The Office Cast and Characters

Lucy Davis plays Dawn Tinsley

The daughter of british comedian Jasper Carrot, the beautiful Lucy Davis grew up in Knole, Birmingham in what she describes as a normal life.

Her big break came with The Office but her performance as Maria Lucas in the 1995 TV series Pride and Prejudice got her an agent and despite personal troubles (she developed reflux nephropathy and underwent transplant thanks to a kidney donation from her mother) she appealed to Stephen Merchant who liked her naturalistic acting style which he believed would suit her role as Dawn.

She plays receptionist Dawn Tinsley, stuck with in a relationship she is unhappy with while holding feelings for sales clerk Tim. Does her best to smile at David's ever failing jokes and lives a stable life but thinks little of her career and dreams for better.

By the end of series two she has reluctantly emigrated to America with Fiance Lee, leaving Tim to wonder what could have been, until a meeting under the management of Gareth reveals she will be visiting for the Christmas party, re-igniting the possibly of what could become between the two ...

Character Quote: "A real relationship isn’t like a fairy tale, if you think that for the next forty years, every time you see each other you’re going to glow, or, every time you hold hands there’s going to be electricity, then, you’re kidding yourself really."

Ricky Gervais plays David Brent

A man who entered comedy, finding his niche at the age of 36 after 10 years working in an office, trying his hand in a music band and working in radio. But of course, this is Ricky Gervais and for more then a brief intro paragraph, check out his page on the site.

His legendary character David Brent is an unfunny, self-promoting, confident but ignorant sub-branch manager always yearning for the respect of his employees but who's actions do himself no favours. Very much living up to his first impression, he is a harsh contrast to the suave Neil who appears later in the series.

What we see unfold, which is shown clearly in the Christmas specials, is that Brent is far from the overly-friendly and confident person who tries so hard to be. Living alone and lacking any real friends, the real sympathy for the character comes with his denial to show any signs of self-pity in what really is a life he only holds in the office.

Fortunately, by the closing scenes of The Office, Brent finally finds a female who understands and likes his company and we see what is perhaps the first genuine smile from him .. a positive sign to hopefully account for the negative previous events in his life.

Character Quote: "You don't have to be mad to work here, in fact we ask you to complete a medical questionnaire to ensure that you are not."

McKenzie Crook plays Gareth Keenan

McKenzie Crook, born in Kent back in 1971 admits there is more in common with his character then he would like. Into survival, trivia and getting 'more nerdy with his hobbies' then he would like to is perhaps more of a blessing then a curse for the actor.

A character he created, Mr Bagshaw, was who he played in his TV debut in the programme 'Barking' for Channel 4, and has played mostly comedic parts ever since. Without taking any offence, Crook believes he simply has the right face for comedy which has got him from doing 10 years of stand-up to appearing in Hollywood films.

He plays Gareth Keenan, a word of warning: Is a trained sniper, knows how to slit your throat and used to be in the Territorial Army ... so is not one to mess with. His appearance and thoughts say otherwise, exposing him as a delusional 'arse-faced weasel' who is hardworking and proud of his position as team leader but his self-importance and blindness to sexual innuendo's do little to gain him any respect within the work place.

Character Quote: "I can read women. And you’ve got to know their wants and their needs, and that can be anything from making sure she’s got enough money to buy groceries each week to making sure she’s gratified sexually after intercourse."

Martin Freeman plays Tim Canterbury

The left-handed, 5"8 and 1971 born actor Martin Freeman originally had his sights set on being a squash sportsman, playing in teams till a change of mind had him taking a course at the Central School of Speech and Drama.

Upon completion he found work in many comedy productions, most notably as 'Ricky C' in 'Ali G In Da House' and an appearance in 'Love Actually' as 'John'. His most recent role has been in the film Confetti, a documentary styled comedy where he plays the husband to-be of actress Jessica Stevenson.

His character in The Office is Tim Canterbury, an all too normal individual and reflection of the average viewer. A sales rep who feels similar to Dawn, stuck in a job that fails to satisfy him and having the dreams but not the drive to go further. Feelings for receptionist Dawn lead to failed attempts to be with her, and the desperation of a better life lead him to turning down Brent's job as manager with hopes to go back to University and move onwards and upwards.

Character Quote: “It’s like an alarm clock’s gone off, and I’ve just got to get away. I think it was John Lennon who said: “Life is what happens when you’re making other plans.” and that’s how I feel. Although he also said: “I am the Walrus I am the eggman” so I don’t know what to believe.”