‘Space Force’ Characters And Their ‘The Office’ Counterparts
At first glance, The Office and Space Force may not have much in common. After all, how much overlap can there be between the day-to-day duties of a paper company and a newly-created branch of government? As it turns out, the two American comedies share a significant amount of overlap. For one, Space Force was created by screenwriter Greg Daniels and Steve Carell — whose partnership goes back to their days together on The Office.
It’s not that Daniels set out to create another sitcom similar to the hit show. Still, as Space Force developed further into its second season, the characters came to interact with one another similarly. As Daniels told Collider in an interview, “The thing that Steve is so brilliant at and was used to from The Office is the ability to kind of improvise with the other actors.” Workplace comedies like The Office and Space Force require an ensemble cast to get the job done, and the parallels between the two shows and their characters are evident.
Pam Beesly/Erin Naird
For The Office’s Pam Beesly (Jenna Fischer), a receptionist role is just another job to pay the bills. She is there because she needs to be but hopes to be anywhere else. Similarly, Erin Naird (Diana Silvers) would rather be anywhere except the Space Force base. Her father, General Naird, relocated their family to Colorado from Washington D.C., leaving Erin to fend for herself in the new environment.
Pam is the first person that employees at Dunder Mifflin see when they walk through the door, but her role in the office is subordinated. While Erin, just a teenager amongst high-ranking government officials, is often overlooked for her age. And yet, these two young women are observant and self-aware and tend to know everything that goes on around them (whether they want to or not).
General Mark Naird/Michael Scott
Running a paper company may not be as high caliber as becoming the first chief of operations for the Space Force, but someone has to do it. Naturally, Carell’s portrayals of Michael Scott and General Mark Naird are bound to be similar, especially considering he had a part in creating both roles.
Carell’s General Naird may boast more accomplishments in his field — he was nominated for the position by the president, after all. But the General and everyone’s favorite boss, Michael Scott, run their respective companies with a high caliber of trust and empathy for their employers. They also highlight how difficult it is to make decisions for a team while poking fun at corporate management styles.
Dr. Adrian Mallory/Dwight Schrute
Space Force’s Dr. Adrian Mallory (John Malkovich) navigates the workplace under his guise. His work is that good, meaning Dr. Adrian can oppose space militarization and his boss’s orders, but he gets the job done.
Likewise, fans know that The Office’s Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson) operates with his own strict ethos and rules. The Assistant (to the) Regional Manager spends each season going against Michael’s better judgment, but he continues to excel at sales regardless. Both men are adamantly against the workplace structure and challenge their bosses while remaining diligent in their roles.
F. Tony Scarapiducci/Andy Bernard
Tony Scarapiducci (Ben Schwartz) knows little about space. But he is known to get things done within the media world and at Space Force. In this sense, Tony is most similar to The Office’s Andy Bernard (Ed Helms) in the ways that they treat their work and colleagues.
Media management and directing sales entail a strong network of relations and outgoing personalities. At times, Tony and Andy’s colleagues get annoyed with their antics, but the two always prove to be a source of entertainment and humor throughout their respective workplaces.
Captain Angela Ali/Jim Halpert
Captain Angela Ali (Tawny Newsome) became the first Black woman to walk on the moon. After returning to Earth, a feat within itself, her priorities lie in bigger and better places than Space Force. Perhaps Jim Halpert (John Krasinksi) underwent less impressive achievements during his time at Dunder Mifflin, but he too had bigger dreams than his current place of employment.
These level-headed characters bring logic and reason to their respective offices, and it’s their growth that molds them into fan favorites. Plus, the two both engaged in office romances of sorts (though Angela’s was less a romantic gesture and more to alleviate the stress from her work).
Bradley Gregory/Toby Flenderson
It seems as though every office has its punching bag. At Space Force, it’s General Naird’s second in command and assistant, Bradley Gregory (Don Lake). Bradley is passionate about the job, but his incompetence results in disrespect and ridicule from colleagues.
Surely Bradley can go to HR for support, but other characters — like The Office’s Toby Flenderson (Paul Lieberstein) — have no such luck. Much like Bradley, Toby endures years of torment, verbal abuse, and blatant disrespect at the hands of Michael Scott. Despite their circumstances, these diligent workers are just trying to get the job done.
