James Halpert is a fictional character in the U.S. version of the television sitcom The Office, portrayed by John Krasinski. The character is also named after a childhood friend of executive producer Greg Daniels. He is one of the few main characters whose middle name is never revealed on the show. He is introduced as a sales representative at the Scranton branch of paper distribution company Dunder Mifflin, before temporarily transferring to the Stamford branch in the third season. Upon the merger of Scranton and Stamford branches, he becomes Assistant Regional Manager, and later co-manager alongside Michael Scott during the sixth-season episode arc from "The Promotion" to "The Manager and the Salesman". The character is based on Tim Canterbury from the original version of The Office.