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Karen Filippelli is a character in the NBC sitcom The Office. She is played by Rashida Jones.

Karen is introduced in the third season as a sales representative at the Stamford branch of Dunder Mifflin after Jim Halpert is transferred there. Along with Jim and other Stamford employees, she moves to Scranton following the merger of the two branches.

She is portrayed by Rashida Jones.

Biography[]

Like Jan Levinson, Karen is portrayed as an ambitious career woman – having gunned for a corporate vice president position, but is considerably more personable than Jan. Like Pam Beesly, Karen is objectified by several male employees at the Scranton branch.

Karen's ethnicity is deliberately made ambiguous and turned into a sort of running joke. The Italian ancestry implied by her last name is confirmed in "The Merger." But prior to that in the same episode, Dwight suggests that she may be Filipino. She is revealed to be able to speak French ("Grief Counseling") and Chinese (Deleted scene from "Gay Witch Hunt").

In her free time, Karen enjoys first person PC shooters, with her Call of Duty screen name being "KarenTheJimSlayer."

Season 3[]

Karen is first introduced as a co-worker of Jim's when he arrives at the Stamford branch. She initially thinks that he doesn't fit there and dislikes the way he looks at the camera, but eventually grows to develop a crush on him.

Throughout the rest of the season, Karen and Jim continue a steady relationship. Following job interviews in New York, Jim leaves Karen there and returns to Scranton, where he asks Pam out on a date. In a promo clip for season four, Karen states that "Jim dumped my ass and left me crying by a fountain in New York!"

Season 4[]

After returning from New York, Karen explains to Jim that she has worked too hard for her career and does not intend on leaving. However, the next day, her desk at the office is empty and she is nowhere to be seen.

In "Dunder Mifflin Infinity," a promoted Ryan tells Kelly that Karen had emailed him asking for a date. He claims he turned her down out of respect for his relationship with Kelly.

She later becomes the regional manager of the Utica branch, and develops a rivalry with both Michael Scott and Dwight Schrute, as she wants to out-do them.

Season 5[]

In season five, it is revealed that Karen is pregnant, which shocks both Jim and Pam. Michael asks if Jim is the father, but she tells them she is married to a man named Dan. She also learns Jim and Pam are engaged, and seems to be genuinely happy for them.

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