B. J. Novak is an American actor, writer, comedian, and director who is best known for portraying the character of Ryan Howard in the iconic sitcom The Office (2005–2013). He had also written 15 episodes for the show, across seasons, and had served as an executive producer on the show, in its later seasons. He is well recognized for some of his supporting roles in movies as well such as Pfc. Smithson Utivich in Inglourious Basterds (2009), Robert B. Sherman in Saving Mr. Banks (2013), and Harry J. Sonneborn in The Founder (2016). In addition to his acting career, he has authored the books The Book With No Pictures (2014), One More Thing: Stories and Other Stories (2014), and The Alphabet Book With No Pictures (2017).
Born Name
Benjamin Joseph Manaly Novak
Nick Name
B. J.
Sun Sign
Leo
Born Place
Newton, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States
Residence
Los Angeles, California, United States
Nationality
Education
B. J. Novak had attended the Solomon Schechter Day School of Greater Boston in his hometown of Newton, for his elementary and middle schooling. He had then graduated from the Newton South High School in 1997. B. J. Novak had joined the prestigious Harvard University later that year and graduated in 2001, with a major in English and Spanish literature. He had submitted his honors thesis on the films based on Shakespeare’s legendary play, Hamlet.
Occupation
Actor, Writer, Comedian, Director
Family
- Father – William Novak (Author)
- Mother – Linda Novak (née Manaly)
- Siblings – Jesse Novak (Younger Brother) (Music Composer), Lev Novak (Younger Brother)
- Others – Martin M. Manaly (Maternal Grandfather), Frances W. Vortrefflich (Maternal Grandmother)
Build
Average
Height
5 ft 8 in or 173 cm
Weight
73 kg or 161 lbs
Girlfriend / Spouse
B. J. Novak has dated –
- (2005-2007) – B. J. Novak had first met actress, comedian, writer, and producer Mindy Kaling in 2005 through his work as a writer for the sitcom The Office. The two had dated sporadically over the next 2 years and the nature of their relationship would be mirrored in a few episodes of the TV series The Mindy Project, in 2013, through their respective characters of Ryan Howard and Kelly Kapoor. The duo broke up amicably in 2007 and remained great friends thereafter. B. J. Novak is the godfather of Mindy’s daughter who was born in December 2017.
- Ceilidh Garten (2016-2017) – Rumor
Race / Ethnicity
White
He is of Ashkenazi Jewish descent.
Hair Color
Dark Brown
Eye Color
Blue
Sexual Orientation
Straight
Distinctive Features
- Slender frame
- Short-cropped, wavy hair
- Clean-shaven look
- Affable smile
B. J. Novak Facts
- B. J. Novak and his brothers had once created a fictional teenaged character named Keough Novak. In the mid-2010s, they had even created a fake Twitter account for the character.
- He was a schoolmate, at Newton South High School, of , his future co-star in the global hit sitcom The Office. They had both graduated in 1997.
- For his portrayal of Ryan Howard in The Office, he had won the coveted Screen Actors Guild Award in the category of ‘Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series’ in successive years (2006, 2007).
- For the same sitcom, he had also won the Writers Guild of America Award in the category of ‘Best Comedy Series’ in 2006.
Featured Image by B. J. Novak / Instagram
Facts of B. J. Novak
- full nameB. J. Novak
- Date of Birth July 31, 1979
- Age 45 years 3 months
- Horoscope Leo
- Lucky Number 10
- Lucky Stone Ruby
- Lucky Color Gold
- Best Match for Marriage Sagittarius, Gemini, Aries
- weight73 kg
- height5 ft 8 in