The Office: 10 Best Characters Who Appeared After Season One

First impressions are everything, and if Bob Vance was restricted to his debut appearance alone, he’d still be written into Office lore. Introducing himself at the Christmas party, he introduces himself individually to three Dunder Mifflin employees as “Bob Vance, Vance Refrigeration”. There’s a pause, then the button: Ryan asks him his line of work. It’s the kind of restrained but hilarious stuff that made the show a classic.

The sizeable Bobby Ray Shafer presents his character in small increments. He’s a gregarious grafter, deeply in love (and lust) with his wife Phyllis, but we see a darker side of the fridge salesman over the years. It’s revealed he enjoys fighting men who hit on Phyllis; she in turn fears for his own faithfulness, complaining that he calls her sister too frequently.

Bob Vance is the definition of a one joke character, but it’s a perfect, beautifully observed one. By the time he’s marrying Phyllis and insisting on referring to his business even at the altar, we know all we need to know about the guy, but it’s funny every time.