8 actors who went on to big shows and movies after The Office

Arguably the most popular sitcom of the 2000s, The Office has made an everlasting impact on the world of entertainment, social media, and comedy in general. A good chunk of the NBC series’ success is without a doubt because of Netflix, which has been the streaming home to the Dunder Mifflin crew for years.

Unfortunately, the fan-favorite show is leaving Netflix at the end of this month, and yes, we’re as upset as you are over it. The Office, which ran from 2005 to 2013, catapulted many of its actors to fame, and a handful of them went on to become even bigger stars after the series concluded.

Here are eight of those instances.

1. Steve Carell after The Office

Steve Carell was certainly already a famous actor before starring as Michael Scott in The Office, having appeared in successful movies such as Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy and Bruce Almighty. However, arguably his biggest movie roles came after his time at Dunder Mifflin.

Carell went on to land the role as John du Pont in Foxcatcher in 2014, a dramatically different part for the usually funny guy, and he ended up being nominated for an Academy Award for his portrayal of the real-life wrestling-coach-turned-murderer.

After that, Carell also acted in critically acclaimed films The Big Short (2015), Battle of the Sexes (2017), Beautiful Boy (2018), Vice (2018), and most recently the Apple TV+ original series The Morning Show (2019-2020). He also starred in Space Force on Netflix this year, which has been renewed for a second season.

2. John Krasinski after The Office

The Office certainly jump-started John Krasinski’s career in a big way. The once awkward and sweet looking heartthrob at Dunder Mifflin transformed into a buff, blockbuster movie star in the blink of an eye once the show finished up.  In 2016, he landed the lead role on Michael Bay’s 13 Hours, and followed that up with a part in Kathryn Bigelow’s 2017 movie Detroit.

Krasinski really made a name for himself, however, when taking on the titular role in the Amazon Prime Video series Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan in 2018. After that, he co-wrote and directed A Quiet Place, which he starred in alongside his wife Emily Blunt. The follow-up, which he wrote and directed, was pushed back earlier this year due to COVID-19 delays. It has not been released yet.

3. Mindy Kaling after The Office

Among the handful of hilarious characters in The Office is Kelly Kapoor, portrayed perfectly by Mindy Kaling. This talented writer/actress went on to create her own show after her time with the Dunder Mifflin crew, The Mindy Project. The comedic series ran from 2012 to 2017. After that, she landed roles in A Wrinkle in Time (2018) and Ocean’s Eight (2018). She wrote and starred in the film Late Night in 2018, and in 2019 she appeared in The Morning Show on Apple TV+.

Kaling’s writing credits also include the Hulu adaptation Four Weddings and a Funeral (2019), which she co-created, as well as Netflix’s Never Have I Ever (2020), which she also co-created. Currently, she’s writing the screenplay for Legally Blonde 3.

4. Ed Helms after The Office

Ed Helms went on to appear in a variety of comedic flicks after his time as Andy Bernard in The Office, including The Hangover III (2013), We’re the Millers (2013), They Came Together (2014), Vacation (2015), The Clapper (2017), and Tag (2018). Up next, he’s set to star in a movie called Togetherish alongside Patti Harrison and Tig Notaro.

5. Craig Robinson after The Office

Craig Robinson absolutely killed it as Darryl Philbin, and there’s a number of hilarious movies and shows you can catch him in that he landed after The Office. In 2013, he starred alongside the likes of Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel, James Franco, and Jonah Hill in This Is the End. After that, he appeared in Hot Tub Time Machine 2 (2015), Sausage Party (2016), Dolemite Is My Name (2019) and Doolittle (2020).

As for TV shows, the popular actor starred in his own series for NBC in 2015 titled Mr. Robinson, and has had roles in Brooklyn Nine-Nine (2014-2020), American Dad! (2016-2020), and this year he appeared in What We Do in the Shadows.

6. Ellie Kemper after The Office

While Ellie Kemper might’ve become famous for her role as Erin Hannon on The Office, she’s since proved herself to be a certified star with her Netflix series The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. The show, which ran from 2015 to 2019, earned Kemper two Emmy Award nominations.

Kemper has also appeared in popular series such as American Dad! in 2014 and The Simpsons this year. Up next, she’ll appear in the new Home Alone movie for Disney Plus.

7. Zach Woods after The Office

Zach Woods came onto The Office scene a bit later in the show as Gabe Lewis, and is arguably most famous now for his role in HBO’s Silicon Valley (2014-2019). Other notable titles on his acting resume after his time at Dunder Mifflin include The Post (2017) and Downhill (2020). Additionally, he currently plays Matt Spencer in the HBO series Avenue 5 alongside Hugh Laurie and Josh Gad.

8. Rashida Jones after The Office

A few years after debuting her role as Karen Filippelli on The Office in 2006, Rashida Jones starting playing the popular Parks and Recreation character Ann Perkins. She also starred in the TBS series Angie Tribeca from 2016 to 2018, which was created by Steve and Nancy Carell.

Jones also went on to appear in Black-ish in 2017-2018, and stars in #BlackAF on Netflix, which debuted earlier this year.

In 2018, Jones co-wrote and co-directed the documentary Quincy, which is all about the life of her father, the great Quincy Jones. She also was an executive producer and has writing and directing credits on the Netflix docuseries Hot Girls Wanted: Turned On (2017), for which she received an Emmy Award nomination.

Needless to say, The Office featured several super talented actors and writers, and those who have gone on to become major successes deserve every bit of it!