Edward "Ed" Helms, born on January 24, 1974 in Atlanta, Georgia is an alumni of The Westminster Schools and Oberlin College in Ohio. Early on, he was the schoolmate of future Office co-star, Brian Baumgartner. He is also the cousin of Minor League Baseball player Wes Helms, currently of the Philadelphia Phillies.
Helms began his television career by working on various Comedy Central shows. He also worked on Tanner on Tanner and Blackballed: The Bobby Dukes Story with fellow The Daily Show correspondent, Rob Corddry, while appearing as guest on Arrested Development and Cheap Seats. He lent his voice to Angel on Cartoon Network's Weighty Decisions, and did voice work for commercials promoting Burger King, Doritos, Sharp Aquos, and Advair asthma medication.
On the film Evan Almighty, Helms was cast for the role of news reporter Ed Carson. He worked on I'll Believe You and Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story and appears in Harold & Kumar 2: Escape from Guantanamo Bay and Starship Dave. The actor also landed roles in Semi-Pro, starring Will Ferrell, Woody Harrelson and Andrew Daly. Helms’ next project was voicing a character in the series American Dad!, as well as appearing on the Eddie Murphy comedy, Meet Dave.
Helms worked extensively on The Daily Show, contributing field reports and hosting various sections of the show. He also occasionally narrates a segment on The Colbert Report. In 2006, Helms became part of the cast of The Office, playing Andy Bernard. This marked his transition into sitcoms, and he found it easier than he thought. “They're just so welcoming and fun and cool. And for me, I felt ready to spread my wings and do something a little different.” He has also signed on to work on the films Night at the Museum 2: Battle of the Smithsonian, and has completed the film Lower Learning. Aside from acting, Helms is also an accomplished banjoist.