B. J. Novak facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
B. J. Novak
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Novak at SF Sketch Fest in 2008
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Benjamin Joseph Manaly Novak
July 31, 1979 Newton, Massachusetts, U.S.
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| Alma mater | Harvard University (AB) |
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| Years active | 2001–present |
| Parent(s) | William Novak |
| Relatives | Jesse Novak (brother) |
Benjamin Joseph Manaly Novak (born July 31, 1979) is an American actor, comedian, writer, and producer. He first became known as a comedian in the early 2000s. He also appeared on the MTV prank show Punk'd in 2003.
Novak's big break came when he was cast as Ryan Howard in the popular comedy show The Office. He was on the show from 2005 to 2013. Besides acting, he also wrote and produced many episodes. His work on the show won him several awards.
He has also acted in many movies. You might have seen him in Inglourious Basterds (2009), Saving Mr. Banks (2013), and The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014). He also voiced Baker Smurf in The Smurfs movies.
In 2022, Novak wrote, directed, and starred in his own movie called Vengeance. He is also a successful author, known for his book of short stories and the popular children's book, The Book with No Pictures.
Contents
Early Life and School
B.J. Novak was born in Newton, Massachusetts. His father, William Novak, is a famous author who has helped write books for people like Nancy Reagan and Magic Johnson. Novak has two brothers, Lev and Jesse.
He went to high school with John Krasinski, who would later be his co-star on The Office. They graduated in 1997. In high school, Novak was the editor of a school newspaper and even wrote a play with Krasinski.
After high school, Novak went to Harvard University and graduated in 2001. He studied English and Spanish literature. At Harvard, he was part of the Harvard Lampoon, a group famous for writing comedy.
Career Beginnings
After graduating from Harvard, Novak moved to Los Angeles to become a stand-up comedian. In 2003, the magazine Variety named him one of the "Ten Comedians To Watch."
His first job in television was as a writer for a show called Raising Dad. He also performed his comedy on TV shows like Late Night with Conan O'Brien.
His first acting role on TV was on MTV's Punk'd, where he helped host Ashton Kutcher play pranks on celebrities like Hilary Duff and Usher.
Starring in The Office
A TV producer named Greg Daniels saw Novak perform comedy and wanted to work with him. This led to Novak being cast as Ryan Howard on The Office. Ryan starts as a temporary worker and has a complicated, on-and-off relationship with Kelly Kapoor, played by Mindy Kaling.
Novak was not just an actor on the show. He was also one of the main writers and producers. He wrote 15 episodes, including "Diversity Day" and "Local Ad."
He and his fellow writers were nominated five times for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series. Novak left the show after the first episode of season nine but came back for a guest appearance in the final episode.
Novak once said it felt like a dream to be on a hit show with his high school friend, John Krasinski.
Movies and Other TV Shows
After The Office, Novak continued to act in movies and television. He had roles in the war film Inglourious Basterds (2009) and the movie The Founder (2016), which is about the man who started McDonald's.
He also appeared in comedies like Knocked Up (2007) and The Internship (2013). He played the character Alistair Smythe in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014).
Novak has also done voice acting. He was the voice of Baker Smurf in The Smurfs (2011) and its sequel, The Smurfs 2 (2013).
On television, he had roles in The Mindy Project and The Newsroom. In 2021, he created his own show called The Premise. In 2022, he wrote, directed, and starred in the mystery movie Vengeance.
Writing Books
In 2014, Novak published a book of short stories called One More Thing: Stories and Other Stories. It was very popular and appeared on the New York Times Best Sellers list.
That same year, he released a children's book called The Book with No Pictures. The book is unique because it has no pictures, and the person reading it has to say all the silly words written on the page. It was a huge success and was a #1 bestseller for many weeks. Novak said he wrote it to show kids how powerful words can be.
Personal Life
Novak is very close friends with Mindy Kaling, who he worked with on The Office. Their characters, Ryan and Kelly, had an on-and-off relationship, and Novak and Kaling also dated in real life while working on the show. He has said she is "the most important person in my life." He is the godfather to her two children.
Novak is reportedly dating TikTok creator Delaney Rowe. The relationship was first rumored in late 2024 and confirmed in April 2025. He currently lives in Los Angeles.
See also
In Spanish: B. J. Novak para niños
