It has been about 10 years since the final episode ofThe Officepremiered, and yet the show still holds its place among the audience’s favorites. This NBC mockumentary sitcom,inspired by the British showof the same name, made its way to American television in 2005, introducing the employees of the Scranton branch of Dunder Mifflin Paper Company, who must put up with the day-to-day antics of their boss, Michael Scott, whom nobody understands how he landed his job in the first place.
As of today, no one could possibly denyThe Office’s immense popularity around the world. However, the show struggled a bit to lay its foundations on television, drawing some criticism in its first season for falling short of the original version. The situation changed dramatically over the years, and by the end of its ninth and final season,The Officewas already considered one of the best comedy series ever.
Much of its success stemmed from the outstanding work of Steve Carell and the rest of the ensemble cast, composed of highly talented actors who brought to life the most diverse group of employees. Although the show centered mostly on Carell’s character, throughout the years, it also enabled the audience to follow all the other workers at Dunder Mifflin. Check out a ranking of the characters who got the most screen time, according to Gold Derby writer Matthew Stewart (viahis thread on X).
10Oscar Martinez — 7 Hours, 1 Minute, 14 Seconds
With a little over 7 hours of screen time,Oscar Martinezkicks off the ranking of the most featured characters inThe Office. Oscar Nuñez’s character is one of the workers in the Accounting Department, and he is clearly inspired by Oliver, one of the characters from the British version of the show. Oscar serves as the office’s voice of reason, a man who is very protective of his private life and who devotes heavily to his job and avoids getting involved in the wacky things that happen at Dunder Mifflin on a daily basis.
Although he displays remarkable intelligence that he puts to good use, he tends to be a bit of a show-off to the rest of the staff — though it is clear that he has a big heart. Over the course of the show, Oscar slowly starts talking about his sexuality after his boss outs him, which made him one of the few openly gay TV characters of color at the time.
9Stanley Hudson — 7 Hours, 10 Minutes, 34 Seconds
Leslie David Baker’sStanley Hudsonis featured on screen for 7 hours and 10 minutes, which was more than enough for him to emerge asa highly relatable fan favorite. Stanley is one of the longest-serving salesmen at Dunder Mifflin, and although he’s quite productive, he isn’t very interested in his work nor in what’s going on around him in the office. In fact, most of the time he doesn’t even pay attention to what his coworkers are doing.
This employee, who at times can come across as unbelievably grumpy, is among those who loathe Michael the most, whom he regards as a good-for-nothing, incompetent boss. Even though he is not all that involved in Dunder Mifflin’s inner world, Stanley still bonds well with his co-workers, especially Phyllis Vance.
8Angela Martin — 7 Hours, 11 Minutes, 20 Seconds
Angela Martinis Dunder Mifflin’s senior accountant, although she also heads the Party Planning Committee and serves as safety officer. This woman stands out from the rest of her fellow employees almost straightaway: her cold, uptight manner and killjoy disposition make her interactions with others beyond hilarious.
The only times we get to see Angela genuinely happy is when she’s talking about her many, many cats, or while hanging out with Dwight. Angela Martin is played by Angela Kinsey and, over the course of the seasons, she is featured on screen for a total of 7 hours and 11 minutes.
7Kevin Malone — 7 Hours, 52 Minutes
What a joy it is to watchKevin Malonethrive in the 7 hours and 52 minutes he is featured inThe Office. He really is one of those characters whose contributions make you laugh each and every time, even when he’s not really going for it. Kevin is based on the British character Keith Bishop, and he first arrived at Dunder Mifflin applying for a position in the warehouse. But Michael saw something special in him and assigned him to the Accounting Department despite his lack of experience and training, which forces Angela and Oscar to constantly fix his screw-ups.
Although he considers himself a genius, Kevin is rather silly (remember his chilli?) and, at times, pretty offensive towards his coworkers. Still, there is something in his personality that makes Brian Baumgartner’s character an extremely lovable one, who certainly won over the fans' hearts.
6Phyllis Lapin Vance — 8 Hours, 1 Minute, 16 Seconds
Phyllis Lapin Vancehad just over 8 hours of screen time, which is quite a lot, considering that the woman playing her wasn’t even going to be featured in the project in the first place. This character was created especially for Phyllis Smith, who served as a casting associate before joining the cast.
Phyllis is one of Dunder Mifflin’s saleswomen, a gentle lady who doesn’t mind being harsh or spiteful to those who annoy her excessively. She copes well with Michael’s constant bullying, who repeatedly teases her and calls her old, even though they were schoolmates and are practically the same age. In the show’s second season, Phyllis strikes up a relationship with Bob Vance of Vance Refrigeration, whom she continues to refer to by his full name even after getting married.
5Andy Bernard — 11 Hours, 36 Minutes, 44 Seconds
In the thirdseason ofThe Office, Ed Helms joined the cast to playAndy Bernard, who was initially one of the most annoying characters in the entire show. Andy is an employee of the Stamford branch of Dunder Mifflin, who transfers to the office in Scranton after the two branches merge. Although he has a good heart, Andy is rather self-centered and cocky, which made him, at least at first, unappealing to the audience.
However, over the course of the seasons, he has quite an interesting personal growth, which endeared him further to the fans — although, by the end of the show, he reverts to his old ways. Despite joining several seasons after his castmates, Helms' character grew in importance over the course of the show, especially after Carell’s departure. That gave him a total screen time of 11 hours and 36 minutes.
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4Pam Beesly — 15 Hours, 12 Minutes, 37 Seconds
Pam Beeslyis the most featured woman character throughout the show, with a total screen time of 15 hours and 12 minutes. This young woman, played by Jenna Fischer, is inspired by the British character Dawn Tinsley and although she is introduced as Dunder Mifflin’s receptionist, over time she is promoted to sales representative and, later on, office administrator.
Pam is one of the characters with the most significant growth throughout the show, evolving from being a shy and reserved woman to assertively standing up for herself and daring to pursue her dreams of being an artist. Her sweet and kind personality endears her to all the workers in the office, especially Jim, who eventually becomes her husband and the father of her children.
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3Jim Halpert — 17 Hours, 47 Minutes, 54 Seconds
John Krasinski playsJim Halpert, a Dunder Mifflin sales rep inspired byThe Office UK’s Tim Canterbury. From the very beginning of the show, Jim comes across as an efficient worker and a humorous, charming man. As opposed to other main characters, such as Michael or Dwight, he is polished, knows how to behave at all times, and displays social skills that make him a very reliable salesman.
Much of Jim’s character’s appeal stems from his interactions with others: his romance with Pam became one of the most beloved affairs on television and his relationship with Dwight andthe countless prankshe plays on him throughout the show both turned him into a huge audience favorite in no time. Jim Halpert has a total screen time of 17 hours and 47 minutes.
2Dwight Schrute — 18 Hours, 41 Minutes
Dwight Schrutehas a screen time of 18 hours and 41 minutes, and while that’s quite a lot, it’s not nearly as long as the audience would have wanted to see him. You simply can’t get enough of Dwight, and that’s what made him such a well-loved character. This geeky Dunder Mifflin salesman is played by Rainn Wilson and based on the UK version’s Gareth Keenan, and from his earliest moments on the show, he makes two things clear: he loves his job and, most of all, he worships Michael Scott.
Dwight’s poor social skills and his eagerness to please his boss make him the perfect target for his co-worker Jim’s pranks, with whom he eventually forges an endearing friendship. By the end ofThe Office, and after years of striving for power in the office, Dwight finally lands the role of Branch Manager, something that, in all honesty, makes perfect sense.
1Michael Scott — 26 Hours, 1 Minute, 25 Seconds
At the top of this ranking, with just over 26 hours of screen time, isMichael Scott, one of the most significant characters inSteve Carell’s career. Michael is the show’s star and, furthermore, the one who tends to get everyone’s attention in almost every scene. He is originally introduced as the boss that nobody would want to have: he is incompetent, insensitive and, more often than not, clueless when it comes to leading a team.
However, over the course of the seasons, audiences gradually discover that this man isn’t so bad after all, and they even start loving him, which makes his departure fromThe Officetruly heartbreaking. Had it not been for Carell leaving the cast in the show’s seventh season, his screen time would have been much, much higher.
