Ellie Kemper facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ellie Kemper
Kemper in 2018
Born	Elizabeth Claire Kemper (1980-05-02) May 2, 1980 (age 45) Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.
Education	Princeton University (BA) Worcester College, Oxford
Occupation	Actress writer
Years active	1999–present
Spouse(s)	Michael Koman ​ (m. 2012)​
Children	2
Relatives	Carrie Kemper (sister) William Thornton Kemper Sr. (great-great-grandfather)

Elizabeth Claire Kemper (born May 2, 1980) is an American actress and writer. She is well-known for her roles as Erin Hannon in the TV show The Office (2009–2013). She also starred as Kimmy Schmidt in the comedy series Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (2015–2019).

Ellie Kemper has appeared in several movies. These include Bridesmaids (2011) and 21 Jump Street (2012). She also wrote a book called My Squirrel Days in 2018. She has received many awards and nominations for her acting.

Early Life and Family

Ellie Kemper was born in Kansas City, Missouri. She is the second of four children. Her parents are Dorothy Ann and David Woods Kemper. Her father is a leader at Commerce Bancshares, a bank started by her family.

Ellie is the older sister of Carrie Kemper, who is a television writer. Her family moved to St. Louis when she was five years old. She was raised as a Roman Catholic.

In 1999, when she was 19, Ellie participated in the Veiled Prophet Ball. This was a traditional event. In 2021, some people criticized the event's history. Ellie then released a statement. She apologized for her involvement and spoke out against ideas of white supremacy.

Education and Early Interests

Ellie went to Conway Elementary School and John Burroughs School in St. Louis. There, she became interested in theater and comedy. One of her teachers was the actor Jon Hamm. They even performed in a school play together.

Kemper graduated from Princeton University in 2002. She earned a degree in English. At Princeton, she joined an improv comedy group called Quipfire. She also played on Princeton's field hockey team for a year. Later, she studied English literature at Worcester College, Oxford for a year.

Acting Career Highlights

Starting in Comedy

Ellie Kemper continued her love for improv comedy after college. She performed with groups like Quipfire! and the Princeton Triangle Club. She also appeared in commercials and comedy sketches. You might have seen her on Late Night with Conan O'Brien.

She got her first acting card by doing a commercial for Kmart. It showed her camping with an on-screen husband. She also wrote for satirical newspapers like The Onion and McSweeney's.

Kemper performing "Feeling Sad/Mad with Ellie Kemper" at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theater in 2008

After moving to New York City, Ellie joined the Peoples Improv Theater and Upright Citizens Brigade. These are famous improv comedy theaters. She performed in many shows there. In 2008, she tried out for Saturday Night Live but was not cast. In 2009, Variety magazine named her one of their "10 Comics To Watch."

She also wrote and performed her own one-woman comedy shows. These included "Dumb Girls" and "Feeling Sad/Mad with Ellie Kemper." She appeared in comedy videos for the website Funny or Die.

Becoming a Star on Television

Ellie Kemper auditioned for Parks and Recreation, another NBC comedy show. She didn't get that role. However, she was called back to audition for The Office. She got the part of Erin Hannon, a new secretary. She started appearing on the show in April 2009.

The writers first planned Erin to be sarcastic. But they changed her character to be more cheerful and positive. This was because Ellie herself is very upbeat. Ellie said Erin was "an exaggerated version of myself." She was a big fan of the show and loved being on it. Erin was only supposed to be in four episodes. But the producers liked Ellie so much that they made her a regular cast member.

Kemper at the 38th People's Choice Awards in January 2012

Critics really liked Ellie's performance in The Office. They praised the "infectious joy and sweetness" she brought to the show. Many said she was a highlight of the show's later seasons.

After The Office, Ellie starred in the Netflix comedy series Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. She played the main character, Kimmy Schmidt. Kimmy is a young woman who moves to New York City after being held captive for many years. She wants to start a new life. Ellie's acting in this show was highly praised. She received many nominations for awards.

In the summer of 2015, Ellie was a temporary co-host on the morning show Today. In 2019, she was a guest judge on America's Got Talent. She even pressed the Golden Buzzer for a dance group called Light Balance Kids.

Other Creative Work

In 2018, Ellie Kemper narrated the audiobook for A Day in the Life of Marlon Bundo. She also narrated The Legends of Greemulax in 2019. This book was supposedly written by her character Kimmy Schmidt.

That same year, she published her first book, My Squirrel Days. In 2023, she made her Broadway debut. She joined the cast of the play Peter Pan Goes Wrong for a short time.

Personal Life

Ellie Kemper married comedy writer Michael Koman on July 7, 2012. They have two sons. Their first son was born in August 2016. Their second son was born in September 2019. Ellie has shared that her husband agreed to raise their children as Roman Catholics.

In 2022, Ellie Kemper ran the NYC Marathon. She finished the race in 5 hours, 17 minutes, and 39 seconds.

Filmography

Film Roles

Television Roles

Awards and Nominations

See also

In Spanish: Ellie Kemper para niños