makes him an imposing character. He’s especially hard on Jim, who makes the worst first impression possible by wearing a tuxedo on Charles’ first day. Jim is used to goofing off, and he doesn’t realize how easy he has it under Michael until Charles takes his place. Charles dislikes Jim so much that he blames him for ducking when he punts a soccer ball at Phyllis’ face, rather than taking the blame himself.
7. Merv Bronte
Ray Romano
Season 7, episode 24, “Search Committee” features a procession of great guest stars all interviewing for the job of regional manager at Dunder Mifflin, including Jim Carrey, Will Arnett, and even Warren Buffett. Ray Romano plays Merv Bronte, who tries to ruin his own interview after Robert California convinces him that the office is a terrible place to work. He eats a sandwich during the interview and displays a general disinterest.
Ray Romano is brilliant at playing sad sack characters like Merv, and his brief cameo proves that he would have been great as the new manager.
Ray Romano is brilliant at playing sad sack characters like Merv, and his brief cameo proves that he would have been great as the new manager. In just a few minutes, Merv reveals his deep insecurities and his self-sabotaging personality, and Romano finds a way to make this hilarious. Romano would have brought a new dynamic to the cast of The Office if he had joined permanently.
6. Deangelo Vickers
Will Ferrell
Although Merv Bronte doesn’t get the job, Michael Scott isn’t the only character who works as the regional manager. Deangelo Russell is initially brought in as his replacement, and they spend a few episodes working together while Michael shows Deangelo the ropes. He’s eventually replaced by Robert California after a basketball hoop falls on top of him, and he suffers brain damage.
Deangelo’s arc on The Office is only a few episodes long, but this is still plenty of time for him to reveal some of his peculiar character quirks.
Deangelo’s arc on The Office is only a few episodes long, but this is still plenty of time for him to reveal some of his peculiar character quirks. In his first meeting with Michael, he tells him that he once tried to start an Olympic games for animals. He later reveals that he hates his own son, and he also forces Andy to drink hand soap. Very little of what he says or does makes any sense. He states that he doesn’t want people to be able to figure him out, and fans of The Office have struggled to nail down his character, so he was successful in a strange way.
5. David Wallace
Andy Buckley
David Wallace has the unenviable position of being Michael Scott’s boss, so he is constantly being made to work overtime to clean up messes. Despite this constant headache, David can be surprisingly lenient and understanding. Many of his best appearances feature him as a voice on Michael’s speakerphone, but his consternation is still just as palpable without any facial expressions.
Many of David’s best appearances feature him as a voice on Michael’s speakerphone, but his consternation is still just as palpable without any facial expressions.
Although he mostly plays the role of a boring stuffed shirt, David goes completely off the rails when he leaves the company. His unemployed lifestyle sees him drinking beer in his hot tub and developing a prototype for a vacuum cleanrer that allows children to clean up their toys. Even Michael takes pity on him at this stage, seeing how far he has fallen from grace. The atmosphere at Dunder Mifflin can chew up even the most rational and level-headed people.
4. Holly Flax
Amy Ryan
Holly is the only character who can match Michael’s dorkiness, so it’s only right that they make a great couple. She first shows up at Dunder Mifflin as Toby’s replacement, meaning that Michael gains a new love at the same time that he loses his old enemy. Holly has such a big impact on The Office that it’s surprising how few episodes she appears in. Amy Ryan plays Holly in just 17 episodes.
Holly’s relationship with Michael helps redeem the worst parts of his character, but she also accepts some parts of him that everyone else finds irritating.
Holly is essential to Michael’s emotional farewell on The Office. Her relationship with him helps redeem the worst parts of his character, but she also accepts some parts of him that everyone else finds irritating. Holly’s character is much more than just a convenient way to provide Michael with a happy ending, though. She has enough interactions with other people at Dunder Mifflin to show that she’s a good fit.
3. The Benjamin Franklin Impersonator
Andy Daly
Phyllis’ bridal shower takes place in the office, so it would be a violation of company policy to hire a stripper. Jim instead hires an educational Benjamin Franklin impersonator. This doesn’t stop some of the women at the party treating the Founding Father as if he’s a stripper, but he doesn’t seem to mind. The Franklin impersonator is one of The Office‘s best one-episode characters.
Jim has many more elaborate pranks on The Office , but the simplicity of this lie is enough to make Dwight second-guess his assertion that Benjamin Franklin has not come back to life.
As well as providing educational and completely sexless entertainment at the party, the impersonator also confounds Dwight by answering every question about Benjamin Franklin without hesitation after Jim tells him that he is the real Franklin. Jim has many more elaborate pranks on The Office, but the simplicity of this lie is enough to make Dwight second-guess his assertion that Benjamin Franklin has not come back to life.
2. Jan Levinson
Melora Hardin
Of all Michael’s girlfriends on The Office, Jan is undoubtedly the worst fit for him, but they still become a serious item. Partly because she starts out with a position of authority over him, Michael is constantly intimidated by Jan. Even when she gets fired for neglecting her duties, she still holds all the power in their relationship. He has to accept that she’s going to sleep all day and drink wine in his condo while developing a scented candle business.
Michael and Jan’s tumultuous relationship comes to a head in The Office ‘s most cringe-inducing episode, “Dinner Party”.
Michael and Jan’s tumultuous relationship comes to a head in The Office‘s most cringe-inducing episode, “Dinner Party”. Michael finally sees, over the course of one excruciating evening, that he probably should have listened when every single person he asked told him that getting back together with Jan was a bad idea. Their relationship disintegrates in front of their guests.
1. Mose Schrute
Michael Schur
The Office has a blend of “straight man” characters and more outlandish individuals. Jim and Pam are meant to act as conduits for the audience as they try to keep up with the zany antics of Dwight and Michael, but Mose is on another plane of weirdness. He makes Dwight seem competent and put-together by comparison. Mose Schrute is played by The Office producer and writer Michael Schur.
Mose gives Dwight the unusual position of being the “normal” one in their dynamic, but his rare interactions with other characters are even funnier.
Mose’s daily life is shrouded in mystery. He always seems to have free time when Dwight calls on him to deliver a raccoon to the office or to set up a shoddy day-care. Mose gives Dwight the unusual position of being the “normal” one in their dynamic, but his rare interactions with other characters are even funnier. When Jim and Pam come to visit Schrute Farms, he runs alongside their car for some reason, as if he has never seen such a strange vehicle.
