The Office: 10 Best Characters Who Appeared After Season One

While The Office had initially taken the smart mockdoc approach of hiring relatively unknown actors, by season six the style had more or less gone out the window, and accordingly they were free to hire stars. Among them was Oscar winner Kathy Bates, who turned Sabre CEO Jo Bennett into a genuinely rounded character across her two season tenure.

Jo fits right into life at Dunder Mifflin - she’s a smart and tough businesswoman but not someone with a complete disdain for nonsense. She deals well with and understands the likes of Dwight and Michael, whose innate ludicrousness doesn’t entirely overwhelm their abilities in the professional sphere.

Bates, as usual, is just terrific here, and while she’s a keen comedic actress, her performance is generous and that of a team player. She never mugs or tries to grab the gags, instead allowing Michael to mine great comedy from his nervy attempts to curry favour with her.

The Sabre buyout plot never really took off, evidently started without much of an end goal, but the Jo Bennett years provide the stability that allows the show to do some great stuff. She seems like a genuinely decent boss.