“There’s a lot of beauty in ordinary things.” That was the final line of one of television’s most disruptive comedy shows, and a very fitting statement to sum up the story of Dunder Mifflin’s workers. The Office is an American mockumentary sitcom based on the British series of the same name that was created by and stars Ricky Gervais. This remake was developed by Greg Daniels, and over the course of its nine seasons depicts the day-to-day lives of the employees of a fictional paper and office supply sales company in Scranton, Pennsylvania, headed by their offbeat regional manager Michael Scott (brilliantly portrayed by Steve Carell).
Back in 2005, nobody expected The Office to become such a massive hit. In fact, both producers and actors struggled to first get it greenlit and then to have the series renewed from one season to another. That all changed when Carell starred in The 40-Year-Old Virgin, earning recognition as a comedy actor and eventually attracting more viewers to the show. Of course, what arguably made the series so adored, and still continues to attract fans today, are the impeccable and hilarious performances of its ensemble cast, led by Carell alongside Rainn Wilson, John Krasinski, Jenna Fischer, Brian Baumgartner, Angela Kinsey, Oscar Nunez, Mindy Kaling, and Paul Lieberstein, among many others. They each worked very hard to develop their characters, and in fact, they have the same affection for the show as fans do.
Besides the original cast, new characters were introduced over the course of the series, and some renowned actors made hilarious cameo appearances in various episodes. Here are some of the best guest stars on The Office, ranked.
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9 Jack Black, Jessica Alba & Cloris Leachman
NBC
Jack Black, Jessica Alba, and Cloris Leachman’s involvement in The Office is quite unique, as they were cast as actors. In the episode “Stress Relief” from season 5, Andy pirated a movie to watch with Jim and Pam called Mrs. Albert Hannaday, invented specifically for the show. In it, Alba and Black are Sophie and Sam, who pay a visit to Lily (Leachman), the young woman’s grandmother to introduce her to the man. From their very first encounter, Lily and Sam feel a special connection and eventually spark a secret love affair. But their relationship does not end well: because of Sam’s lie, which is not revealed in the depicted scenes, Lily dumps him and embarks on an affair with another man.
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8 Yvette Nicole Brown
Community star Yvette Nicole Brown had a small role in season 3 of The Office as Paris, a Staples employee. In the episode “The Return”, Dwight is looking for a new job, but decides to accept a position at Staples to earn some money while continuing his search. There, he meets Paris, an employee with whom he could not get along and who never heard of Dunder Mifflin. In an interview with the documentary crew, the woman states that she doesn’t even like her new colleague, and that his peculiar appearance bothers her.
7 Evan Peters
The star of the new series Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story also guest-starred on The Office. During the first episode of season 7, Evan Peters is introduced as Luke Cooper, Michael Scott’s nephew, who joins the office in an attempt by Michael to bring his family back together. But Luke doesn’t behave as his uncle expects: he’s very lazy and doesn’t pay attention to his assistant duties. In retaliation, Michael spanks him, causing Luke to quit and storm out of the place.
6 Joan Cusack & Ed Begley Jr.
Erin Hannon joins Dunder Mifflin as a receptionist after Pam resigned from the position. Erin is an orphan who spent her entire childhood in foster homes. But her long-awaited dream of finding out about her origins ultimately comes true: in a Q&A session after the documentary is screened, her birth mother discloses her identity to Erin after asking her if she hates her parents. Following that first encounter, a man opens up and admits to being her father, and Erin forgives him as well. The receptionist’s parents were portrayed by Joan Cusack and Ed Begley Jr.
5 Dakota Johnson
Dakota Johnson’s guest appearance on The Office happened a few years before she rose to fame as the lead actress in the Fifty Shades film series. When Dwight becomes the head of the office, he makes some major changes, such as firing Kevin for underperforming. Consequently, he hires Dakota, an employee who rapidly discovers some serious mistakes made by the former accountant, who made up the fictional number “keleven” to balance the accounts. She is also seen flirting with Clark (Clark Duke), a fellow employee of the branch.
4 Bob Odenkirk
In the episode “Moving On” from season nine of The Office, Pam is on a job search in Philadelphia. While there, she attends an interview with an office manager named Mark, played by Better Call Saul star Bob Odenkirk. To Pam’s surprise, Mark has a very similar behavior to Michael Scott. She eventually declines the offer when she finds out that it was actually for a receptionist role. This cameo is especially meaningful due to a little-known fact about the series: per Screen Rant, Odenkirk was almost cast as Michael Scott. In fact, he was the producers’ top choice until they met Carell and realized he was perfect for the role.
3 Amy Adams
For a few episodes of the first and second seasons of The Office, Amy Adams played Katy Moore, a handbag saleswoman who stopped by the office in an effort to advertise her products. She bewitches Dwight and Michael, who make unsuccessful efforts to win her over. But Katy’s attention is focused on Jim, and they soon start dating. However, after Pam and her fiancé Roy set the date for their wedding, Jim is crushed and, acknowledging his true feelings for his co-worker, breaks up with Katy.
2 Jim Carrey
NBC
When Michael Scott resigns as Regional Manager, some of Dunder Mifflin’s employees set out to find themselves a new boss. But it’s not an easy task: most of the candidates don’t seem qualified for the job. Among all the interviewees is a very odd one referred to as the “Finger Lakes Guy”, portrayed by Jim Carrey. During his interview, the man goes on and on about the Finger Lakes, and how he had to rush back to the location because he abandoned his family there to attend the meeting. Carrey’s cameo was brief, but unexpected and very funny.
1 Ricky Gervais
Probably the most iconic guest star of the American version of The Office is Ricky Gervais himself, who created and starred in the original show. Episode 14 of the series’ seventh season kicks off with the most unexpected scene: Michael Scott and David Brent bumping into each other as the former tries to enter an elevator that the latter is stepping out of. Naturally, both men quickly realize that they share a common sense of humor and collide in a hug after Brent pulls out Michael’s trademark line. David Brent reappears once again following Scott’s departure from Dunder Mifflin. Brent submits a video applying for the position, but as expected, he does not get selected.
