<Tr> <Th> Based on </Th> <Td> Tim Canterbury </Td> </Tr> <P> Jim Halpert (born October 1, 1978) is a fictional character in the U.S. version of the television sitcom The Office, portrayed by John Krasinski . The character is based on Tim Canterbury from the original version of The Office . The character is named after a childhood friend of executive producer Greg Daniels . He is introduced as a sales representative at the Scranton branch of paper distribution company Dunder Mifflin, before 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". After Dunder Mifflin is bought by Sabre Corporation, Jim is very briefly the sole regional manager of the branch, before returning to the Sales department until his requested termination in the series finale . </P> <P> His character serves as the intelligent, mild - mannered straight man role to Michael, although it is also defined by a rivalrous pranking on fellow salesman Dwight Schrute and a romantic interest in receptionist Pam Beesly, whom he begins dating in the fourth season, marries in the sixth, and has children with in the sixth and eighth . </P> <P> Jim Halpert was born on October 1, 1978, to Gerald and Betsy Halpert . He has two brothers, Pete and Tom, who share his general love of pranks but have come across as unpleasant and somewhat bullying towards their little brother . Jim's parents presumably live in Scranton as well, as his sister Larissa and best friend Alan Murphy are listed as his emergency contact at Dunder Mifflin . While Pete and Tom have been seen on the show a few times, Larissa has not . He has a niece, Vanessa, and a nephew old enough to play T - ball . In "Branch Wars", while he is not specific on which brother he is referring to, he states that his brother's wife just had another baby . Jim enjoys cycling, and, as he reveals in a deleted scene from "Take Your Daughter to Work Day", at times, will babysit Toby Flenderson's daughter, Sasha . He also lists soft - shell crab as his favorite food . Jim has noted that basketball "Was kind of (his) thing" in high school . Although no high school is specifically named by Jim, both Dunmore High School (as evidenced in a deleted scene from "Product Recall" where, during a business visit, he asks a high school student about a former teacher) and West Scranton High School (as evidenced when, during "Email Surveillance", Pam holds up his yearbook displaying their mascot name, Invaders, across the front) are referenced in separate episodes . In the Episode "Dwight's Speech", Jim tells Dwight that he majored in Public Speaking, however, he later denies this . Jim began working at Dunder Mifflin between 1998 and 1999 (as evidenced in "Pilot", and "The Merger", where Jim says that he still loves when Michael says, "Wazzup!" crazily after seven years, and that on his first day at work Michael played an orientation video which parodied The Blair Witch Project). </P>

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