Who is Ryan Howard in The Office?

Show

The Office

Played by

B. J. Novak

First episode

“Pilot”Season 1, Episode 1, aired March 24, 2005

Role

Main cast

Network

NBC

Occupation

Temp, then corporate VP, then temp again

Show run

2005 to 2013

Also known as

Ryan the Temp, Ryan Bailey Howard, The Temp

Ryan Howard arrives at Dunder Mifflin as the new temp on the first day of filming, a business student who clearly plans to be somewhere better soon. Played by B. J. Novak, who was also one of the show's writers, he goes on to become the office's most changeable personality.

On The Office, Ryan Howard's story runs through Kelly Kapoor (On-and-Off Girlfriend), Michael Scott (Boss), Dwight Schrute (Coworker), Pam Beesly (Coworker), and Jan Levinson (Predecessor at Corporate).

Who is Ryan Howard?

Ryan starts the series as a temporary worker at the Scranton branch, and in the early episodes he is the newcomer the others introduce themselves to, which makes him a stand-in for the audience. Michael is fascinated by him and keeps trying to be his friend, while Dwight likes to address him simply as "Temp."

In season three, while still taking business school classes, Ryan is promoted to sales, though he turns out to be a weak salesman. What he really wants is to get out of Scranton and become important, and the show gives him that wish in the most chaotic way possible.

Personality and comedy

Ryan is the office's resident trend chaser. Every time his luck changes, so does his look: a beard, black suits, and business jargon when he works at corporate; bleached hair and a tan after his fall; and later scarves, suspenders, and fake glasses as a would-be creative. His contempt for the office is a running joke, since he keeps ending up back there.

He is also a natural schemer. He launches a social network called WUPHF and talks his coworkers into investing, sells his mother's homemade pesto at the office garage sale, and avoids actual work with remarkable dedication. The joke is that Ryan always believes his big break is one idea away.

Key storylines

At the end of season three Ryan is handed Jan's job at corporate, which makes him Michael's boss, and he dumps Kelly on the spot. In New York he pushes a new sales website, clashes with Jim, and parties hard, until he is arrested for fraud in the season four finale. He returns to Scranton as a temp, briefly joins the Michael Scott Paper Company, and slides back to temp status when it is bought out.

His relationship with Kelly runs through the whole series: breakups, reunions, a secret spur-of-the-moment marriage and divorce in season seven, and her choice of a pediatrician named Ravi in season eight. When Kelly moves to Ohio in "New Guys," Ryan follows her. In the finale he shows up with a baby son, and he and Kelly run off together, leaving the baby behind for others to sort out.

Behind the scenes

B. J. Novak was cast after Greg Daniels saw his stand-up act, and he was also one of the show's key writers and producers. He wrote episodes including "Diversity Day," "Initiation," and "Threat Level Midnight," and directed several more. The character is named after Phillies first baseman Ryan Howard, who played for the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons in 2004 and later appears as himself in the season nine episode "Promos."

Novak and Mindy Kaling stepped back from the show before season nine, so Ryan appears in the season premiere as a guest and returns as a credited star for the finale.

Ryan Howard: frequently asked questions

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