The Office's underrated character only exists because of a surprising behind-the-scenes mistake

Shows like ‘The Office’ give the impression that every detail is well thought out from the onset, which makes it easy to believe every character was planned. ‘The Office’ is well known for having an ensemble cast with distinct and silly traits that made Dunder Mifflin a fully functional living entity. However, not everything was as streamlined as it seemed, particularly with one remarkable background character.

With his very few words, Creed Bratton managed to capture the audience's attention with his unique one-liners and enigmatic persona. Even though he had little screen time, his character became highly controversial amongst the audience. Without much discussion, many fans do not know that his existence was not part of the initial charades, or that he was supposed to be mute.

It took an unexpected mix-up on set to change his trajectory. What started as a simple background role suddenly turned into a memorable part of the ensemble, all because a crew member mistakenly thought he was already part of the main cast. That lucky accident led to a spontaneous line, a paycheck, and eventually, a permanent seat at the Dunder Mifflin table.

Creed’s rise from extra to eccentric icon is one of The Office’s most surprising success stories. His journey highlights how sometimes, a little chaos behind the scenes can lead to something unforgettable on-screen.

A mistake that changed everything

While shooting “Diversity Day,” Creed Bratton and Phyllis Smith were hired as background actors.

To fit into the plot better, Phyllis and Creed were given preemptive lines - something that Phyllis wasn’t consulted over. This unexpected plot twist led Phyllis’s co-star to declare, “Never mind. That’s okay. Never mind.” In his scenery-chewing way, Bratton managed to steal the show and officially speak his lines as a fully-fledged character.

As the show progressed, Bratton devoted himself to keeping up with his new character’s zealous onscreen persona and started peppering his dialogue with invented stories about legends of identity theft, cults, rituals, and mung beans. His unorthodox charm quickly captivated fans and writers alike. What the producers intended to be a singular instance of whimsy turned into a series staple, proving that the greatest characters are those borne from unscripted moments.

A close call in the writers' room

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Creed's part in the series was not always guaranteed. In season 2, while directing “Halloween,” Greg Daniels, the showrunner, had a different plan for the firing of one of the characters. He did not, however, want to let go of a crucial actor. The contest had narrowed down to two supporting characters: Devon and Creed. Devon Abner, a character from the show, brought a plot twist when it came out that he had an upcoming theater tour and helped to settle the decision amongst the crew.

That meant Devon's character got the boot and Creed stayed. For this reason, he was given the scene where he begs Michael Scott not to fire him. This only goes to show why he is a beloved character and such a strange yet relatable person; his predicament more than guaranteed it. Boasting his signature oddball title, in The Office finale, Devon got his small yet grand solo, with a song performance paying homage to his role.

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