For nine seasons, The Office, the mocumentary-style comedic television show about a paper distributor located in the humble Scranton, PA has produced years of laughs and memorable content. We have probably worked with some of the employee caricatures represented at Dunder Mifflin at one time or another. We have the office romance, drama, and situations that we'd often envied.
I mean who wouldn't want a goofy, idiotic boss to work for? Who wouldn't want to be a witness to the office couple whose relationship is less stable than a Jenga set? Who would want to watch the office comedian constantly get one over on the office rat? Today we are going to be looking at the cast back when the show first premiered on March 24, 2005.
Born: August 16, 1962
Age when The Office premiered: 42
Age today: 62
There was a point in time when Steve Carell was in nearly every comedic movie in the early to mid-2000s like Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, The 40-Year-Old Virgin, and Horton Hears a Who! Carell's humor really shines in his portrayal of the man-child Michael Scott, the boss of the Scranton Branch who never runs out of wacky ideas and desperately seeks true love.
Although everyone in his office, except Dwight, were easily annoyed by his antics, you can't deny that anyone would be beyond lucky to have such a laid-back and jolly boss. Who could honestly forget his ability to get his staff to star and film in his dream movie, Threat Level Midnight?
But Michael Scott will always be remembered best in the series finale when he found true love, married, and had children with Holly Flax.
John Krasinski as Jim Halpert
Born: October 20, 1979
Age when The Office premiered: 25
Age today: 44
John Krasinski has truly spread his wings and starred in a variety of genres that expand outside of comedy. But on The Office, he was funny man Jim Halpert trying desperately to win over office sweetie Pam Beesly.
If he wasn't flirting with Pam, he was somehow winning his boss over without trying and constantly getting under coworker Dwight Schrute's skin. His pranks were always creative, harmless, and amusing. Well, perhaps not so amusing to Dwight.
Luckily for Jim, he and Pam do end up together, married with children. But their office romance kept audiences on the edge of their seats for some time. And although he's best remembered as the office clown, he had some truly heartfelt moments that really spoke to the man Jim was deep down.
Born: January 20, 1966
Age when The Office premiered: 39
Age today: 58
No one could ever do Dwight Schrute quite like Rainn Wilson. He's the office toady, willing to risk his own life, and technically did, for his boss.
His job is his life. But when he wasn't the victim of Jim's pranks, or seeking a very slow burn of a romance with coworker Angela Martin, he was devoted to the family business; Schrute Farms with his silent yet loyal cousin Mose.
Although Dwight and Jim sound like office enemies, the two often teamed-up and by the end of the show may have become actual friends. Wilson has been quite busy since The Office and has several projects coming up like the action comedy Code 3 and the animated comedy Hitpig!
Jenna Fischer as Pam Beesly
Born: March 7, 1974
Age when The Office premiered: 31
Age today: 50
Jenna Fischer's portrayal of office receptionist and sweetheart Pam Beesly was perfect. She had the smile, naturally sweet personality and managed to get along with everyone, even on the rare occasion with Angela.
Her romance with Jim was far from easy as she was dating and engaged to Roy for some time. However, there was no denying the connection she and Jim had.
In later seasons Pam would become more outspoken and switch positions from receptionist to saleswoman and office administrator. But her love story with Jim will always be our favorite from the series as a whole.
Born: June 25, 1971
Age when The Office premiered: 33
Age today: 53
Raise your hand if you have or are currently working with an employee just like Angela Martin? Cold, blunt, and if she ever smiled, we'd think her face would crack.
But don't get it twisted, she is capable of love...when it comes to her cats. You'd think her match with Dwight would be obvious from the start but nope, their romance was longer, and needlessly more complicated than Jim and Pam's.
At one point Angela's personality (?) appealed to newer office employee Andy and a love triangle was born. But by the end of the series, she and Dwight find their happily ever after...just after a long and unnecessary wait.
Phyllis Smith as Phyllis Lapin-Vance
Born: July 10, 1951
Age when The Office premiered: 53
Age today: 73
Outside of The Office, Phyllis Smith is best known for her role as Sadness in Disney's Inside Out and Inside Out 2. On the comedy series, she worked alongside Stanley, often staying out of the workplace drama but laughing at Jim's antics against Dwight all the same.
Often times the keeper of wisdom and standing up to Angela, Phyllis (yes, her character name is also her real name, that happens quite often), finds true love and marries Bob Vance of Vance Refrigeration. Their romance can easily rival that of Jim and Pam's, as well as Dwight and Angela's.
Born: February 19, 1958
Age when The Office premiered: 47
Age today: 66
Is it Pretzel Day? Stanley was probably the most laid-back employee at the Scranton Branch.
Yes, he like everyone, laughed at Jim's pranks but more often than not he was either sleeping, working on his crossword puzzles, or simply not caring about anything his boss had to say. Stanley too was blunt, but if there was one thing he looked forward to more than Pretzel Day it was retirement.
And he does retire by the end of the series, living the happy, carefree lifestyle with a smile. Many people might not know that Baker has done voice acting work over the years including for Disney Junior's Puppy Dog Pals.
Paul Lieberstein as Toby Flenderson
Born: February 22, 1967
Age when The Office premiered: 38
Age today: 57
We can't be the only ones who felt bad for Toby. He was Michael's sworn enemy from the beginning.
Why? Because Toby was the Human Resources Manager, which meant he was the only thing standing in Michael's way when he wanted to do something unethical (fun).
Barely audible, a true doormat but completely misunderstood, some of the best jokes to come from The Office were simply Michael's interactions with or statements to Toby. Perhaps the most memorable is Michael choosing to kill off Toby's character in Threat Level Midnight by exploding his fake head a total of 6 times. Now that is dedication.
Born: November 29, 1972
Age when The Office premiered: 32
Age today: 51
Oh poor, poor Kevin. He was never taken seriously, probably because he never spoke any words of wisdom or relevance for that matter.
He, like Toby and Dwight, often became the butt of jokes for his unintelligence, laziness, and body weight. He worked alongside Angela and Oscar Martinez in the Accounting department of the Scranton Branch. It was a real mishmash of clashing personalities to say the least. But at the end of the day, Kevin always meant well and we will always remember the chili lost on that special day.
We highly recommend listening to Brian Baumgartner's podcast, Off The Beat with Brian Baumgartner.
Kate Flannery as Meredith Palmer
Born: June 10, 1964
Age when The Office premiered: 40
Age today: 60
Where do we begin by explaining Meredith Palmer? She is the epitome of an inappropriate workplace employee. Didn't matter what she said, wore, or what her daily habits might have been. That said, Kate Flannery's portrayal guaranteed a laugh every single time.
No one took her seriously and, if anything, she made any situation either funnier or lighter because of her personality. That said, she, like practically everyone in Michael Scott's office, were not safe in his presence, like the time he accidentally hit her with his car.
Her life outside her job was far from perfect as she was divorced with kids, but she was doing her best and sometimes her best was wearing a questionable outfit or dressing flawlessly as Black Widow.
Born: November 18, 1958
Age when The Office premiered: 47
Age today: 65
Oscar Nuñez brought a sense of calm, intellect, and yes, even drama to the show as Oscar Martinez. His portrayal of a gay accountant often placed him in the position of bickering with Angela, especially when he winds up having a relationship with her ex-husband. Ouch...
When Michael ignored Toby, Oscar was the next valid and correct voice in the room. There were countless times he aided others, especially Michael, and always had a lot to say in front of the camera behind closed doors. Outside of The Office, Nuñez has worked consistently in Hollywood starring in television shows and films like Lucky Hank, Disenchanted, and Mr. Iglesias.
Mindy Kaling as Kelly Kapoor
Born: June 24, 1979
Age when The Office premiered: 25
Age today: 45
Like Nuñez, Mindy Kaling has been working very hard in Hollywood. Her character Kelly on The Office on the other hand, well...
Kelly was young, immature, and at times unprepared for the realities of life. Before Erin Hannon comes along, Kelly was the character who didn't always have the smartest idea, but what she did have was a crazy, nonstop, and unhealthy relationship with her coworker Ryan.
Boy crazy doesn't even begin to describe Kelly. Her relationship with Ryan was like that of a strobe light but she did stand up for herself and tried to move on when she realized who Ryan truly was. But that didn't stop them from going right back to their old habits by the series finale.
Born: July 31, 1979
Age when The Office premiered: 25
Age today: 45
Speaking of Ryan, he's next on our list. Played by B.J. Novak, Ryan might just be the one character who changed the most in the entire series.
Michael always appeared envious of Ryan for his youth and natural cool guy persona. But deep down Ryan was far from confident, had a constant on and off again relationship with Kelly and even became a convicted felon.
Things got so bad for Ryan that there was a point where every coworker practically hated him. By the end of the show he's a single dad and still can't move on from Kelly. In real life, Novak has been in countless films and TV shows, with his most recent appearance as the voice of Six-Thirty in Lessons in Chemistry.
Ellie Kemper as Erin Hannon
Born: May 2, 1980
Age when she joined The Office: 28
Age today: 44
Erin's dopey, bubbly, and infectious personality was just what The Office needed, and Ellie Kemper delivered! She became the receptionist and fit in with the rest of the dysfunctional Scranton Branch splendidly.
Her relationships, however, weren't perfect. You'd think she'd be an ideal match for Andy Bernard and at one point they were but she seemed to find herself liking Pete, who arrives much later in the show. Although there is an unconfirmed age difference between them, Pete became the man better suited for Erin.
Erin's hilarious moments ranged from subtle to outrageous, but she remained likable and like many of the other characters in the series, learned to use her voice and hold her own. Kemper has been almost everywhere in Hollywood, from voice acting to films.
Born: January 24, 1974
Age when he joined The Office: 32
Age today: 50
Andy or the 'nard-dog was a later addition to the show played by funnyman Ed Helms, perhaps best known for his role in The Hangover. Andy was...interesting. He was arrogant but could sing extremely well. He was desperate to be accepted but also had a temper.
He never quite fit the mold of the Scranton Branch, somehow taking some of Michael's qualities but turning them into less tolerable ones. Andy was preppy but smart, however, there was a point when his character almost seemed forgotten.
There were times where his actions were questionable, and unlike the Andy we first meet. All that said, audiences will either find him annoying or endearing. His fallout with Erin was pretty random, but Helms remains a strong name in Hollywood.
Craig Robinson as Darryl Philbin
Born: October 25, 1971
Age when The Office premiered: 33
Age today: 52
Darryl brought some much-needed love and respect to the warehouse crew. This group, which at one point consisted of Roy Anderson, Pam's ex, were hardly seen.
They worked away from Michael's core employee group, seemingly working for themselves and functioning quite well. Darryl did move up to the main office floor, becoming the warehouse foreman and a key member of all the shenanigans that followed.
He even dated Kelly for a short period and was in a band with Kevin and Andy. Many will remember Craig Robinson for his roles in a slew of mid-2000s comedies such as Hot Tub Time Machine, Shrek Forever After, and This Is The End.
Born: February 8, 1943
Age when The Office premiered: 62
Age today: 81
Creed Bratton plays Creed Bratton as a character that no one could ever pinpoint. Did the man ever work a day at the Scranton Branch? No one seemed to know what his job was. No one seemed to know much about him at all.
He could come and go as he pleased with few instances where anyone even noticed him. He was so elusive that fan developed theories that he was the Scranton Strangler. We may never know who Creed is and we're honestly just fine with that.
Melora Hardin as Jan Levinson
Born: June 29, 1967
Age when The Office premiered: 37
Age today: 57
Michael's crazy ex who he just couldn't shake no matter how hard he tried. Well eventually he did but it was a journey getting there. As much as Jan matched Michael's wacky and weird behavior, it was apparent that their relationship wasn't healthy. She was too much to say the least and becomes a sort of antagonist in some ways.
Her character begins as Vice President of the company, then transitions to a hospital administrator. But by the end of the series, she is a single mother and an executive at the White Pages phone book company.
Jan is the definition of a crazy ex-girlfriend and although Melora Hardin portrayed such a character impeccably well, we can all agree Michael was better off without her. Hardin's sophisticated and straight-faced comedic style makes her character Jan one that audiences love to hate.
Born: May 3, 1968
Age when she joined The Office: 40
Age today: 56
Last but not least is Amy Ryan's character Holly Flax, Michael's one true love and future wife. Ok, I've talked about a lot of romances on this show, but Michael and Holly's might be my absolute favorite.
As much as Michael messed up a lot, acted like a child, and made a number of dumb decisions, he still had that heart of gold that kept breaking with each failed relationship. Who knew that he'd find true love with someone who acted just like him?
Holly was the missing piece and although their relationship almost failed multiple times due to things outside their control, in the end they get married and had a family. But it is because they get married that Michael leaves the show entirely to go live with Holly and her family in Colorado.
Steve Carell's exit from the show was felt for the remainder of the series but we can't fault the writers for wanting Michael to have his happy ending.
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