Hollywood Won't Cast B.J. Novak Anymore For A Weird Purpose
Americans spent over 57.1 billion minutes watching The Office in 2020, according to the annual Nielsen streaming report, so many people are familiar with B.J. Novak’s character, Ryan “The Temp” Howard. Novak shined as the youngest, coolest, most arrogant member of the Dunder Mifflin team, leaving fans wondering: Can I watch this guy in anything else? Since leaving the show, he’s had a few other roles, but he hasn’t blown up the way the rest of the cast has. So, where has B.J. Novak disappeared to? Turns out, he’s been pretty busy.
Chasing Dollar Signs
As a kid, Benjamin Joseph "B.J." Novak dreamed of being a star. In a 2015 interview with the Independent, he explained, “When I was younger, I just wanted to act, get rich, and become famous.” Somewhere along the line, B.J. realized he was actually more inclined to follow the path of his old man, and write professionally.
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Runs in the Family
His dad William Novak is a successful writer who ghostwrote Nancy Reagan’s memoirs. Novak credits his father for imparting invaluable lessons, as he described in the Independent, “He taught me how important it is to channel someone else's voice, not just in writing, but also in acting, and screenwriting.”
Unlikely High School Friend
The itch to get involved in drama started in high school for Novak. At one point he teamed up with another student to write a satirical play, a teenager named John Krasinski. Neither of them knew then that their paths would cross again, all the way across the country in Hollywood, to begin their biggest career breakthroughs.
Went to Harvard
But before he chased his dreams of stardom, B.J. became a Harvard man. That's right, he earned an Ivy League education and cut his teeth in comedy at the renowned Harvard Lampoon humor publication. In his off-hours, he performed in a variety show called The B.J. Show with future Amazing Race winner B.J. Averell. Straight out of college, he moved to Hollywood.
