Erin Hannon
Encyclopedia
Kelly Erin Hannon is a fictional character
from the U.S.
television series The Office. She is the office receptionist for the Scranton branch of Dunder Mifflin, a position previously held by Pam Halpert before she (briefly) left the company. Erin is played by Ellie Kemper
. She is an original character and has no counterpart on the British version of the show
.
". She first appears in "Michael Scott Paper Company
", and is referred to by her middle name, Erin, to differentiate herself from Kelly Kapoor since their first names are homophones. Unlike Pam, she not only appears to be comfortable with the office's antics, but seems eager to please and fit in.
In a deleted scene from "Niagara
", she admits she was born four months prematurely and couldn't eat hard foods until she turned 6. "St. Patrick's Day
" reveals further that she was sick and in the hospital between the ages of 3 and 6. She grew up in foster families and has said that when she was younger "my hair was my room", i.e., the place she hid from stress and trauma. It is hinted that Erin is very Christian
, as seen in "Nepotism
", when Michael argues with the staff about nepotism and defends it by saying the person God
sent to help Earth
was his son, Jesus Christ, which Erin claims is a "really tight argument", and another example is in "Dwight K. Schrute, (Acting) Manager
", when she is shocked to learn Gabe is an atheist, and is even more shocked when he states there might be a God, but he doesn't believe it's just some "guy with a long white beard".
She is seen repeatedly following Dwight's insane directions. Dwight and Andy both admit to being attracted to Erin. Erin seems to have a fun-loving and bubbly personality similar to Kelly Kapoor. She admires Kelly's casual Friday outfit, commenting that she looks like J. Lo
, and the two restart Michael's cafe disco
after he shuts it down. The two also ride to Pam and Jim's wedding together with Andy, both listening to their iPod
s in the backseat. In Counseling
, she took the term "disposable camera
" literally as she throws a disposable camera away after taking the last picture, commenting that she thinks disposable cameras are wasteful and you never get to see the pictures.
Erin also tells Michael she used to work at a Taco Bell
Express but couldn't keep up when they turned it into a regular Taco Bell. In a deleted scene from "Mafia
", Meredith
tells Erin that the office will always like Pam better than her, saddening Erin as she doesn't like conflicts. She also accidentally ruins Pam's painting of the office building while trying to clean it. Later when asking Kelly to help her fix the painting, we find out Erin has a seizure condition—because Kelly demands her medical alert bracelet as payment for her services.
hires Erin as the new receptionist. She becomes good friends with Kelly (telling her on Casual Friday
that she thinks Kelly looks like J-Lo
), and in "Cafe Disco
", they help to generate interest in Michael's "Cafe Disco". Pam is somewhat cold towards Erin at first, appearing affronted when Erin refuses to put Pam's gift of candy on the counter without Michael's permission and later giving Andy an unethusiastic "meh" when he asks what she thinks of Erin.
Initially, Dwight and Andy compete for her attention, but Dwight withdraws in acknowledgment of his new friendship with Andy. For the remainder of the season, Andy awkwardly flirts with Erin.
", Erin is shown to be self-conscious about being an orphan
, and is attracted to Andy, whom she calls "the coolest man I've ever met." She also does not know who Marlon Brando
is, mistaking a reference to him for Marlon Wayans
. In "Murder
", Andy asks her out on a real date while they are playing characters as a part of the Belles, Bourbon, and Bullets
. Erin accepts, but then is disappointed when Andy tells her later there was no real date. It was "just a part of the game", though both wanted to go out. Andy later begs to get Erin as his Secret Santa. He gives her gifts based on "The 12 Days of Christmas". Unfortunately the first four gifts are all birds resulting in harm to herself, geese swarming her car and an incident where her cat ate one of the turtle doves. She asks her secret Santa to please stop. When asked if it's him Andy brushes it off, but later Michael reveals him and he's somewhat surprised to see her legitimately angry at him. At the end of the day, Andy has twelve drummers appear ala the last part of the song. Despite the fiasco of the earlier gifts, Erin easily forgives him and is seen enjoying the drummers and smiling warmly.
Erin finally earns Michael's respect in "Scott's Tots
" when she points out the benefit of the promise Michael couldn't fulfill to a group of underprivileged high school students. She eventually figures out Michael's needs and quirks and, unlike Pam, plays along with them. She also tells Michael that she'd like to be an accountant someday, even though she's bad at math.
After Andy's massive effort for Erin's Secret Santa gift, Andy thinks that the "ball is in Erin's court", while Erin assumes that after Andy's last spectacular display involving a band drumline that he will surely be the one to ask. Andy, in "Sabre
", then awkwardly confronts Erin about her weekend plans, revealing that she has none. Andy exits with exasperation, hoping that his "hint" would be sufficient for her to ask. Later, in "Manager and Salesman
", Andy gives everyone in the office a card for Valentine's Day to mask his affection for Erin. Kelly takes this card to heart and believes Andy is in love with her. Andy makes it clear that he doesn't love Kelly, and Erin begins to realize Andy really does have feelings for her.
In "The Delivery
", Erin shows a knowledge of horse racing
history as she names the Triple Crown
winners to distract Pam before she goes to the hospital. Erin later has lunch with Kevin after Michael lied and told Kevin that Erin liked him. Erin feels sorry for Kevin because Michael told her Kevin had the heart of an actual elephant. Erin later confronts Michael and tells him that she likes Andy. Andy's response is to snoop behind plants and spy on Kevin and Erin. Later in the same episode, Andy gives Erin a fax which asks her on a date. After getting confrontational about it, Andy admits that he wanted to take Erin on a date, which she happily accepts.
In "St. Patrick's Day
", Erin and Andy are set to go on their first date, but Erin gets very sick, prompting Jo Bennett to tell her to go home. Andy decides to see Erin anyway by showing up at her house. The two enjoy watching TV together until Erin's foster brother Reed comes into the room and steals Andy's spot on the couch next to Erin. Reed behaves awkwardly with Erin, which makes Andy uncomfortable, but when Andy gets ready to leave, Erin kisses him on the cheek.
In "New Leads
", after Michael distributes the sales leads to rest of the staff, Erin hides Andy's leads. The Hot & Cold game she plays with him in the reception area turns into an uncomfortable situation where Andy almost fondles Erin's chest. At the end of episode, a hot-blooded Erin offers a cold Andy her jacket in a landfill where they share their first kiss.
In "Happy Hour
", Erin and Andy tell the crew that they are trying to keep their relationship a secret because of Andy's aversion to drama. This continues as they go to the Happy Hour with the other members of the Office. After several uncomfortable situations in which they continue to try to keep the secret and a rather animated argument in a photobooth, Andy declares to the entire building that he has been on "two dates with Erin Hannon and they went well and there will probably be more." They tell the crew that they found more drama trying to keep it a secret.
In "Secretary's Day
", Andy plans the perfect Secretary's Day for Erin, including a lunch with Michael. During the lunch, Michael reveals Andy's prior year-long engagement with Angela, a fact which was previously concealed from Erin. When Erin speaks with Pam at her desk, a Keystone College
pendant is visible. At the end of the episode, Erin informs Andy that she needs some time alone from him. Feeling bad over the whole affair, Michael smoothes things over a bit with Erin and has a talk with her. While the characters have not resumed dating as of yet, Erin does express concern when Andy tells her he's afraid for his safety (because of the fire-catching printers, though he doesn't directly tell her about them) and she agrees to distribute the "demonstration video" he made with Darryl if anything happens to him.
And in "Whistleblower
", Erin warmly pats Andy on the leg and tells him she thinks he did the right thing, after he's outed for leaking the printer story to a local paper and everyone else in the office shuns him.
", Erin reveals that Gabe asked her out over the summer. She only accepted because Gabe was her boss but eventually the two began seriously dating, much to Andy's chagrin. Her relationship with Gabe has been presented as boring and lame, as highlighted by her unsuccessful effort to defeat him at online Scrabble and avoid watching his favored horror films in "The Seminar", his long-winded Valentine's Day surprise for her that consists mostly of her bonding with Andy and getting a hand-kiss gesture in "PDA
", and letting the staff know she and Gabe were late to work because he fell in the shower and had to be rescued by the fire department in "Todd Packer
".
In "Andy's Play
", Andy is performing in a local production of Sweeney Todd. He pressures the entire office to go, but really just wants to get Erin to attend, in order to spend time with her and win her back from Gabe. Andy is delighted that Erin is coming without Gabe, however ultimately his plan backfires when she agrees to babysit CeCe so Jim and Pam can attend. Ultimately Erin shows up to the play and the two spend time together, however Erin leaves to spend time with Gabe leaving Andy despondent.
In "Sex Ed
", the Office believes Michael has herpes, and Andy uses the situation to host a Sex Ed class in the office. The class is in actuality an attempt by Andy to figure out if Gabe and Erin are having sex. Upset after realizing the two are possibly having sex, Andy throws a tantrum and storms off. Gabe admonishes Andy later, explaining he only asked Erin out after Andy gave him his blessing.
In "Christening
", Erin expresses admiration over Michael's spontaneous decision to go down to Mexico to help build a school for local children. In an effort to impress Erin, Andy goes along with Michael. After Michael and Andy start having cold feet and get off the bus, Erin picks them up and laughs with them about it.
In "Viewing Party
", Erin and Gabe are hosting a Glee
viewing party at Gabe's apartment. Andy desperately attempts to get Erin's attention during the party, however ultimately ends up getting sick and is comforted by Gabe. Meanwhile, Erin attempts to get Michael to bond with Gabe, however Michael's insecurities over Gabe's position cause him to sabotage the party. After Erin confronts Michael over his hostile feelings for Gabe, Michael angrily questions why she needs his approval as he is not her father. Erin is silent and Michael has an insightful moment, realizing Erin admires him and views him as a father figure. The two share a joke as they pointedly make fun of their developing father-daughter relationship. As he leaves the party, Michael warns Gabe that he will, both figuratively and literally, kill Gabe if he breaks Erin's heart.
In "WUPHF.com
", Erin is annoyed with Ryan's abuse of company property to fuel his own social networking company, WUPHF.com.
In "Classy Christmas
", Erin assists Michael in preparing for when Holly
returns to Scranton. However, when she meets Holly for the first time, she is disappointed with her appearance after Michael spoke so highly of her. She admits in a talking head that she doesn't see why Michael is attracted to Holly, and when Holly tries to reason with Michael after he admits being upset with her, Erin shoos her away in defending Michael. She then tries to shoo Holly's boyfriend A.J. away when he arrives to surprise Holly. Erin remains unkind to Holly in "Ultimatum
" but finally warms to her when she sees the passionate kiss between Michael and Holly that came at the end of "The Search
".
In "Michael's Last Dundies
", Erin starts avoiding Gabe at work because she doesn't feel attracted to him anymore. Erin reveals how she feels to Pam and Jim
, with Pam encouraging her to tell Gabe to avoid leading him on. She then breaks up with Gabe while accepting her Dundie in front of everyone at a packed restaurant. Gabe tells everyone he is upset with Erin but tries to joke it off, only to reveal he is genuinely upset and leaves the award show. Later she joins the rest of the office in serenading a teary-eyed Michael with a song.
During "Goodbye, Michael
", a distraught Gabe is tenacious in trying to win Erin back, even following her into the women's bathroom. Erin later has a heart-to-heart conversation with Michael about her love life, and admits that she might be in love with Andy. Michael dismisses both Gabe and Andy and advises Erin that the right guy will come along and she'll know it. Michael then tells her that he's just a phone call away in Colorado if she needs advice, and kisses her on the head before walking away.
At the end of "The Inner Circle
", when Deangelo escapes the hospital and returns to the office, Jim asks Erin to call 911. She asks who should she say is calling, causing Jim to give her a deadpan look while flatly saying her name.
In "Dwight K. Schrute, (Acting) Manager
", Erin and Andy are shown hanging out together again. However, after Gabe invites Andy to go to the conference room to speak in private, Gabe breaks down, and Andy promises he won't date Erin again. Later, at reception, Gabe confesses his love to Erin again, but it doesn't win her back. In a talking-head interview, Erin says she's taking a break from dating, and she admits that while Gabe was a great guy with many wonderful qualities, "it was a challenge being touched by him". When Dwight accidentally fires the gun right by Andy, causing him temporary hearing loss, Erin is the most worried about him, and tries to accompany him to the hospital, but is stopped by Gabe, who, as an excuse, says that she needs to stay for her receptionist duties. When Andy comes back from the hospital, he and Erin hang out in the kitchen, only for Gabe to confront Andy with the promise, but Andy stands up for himself and embarrasses Gabe by describing Gabe's crying fit to Erin. When asked whether or not he wants to date Erin, he does not give a straight answer, and eventually claims that it is between him and his diary.
In "Search Committee
", Erin and Phyllis await the results of a DNA test to see if Erin is the daughter previously given up by Phyllis in high school. After some advice from Phyllis, Erin tells Andy in front of the entire Office that she still has feelings for him. Andy denies her, later stating to the camera that he is still hurt from being dumped in favor of Gabe. Phyllis finds out the results are negative, but holds off telling Erin and continues to show maternal affection toward her.
In Lotto, she helps out in the warehouse and suggests easier ways to move the boxes. In Spooked, Erin is in charge of the Halloween party, but is forced to make it more adult when co-workers think the decorations are childish. She also finds out that Andy is in a relationship with someone.
's The Office, Kemper was cast in a supporting role as the Dunder Mifflin office receptionist Erin Hannon. Kemper described herself as a "huge fan" of the show and was thrilled to be cast.
Joshua Ostroff of Eye Weekly
described Erin as one of the best new television characters of the 2008–2009 season and said, "Erin’s high-grade adorability, up-for-anything attitude and sheer niceness is unlike anyone else in the office, adding a welcome new wrinkle for next season." Andy Shaw of TV Fodder said she "adds some freshness to the cast" and Josh McAuliffe of The Times-Tribune in Scranton
, Pennsylvania
, said he liked Erin's "cheerful, appealingly goofy personality".
In May 2009, The Office screenwriter Jennifer Celotta
described Kemper as a "fun addition" to the show.
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
from the U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television series The Office. She is the office receptionist for the Scranton branch of Dunder Mifflin, a position previously held by Pam Halpert before she (briefly) left the company. Erin is played by Ellie Kemper
Ellie Kemper
Elizabeth Claire "Ellie" Kemper is an American actress, comedian and writer best known for her role as Erin Hannon in NBC's The Office.-Personal life:...
. She is an original character and has no counterpart on the British version of the show
The Office (UK TV series)
The Office is a British sitcom television series that was first broadcast in the United Kingdom on BBC Two on 9 July 2001. Created, written, and directed by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, the programme is about the day-to-day lives of office employees in the Slough branch of the fictitious...
.
Biography
Erin Hannon is the receptionist hired to replace Pam Halpert (after Kevin's brief stint in the job) in "Dream TeamDream Team (The Office)
"Dream Team" is the twenty-second episode of the fifth season of the television series The Office, and the 94th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on April 9, 2009. In the episode, Pam and Michael try to keep each other motivated as the two form their new...
". She first appears in "Michael Scott Paper Company
Michael Scott Paper Company
"Michael Scott Paper Company" is the twenty-third episode of the fifth season of the television series The Office, and the 95th overall episode of the series...
", and is referred to by her middle name, Erin, to differentiate herself from Kelly Kapoor since their first names are homophones. Unlike Pam, she not only appears to be comfortable with the office's antics, but seems eager to please and fit in.
In a deleted scene from "Niagara
Niagara (The Office)
"Niagara" is an hour-long episode of the sixth season of the U.S. comedy series The Office. It is the 4th and 5th episodes in the season's episode count and the 104th and 105th episode of the series overall. The episode was written by executive producer Greg Daniels and Mindy Kaling, and was...
", she admits she was born four months prematurely and couldn't eat hard foods until she turned 6. "St. Patrick's Day
St. Patrick's Day (The Office)
"St. Patrick's Day" is the 19th episode of the sixth season of the U.S. comedy series The Office and the show's 119th episode overall. It was written by Jonathan Hughes and directed by Randall Einhorn....
" reveals further that she was sick and in the hospital between the ages of 3 and 6. She grew up in foster families and has said that when she was younger "my hair was my room", i.e., the place she hid from stress and trauma. It is hinted that Erin is very Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
, as seen in "Nepotism
Nepotism (The Office)
"Nepotism" is the seventh season premiere of the American comedy television series The Office, and the show's 127th episode overall. Written by Daniel Chun and directed by Jeffrey Blitz, the episode aired on NBC in the United States on September 23, 2010...
", when Michael argues with the staff about nepotism and defends it by saying the person God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
sent to help Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
was his son, Jesus Christ, which Erin claims is a "really tight argument", and another example is in "Dwight K. Schrute, (Acting) Manager
Dwight K. Schrute, (Acting) Manager
"Dwight K. Schrute, Manager" is the 24th episode of the seventh season of the American comedy television series The Office and the show's 150th episode overall. The episode was written by Justin Spitzer and directed by Troy Miller. It originally aired in the United States on May 12, 2011...
", when she is shocked to learn Gabe is an atheist, and is even more shocked when he states there might be a God, but he doesn't believe it's just some "guy with a long white beard".
She is seen repeatedly following Dwight's insane directions. Dwight and Andy both admit to being attracted to Erin. Erin seems to have a fun-loving and bubbly personality similar to Kelly Kapoor. She admires Kelly's casual Friday outfit, commenting that she looks like J. Lo
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lynn Lopez is an American actress, singer, record producer, dancer, television personality, and fashion designer. Lopez began her career as a dancer on the television comedy program In Living Color. Subsequently venturing into acting, she gained recognition in the 1995 action-thriller...
, and the two restart Michael's cafe disco
Cafe Disco
"Cafe Disco" is the twenty-seventh episode of the fifth season of the American comedy television series The Office, and the 99th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on May 7, 2009. Feeling the office is overworked after the recent reign of Charles Miner,...
after he shuts it down. The two also ride to Pam and Jim's wedding together with Andy, both listening to their iPod
IPod
iPod is a line of portable media players created and marketed by Apple Inc. The product line-up currently consists of the hard drive-based iPod Classic, the touchscreen iPod Touch, the compact iPod Nano, and the ultra-compact iPod Shuffle...
s in the backseat. In Counseling
Counseling (The Office)
"Counseling" is the second episode of the seventh season of the American comedy television series The Office, and the show's 128th episode overall. Written by B. J...
, she took the term "disposable camera
Disposable camera
The disposable or single-use camera is a simple box camera sold with a roll of film installed, meant to be used once. Most use fixed-focus lenses. Some are equipped with an integrated flash unit, and there are even waterproof versions for underwater photography...
" literally as she throws a disposable camera away after taking the last picture, commenting that she thinks disposable cameras are wasteful and you never get to see the pictures.
Erin also tells Michael she used to work at a Taco Bell
Taco Bell
Taco Bell is an American chain of fast-food restaurants based in Irvine, California. A subsidiary of Yum! Brands, Inc., which serves American-adapted Mexican food. Taco Bell serves tacos, burritos, quesadillas, nachos, other specialty items, and a variety of "Value Menu" items...
Express but couldn't keep up when they turned it into a regular Taco Bell. In a deleted scene from "Mafia
Mafia (The Office)
"Mafia" is the 6th episode of the sixth season of the U.S. comedy series The Office and the show's 106th episode overall and originally aired on October 15, 2009 on NBC....
", Meredith
Meredith Palmer
Meredith Elizabeth Palmer is a fictional character from the US television series The Office. She is played by Kate Flannery. She is an original character and has no equivalent in the British version of the show, The Office....
tells Erin that the office will always like Pam better than her, saddening Erin as she doesn't like conflicts. She also accidentally ruins Pam's painting of the office building while trying to clean it. Later when asking Kelly to help her fix the painting, we find out Erin has a seizure condition—because Kelly demands her medical alert bracelet as payment for her services.
Season 5
After Kevin fails miserably as Pam's replacement, Charles MinerCharles Miner (The Office)
Charles Miner was the Vice President of Northeast Sales for Dunder Mifflin, having taken over the position vacated by Ryan and Jan. He is portrayed by Idris Elba.-Character history:Charles is first introduced in "New Boss"...
hires Erin as the new receptionist. She becomes good friends with Kelly (telling her on Casual Friday
Casual Friday (The Office)
"Casual Friday" is the twenty-sixth episode of the fifth season of the television series The Office, and the 98th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on April 30, 2009...
that she thinks Kelly looks like J-Lo
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lynn Lopez is an American actress, singer, record producer, dancer, television personality, and fashion designer. Lopez began her career as a dancer on the television comedy program In Living Color. Subsequently venturing into acting, she gained recognition in the 1995 action-thriller...
), and in "Cafe Disco
Cafe Disco
"Cafe Disco" is the twenty-seventh episode of the fifth season of the American comedy television series The Office, and the 99th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on May 7, 2009. Feeling the office is overworked after the recent reign of Charles Miner,...
", they help to generate interest in Michael's "Cafe Disco". Pam is somewhat cold towards Erin at first, appearing affronted when Erin refuses to put Pam's gift of candy on the counter without Michael's permission and later giving Andy an unethusiastic "meh" when he asks what she thinks of Erin.
Initially, Dwight and Andy compete for her attention, but Dwight withdraws in acknowledgment of his new friendship with Andy. For the remainder of the season, Andy awkwardly flirts with Erin.
Season 6
In "Koi PondKoi Pond (The Office)
"Koi Pond" is the 8th episode of the sixth season of the U.S. comedy series The Office and the show's 108th episode overall. It was written by Warren Lieberstein and Halsted Sullivan and directed by Reggie Hudlin. It originally aired on NBC on October 29, 2009.In this episode, Michael and Jim head...
", Erin is shown to be self-conscious about being an orphan
Orphan
An orphan is a child permanently bereaved of or abandoned by his or her parents. In common usage, only a child who has lost both parents is called an orphan...
, and is attracted to Andy, whom she calls "the coolest man I've ever met." She also does not know who Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando
Marlon Brando, Jr. was an American movie star and political activist. "Unchallenged as the most important actor in modern American Cinema" according to the St...
is, mistaking a reference to him for Marlon Wayans
Marlon Wayans
Marlon L. Wayans is an American actor, model producer, comedian, writer, and director of movies, beginning with his role as a pedestrian in I'm Gonna Git You Sucka in 1988...
. In "Murder
Murder (The Office)
"Murder" is the 10th episode of the sixth season of the U.S. comedy series The Office and the show's 110th episode overall. It was written by Daniel Chun and directed by Greg Daniels...
", Andy asks her out on a real date while they are playing characters as a part of the Belles, Bourbon, and Bullets
Murder mystery game
Murder mystery games are generally party games wherein one of the partygoers is secretly, and unknowingly, playing a murderer, and the other attendees must determine who among them is the criminal...
. Erin accepts, but then is disappointed when Andy tells her later there was no real date. It was "just a part of the game", though both wanted to go out. Andy later begs to get Erin as his Secret Santa. He gives her gifts based on "The 12 Days of Christmas". Unfortunately the first four gifts are all birds resulting in harm to herself, geese swarming her car and an incident where her cat ate one of the turtle doves. She asks her secret Santa to please stop. When asked if it's him Andy brushes it off, but later Michael reveals him and he's somewhat surprised to see her legitimately angry at him. At the end of the day, Andy has twelve drummers appear ala the last part of the song. Despite the fiasco of the earlier gifts, Erin easily forgives him and is seen enjoying the drummers and smiling warmly.
Erin finally earns Michael's respect in "Scott's Tots
Scott's Tots
"Scott's Tots" is the 12th episode of the sixth season of the U.S. comedy series The Office and the show's 112th episode overall. It was written by Gene Stupnitsky & Lee Eisenberg and directed by B. J. Novak, which marks his directorial debut on the network series...
" when she points out the benefit of the promise Michael couldn't fulfill to a group of underprivileged high school students. She eventually figures out Michael's needs and quirks and, unlike Pam, plays along with them. She also tells Michael that she'd like to be an accountant someday, even though she's bad at math.
After Andy's massive effort for Erin's Secret Santa gift, Andy thinks that the "ball is in Erin's court", while Erin assumes that after Andy's last spectacular display involving a band drumline that he will surely be the one to ask. Andy, in "Sabre
Sabre (The Office)
"Sabre" is the 15th episode of the sixth season of the U.S. comedy series The Office and the show's 115th episode overall. It was written by Jennifer Celotta and directed by John Krasinski, which marks his television directorial debut...
", then awkwardly confronts Erin about her weekend plans, revealing that she has none. Andy exits with exasperation, hoping that his "hint" would be sufficient for her to ask. Later, in "Manager and Salesman
Manager and Salesman
"The Manager and the Salesman" is the 16th episode of the sixth season of the U.S. comedy series The Office and the show's 116th episode overall. It was written by Mindy Kaling and directed by Marc Webb...
", Andy gives everyone in the office a card for Valentine's Day to mask his affection for Erin. Kelly takes this card to heart and believes Andy is in love with her. Andy makes it clear that he doesn't love Kelly, and Erin begins to realize Andy really does have feelings for her.
In "The Delivery
The Delivery (The Office)
"The Delivery" is a two-part episode of the sixth season of the U.S. comedy series The Office. Since it is an hour-long episode, it is considered to be the 17th and 18th episodes in the season's episode count...
", Erin shows a knowledge of horse racing
Horse racing
Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...
history as she names the Triple Crown
United States Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing
In the United States, the "Triple Crown" is usually the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, a series of three Thoroughbred horse races for three-year-old horses run in May and early June of each year consisting of the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes.While Daily Racing Form...
winners to distract Pam before she goes to the hospital. Erin later has lunch with Kevin after Michael lied and told Kevin that Erin liked him. Erin feels sorry for Kevin because Michael told her Kevin had the heart of an actual elephant. Erin later confronts Michael and tells him that she likes Andy. Andy's response is to snoop behind plants and spy on Kevin and Erin. Later in the same episode, Andy gives Erin a fax which asks her on a date. After getting confrontational about it, Andy admits that he wanted to take Erin on a date, which she happily accepts.
In "St. Patrick's Day
St. Patrick's Day (The Office)
"St. Patrick's Day" is the 19th episode of the sixth season of the U.S. comedy series The Office and the show's 119th episode overall. It was written by Jonathan Hughes and directed by Randall Einhorn....
", Erin and Andy are set to go on their first date, but Erin gets very sick, prompting Jo Bennett to tell her to go home. Andy decides to see Erin anyway by showing up at her house. The two enjoy watching TV together until Erin's foster brother Reed comes into the room and steals Andy's spot on the couch next to Erin. Reed behaves awkwardly with Erin, which makes Andy uncomfortable, but when Andy gets ready to leave, Erin kisses him on the cheek.
In "New Leads
New Leads
"New Leads" is the 20th episode of the sixth season of the U.S. comedy series The Office and the show's 120th episode overall. It was written and directed by Brent Forrester....
", after Michael distributes the sales leads to rest of the staff, Erin hides Andy's leads. The Hot & Cold game she plays with him in the reception area turns into an uncomfortable situation where Andy almost fondles Erin's chest. At the end of episode, a hot-blooded Erin offers a cold Andy her jacket in a landfill where they share their first kiss.
In "Happy Hour
Happy Hour (The Office)
"Happy Hour" is the 21st episode of the sixth season of the U.S. comedy series The Office and the show's 121st episode overall. It originally aired March 25, 2010 on NBC....
", Erin and Andy tell the crew that they are trying to keep their relationship a secret because of Andy's aversion to drama. This continues as they go to the Happy Hour with the other members of the Office. After several uncomfortable situations in which they continue to try to keep the secret and a rather animated argument in a photobooth, Andy declares to the entire building that he has been on "two dates with Erin Hannon and they went well and there will probably be more." They tell the crew that they found more drama trying to keep it a secret.
In "Secretary's Day
Secretary's Day (The Office)
"Secretary's Day" is the 22nd episode of the sixth season of the U.S. comedy series The Office and the show's 122nd episode overall. It aired on April 22, 2010 on NBC. It was written by Mindy Kaling, who portrays Kelly Kapoor on the series, and directed by Steve Carell, who portrays Michael Scott...
", Andy plans the perfect Secretary's Day for Erin, including a lunch with Michael. During the lunch, Michael reveals Andy's prior year-long engagement with Angela, a fact which was previously concealed from Erin. When Erin speaks with Pam at her desk, a Keystone College
Keystone College
Keystone College is a small private college located in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Its official mailing address is La Plume, Pennsylvania in Lackawanna County; however, much of the campus is in Factoryville, Pennsylvania in Wyoming County. The school was founded in 1868.-History:Keystone Academy was...
pendant is visible. At the end of the episode, Erin informs Andy that she needs some time alone from him. Feeling bad over the whole affair, Michael smoothes things over a bit with Erin and has a talk with her. While the characters have not resumed dating as of yet, Erin does express concern when Andy tells her he's afraid for his safety (because of the fire-catching printers, though he doesn't directly tell her about them) and she agrees to distribute the "demonstration video" he made with Darryl if anything happens to him.
And in "Whistleblower
Whistleblower (The Office)
"Whistleblower" is the 26th episode and season finale of the sixth season of the U.S. comedy series The Office and the show's 126th episode overall...
", Erin warmly pats Andy on the leg and tells him she thinks he did the right thing, after he's outed for leaking the printer story to a local paper and everyone else in the office shuns him.
Season 7
In "NepotismNepotism (The Office)
"Nepotism" is the seventh season premiere of the American comedy television series The Office, and the show's 127th episode overall. Written by Daniel Chun and directed by Jeffrey Blitz, the episode aired on NBC in the United States on September 23, 2010...
", Erin reveals that Gabe asked her out over the summer. She only accepted because Gabe was her boss but eventually the two began seriously dating, much to Andy's chagrin. Her relationship with Gabe has been presented as boring and lame, as highlighted by her unsuccessful effort to defeat him at online Scrabble and avoid watching his favored horror films in "The Seminar", his long-winded Valentine's Day surprise for her that consists mostly of her bonding with Andy and getting a hand-kiss gesture in "PDA
PDA (The Office)
"PDA" is the sixteenth episode of seventh season of the American comedy television series The Office and the show's 142nd episode overall. Written by Robert Padnick and directed by series creator Greg Daniels, the episode was shown on February 10, 2011, on NBC.-Synopsis:Michael and Holly have...
", and letting the staff know she and Gabe were late to work because he fell in the shower and had to be rescued by the fire department in "Todd Packer
Todd Packer (The Office)
"Todd Packer" is the eighteenth episode of the seventh season of the American comedy television series The Office, and the show's 144th episode overall...
".
In "Andy's Play
Andy's Play
"Andy's Play" is the third episode of the seventh season of the American comedy television series The Office, and the show's 129th episode overall. Written by Charlie Grandy and directed by John Stuart Scott, the episode aired on NBC in the United States on October 7, 2010...
", Andy is performing in a local production of Sweeney Todd. He pressures the entire office to go, but really just wants to get Erin to attend, in order to spend time with her and win her back from Gabe. Andy is delighted that Erin is coming without Gabe, however ultimately his plan backfires when she agrees to babysit CeCe so Jim and Pam can attend. Ultimately Erin shows up to the play and the two spend time together, however Erin leaves to spend time with Gabe leaving Andy despondent.
In "Sex Ed
Sex Ed (The Office)
"Sex Ed" is the fourth episode of the seventh season of the American comedy television series The Office, and the show's 130th episode overall. Written and directed by Paul Lieberstein, the episode aired on NBC in the United States on October 14, 2010...
", the Office believes Michael has herpes, and Andy uses the situation to host a Sex Ed class in the office. The class is in actuality an attempt by Andy to figure out if Gabe and Erin are having sex. Upset after realizing the two are possibly having sex, Andy throws a tantrum and storms off. Gabe admonishes Andy later, explaining he only asked Erin out after Andy gave him his blessing.
In "Christening
Christening (The Office)
"Christening" is the seventh episode of the seventh season of the American version of the comedy television series The Office and the show's 133rd episode overall...
", Erin expresses admiration over Michael's spontaneous decision to go down to Mexico to help build a school for local children. In an effort to impress Erin, Andy goes along with Michael. After Michael and Andy start having cold feet and get off the bus, Erin picks them up and laughs with them about it.
In "Viewing Party
Viewing Party
"Viewing Party" is the eighth episode of seventh season of the American comedy television series The Office, and the show's 134th episode overall. Written by Jon Vitti and directed by Ken Whittingham, the episode aired on NBC in the United States on November 11, 2010.-Synopsis:The office employees...
", Erin and Gabe are hosting a Glee
Glee (TV series)
Glee is an American musical comedy-drama television series that airs on Fox in the United States, and on GlobalTV in Canada. It focuses on the high school glee club New Directions competing on the show choir competition circuit, while its members deal with relationships, sexuality and social issues...
viewing party at Gabe's apartment. Andy desperately attempts to get Erin's attention during the party, however ultimately ends up getting sick and is comforted by Gabe. Meanwhile, Erin attempts to get Michael to bond with Gabe, however Michael's insecurities over Gabe's position cause him to sabotage the party. After Erin confronts Michael over his hostile feelings for Gabe, Michael angrily questions why she needs his approval as he is not her father. Erin is silent and Michael has an insightful moment, realizing Erin admires him and views him as a father figure. The two share a joke as they pointedly make fun of their developing father-daughter relationship. As he leaves the party, Michael warns Gabe that he will, both figuratively and literally, kill Gabe if he breaks Erin's heart.
In "WUPHF.com
WUPHF.com
"WUPHF.com" is the ninth episode of seventh season of the American comedy television series The Office, and the show's 135th episode overall. Written by Aaron Shure and directed by Danny Leiner, the episode aired on NBC in the United States on November 18, 2010...
", Erin is annoyed with Ryan's abuse of company property to fuel his own social networking company, WUPHF.com.
In "Classy Christmas
Classy Christmas
"Classy Christmas" is the eleventh and twelfth episodes of the seventh season of the American comedy television series The Office, and the show's 137th and 138th episodes overall...
", Erin assists Michael in preparing for when Holly
Holly Flax
Hollis "Holly" Partridge Flax is a fictional character from the US television series The Office played by Amy Ryan. She was an original character, and not based on a character from the British version of the show...
returns to Scranton. However, when she meets Holly for the first time, she is disappointed with her appearance after Michael spoke so highly of her. She admits in a talking head that she doesn't see why Michael is attracted to Holly, and when Holly tries to reason with Michael after he admits being upset with her, Erin shoos her away in defending Michael. She then tries to shoo Holly's boyfriend A.J. away when he arrives to surprise Holly. Erin remains unkind to Holly in "Ultimatum
Ultimatum (The Office)
"Ultimatum" is the thirteenth episode of the seventh season of the American comedy television series The Office, and the show's 139th episodes overall...
" but finally warms to her when she sees the passionate kiss between Michael and Holly that came at the end of "The Search
The Search (The Office)
"The Search" is the fifteenth episode of seventh season of the American comedytelevision series The Office, and the show's 141st episode overall...
".
In "Michael's Last Dundies
Michael's Last Dundies
"Michael's Last Dundies" is the twenty-first episode of the seventh season of the American comedy television series The Office and the show's 147th episode overall. Written and directed by Mindy Kaling, the episode aired on April 21, 2011, on NBC. The episode revolves around Michael training his...
", Erin starts avoiding Gabe at work because she doesn't feel attracted to him anymore. Erin reveals how she feels to Pam and Jim
Jim Halpert
James Duncan "Jim" Halpert is a fictional character in the United States version of the television sitcom The Office, played by John Krasinski. The character is based on Tim Canterbury from the original version of The Office...
, with Pam encouraging her to tell Gabe to avoid leading him on. She then breaks up with Gabe while accepting her Dundie in front of everyone at a packed restaurant. Gabe tells everyone he is upset with Erin but tries to joke it off, only to reveal he is genuinely upset and leaves the award show. Later she joins the rest of the office in serenading a teary-eyed Michael with a song.
During "Goodbye, Michael
Goodbye, Michael
"Goodbye, Michael" is the twenty-second episode of the seventh season of the American comedy series The Office and the show's 148th episode overall. The episode was written by series developer and executive producer Greg Daniels and was directed by Paul Feig. The episode originally aired on April...
", a distraught Gabe is tenacious in trying to win Erin back, even following her into the women's bathroom. Erin later has a heart-to-heart conversation with Michael about her love life, and admits that she might be in love with Andy. Michael dismisses both Gabe and Andy and advises Erin that the right guy will come along and she'll know it. Michael then tells her that he's just a phone call away in Colorado if she needs advice, and kisses her on the head before walking away.
At the end of "The Inner Circle
The Inner Circle (The Office)
"The Inner Circle" is the twenty-third episode of the seventh season of the American comedy television series The Office and the show's 149th episode overall. The episode originally aired on May 5, 2011, on NBC...
", when Deangelo escapes the hospital and returns to the office, Jim asks Erin to call 911. She asks who should she say is calling, causing Jim to give her a deadpan look while flatly saying her name.
In "Dwight K. Schrute, (Acting) Manager
Dwight K. Schrute, (Acting) Manager
"Dwight K. Schrute, Manager" is the 24th episode of the seventh season of the American comedy television series The Office and the show's 150th episode overall. The episode was written by Justin Spitzer and directed by Troy Miller. It originally aired in the United States on May 12, 2011...
", Erin and Andy are shown hanging out together again. However, after Gabe invites Andy to go to the conference room to speak in private, Gabe breaks down, and Andy promises he won't date Erin again. Later, at reception, Gabe confesses his love to Erin again, but it doesn't win her back. In a talking-head interview, Erin says she's taking a break from dating, and she admits that while Gabe was a great guy with many wonderful qualities, "it was a challenge being touched by him". When Dwight accidentally fires the gun right by Andy, causing him temporary hearing loss, Erin is the most worried about him, and tries to accompany him to the hospital, but is stopped by Gabe, who, as an excuse, says that she needs to stay for her receptionist duties. When Andy comes back from the hospital, he and Erin hang out in the kitchen, only for Gabe to confront Andy with the promise, but Andy stands up for himself and embarrasses Gabe by describing Gabe's crying fit to Erin. When asked whether or not he wants to date Erin, he does not give a straight answer, and eventually claims that it is between him and his diary.
In "Search Committee
Search Committee
"Search Committee" is the hour-long finale of the seventh season of the American television comedy series The Office. It is the 151st and 152nd episodes of the series overall and the 25th and 26th episodes of the seventh season. It was written by show runner and executive producer Paul Lieberstein...
", Erin and Phyllis await the results of a DNA test to see if Erin is the daughter previously given up by Phyllis in high school. After some advice from Phyllis, Erin tells Andy in front of the entire Office that she still has feelings for him. Andy denies her, later stating to the camera that he is still hurt from being dumped in favor of Gabe. Phyllis finds out the results are negative, but holds off telling Erin and continues to show maternal affection toward her.
Season 8
In season 8, Erin is on Robert's loser side of the list. She helps Andy out with his challenges of being manager and is the only one to congratulate him on his new job.In Lotto, she helps out in the warehouse and suggests easier ways to move the boxes. In Spooked, Erin is in charge of the Halloween party, but is forced to make it more adult when co-workers think the decorations are childish. She also finds out that Andy is in a relationship with someone.
Casting
Starting in the fifth season of NBCNBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's The Office, Kemper was cast in a supporting role as the Dunder Mifflin office receptionist Erin Hannon. Kemper described herself as a "huge fan" of the show and was thrilled to be cast.
Joshua Ostroff of Eye Weekly
Eye Weekly
Eye Weekly was a free weekly newspaper published in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was owned by Torstar, the parent company of the Toronto Star, and was published by their Star Media Group until its final issue on May 5, 2011. The following week, Torstar launched a successor publication, The Grid.-...
described Erin as one of the best new television characters of the 2008–2009 season and said, "Erin’s high-grade adorability, up-for-anything attitude and sheer niceness is unlike anyone else in the office, adding a welcome new wrinkle for next season." Andy Shaw of TV Fodder said she "adds some freshness to the cast" and Josh McAuliffe of The Times-Tribune in Scranton
Scranton, Pennsylvania
Scranton is a city in the northeastern part of Pennsylvania, United States. It is the county seat of Lackawanna County and the largest principal city in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre metropolitan area. Scranton had a population of 76,089 in 2010, according to the U.S...
, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, said he liked Erin's "cheerful, appealingly goofy personality".
In May 2009, The Office screenwriter Jennifer Celotta
Jennifer Celotta
Jennifer Ann Celotta is an American television producer and writer. Among her credits are Home Improvement, Malcolm in the Middle, Greg the Bunny, Andy Richter Controls The Universe and The Office...
described Kemper as a "fun addition" to the show.