Who is Meredith in The Office?

The Office is one of the most popular sitcoms of all time, known for its quirky characters and funny workplace dynamics. The show is set in Dunder Mifflin Paper Company in Scranton, Pennsylvania, and follows the daily lives of its employees as they deal with office politics, friendships, and awkward situations.

Among Dunder Mifflin's employees, Meredith Palmer is one of the most unpredictable characters of the show. She is known for her outrageous behavior, inappropriate remarks, and love for partying. She soon became a popular character on the show. Let’s take a look at Meredith’s character and the actress who plays her.

Who is Meredith in The Office?

Meredith Palmer was introduced in the 1st episode of the show as a supplier relations representative of Dunder Mifflin. She is portrayed as a carefree employee who often gets into strange and awkward situations. She is known for her excessive drinking habits, making risky choices, and having awkward moments with her coworkers. Her backstory and personal struggles are the reason for her irresponsible behavior.

Meredith is a single mother and has 2 children, Jake and Wendy. She has custody of her son Jake who is very mischievous. Being a mother, her lifestyle choices sometimes clash with her responsibilities. Her son later becomes a stripper and he had an awkward encounter with her at Angela's bachelorette party. It was an awkward moment for her colleagues as Meredith tried to teach her son how to strip properly.

She had many unforgettable moments in the show. In Season 4, Michael Scott accidentally hits her with his car in the parking lot. Because of that incident, she found out that she had rabies. For this, Michael starts a bizarre charity event to raise awareness of the disease. In Season 9, there was a lice breakout from Pam, but everyone blames Meredith for it. She shaves her head to prove that she doesn't have lice.

Who plays Meredith in The Office?

Kate Flannery plays Meredith Palmer in the show. She is an American actress, born on June 10, 1964, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Flannery was interested in acting and comedy from a young age. She studied at Shenandoah University before moving to the University of the Arts in Philadelphia. She made her film debut with the film Can't Stop Dancing in 1999. In 2001, she made her TV debut with the TV show Spyder Games in 2001.

She gained international popularity for her role as Meredith in the superhit show The Office from 2005 to 2013. She won 2 Screen Actors Guild Awards along with the cast of the show. Apart from The Office, she has also worked in shows like The Jay Leno Show (2009), Steven Universe (2015-2018), OK K.O.! Let's Be Heroes (2017–2019), All Night (2018), Dancing with the Stars (2019), The Masked Singer (2024), etc.

She has made guest appearances on shows like Brooklyn Nine-Nine (2016), New Girl (2016), American Housewife (2016), and Young Sheldon (2019). She has also worked in films like Danny Roane: First Time Director (2006), You (2009), At the Devil's Door (2014), Helicopter Mom (2014), etc.

Also read: Cast of The Office