B. J. Novak

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Benjamin Novak

Birth name	Benjamin Joseph Manaly Novak
Born	July 31, 1979 (age 27) Newton, Massachusetts
Other name(s)	B.J. Novak
Notable roles	Ryan Howard on NBC's The Office

Benjamin Joseph Manaly Novak (born July 31, 1979 in Newton, Massachusetts), better known as B. J. Novak, is a stand-up comedian, actor, and writer who plays the character of Ryan Howard on the NBC sitcom The Office. Novak is also a writer and supervising producer for The Office. He has written the episodes Diversity Day, Sexual Harrassment, The Fire, Boys and Girls, Initiation, and Safety Training.

Novak's television acting career began on MTV's Punk'd. He was the lead accomplice on the show's second season, and was most widely known for his pranks on Hilary Duff, Usher, and Mya. This may have been inadvertently referenced on The Office U.S. (since the scene was taken from the UK version), "The Pilot" episode, where Ryan plays the accomplice to Michael as he pranks (or punks) Pam.

He also appears as an actor in the feature films Unaccompanied Minors, Reign Over Me, and Knocked Up.

Novak grew up in Newton, a city near Boston. He graduated from Newton South High School along with The Office co-star John Krasinski and enrolled in Harvard University , where he earned a degree in English and Spanish literature and wrote for the Harvard Lampoon.

After graduating Harvard University in 2001, Novak moved to Los Angeles where he began working clubs as a comedian. His first live stand-up performance was on October 10, 2001 at the Hollywood Youth Hostel. He soon became a fixture at the popular L.A. comedy clubs like The Improv and was named one of Variety's "Ten Comedians To Watch" in 2003. He has since performed on Comedy Central's Premium Blend and on Late Night with Conan O' Brien.

Novak is the older brother of Jesse Novak, composer and ex-member of the sketch comedy group Olde English. His other younger brother Lev Novak is a student at Gann Academy in Waltham who is also striving to become a comedic actor. Novak's father, William Novak, is a noted ghostwriter and the co-editor of The Big Book of Jewish Humor ^[1].