These Two The Office Stars Never Intended to Be On the Show, but Ended Up Stealing Every Scene

One of the best TV shows with a fandom that includes basically all generations is definitely The Office. The show is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, and it's safe to say that the love for the quirky series hasn't faded over the years, but rather grown stronger.

Of course, there are many comments about how The Office wouldn't fly today, and if it premiered now, it would probably be canceled immediately. But that is exactly what we love about it: an edgy depiction of literally every real-life scenario.

Another thing we love about The Office is the characters. There are a lot of them, with their own quirks and problems, but it's impossible to imagine the show without any of them. And to think that some of the most iconic characters weren't originally in the script is a disaster.

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, series creator Greg Daniels revealed that B.J. Novak was the first person hired for the show, both as a writer and an actor. And that led to him playing Ryan from the very first episode.

“It just felt to me like this is a really good place for writer-performers. I wanted to have a writer-performer vibe in the show,” Daniels said.

There Was No Kelly in the Original Script

But while B.J. Novak's fate was written in from the beginning, Mindy Kaling, who portrayed customer service rep Kelly Kapoor, had a different experience. She was first hired as a writer, and there were no plans for her to become the show's star. Kelly wasn't even a character in the original pilot script.

However, during the second episode, Diversity Day, the writers realized Kaling’s presence could elevate the comedy by adding a perspective to the infamous scene. Kaling called it “sheer luck” that Kelly was born out of the episode, explaining that she kind of developed organically.

Toby Was Born Out of Paul Lieberstein’s Charm

The character of Toby Flenderson, portrayed by Paul Lieberstein, also developed unexpectedly. Lieberstein had no interest in acting, but sometimes filled in as a reader during table reads.

Although there was a plan to have a Toby in the show, they wanted to cast him outside the team. But Lieberstein was so good at the table reads that network executive Kevin Reilly asked for more of his character, and that cemented Paul Lieberstein in the role of Toby.

The Office is available to stream on Peacock.