- NBC's "The Office" is a hit sitcom that featured an expansive cast of talented actors including Steve Carell, Jenna Fischer, John Krasinski, and more.
- Although many of the show's cast members have gone on to have successful careers in the entertainment industry, the stars of the sitcom have been in a few movies that critics hated.
- For example, Steve Carell, who played Michael Scott on "The Office," had a minor role as a waiter in the critically panned comedy "Curly Sue," which is his lowest-rated film on Rotten Tomatoes.
- John Krasinski, who played Jim Halpert on "The Office," starred in the rom-com "License to Wed" (2007), his worst movie to date, per critics.
- Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.
NBC's "The Office" is a hit comedy series that people still stream today. And although many of the show's cast members have gone on to work on a variety of big films, not all of these flicks have been a hit with critics.
Here are the worst movies that the cast of "The Office" has appeared in, based on critic scores on Rotten Tomatoes. Keep in mind that this list was accurate at the time of publication but is subject to change.
Oscar Nunez played Lorenzo in "Fred: The Movie" (2010).
Critic Score: 0%
On "The Office," Oscar Nunez played Oscar Martinez, a meticulous accountant who puts up with Angela's short temper and Kevin's crass humor.
While "The Office" was still on the air, Nunez played Lorenzo in "Fred: The Movie," a film about the silly life of YouTuber Fred Figglehorn (Lucas Cruikshank).
The comedy has been called "boorish" and "grating" by film critics.
"Even young fans of the online shorts will find the concept stretched perilously thin," wrote critic Richard Jordan of Total Film. "And if your eardrums don't break, your spirit certainly will."
Craig Robinson appeared in "Father of Invention" (2011).
Critic Score: 0%
Craig Robinson played warehouse worker Darryl Philbin on "The Office," and later had a role in the comedic drama "Father of Invention" as the very smitten Jerry King.
With a 0% on Rotten Tomatoes, "Father of Invention" was completely panned by critics who called it "predictable" and "banal."
"Colorless exposition and a lack of imagination or wit stall 'Father of Invention' at the starting gate," wrote Variety critic Ronnie Scheib.
John Krasinski starred in "License to Wed" (2007).
Critic Score: 7%
In the romantic comedy "License to Wed," John Krasinksi put Jim Halpert's Dunder-Mifflin business attire aside to play Ben Murphy, a man set on marrying his fiancée (Mandy Moore) at her family church.
Unfortunately, the church's pastor (Robin Williams) makes them go through outrageous hoops to secure a wedding at the chapel.
Critics panned the film and largely blamed the poor score on its outlandish, "creepy" premise.
"It's exactly what it looks like from the commercials," wrote critic Christy Lemire for the Associated Press. "[It's] a one-joke movie, and that one joke isn't even funny to begin with."
Brian Baumgartner also made a cameo in "License to Wed."
Critic Score: 7%
"The Office" alum Brian Baumgartner, who played Kevin Malone, made a cameo appearance in "License to Wed," too.
His second lowest-rated film is "Four Christmases," a holiday comedy with a 24% on Rotten Tomatoes.
Mindy Kaling is yet another cast member who appeared in "License to Wed."
Critic Score: 7%
Mindy Kaling, who played Kelly Kapoor on "The Office," also appeared in the rom-com flop "License to Wed."
Some even dubbed this movie an "Office" party because of how many stars from the sitcom appeared in it.
Angela Kinsey was a real estate mogul in "Furry Vengeance" (2010).
Critic Score: 7%
Although she also had a minor role in " License to Wed," Angela Kinsey, who played a cat-loving accountant on "The Office," appeared in another low-scoring film called "Furry Vengeance."
In the movie, housing developer Dan (Brendan Fraser) is enlisted by real-estate moguls Neal (Ken Jeong) and Felder (Angela Kinsey) to destroy a rural Oregon forest and turn it into a mall. In retaliation, the local forest animals fight back.
Critics panned the film for being humorless and for having a thin premise.
"People often ask reviewers to choose the worst film of the year so far," wrote London Evening Standard critic Derek Malcolm. "At last I have a cast-iron candidate."
Read More: 14 surprising things you probably didn't know about 'The Office'
Jenna Fischer played Alli in "Are You Here" (2014).
Critic Score: 8%
After playing shy-receptionist-turned-brazen-businesswoman Pam Beesly, Jenna Fischer starred alongside Owen Wilson, Zach Galifianakis, and Amy Poehler in "Are You Here" in a minor role as Alli.
Although the film had an all-star cast of comedians, critics panned it, calling it "frustrating" and "disappointing."
"Everything about 'Are You Here' feels like a bottom-drawer script idea that was put together too casually and carelessly," wrote The Globe and Mail critic Liam Lacey.
Phyllis Smith was a flight attendant in "Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked" (2011).
Critic Score: 11%
Phyllis Smith played Phyllis Vance, a quiet salesperson with a surprisingly sharp tongue, on "The Office."
After "The Office" she did a memorable turn as Sadness in the hit Pixar film "Inside Out" (2015), but her lowest-rated film is also an animated flick — "Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked" (2011).
In the family-friendly animated film, Smith made a brief appearance as a flight attendant.
The chipmunk comedy has an 11% on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics dragging it for its lazy writing and humor.
"'Chipwrecked' will probably be a winner with families that have small children, but older children may squirm and adults will find themselves wondering how such a promising premise got so quickly beached," wrote Movie Metropolis critic James Plath.
Steve Carell was Tesio in "Curly Sue" (1991).
Critic Score: 13%
Long before he played oddball boss Michael Scott on "The Office," Steve Carell made a small appearance in "Curly Sue" (1991) as a waiter named Tesio.
"Curly Sue" was received poorly by critics, who called it "mindless."
In her scathing review of "Curly Sue," critic Harriet Waugh wrote for The Spectator: "Everyone who has to do with it — particularly John Hughes, the writer, director and producer of it — should be ashamed."
BJ Novak voiced Baker Smurf in "The Smurfs 2" (2013).
Critic Score: 14%
BJ Novak was not just a writer for "The Office" but also an actor; he played temp-turned-corporate-boss Ryan Howard, who ended up being a temp again by the end of the show.
In the follow-up to the first live-action "Smurfs" movie, Novak once again voiced Baker Smurf.
Critics called out the sequel for lacking charm and being "obnoxious."
"'The Smurfs 2' probably isn't any worse than you might expect," wrote critic Bruce Ingram for Chicago Sun-Times. "On the other hand, it's almost certainly not any better."
Ellie Kemper played Tess in "Sex Tape" (2014).
Critic Score:16%
After embodying ditzy yet lovable Erin Hanover on "The Office" for several seasons, Ellie Kemper played friendly neighbor Tess in "Sex Tape."
In the comedy, Jason Segel and Cameron Diaz star as a married couple that panics when they realize that their sex tape has begun to spread online.
Critics gave the movie a 16% on Rotten Tomatoes, saying that the laughs were few and far between and the plot was hard to believe.
"Even for a farce, the situations stretch credulity far beyond the breaking point," critic Lou Lumenick wrote for the New York Post.
Kate Flannery was Norma in "Helicopter Mom" (2015).
Critic Score: 17%
On "The Office," Kate Flannery starred as Meredith Palmer, a supplier-relations representative with a complicated relationship with men and alcohol.
Flannery later went on to play a supporting role in "Helicopter Mom," a movie that centers around neurotic Maggie's (Nia Vardalos) smothering relationship with her son (Jason Dolley).
In the film, Flannery played Norma, Maggie's friend.
The comedy has been ripped apart on Rotten Tomatoes, with critics attributing their low ratings to the movie's uneasy humor and nonsensical script.
"Breziner's disjointed film is rife with storylines that go nowhere and characters that briefly appear and disappear without explanation," critic Christine Ziemba wrote for Paste Magazine.
Ed Helms was an estranged son in "Father Figures" (2017).
Critic Score: 17%
On "The Office," Ed Helms played Andy Bernard, a paper salesman who never stops talking about his alma mater Cornell.
In "Father Figures," Helms and Owen Wilson played brothers who try to track down their father, a man they once believed to be dead.
Critics ripped the film apart for its lack of direction and slow-moving plot.
"Director Sher shows no special affinity for comic pacing or enlivening dialogue scenes, so the movie just plods from scene to scene, building no momentum,"critic Robert Abele wrote for The Wrap.
Rashida Jones played Debbie in "Cop Out" (2010).
Critic Score: 18%
Rashida Jones had a brief but influential role on "The Office" as Jim's short-lived girlfriend Karen Filippelli.
In the buddy-cop comedy "Cop Out," Jones acted alongside Tracy Morgan and Bruce Willis.
Generally, "Cop Out" was called "slow" and "humorless" by critics.
"It's just not very funny — despite the all-too-apparent struggle to deliver verbal fireworks, there's something immovably sluggish and inert about it," wrote critic Andrew Pulver for The Guardian.
Rainn Wilson played a professor in "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" (2009).
Critic Score: 20%
On "The Office," Rainn Wilson was Dwight Schrute, an overachieving beet farmer with a lover for selling paper.
In 2009, Wilson played Professor Colan in "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen," an action film in the "Transformers" franchise that was dragged by critics for having overblown action and a messy plot.
"I would like to think that even if I was 14, either in body or spirit, I would still find this film an impossibly, incomprehensibly overlong and cacophonous bore," film critic Peter Rainer wrote for The Christian Science Monitor.
Leslie David Baker was Lieutenant Banning in "The Happytime Murders" (2018).
Critic Score: 24%
Leslie David Baker is best known for playing crossword-loving curmudgeon Stanley Hudson on "The Office."
But his lowest-rated film on Rotten Tomatoes is the puppet-filled murder caper "The Happytime Murders," in which he played Lieutenant Banning.
The star-filled comedy was dragged by critics for being overstuffed and humorless.
"This premise holds some promise, but 'The Happytime Murders' is a joyless, soulless slog, wasting the efforts of co-stars Melissa McCarthy and Elizabeth Banks," wrote Slate critic Inkoo Kang.
Paul Lieberstein played the lead in his directorial debut "Song of Back and Neck" (2018), his best and worst film.
Critic Score:69%
On "The Office," Paul Lieberstein played Michael's rival Toby Flenderson, an innocuous human-resources representative who desperately tried to maintain a semblance of professionalism at Dunder Mifflin.
Lieberstein has a limited filmography, so his lowest-rated film also happens to be his best-rated: his directorial debut "Song of Back and Neck."
In the film, Lieberstein played the lead character Fred, a man who suffers from neck and back pain and finds relief from an acupuncturist.
The film has is the only certified fresh film on this list, due to mixed yet generally favorable reviews from critics.
"An alumnus of 'The Office' has created a rom-com with the cringe-worthy situations, the quirky comic banter and a killer running gag worthy of the sitcom that made him," praised critic Roger Moore for Movie Nation.