Roy Anderson (The Office)

Royson "Roy" Allan Anderson is a fictional character from the US television series The Office, portrayed by David Denman. His counterpart in the original UK series of The Office is Lee.

Overview

Roy Anderson is a warehouse dock worker at the Scranton branch of fictitious paper distributor Dunder Mifflin. He has been engaged to the office receptionist Pam Beesly for three years when the series begins, in a relationship where he is shown to be skeptical of, if not completely insensitive to, her ambitions. He often shares in the warehouse's typical blue-collar humor.

Biography

Roy was Pam Beesly's fiancé for over five years until she broke off the engagement. Roy brought along his brother on his first date with Pam, a minor league hockey game; the brothers forgot she was with them and left the game without her while she was in the bathroom. During their long engagement, Roy, on more than one occasion, has seen Jim Halpert flirting with Pam. He claims not to mind, as he likes how Pam is less talkative after having spent time with Jim. Pam's mother and Roy seem to get along ("Sexual Harassment").

Roy is often bored and does not like company get-togethers, particularly when there's no open bar ("Casino Night"), and is seen on more than one occasion leaving office parties early. In the episode "The Fire", he states that he would "do" Angela while playing "Who Would You Do", and throughout the first three seasons Angela is shown to have a crush on Roy too, indeed Roy is the only character with whom Angela interacts that she never indicates any form of disapproval towards, describing him at various times as being "strong and capable", and that he has "character". He vehemently refuses to let Pam apply to a company training program that could advance her talents as an artist. Although generally regarded as boorish, inconsiderate, and selfish, his character is somewhat less cruel and verbally abusive than his UK counterpart, Lee. Roy drives a dark colored Dodge Ram pickup truck, and spent a sizeable portion of the wedding money on two jet skis.^[1] Roy selects Kevin's band Scrantonicity to perform at his wedding reception.

After Pam breaks off their engagement, Roy's life goes into a tailspin when he stops taking care of himself, starts drinking, and is eventually arrested for driving under the influence. Now recovered, he intends to win Pam back, regretting how he took her for granted and wanting to make it up to her. In "Phyllis' Wedding", Roy talks to Pam about their history together and pays Scrantonicity $20 to play "their song." They dance and leave the wedding together.

Later, in "Business School", Roy is shown with his brother Kenny at Pam's art show. And as they leave shortly after arriving, Roy tells Pam that "your art was the prettiest art of all the art", but asks her to leave so that they can go home and have sex.

Their reunion is short-lived. They break up shortly after ("Cocktails") they agree to start their relationship anew, when Pam confesses she kissed Jim on "Casino Night". In response, an enraged Roy started trashing the bar they were meeting at, and Pam calls the relationship off immediately.

With his brother having paid off the bar with money he got from selling his jet-skis, a visibly disturbed Roy states, "I am gonna kill Jim Halpert." When he attempts to beat Jim up in the office, Dwight prevents the attack with pepper spray and Roy is quickly fired. Roy later returns to receive his last paycheck and apologizes to Jim, which Jim accepts. He then asks Pam if they can get a cup of coffee after work, which she reluctantly agrees to.

At a diner, Pam confesses that their engagement was a big mistake and they were never right for each other. Roy asks if she's going to pursue Jim now, but she quietly declines. Roy encourages her to go after him, telling her, "I don't get you, Pam." The two have one final hug outside the diner, and they leave separately.

Roy learns from Jim that he and Pam are engaged when Jim wins a night out with the warehouse crew in "Crime Aid" and Roy joins their group. Roy congratulates Jim, but also plants a seed of doubt when he learns that Pam is staying out all night with friends in New York without Jim.

Judging from Roy's shirt in "Crime Aid", Roy now works at the Vitamin Store, a parody of the real company "The Vitamin Shoppe", even using a shirt with the same distinct colors and emblem.

Roy appeared in the episode "Threat Level Midnight" as a hostage in Michael's film. He had no lines in the actual NBC airing, but has lines and an extended role in the complete film and in previews of the film.

A humbled Roy resurfaces in "Roy's Wedding" when he invites Jim and Pam to his wedding among other Dunder-Mifflin staffers in attendance. Despite their original expectations of Roy, the couple are shocked to find out that Roy has changed for the better. He is now the owner of a successful gravel company he created, evident by the $50,000 sports car and the nice house that he owns and the elegant and tasteful wedding. Roy later thanks Jim before the ceremony, crediting his breakup with Pam to make way for meeting his future bride. Pam is also stunned to see that Roy can play the piano as he sings a song to his bride.

References