While Michael Scott might be the best character on The Office, there were plenty of other characters that contributed to it becoming one of the most beloved television comedies of all time. The offices of Dunder-Mifflin were filled with colorful characters fans loved as well as some recurring characters who would add an extra spark to the show.
However, there are those rare few characters who left a mark on the show in a single episode. Though their time on the show might not have been long, these one-and-done characters were nonetheless effective. Here are some of the best one-episode characters on The Office.
Grotti
Some characters are less memorable for the way they act and more for how the other characters react to them. In the Season 6 episode “Mafia”, Grotti is introduced as an insurance salesman who comes into the office and who Michael believes is a mobster.
Actor Mike Starr, who plays Grotti, is best known for his gangster roles in movies like Goodfellas and Miller’s Crossing which adds to the fun of the character. And the real laughs come from Michael’s using his knowledge of the mafia based entirely on movies and television to deal with Grotti.
Luke Cooper
Luke Cooper is introduced into the show as the office’s new intern who everybody hates. It doesn’t take long to figure out why there is so much animosity towards the young man as he is rude, childish, and puts no effort into his job.
As the rest of the office begins to question why Luke is still working there, it is revealed he is Michael’s nephew. The more obnoxious Luke gets, the more Michael seems like a more reasonable person even if he does end up spanking Luke in front of the whole office.
Nana
Yet another member of Michael’s family is introduced in Season 5 of the show when Michael quits Dunder-Mifflin and starts his own paper company. Joined by Pam and Ryan, Michael starts looking for investments for the new venture so, of course, his first visit is to his elderly grandmother.
While it seems like the kind of desperate and pathetic move Michael is known for, Nana proves she is no pushover. She begins questioning Michael on his business plan before finally turning him down.
Concierge Mary
Michael has had his share of romances over the course of the show, some more successful than others. Concierge Mary is one of his shortest-lived trysts Michael has when on a business trip to Canada.
When introduced to Mary, who is the concierge at their hotel, Michael is under the impression that concierges are like a Canadian version of a geisha. Even with this misunderstanding, they seem to hit it off with Michael’s idea of flirting being quizzing her knowledge of Winnipeg.
Merv Bronte
At the end of Season 7, with Michael Scott gone, the office begins looking for a new regional manager. They bring in an assortment of colorful characters to interview for the position played by famous faces like Jim Carrey and James Spader.
However, one of the funniest candidates is Merve Bronte, played by Ray Romano. Merv is a neurotic man who seems to make decisions before thinking them through at all. He is immediately psyched out by Spader’s character then admits he quit his job to take this interview. He is a hilarious sadsack perfectly played by Romano.
Captain Jack
Season 2′ “Booze Cruise” is one of the most fun episodes of the show and is one of the great “out of the office” adventures. In a poor attempt at a team-building exercise, Michael decides to bring the office out on a booze cruise led by Captain Jack (Rob Riggle).
As Michael tries to steer the night towards his work-related discussions, Captain Jack keeps steering it back to fun games and drinking, and Michael’s sense of authority is continually overridden by Captain Jack and his stories of being a real-life war hero.
Christian
The tumultuous romantic relationship between Michael and Jan really starts in the Season 2 episode “The Client” and Christian is the man who is at the center of it all. Michael and Jan join forces to try and land Christian as a major client.
Jan is initially horrified by Michael’s unprofessional and childish approach to wooing the client, but it turns out that Christian is a lot more like Michael than Jan first assumed. His silly humor and loose approach prove to be right up Christian’s alley.
Gordon/Ben Franklin
When Phyllis is getting married, Michael wants the whole office to be involved so, of course, he insists they host a bachelorette party during a workday. While Michael wants a male stripper for the party, Jim instead hires a Ben Franklin impersonator to entertain the women.
Andy Daly plays Gordon, the fake Ben Franklin who is first confused by the office’s overly sexual way of addressing him. But eventually, he begins to like the female attention and begins to have a little fun.
Asian Jim
Jim’s many pranks on Dwight are among the best aspects of the show and this one goes down as one of his best. One morning, Dwight finds an unknown Asian man sitting at Jim’s desk. Even stranger, the man claims that he is Jim and has worked there for years.
Dwight doesn’t buy it at first but the prank becomes more and more convincing as Dwight sees the family portrait of the Halperts with Asian Jim in it and Pam greets him with a kiss. It’s effective enough to make Dwight question if he just never noticed Jim was an Asian man.
Mark
When Steve Carell left the show in Season 7, the show lost a significant part of what made it great. Michael Scott was sorely missed in those next few seasons as they tried to find different ways to fill in the gap.
However, in the final season of the show, fans got the next best thing with Bob Odenkirk’s guest spot as Mark, Pam’s prospective new boss who acts remarkably like Michael. Odenkirk, who auditioned for the Michael Scott role, nails the awkward, cringe-worthy boss role almost as well as Carell.
