The ‘Office’ quote that defined Kevin Malone, according to the actor himself

When you think of Kevin Malone from The Office, you might jump first to some of his more oafish moments: dropping the chili, wearing tissue boxes as shoes, stuffing his face with M&Ms. But Brian Baumgartner, the actor who played Kevin, thinks another moment might just be the key to understanding the character.

Baumgartner was the guest on a very Kevin-centric episode of The Office Ladies podcast, hosted by Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey, who played Pam and Angela on the show, respectively. In the episode, which was released this week, Fischer and Kinsey asked Baumgartner if he felt a certain line best embodied Kevin.

At first, Baumgartner laughed because his mind went to silly quotes that he stressed were not his “final answer.” He joked that Kevin messing up on the alphabet or reminding himself not to eat cats were what came to mind.

“Those two made me laugh more than any other,” Baumgartner said on the podcast.

But then he got to the real answer. One that hinted at Kevin always proving to have a good heart.

“This is the cheesy answer,” Baumgartner said. “The more serious answer would be: ‘It’s just nice to win one.'”

The hosts agreed.

“That does embody Kevin, I think,” Fischer said. “I think that’s the answer.”

Now, for those who aren’t complete Office obsessives, you might not remember that line. Luckily for you, I wrote Mashable’s ultra-comprehensive, book-length ranking of every single episode of The Office.

The quote comes from a Season 4 episode titled “Chair Model.” One of the plot lines involved Kevin and Andy attempting to get the office’s parking spots back after construction crews took them. The two accomplish the feat by groveling to the other businesses in the complex.

But Kevin gets emotional when talking to the cameras about the small victory. Life had been hard, and getting the little win meant so much.

It’s a humanizing, sweet moment. While Kevin might be a silly character, part of his charm was his tenderness and loyalty to his friends. And that’s precisely why it’s a quote that sums up Kevin the best.