10 Times Creed Blatantly Lied In The Office

Creed Bratton is the most peculiar character in The Office, and there is certainly no shortage of moments that leave audiences rethinking their whole perception of him. From regularly forgetting his coworkers’ names to evading the police, there are plenty of mysteries about Creed in The Office which make up some of the series’ best moments. His eccentricities become increasingly perplexing throughout the series, but the strangeness is perfectly suited to Creed’s accidental role in The Office. The character is a partial fictionalization of the real actor, and although his appearances are sporadic, they always provide plenty of entertainment.

With Steve Carell’s infamous Michael Scott in seven seasons, or the equally peculiar Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson) taking center stage, it’s understandable that Creed is seemingly one of the most underrated characters in The Office. However, Creed’s more nuanced character merits a more in-depth exploration. Creed tells some blatant lies throughout his time in The Office, meaning everything he says must be taken with a pinch of salt. These lies may be on account of his poor memory, but at any rate, it makes for some hilarious encounters until the ninth and final season.

10. Telling Michael A Human Can Survive Hours After Decapitation

Season 3, Episode 4: “Grief Counseling”

Season 3, episode 4 of The Office, “Grief Counseling,” is often excluded from discussions about the funniest episodes of The Office, but it truly stands the test of time. When Michael discovers his former boss, Ed Truck (Ken Howard), has died, Creed steps in and unveils the full story to him — or so we believe. Creed tells Michael that Ed was involved in a traffic accident where he was decapitated. In and of itself, it’s dubious as to how Creed knows this piece of information, and it could simply seem like a witty play of words with Ed’s last name.

However, Michael takes it at face value. As Michael is processing the information, Creed informs him: “You know, a human can go on living for several hours after being decapitated.” Dwight instantly rebukes the fact, stating he is talking about a chicken. The moment is made even funnier by Creed’s swift confusion, suggesting he is entirely clueless about his own words.

9. Fabricating A Story About Dwight & Roy’s Conflict

Season 3, Episode 18: “The Negotiation”

One of Creed’s most outright lies also happens in season 3, in “The Negotiation,” in which Dwight protects Jim (John Krasinski) from the jealous warehouse worker, Roy (David Denman). Upon hearing of the conflict, Angela (Angela Kinsey) is eager to hear people’s accounts of the scenario, impressed by her lover’s strength. When she approaches the older man, Creed immediately fabricates a story where Jim stole Roy’s car, including the use of far more weapons.

Angela quickly disapproves of his fiction and sees straight through his deceit. She tells him he’s “useless,” and Creed casually goes back to work — completely unperturbed by the conversation. Once again, Creed’s nonchalance indicates these lies are second nature to him. He remains oblivious to the consequences of his words and disregards Angela’s judgment, which prevents her from being misled by his falsehoods.

8. The Ploy To Get Debbie Brown Sacked From The Paper Mill

Season 3, Episode 20: “Product Recall”

Arguably, this is Creed’s worst lie in any season of The Office. At least, it certainly has the worst consequences. When a batch of paper containing an inappropriate watermark is sent out to suppliers, Creed falls on his sword for the error as Dunder Mifflin’s quality assurance supervisor. Having “blown off” the quality checks, Creed covers his tracks by calling the Paper Mill to find one employee who was not in attendance the previous week and frames her — in the name of protecting his own job. After all, “the only difference standing between [him] and a homeless man is this job.”

However, this is not where the lie ends. Creed then goes to tell Dwight that Debbie Brown didn’t turn up for their spot check that previous Wednesday. He even goes as far as purchasing Debbie a farewell card, collecting money from his colleagues for her intentions, before he pockets the cash and throws the card into the bin. It’s clear that Creed does not feel empathy for anyone other than himself.

7. Placing Himself In The 75 Plus Division For The Fun Run

Season 4, Episode 1: “Fun Run”

After Michael runs over Meredith (Kate Flannery) with his car, her hospital admission leads to her diagnosis of Rabies. Characteristic of his usual antics, Michael arranges a Rabies awareness fun run. Creed registers with Jan (Melora Hardin), claiming to be in the 75 plus division. Responding to her surprise, Creed claims he will be 82 years old on November 1st. It’s obviously a lie, not only because Creed has made multiple claims about his age before this point, but because it doesn’t track in the slightest.

Michael’s confusion adds to the overall bewilderment, making the situation even more difficult to believe. It seems more likely that Creed registered in this division so he could cheat a win in this category and ultimately win the prize. This is more probable after he realizes there is no prize for the race, and instead exits the competition with Oscar (Óscar Núñez) and Stanley (Leslie David Baker) in favor of going for some drinks.

6. Creed Bratton’s Identity

Season 4, Episode 4: “Money”

One of The Office‘s longest-running gags is Creed’s identity. This is somewhat paid off in the final episode, but early in season 4, the quality assurance employee hints at Creed Bratton being a pseudonym. Jan’s excessive spending lands Michael with major money problems, and Creed explains that whenever he finds himself in similar trouble, he transfers his debts to William Charles Schneider. It’s likely that this is one of Creed’s several aliases, but it seems much closer to his actual identity.

Creed presents the passport to the camera that shows Scneider being born on February 8, 1943, making him 64 years old. This is a reference to the actor, who was also born on February 8, 1943, and originally named William Charles Schneider. Although he may be lying about his true identity the rest of the time, this alias may be the most accurate depiction of the character throughout the series.

5. Creed Living By The Quarry

Season 5, Episode 9: “Frame Toby”

One of the secondary plotlines in season 5, episode 9 sees Jim strengthen his relationship with Pam (Jenna Fischer) by buying his parents’ house. When he’s approached in the break room by a select few, he informs them the house is on Linden Ave. — by the quarry. Creed chirps in with a misplaced youthfulness, to say “Cool beans, man! I live by the quarry. We should hang out by the quarry and throw things down there.”

It’s hilariously absurd, and the randomness is perfectly in line with Creed’s eccentric nature, going completely unnoticed by everyone. Given his reputation for embellishment, Creed’s claim to live by the quarry seems dubious. His outburst elicits another round of startled glances, quickly followed by disinterest, particularly by Jim. Jim is more concerned by his relationship with Pam, and Creed has long established that he will randomly lie for no reason at all.

4. Creed Introducing Himself To New People

Season 5, Episode 16: “Blood Drive”

Creed is a habitual liar, especially when meeting new people. He often exaggerates his experiences, and “Blood Drive,” is the perfect example of this. During Valentine’s Day, Michael holds a singles party in the hopes of finding a mystery lady. Lynn (Lisa K. Wyatt) arrives at the party and later becomes romantically involved with Kevin (Brian Baumgartner). Before then, however, Lynn is seen talking with Creed, who introduces himself as 34 years old.

It’s clear that this is a lie, and she looks rather stunned at his confession. However, Creed’s standoffish behavior towards new people is not unprecedented. His initial encounter with Holly (Amy Ryan), for example, is incredibly awkward as he feigns ignorance about his own job title at Dunder Mifflin. Alternatively, his late introduction to Meredith, well into the series, raises questions about his awareness of his surroundings.

3. Creed May Have Committed A Murder

Season 6, Episode 10: “Murder”

While never confirmed, there are multiple hints throughout The Office that Creed has committed murder. One of these times is during season 6, episode 10, “Murder.” Michael distracts the office from the company’s potential insolvency by hosting a game of Belles, Bourbon, and Bullets. As the game is in full swing, Creed arrives late to work, where Michael informs him: “There has been a murder, and you are a suspect.” Creed quickly flees the scene and is not seen again for the rest of the episode.

In the series finale, Dwight lists a great number of crimes that Creed is being incarcerated for. Although murder is not on this list, it is certain that Creed is hiding something from his co-workers, especially with additional clues provided after the strange season 6 episode.

2. Creed Did Not Realize It Was Halloween

Season 9, Episode 5: “Here Comes Treble”

A later suggestion of Creed’s involvement in murder emerges in an episode of The Office‘s final season. Creed turns up at the office wearing a blood-splattered shirt, and tells the camera that Halloween is “really good timing.” There could be plenty of opposing reasons as to why Creed’s shirt is marked with blood. Perhaps he was engaging in an extracurricular activity, but it does seem more likely that he is a murderer — particularly given his bizarre behavior in the previous seasons.

In one episode in particular, Phyllis (Phyllis Smith) disguises herself as Santa and Creed is curious about the consequences of being bad. He asks: “What if you’ve been really, really bad? More ‘evil’ than strictly ‘wrong‘.” These definitely seem like strong enough grounds to believe that he is, in fact, guilty of something much worse than petty crimes and lies.

1. Creed Claims To Be An Accountant

Season 9, Episode 17, “The Farm.”

While Dwight and others are embarking upon the stealth pilot intended to set up the canceled spinoff series, Creed claims to be an accountant. It’s a throwaway line in a “talking head” interview with the quality assurance employee which is often overlooked. He states: “I never forget a number. Names? In one ear and out the other. Places? Nope. Faces? That’s rich. But numbers? I have a gift. I guess that’s why I’m an accountant.”

At this stage in the series, Creed’s continued uncertainty about his actual job adds to the comedic effect. However, the other parts of his statement are undeniably true, albeit amusingly so. As seen previously, Creed has forgotten many of his co-workers and regularly refers to them by their wrong names. Creed’s character remains remarkably consistent throughout the series, making him a defining staple of The Office.