B.J. Novak: (On the worst job he ever had) [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. I didn’t speak any Portugese 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.
B.J. : (On landing his role on The Office) [Executive Producer] Greg Daniels saw me do standup. This is probably over two years ago now, because the pilot was so long ago. And he called me in for a meeting with him; he thought I would be good for this small role that he was considering putting in, of the temp. He also knew that I had been a writer, and was interested in trying out writer/performers for the show, and was willing to read some of my writing samples. We talked for over an hour -- it was the most exciting meeting I had ever had -- about the British Office and his theories of comedy, and he drew me these Venn diagrams explaining his theory of television comedy, and it was so exciting for me. I mean, he's this genius in his little-- not "little"; in his palatial King Of The Hill office. It was just so intellectually stimulating and inspiring; it was all I wanted to do. So I was discovered first, I guess, as an actor, by about fifteen minutes. And I had other things I could have done -- I'd just been on Punk'd as an actor -- and all I wanted to do was this show that everyone thought was such a terrible idea to remake, and [Steve] Carell wasn't involved, and it was not something anyone considered a good bet, but I knew exactly what Greg wanted to do, and I so wanted to work with him; I knew exactly who he was when I got called to meet him. So that's kind of a chock-filled anecdote of an answer. You can make several answers with that question.
B.J. Novak: iPod helped make this show. That’s how people in my age group watch television. It’s not really about what was on last night. It’s what they recorded. It’s what they downloaded. My best friend is in Japan and he IM’s me after he sees every episode. He downloads them the minute after they air and then IM’s me. That I would do a TV show in Hollywood and my friend in Japan, would tell me within the hour what he thought is exciting.
B.J. Novak: I’m addicted to my BlackBerry. I get made fun of a lot in the writer’s room for being on it constantly. I’m a writer for the show too, so that’s where I spend a lot of my time. But Rainn Wilson makes fun of me a lot. Rainn makes fun of me for never talking to anyone, for just always being connected somehow. I pick up my phone after every take, and then I log onto e-mail at the same time and I’m on IM at the same time. Just today Rainn and I texted each other back and forth —How is it going?”—while we were sitting next to each other, ’cause he has that running joke with me.
B.J. Novak: I complain a lot. I always think everything is broken as soon as I get it, and I talk about how overrated it is and how much the company stinks. And then someone shows me how to [use] it, and then I’m in love with it. It’s my curve with every gadget.
B.J. appeared on the cover of Improper, a Boston magazine in early 2007.
In 2003, B.J. was named one of Variety's Top Ten Comics to Watch.
Some of B.J.'s favorite television shows are Lost, House, South Park , The Daily Show, and My Name is Earl.
B.J. likes to dream about traveling in his spare time. He works on The Office and does stand-up, and doesn't have a lot of time to travel., so he likes to dream about it.
B.J. is a big fan of the show Lost. When he met the writers of Lost at the Writer's Guild Awards, and they said they watched The Office, he was extremely pleased.
B.J., along with the writing staff on The Office, won the 2007 Writer's Guild of America Award for best comedy series.
B.J. appeared on the show, Punk'd, and his role on Punk'd was referenced on The Office, when his character Ryan, was semi-involved in the pranking of Pam.
B.J. has appeared in the movies Unaccompanied Minors, and Reign Over Me.
B.J. is a graduate of Harvard University. He has a degree in English and Spanish literature.
B.J. is 5' 9" in height.
Novak's father, Bill Novak, is the editor of The Big Book of Jewish Humor.
BJ Novak is allergic to the antibiotic Bactrim, commonly used to fight urinary tract infections.
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