In the documentary "The IT Crowd Manual", Roy is described as a worker who is engaged beneath his capabilities. O'Dowd said that Roy is slightly more capable of talking to people than Moss, but is still a man-child and slightly socially inept. Critic Boyd Hilton has said that Roy thinks he is on the cool edge of nerdiness. Author Cory Doctorow said that Roy's snark and misanthropy is identifiable to a certain tribe of nerds. Regarding his friendship with Moss, O'Dowd said that it seems as if they met in college. Linehan likened the two to 14-year-olds who like spending time with each other. Linehan said he originally thought the role should not be played by an Irish person, but that O'Dowd was the best man for the job, especially appreciating his physical performances.
