B. J. Novak

B. J. Novak is Jewish; his father William Novak co-edited The Big Book of Jewish Humor and ghost-wrote memoirs for Lee Iacocca and others. He joined The Office in 2005 as writer, executive producer and the character Ryan Howard, and wrote some of the series' best-known episodes. He has since published the story collection One More Thing and the children's book The Book with No Pictures, and directed the film Vengeance.