The Office Showbiz Cheat Sheet

The Office
'The Office' cast Ed Helms as Andy Bernard, Phyllis Smith as Phyllis Lapin, Kate Flannery as Meredith Palmer, Craig Robinson as Darryl Philbin, Paul Lieberstein as Toby Flenderson, Rainn Wilson as Dwight Schrute, Jenna Fischer as Pam Beesly, Steve Carell as Michael Scott, Creed Bratton as Creed Bratton, John Krasinski as Jim Halpert, Oscar Nunez as Oscar Martinez, B.J. Novak as Ryan Howard, Brian Baumgartner as Kevin Malone, Leslie David Baker as Stanley Hudson, Mindy Kaling as Kelly Kapoor, Angela Kinsey as Angela Martin | NBC Photo: Mitchell Haaseth
The Office
The Office is an American sitcom that aired on the NBC network. The show ran for nine seasons, starting in 2005. The series is based on a British series of the same name, which ran on The BBC from 2001 to 2003 and was created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant. It was adapted for American television by Greg Daniels. The mockumentary sitcom followed the lives of employees at the fictional Dunder Mifflin paper company in Scranton, Pennsylvania. The paper company is led by branch manager Michael Scott (Steve Carell). Other notable characters include salesman Jim Halpert (John Krasinski), receptionist Pam Beesley (Jenna Fischer), and salesman Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson). The series has received 42 Emmy nominations and five wins.
- TV Genres: Comedy
- Creator: Greg Daniels
- Network: NBC
- Adapted From: The Office (UK)
- Where to Watch: U.S.-based viewers can watch the show on PeacockTV. Reruns appear on Comedy Central.
- Cast: Steve Carell, Jenna Fischer, John Krasinski, Rainn Wilson, Angela Kinsey, Mindy Kaling, Creed Bratton, Brian Baumgartner, Oscar Nunez, Phyllis Smith, Ed Helms, B.J. Novak, Ellie Kemper, Craig Robinson, Paul Lieberstein, Leslie David Baker, Michael Schur, Melora Hardin
- Seasons: 9
- First Episode: March 24, 2005
- Last Episode: May 16, 2013
- Related Shows: Parks & Recreation, The Good Place
Visit the website for The Office.
Learn more about The Office—behind the scenes, a potential reboot, and where the stars are now.
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Steve Carell

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Anne Hathaway Was Cast in ‘Get Smart’ Because She Was Able to Keep a Straight Face With Steve Carell

Anne Hathaway once shared what it took to work alongside Steve Carell in their very first movie together.

by Antonio Stallings

Published on February 23, 2024

3 min read

Steve Carell posing for a picture at the Four Season's Hotel in Beverly Hill while wearing a suit.

Ricky Gervais Felt Like He Was Expected to Try and Stop Steve Carell From Leaving ‘The Office’

Ricky Gervais understood why many didn’t want Steve Carell to leave ‘The Office’, but he also understood why Steve Carell might’ve wanted to in the first place.

by Antonio Stallings

A photo of Rainn Wilson as Dwight Schrute, Steve Carell as Michael Scott, Jenna Fischer as Pam Beesly, John Krasinski as Jim Halpert, and B.J. Novak as Ryan Howard.

Steve Carrell Could Only Sit Through Five Minutes of Ricky Gervais’ Performance in the Original ‘Office’

Steve Carell once shared how studying Ricky Gervais’ ‘Office’ character David Brent might’ve actually done more harm than good for him.

by Antonio Stallings

Jenna Fischer Was Able to Land Her ‘Office’ Co-Star a Leading Role in James Gunn’s Superhero Film

James Gunn might have scrapped one of his most memorable superhero projects if it wasn’t for his ex-wife Jenna Fischer.

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Published on June 15, 2023

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'The Office' stars Steve Carell, B.J. Novak, Jenna Fischer, John Krasinski and Rainn Wilson holding Emmys

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‘The Office’: Which 2 Cast Members Dubbed Themselves ‘Emmy-Losing Actors’

How many Emmy nominations and wins did 'The Office' receive during its nine season run and which actors got snubbed?

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‘The Office’: Jenna Fischer Held Back From Doing Things to Keep Pam Real

Jenna Fischer explains how she was able to keep her character as authentic as possible for nine seasons of 'The Office.'

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Adam Scott’s ‘Parks and Rec’ Character Came up WIth the Idea for ‘Severance’

Adam Scott might have drawn some inspiration for 'Severance' from his beloved 'Parks and Recreation' role as Ben Wyatt.

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Published on February 21, 2023

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Celebrity

‘Parks and Rec’: Did Amy Poehler and Adam Scott Date in Real Life?

In the hit NBC sitcom 'Parks and Recreation,' their characters were famously in love, but did Amy Poehler and Adam Scott date in real life?

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'Parks and Recreation' cast members Jim O'Heir, Adam Scott, Amy Poehler, Aziz Ansari, Chris Pratt, and Retta for our article about how the show almost had a different name.

‘Parks and Recreation’ Almost Had a Very Different Name

'Parks and Recreation' boasts lovable characters and plenty of humor. However, the NBC series nearly went by a different name.

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‘The Office’ Once Rented a Soundstage but Not for Filming the Show

'The Office' filmed season 1 in a real office, but they still had a soundstage. EP Ben Silverman revealed how they used the soundstage instead of filming in it.

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'The Office': Ken Kwapis and Matt Sohn plan a shot with John Krasinski

How Reality TV Inspired ‘The Office’s Best Jokes

'The Office' executive producers Greg Daniels and Ben Silverman once outlined how they used the reality TV model to find comedy in the Dunder Mifflin documentary.

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'The Office': Michael Scott (Steve Carell) holds up his mug

‘The Office’: Steve Carell Once Defended Michael Scott Pranks: ‘He’s Not Mean-Spirited’

'The Office' character Michael Scott gave Steve Carell a great comedy vehicle, but Carell was careful to emphasize that Michael wasn't out to hurt his employees.

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'The Office' stars John Krasinski and Rainn Wilson smile on a red carpet

‘The Office’: John Krasinksi Said Rainn Wilson ‘Actually Terrified Me’ in Their Audition — Here’s What He Did

John Krasinski, Rainn Wilson and the American 'Office' creator Greg Daniels once revealed the real confrontation that set the stage for Jim and Dwight on the show.

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Exclusives / TV

‘The Office’ Fan Theory Revealed: Did Stanley and Phyllis Really Hook Up? Leslie David Baker and Phyllis Smith Exclusive

Leslie David Baker and Phyllis Smith who played Stanley Hudson and Phyllis Lapin-Vance in 'The Office' put the fan theory to rest that their characters hooked up.

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'The Office': John Krasinski sits at Jim Halpert's desk doing paperwork

‘The Office’: John Krasinski Once Interviewed Employees at a Real Paper Company

When 'The Office' began, creator Greg Daniels revealed they sent John Krasinski to interview employees at a real paper company to see what it would be like for a documentary crew.

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'The Office': Steve Carell points his finger in front of Rainn Wilson and John Krasinski

Steve Carell, Rainn Wilson Once Pitched an ‘Office’ Promotion for Real Offices

The American 'The Office' was not a guaranteed hit in 2005. To help raise awareness, stars Steve Carell and Rainn Wilson had a funny idea to promote the show in offices.

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The Office: Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson) sits at his desk wearing a headset

Rainn Wilson Once Called ‘The Office’ Characters ‘a Little Bit Revolutionary’ for 1 Quality

When 'The Office' began, Rainn Wilson reflected on the Dunder Mifflin crew and called the characters revolutionary. This is the quality he found so striking.

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‘The Office’: Which 2 Cast Members Dubbed Themselves ‘Emmy-Losing Actors’

How many Emmy nominations and wins did 'The Office' receive during its nine season run and which actors got snubbed?

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'The Office': Steve Carell stands beside John Krasinski, Rainn Wilson's cubicles

‘The Simpsons’ Episode That Made Ricky Gervais, Stephen Merchant Approve the American ‘The Office’

The American 'The Office' creator Greg Daniels met with Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant about adapting their show. They were fans of a 'Simpsons' episode he wrote.

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John Krasinski waves to the camera while speaking using video conferencing software.

10 Years Later: Looking Back at John Krasinski’s 99% Attendance in ‘The Office’

Did you know? Jim from "The Office" was in every episode of the classic NBC sitcom, except for one in season six.

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Michael Scott (Steve Carell) tumbling around doing parkour in 'The Office' Season 6 cold open

Paul Lieberstein’s Directing Gave One of ‘The Office’s Cold Opens a ‘Weird Energy’

Find out how Paul Lieberstein's direction made the cold open from 'The Office' Season 6 episode 'Gossip' that much funnier.

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The Office star John Krasinski attends the Clooney Foundation For Justice Inaugural Albie Awards wearing a tuxedo and bow tie.

‘The Office’ John Krasinski’s Daughter Didn’t Believe He Was on the Show

John Krasinski looks a lot different in the pilot episode of 'The Office,' and his younger daughter didn't believe he acted in the show.

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Celebrity

‘The Office’: Jenna Fischer Held Back From Doing Things to Keep Pam Real

Jenna Fischer explains how she was able to keep her character as authentic as possible for nine seasons of 'The Office.'

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In The Office, Michael Scott sits at his desk with his chin on his hands.

‘The Office’: 4 Times Michael Scott Was Actually a Genius

Dunder Mifflin Scranton's Regional Manager Michael Scott proved he was a genius more than once during the course of 'The Office.'

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John Krasinski poses for photos at an event against a pink backdrop.

‘The Office’ Star John Krasinski is Actually Terrible at Pranks

John Krasinski has revealed that, unlike his character Jim from "The Office" he's actually terrible at pranks!

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'The Office': Michael Scott (Steve Carell) talks on the phone at his desk

‘The Office’ Asked a ‘Simpsons’ Writer to Play Michael Scott Before They Cast Steve Carell

Mike Reiss recalls his embarrassing audition to play Michael Scott on 'The Office.' He was far less qualified than Steve Carell as a writer on 'The Simpsons'.

by Fred Topel

Michael Scott playing Michael Scarn (Steve Carell) in 'Threat Level Midnight' from season 7 of 'The Office'

‘The Office’ Fans Uncover a Rare Deleted Scene From ‘Threat Level Midnight’

Have you seen these two deleted scenes from 'The Office' episode 'Threat Level Midnight'?

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'M3GAN' Amie Donald as M3GAN, Allison Williams as Gemma, and Violet McGraw as Cady. Cady is touching M3GAN's palm, while Gemma watches from the center of the iamge

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Here’s How ‘The Office’ Influenced ‘M3GAN’

A horror film about a doll doesn't sound much like one of the most popular comedy series of all time. But apparently 'M3gan' was inspired by 'The Office.'

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Randall Einhorn, the cinematographer who worked on 'The Office' and 'Survivor'

‘Imminent Injury’ Didn’t Stop Cinematographer Randall Einhorn While Working on ‘The Office’

Find out how Randall Einhorn's experience filming 'Survivor' influenced shows like 'The Office' and 'Abbott Elementary.'

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The Office

Learn more about The Office—behind the scenes, a potential reboot, and where the stars are now.