What Your Favorite ‘The Office’ Character Says About You

After 20 years of the American version of The Office, millennials have shaped their identities and experiences after growing up with the series.

First premiering in March 2005, The Office introduced us to a true ensemble cast of characters with uniquely absurd personalities. Between all these personalities, favorites naturally emerged among fans of the American sitcom.

While The Office follows four main characters—Michael Scott (Steve Carell), Pam Beesly (Jenna Fischer), Jim Halpert (John Krasinski), and Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson)—it truly is an ensemble cast in which everyone has their moment. One’s favorite The Office character has become somewhat of a litmus test of personality. So what does your favorite character say about you?

Michael Scott (Steve Carell)

Who doesn’t love a little bit of Michael Scott? He’s definitely a divisive character — he’s often misguided but at his core, he has a good heart. Some fans in the neurodivergent community have even clocked Michael as a possible AuDHD stand-in since he lacks focus, is a bit chaotic, often misreads social cues, is extra creative, and at the end of the day, is just trying to do his best in a world that clearly wasn’t built for him. As the main character of The Office throughout the show’s first seven seasons, any Michael fan might have a bit of main character energy. But you also probably relate to Michael’s plight of feeling unseen, feeling like you don’t always fit in, and at the same time, embracing the chaos and silliness of life.

Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson)

Rainn Wilson brought Dwight to a whole new level. While the British version of Dwight is also absurd, Rainn’s Dwight is somehow simultaneously conniving, a total weirdo, and extremely lovable. He doesn’t care what anyone else thinks, and anyone who loves Dwight likely admires his authenticity. But if he’s your favorite, you’re also probably a bit of a dork. Dwight loves “bears, beets, and Battlestar Galactica,” and if you love Dwight, we’re sure you have your own niche interests. But just like Dwight, embracing those is what makes you you!

Pam Beesly (Jenna Fischer)

While Pam seems just like a simple romantic lead, the female ingénue, when The Office begins, she develops into a much more complex character. A well-rounded and well-written woman, Pam goes on her own much needed journey of self-discovery before her love story with Jim comes to fruition. Pam is courageous, creative, and is always down to have a little fun. Anyone who loves Pam is likely a resilient go-getter who can appreciate “the finer things” and the silly chaos life brings.

Jim Halpert (John Krasinski)

Jim’s arc throughout The Office is one of the most hotly debated — he goes from a starry-eyed loverboy and goofball to a workaholic husband and father before finding a middle ground in the show’s final season. Jim is the classic American golden boy. He’s the office favorite among Dunder Mifflin’s superiors (except for Charles Minor’s brief turn as manager) and he gets the girl in the end. But it’s his imperfections, the times he tries and sometimes falls short, along with his creative pranks, that make him lovable. Any fan of Jim probably respects the hustle but can often feel bound by the expectations society puts on them, appreciating Jim’s ability to put love, friendship, and goofing around before life’s serious moments.

Andy Bernard (Ed Helms)

Like Jim, Andy has a somewhat questionable arc throughout the series. His anger management issues are at play from the very beginning, when he accidentally punches a hole through the wall after one of Jim’s pranks goes too far. But like Michael, he’s often preoccupied with wanting to fit in and just wanting to feel loved, which leads him to vye for women who aren’t always a good fit. Andy comes into Scranton with privilege from his family’s wealth and status as a Cornell alum, but he often falls short of his family’s expectations. Fans of Andy can likely relate to the external pressure from family or status, and are likely driven by emotions rather than logic.

Meredith Palmer (Kate Flannery)

Meredith is a mainstay in The Office from the pilot episode, but one of her best moments is in the finale when she reveals she was getting a Phd, which explains her wild and party-first lifestyle (“Everyone gets drunk in college!”). Meredith loves a good drink, she doesn’t care what other people think, and she knows how to get what she wants. If you love Meredith, you probably feel the same way.

Ryan Howard (B.J. Novak)

Ryan wasn’t meant to be a huge role in the show since B.J. also had a seat in the writer’s room, but he definitely made an impression. His arc is one of the funniest, a true case of Icarus flying too close to the sun (the sun being a job at Dunder Mifflin’s corporate office). If Ryan’s your favorite character, you probably share his wry sense of humor and appreciate a good rise and fall. Perhaps you’ve had your own rise and fall and can enjoy how Ryan turned his bad situation into new “opportunities.”

Kelly Kapoor (Mindy Kaling)

Like B.J. Novak, Mindy spent most of her time in the writer’s room, but The Office wouldn’t be the same without Kelly. Kelly is that girl at Dunder Mifflin who everyone finds a little bit annoying — she’s obsessed with boys, clothes, popularity, and of course, is extremely insecure. But despite her insecurities, she gets the boy in the end, becomes the face of Sabre’s diversity in leadership program, and learns to love herself (while still making some toxic decisions). If you love Kelly, you might also have struggled with self-love in the midst of a patriarchy that forces unrealistic expectations on women, but you might also have the gumption to speak up and rebel against those expectations.

Kevin Malone (Brian Baumgartner)

While Brian Baumgartner is a well-spoken and intelligent actor, Kevin Malone is a total dodo who has somehow ended up in Dunder Mifflin’s accounting department. He loves food, sports, a good night out, and has some of the series’ funniest moments. But with Kevin’s idiocy comes a big heart. Fans of Kevin likely value friendship, kindness, and the creativity to fail over working hard.

Angela Martin (Angela Kinsey)

Angela is a ridiculous character, but we all know an Angela. A little too uptight, conservative, and cold, Angela may not be the most relatable character for fans of The Office. However, her contrast to the other characters make her one of the funniest and most unique people in the show. She has no qualms about cheating on Andy or “The Senator,” but by the end of the show, she comes around by following her heart and softening up for the people she loves. If you love Angela, you might have trouble letting people in at first, but when someone proves they’re worth it, you’ll be fiercely loyal.

Oscar Martinez (Oscar Nuñez)

At the start of the series, Oscar just seems like any other guy. But by the end, he’s known as Dunder Mifflin’s only gay employee, which was quite revolutionary in 2006. His coming-out story is handled delicately with comedy, and his love life is a constant topic of the show as he has an affair with Angela’s husband. But his queerness isn’t his only personality trait — The Office writers develop him far beyond that. He has a somewhat pretentious level of intelligence and, like most of the other characters, just wants to be loved for who he is. Perhaps you relate to Oscar’s journey as a queer man in a world that favors straight people, or you simply appreciate someone who’s not afraid to right wrongs.

Phyllis Vance (Phyllis Smith)

Phyllis is a maternal figure in The Office despite never becoming a mom. Her stinky perfume, rainy-day colloquialisms, and romance with Bob Vance make for several comical moments, but she’s always there to provide a friendly hand to those who need it. If you love Phyllis, you might often feel underappreciated, but just remember that even if you’re the butt of the joke, your friends and coworkers couldn’t do it without you.

Creed Bratton (Creed Bratton)

Although Creed’s journey on The Office began as an extra, he developed into a fully blown character some believe might have been the Scranton Strangler. (He’ll never tell.) Creed’s absurdity and inexplicable choices make him the loose cannon of Dunder Mifflin. We never truly know who Creed is or what his motives are, but he’s funny. If Creed is your favorite character, you probably love to stir some chaos — you’re the unpredictable friend (or at least you admire some spontaneity).

Stanley Hudson (Leslie David Baker)

Stanley is a no-nonsense kind of guy … until it comes to meatballs. He lives out his dream by the end of the series, retiring in Florida and making little wood carvings. Stanley is a complex character, however. He seems like a guy down on his luck in a job he hates, doing crossword after crossword during Michael’s senseless meetings, but he is also a serial adulterer. Anyone who loves Stanley probably likes to look like they don’t care and has probably felt stuck at one time or another, but when all is said and done, they just want to enjoy life to its fullest.

Erin Hannon (Ellie Kemper)

Erin is a doe-eyed optimist from the moment she enters our screen. She’s placed in the office as the receptionist, and her naivete only adds to her humor. She’s a bit like a lost puppy, and her journey to finding her birth parents is a central part of her character development. As she learns to love herself, she also learns what the difference between toxic and healthy relationships are. Everyone must love Erin a little bit, but if she’s your favorite, you might also have felt a little lost at times but understand the importance of going on your own journey of self-discovery.

Toby Flenderson (Paul Lieberstein)

If you’re a fan of Toby, you’re definitely not Michael Scott. Who likes Toby? Gross. But if Toby is your favorite, not only are we sorry, but we also understand that you might just be an empathetic person who finds comedy even in the saddest characters.