B.J. Novak

Acting

B.J. Novak

Born 1979-07-31 · Newton, Massachusetts, USA

Benjamin Joseph Manaly Novak (born July 31, 1979) is an American actor, comedian, screenwriter, author, and producer. He gained traction as a comedian during the early 2000s before becoming a field agent for the MTV reality prank show Punk'd (2003). Novak had his breakout with a leading role as Ryan Howard on seasons 1–8 of the NBC mockumentary sitcom The Office (2005–2013). His acting, writing and producing for the show earned him two Screen Actors Guild Awards and a Writers Guild of America Award, alongside five nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series. In the late 2000s, Novak had supporting roles in the films Reign Over Me (2007) and Inglourious Basterds (2009). In the 2010s, he portrayed musician Robert B. Sherman in Saving Mr. Banks (2013) and Marvel Comics character Alistair Smythe in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014). He had a starring role as Harry J. Sonneborn in the biographical film The Founder (2016) and voiced Baker Smurf in The Smurfs (2011) and The Smurfs 2 (2013). In television, he had a recurring role as Lucas Pruit on the HBO series The Newsroom (2014). In the 2020s, Novak made his film directorial debut with Vengeance (2022), which he also produced and starred in. He created and wrote the FX on Hulu anthology series The Premise (2021). In addition to his film and television career, Novak authored the books One More Thing: Stories and Other Stories (2014) and The Book with No Pictures (2014). Description above from the Wikipedia article B.J. Novak, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Acting credits

The Devil Wears Prada 2 poster
7.1

Andy Sachs returns to Runway as Miranda Priestly navigates a new media landscape and Runway's position within. The duo reconnect with former assistant Emily Charlton, now the head of a luxury brand that possesses funding which could ensure Runway's survival.

The Devil Wears Prada 2

2026

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 poster
6.6

For Peter Parker, life is busy. Between taking out the bad guys as Spider-Man and spending time with the person he loves, Gwen Stacy, high school graduation cannot come quickly enough. Peter has not forgotten about the promise he made to Gwen’s father to protect her by staying away, but that is a promise he cannot keep. Things will change for Peter when a new villain, Electro, emerges, an old friend, Harry Osborn, returns, and Peter uncovers new clues about his past.

The Amazing Spider-Man 2

2014

Inglourious Basterds poster
8.2

In Nazi-occupied France during World War II, a group of Jewish-American soldiers known as "The Basterds" are chosen specifically to spread fear throughout the Third Reich by scalping and brutally killing Nazis. The Basterds, lead by Lt. Aldo Raine soon cross paths with a French-Jewish teenage girl who runs a movie theater in Paris which is targeted by the soldiers.

Inglourious Basterds

2009

Knocked Up poster
6.3

A slacker and a career-driven woman accidentally conceive a child after a one-night stand. As they try to make the relationship work, they must navigate the challenges of parenthood and their differences in lifestyle and maturity.

Knocked Up

2007

The Dictator poster
6.2

The heroic story of a dictator who risks his life to ensure that democracy would never come to the country he so lovingly oppressed.

The Dictator

2012

The Smurfs poster
5.8

When the evil wizard Gargamel chases the tiny blue Smurfs out of their village, they tumble from their magical world and into ours -- in fact, smack dab in the middle of Central Park. Just three apples high and stuck in the Big Apple, the Smurfs must find a way to get back to their village before Gargamel tracks them down.

The Smurfs

2011

The Founder poster
7.2

The true story of how Ray Kroc, a salesman from Illinois, met Mac and Dick McDonald, who were running a burger operation in 1950s Southern California. Kroc was impressed by the brothers’ speedy system of making the food and saw franchise potential. He maneuvered himself into a position to be able to pull the company from the brothers and create a billion-dollar empire.

The Founder

2016

The Smurfs 2 poster
5.7

The evil wizard Gargamel creates a couple of mischievous Smurf-like creatures called the Naughties that he hopes will let him harness the all-powerful, magical Smurf-essence. But when he discovers that only a real Smurf can give him what he wants, and only a secret spell that Smurfette knows can turn the Naughties into real Smurfs, Gargamel kidnaps Smurfette and brings her to Paris, where he has been winning the adoration of millions as the world¹s greatest sorcerer. It's up to Papa, Clumsy, Grouchy, and Vanity to return to our world, reunite with their human friends Patrick and Grace Winslow, and rescue her! Will Smurfette, who has always felt different from the other Smurfs, find a new connection with the Naughties Vexy and Hackus or will the Smurfs convince her that their love for her is True Blue?

The Smurfs 2

2013

Unaccompanied Minors poster
6.0

Five disparate kids snowed in at the airport on Christmas Eve learn some lessons about friendship when they launch a bid to get back to their families and outsmart a disgruntled airport official who wants to keep them grounded.

Unaccompanied Minors

2006

Saving Mr. Banks poster
7.3

Author P.L. Travers looks back on her childhood while reluctantly meeting with Walt Disney, who seeks to adapt her Mary Poppins books for the big screen.

Saving Mr. Banks

2013

Vengeance poster
6.6

Ben, a journalist from New York City, travels to West Texas in order to investigate the death of a girl he was hooking up with while recording a murder mystery podcast along the way.

Vengeance

2022

Reign Over Me poster
7.2

A man who lost his family in the September 11 attack on New York City runs into his old college roommate. Rekindling the friendship is the one thing that appears able to help the man recover from his grief.

Reign Over Me

2007

The Office Retrospective poster
7.4

The cast and crew of the American version of The Office discuss the show and highlights from the previous episodes.

The Office Retrospective

2013

The Bitter Buddha poster
7.6

The Documentary takes an unconventional journey through the life of one of America's most original comedic voices. Eddie Pepitone, "The Bitter Buddha", is looked at in this portrait of creativity, enlightenment and rage.

The Bitter Buddha

2012

Comedy Warriors: Healing Through Humor poster
NR

In this documentary five severely wounded Iraq/Afghanistan veterans work with professional comedy writers and A-List comedians Lewis Black, Zach Galifianakis, BJ Novak, and Bob Saget to explore their personal experiences through the healing power of humor. Writing their own stand-up comedy routines they find new perspectives from which to view their injuries and their lives - all of which culminates in a performance at two of LA's top comedy clubs.

Comedy Warriors: Healing Through Humor

2014

No artwork available
NR

The life of comedian Mitch Hedberg, master of the one-liner and a talent beloved by fellow comics.

Untitled Mitch Hedberg Documentary

The Internship poster
6.2

Two recently laid-off men in their 40s try to make it as interns at a successful Internet company where their managers are in their 20s.

The Internship

2013

Behind the camera