In honor of “Administrative Professionals Day” today (which was originally Secretaries Day, but I guess that’s not a word we use anymore), I started thinking about some of my favorite administrative professionals on film or TV. (A few of these aren’t traditional assistant/receptionist jobs, per se, but in my mind they fit the spirit of the position - often undervalued, but clearly the lynchpins holding workplaces together.) So here’s to my favorite administrative professionals on big and small screens, and to all the rest working out there in real life.

Tess McGill, played by Melanie Griffith

Tess McGill, ‘Working Girl’: You can’t steal Tess McGill’s idea and get away with it - though it’s probably not a recommended course of getting ahead to impersonate your boss while she’s in the hospital.

“I’m not gonna spend the rest of my life working my ass off and getting nowhere just because I followed rules that I had nothing to do with setting up, OK?”

Margaret, ‘The West Wing’: The more times I watch ’The West Wing’, the more I realize that Margaret is pretty much the best supporting character. Her working relationship with Leo is one of my favorite things about the show.

“Margaret: He didn’t have an appointment.
Leo: … I did it!
Margaret: You did it yourself?
Leo: Yes.
Margaret: And you’re not supposed to do that, are you?”

Anna Camp, Erin Darke, and Genevieve Angelson in Good Girls Revolt

All the researchers, ‘Good Girls Revolt’: This show was amazing, and I’m so annoyed that Amazon cancelled it. Set in a newspaper office on the cusp of the 70s and women’s equal rights at work, the researchers work to seize their own chances to be reporters through filing a lawsuit against their employer. As they should do.

“Nora: It’s like you guys are fighting over the lower bunk bed in jail: who gets to make the guys who are writing the story look better.”

Moneypenny, James Bond: Moneypenny occasionally suffers from terrible writing that makes her a little too weak-in-the-knees for James, but when she’s on point, it’s glorious. (For the record, while I love the new, more hands on, Moneypenny character that’s being created by Naomie Harris, this mention is more focused on the original Moneypenny, played by Lois Maxwell.)

“I know you’ll find this crushing, 007, but I don’t sit at home every night praying for some international incident so I can run down here all dressed up to impress James Bond.”

Comedic glories from Katharine Hepburn in The Desk Set

Bunny Watson, ‘Desk Set’: Bunny Watson heads the research department at a TV network that’s about to be computerized - but they won’t be ousted that easily! Katharine Hepburn leads a great group of actresses in this fantastically written office battle.

“Bunny Watson: I don’t smoke, I only drink champagne when I’m lucky enough to get it, my hair is naturally natural, I live alone… and so do you.
Richard Sumner: How do you know that?
Bunny Watson: Because you’re wearing one brown sock and one black sock.”

Clarissa Saunders,’Mr. Smith Goes to Washington’: An example of a story that hinges on the actions and knowledge of the secretary. Jean Arthur plays Clarissa Saunders, whose knowledge of Washington’s workings pushes Smith’s idea for a boys’ camp forward, and later almost single-handedly saves Smith from the vultures of Capitol Hill politics.

“Look, Senator, I wasn’t given a brain just to tell a Boy Ranger what time it is.”

Grace, ‘Ferris Bueller’s Day Off’: Grace is just such a great foil to Mr. Rooney’s manic rage. And her hairdo full of pencils is solid gold.

“Oh, he’s very popular Ed. The sportos, the motorheads, geeks, sluts, bloods, wastoids, dweebies, dickheads - they all adore him. They think he’s a righteous dude.”

Annie Potts as Janine Melnitz, the perfect foil for the Ghostbusters team

Janine Melnitz, ‘Ghostbusters’: Janine Melnitz is a perfect fit for the Ghostbusters - a sense of acceptance and unfazed realism in a world of paranormal and unreal circumstances. Annie Potts plays the part wonderfully. Extra kudos for the fabulous glasses.

“I’ve quit better jobs than this. [phone rings] Ghostbusters, what do you want?”

Pam, ‘The Office’: And of course, I have to include Pam… because she was absolutely one of the best things about The Office. And considering who she had to work for, she actually managed the flow of the office pretty well on an average day.

“Sometimes I don’t put Michael through until he’s already said something. I look at it as a practice run for him. He usually does better on the second attempt.”

Happy Administrative Professionals Day!