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There are plenty of wonderful things about The Office. But what makes the hit NBC comedy particularly great is the bevy of colorful characters that it boasts. From the outrageousness of Michael Scott to the overall weirdness of Creed Bratton, the documentary-style show is certainly not lacking in great characters. What’s even cooler is that all the characters serve a different function and help to balance each other out. For example, the brashness of Dwight is metered by the kindness of Pam.

The Office cast as their characters: B.J. Novak, Jenna Fischer, John Krasinski, Rainn Wilson, and Steve Carell
B.J. Novak, Jenna Fischer, John Krasinski, Rainn Wilson, and Steve Carell | Paul Drinkwater/NBCU Photo Bank

It’s obvious that The Office cast and crew spent a great deal of time thinking about the characters of the show and how they would change over time. But, the creators and producers also took great care thinking not only about how these dynamic characters would function within the structure of Dunder Mifflin, but also how they would function in the overall storytelling of the television show. For example, the function of Jim Halpert was to allow viewers and fans to thoroughly enjoy all the ridiculous moments that occur within the series.

‘The Office’ creator, Greg Daniels, had a specific function for his characters

Fans of The Office will note that Jim breaks the fourth wall more than any other character throughout all nine seasons of the show. Whenever Michael says something ridiculous, it’s only a matter of time before Jim stares directly into the camera lens sporting a knowing look. And those looks were intentional. In fact, Greg Daniels, who created The Office, wanted Jim to serve in a very particular way for the audience who was experiencing the show.

“I remember talking to Greg in the first week about how he saw Jim as the window for the audience into this office that everyone could watch this office,” John Krasinki, who played Jim in The Office, shared in an interview with Daily Actor. “But, they needed someone to tell them that it was OK to laugh at everything, and to see everything as a little bit ridiculous, and to me, that was so much fun to play.”

John Krasinski gets candid about Jim’s relatability

But, of course, there was more to Jim’s character than just being a window for The Office viewers. He was also a very aspirational character than fans rooted for. Because he was one of the most normal people in The Office and because of the connection that he shared with Pam, many viewers see themselves in Jim. Krasinski revealed that he loved that fans of the show resonated with his character so intensely and added that fan support made it harder to leave the role behind when the series officially wrapped.

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“I think the thing I’ll miss most is playing a character that people believe in so much and attach themselves to in various degrees,” Krasinski shared about his infamous character in The Office. “There are some people who think they are Jim. There’s some people who are looking for Jim. And, you know I think to me, and I know to Jenna [Fischer, who played Pam] playing the Jim/Pam relationship and realizing how important it became to so many people was such an incredible honor.”

Is ‘The Office’ currently streaming on Netflix?

Clearly, Kransisnki was able to fulfill the function that Daniels had for his character. If you want to return to the hilarious world of The Office alongside Jim, all nine seasons are currently streaming on Netflix until the end of 2020.

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