Toby Flenderson

Toby is Dunder Mifflin's HR representative, a quiet, mournful presence perpetually on the receiving end of Michael's contempt. He just wants people to follow procedure and get through the day without conflict, but his very existence as a rules-enforcer makes him a target. He speaks softly, apologizes often, and seems perpetually deflated.

The joke is that Toby is perfectly reasonable and Michael's hatred of him is entirely irrational, which somehow makes it funnier every time. Paul Lieberstein plays him with such muted, hangdog sincerity that his sadness becomes its own running gag—a man slowly worn down by a job that requires him to be liked by no one.