Fans of Gone Baby Gone and The Wire are in for a treat. Oscar-nominated actress Amy Ryan, who had a small part on “The Office” season four finale, is coming back for more.

Ryan’s character replaced Toby Flenderson, the human resources representative at Michael Scott’s office. Apparently, the boss and the new girl might have a bit of a love interest in the future.

Variety has the whole story:

Ryan is set to appear in at least five segs in the fall, reprising her role as human resources rep Holly Flax.

…

“I don’t know what they’re going to do with the character,” Ryan said, “but as it was written, there’s certainly a lot of potential. It’s a funny thing to enter a show that you’re a great fan of — and it’s nice to tell lighter stories. I love the dark, grittier side of life, but it’s nice to take a break from that, put a skirt on and brush your hair.”

Paul Lieberstein, who once played Toby and has now become an executive producer on the show, has kind words for his replacement.

“Amy gave the character of Holly an openness and matured innocence that exposed a new side of Michael,” said Lieberstein, who was just upped to exec producer on the show. “She placed her character right on his level.”

Ryan has worked with Steve Carell before in the film Dan in Real Life, but she is most famous for playing the drug-addicted but loving mother of a missing girl in Gone Baby Gone, alongside Casey Affleck and Michelle Monoghan. Even those who were less than impressed by the film as a whole lauded Ryan’s performance, particularly her gritty Northeast accent that even fooled security guards on the set of the film.

As a fan of the office and of Amy Ryan’s fantastic performances, I’m thrilled by this news. Hopefully, she will find the time to become a permanent installment at The Office.

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