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Ellie Kemper feels her 'The Office' character is "on to better and brighter" today

By Sophia Soto | Last updated May 10, 2025 11:25 AM ET

Ellie Kemper is sharing her opinion on whether Erin Hannon and Andy Bernard (played by Ed Helms) should have been endgame on The Office, which recently celebrated its 20-year anniversary.

"I don't know that they're the perfect pair, but they would make it work," Kemper told PEOPLE. "Look, in my tone, you can tell that I sound skeptical of their success as a couple, so maybe I don't. I feel like Erin is on — not to say that Andy was a bad pick — but she's on to better and brighter."

"The Office" presents a hilarious documentary-style look at the humorous, and sometimes poignant, foolishness that plagues the 9-to-5 world. Based on the award-winning BBC hit, "The Office" is a fly-on-the-wall "docu-reality" parody of modern American office life that delves into the lives of the workers at Dunder Mifflin, a paper supply company in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

Part of being on to better and brighter is leaving Dunder Mifflin. "I think she's a hard worker, but I also think she has values, or balance," the actress expressed. "That's what she values, balance. So I feel like she probably has moved on to a more senior position. I'm not sure whether it's at a paper company or in a different field, but I also think she has a family and friends and balances it all. That's my wish for her."

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While she wasn't part of the series since the very beginning, Kemper was a big part of the show after joining in 2009 for the fifth season. "I was a fan of The Office before I got to be on it," she explained. "And I connect with people who are fans of The Office."

Since premiering, the comedy received television honors such as the 2006 Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series, 2006 Peabody Award, 2006 and 2008 AFI Honors, Producers Guild Award, Writers Guild Award, SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy, Ace Eddie Award for editing, and a Television Critic's Association Award for Outstanding Achievement in Comedy.

Along with Kemper and Helms, the cast included Steve Carell, John Krasinski, Rainn Wilson, Jenna Fischer, Craig Robinson, Leslie David Baker, Brian Baumgartner, Kate Flannery, Angela Kinsey, Paul Lieberstein, Oscar Nuñez, Phyllis Smith, and Creed Bratton.

Even after ending in 2013, they all still stay in touch. "I talk to Jenna [Fischer], Angela [Kinsey], Mindy [Kaling] and Kate Flannery pretty regularly, and it’s just nice," Kemper shared. "There’s an Office text thread that everybody’s on. There are emails. Everybody’s very much connected still."

Revealing more on the group chat, she added, “Sometimes it’s a joke, sometimes it’s something funny. Sometimes it’s, ‘Hey, come to whatever I’m doing, this show,’ or, ‘Hey, donate to this good cause.’ But I would say it’s largely pretty funny."

The Office is streaming on Peacock.

Sophia Soto

Sophia Soto is a writer and interviewer with a passion for all things entertainment. She is a Senior Reporter at The Nerds of Color and contributes to Yardbarker, Screensphere, Den of Geek, What to Watch, Nerdtropolis, and Temple of Geek. You can see her past work on Remezcla, Young Hollywood, Looper, Paste Magazine, Primetimer, Soundsphere, and Starry Constellation Magazine

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