B.J. Novak as
Ryan Howard Benjamin Joseph Manaly Novak, who was born on July 31, 1979 in Newton, Massachusetts, studied at Newton South High School with future The Office co-star,
John Krasinski . Novak was educated at Harvard University, where he graduated with a degree in English and Spanish literature. While there, he wrote for the Harvard Lampoon.
"[John] Krasinski and I both worked at Cafe Lampara in Newton the summer after our senior year in high school. He worked the takeout counter and I was a line cook," the actor said about his friendship with Krasinski. "I didn't speak any Portuguese and he didn't need to. He got to interact with people he could have conversations with. I just learned a lot of Brazilian curse words."
Upon graduating in 2001, he relocated to Los Angeles where he launched his career as a comedian, working in various clubs. His first live stand-up performance was in 2001 at the Hollywood Youth Hostel. Two years later, he was named by Variety magazine as one of the 10 Comedians to Watch. Novak then appeared on Comedy Central's Premium Blend and Late Night With Conan O'Brien.
Novak ventured into acting on television by working on MTV's
Punk'd , where he was the lead accomplice. While on the show, he was given the opportunity to play pranks on Hilary Duff, Usher, and Mýa. He also was given the opportunity to work on feature films Unaccompanied Minors, Reign Over Me, and Knocked Up.
In 2005, Novak was cast for the role he is most known for, Ryan Howard on NBC's The Office. Aside from working on the show as an actor, he has also written episodes such as "Diversity Day," "Sexual Harassment," "The Fire," "Boys and Girls," "Initiation" and "Safety Training."
In talking about reuniting with his high school buddy, Krasinski, he said, "Total coincidence. I mean, whenever I really stop and think about it, it's just so crazy I stop thinking. But no, we were friends for, I don't even know how long. And our first collaboration was actually eerily similar to this: our senior year in high school, I wrote, with a few other people, the senior class show, and cast John in the lead, and so John was the star of our show, and I was the writer who had a small comic part. And now eight years later -- '97: nine years later, and it's the exact same thing."