Kicking off the start of the UF Summer B semester on Monday, multi-hyphenate creative B.J. Novak came to deliver at the University Auditorium.
Hosted by ACCENT Speakers Bureau, Novak welcomed a crowd of about 100 students escaping the blistering Gainesville sun. He joins a cast of many notable figures hosted by the bureau since 1967, including celebrities like Bryan Cranston and Ke Huy Quan.
He is best known for his work on the American iteration of “The Office,” where he served as both a writer and actor, portraying the young temp worker Ryan Howard.
Despite “The Office” debuting over two decades ago, the show retains its hold in the cultural zeitgeist. In fact, many of the talk’s attendees were younger than the show itself, and some grew up with Novak’s 2014 children’s book “The Book With No Pictures.”
Novak credited the evergreen nature of the comedy to its authenticity. “The Office” was one of the first TV shows in its genre to omit the laugh track, he said, which gave the mockumentary a unique tone.
He joined the hit sitcom at just 25, and he said his youth gave him a level of confidence he feels would have eluded him in his later years. Had he joined at an older age, he said he may have felt less confident in his humor.
“I think the only time to do it is when you’re so young,” Novak said. “The only time is when you’re so cocky.”
Further discussing “The Office,” Novak told stories of jokes that didn’t quite make the cut — including one where Michael Scott, the incompetent boss of the titular office, goes to a Chinese restaurant and nervously orders “the rat and some of the dragon.”
While Novak acclaimed Michael as his favorite character to write for — due to his “exquisitely stupid” logic — he said the diverse cast of characters allowed him to find inspiration for jokes in his everyday life. He would find jokes in long-distance relationships and terrible flights, and he could apply them to the paper company’s quirky crew.
Novak is an accredited writer for 15 episodes of “The Office,” but he said the first episode he worked on, “Diversity Day,” is the one he’s proudest of. He recalled showrunner Greg Daniels — who wasn’t known to show much praise — writing the word “brilliant” at the top of his script.
Today, Novak isn’t sure how some of the jokes made it out of the writing room.
“It didn’t occur to me that no one else would let me do that until someone went up to me and said, ‘I can’t believe they let you do that,’” he said.
Novak also credited his familial background for his success as a writer. His father, William Novak, was the editor of “The Big Book of Jewish Humor” and ghostwrote for notable figures like Nancy Reagan and Magic Johnson. While some parents would discourage their children from pursuing writing, the Novaks did the opposite.
“I loved growing up in a house that thought humor was worth studying and collecting,” Novak said. “I got this huge advantage that it wasn’t weird to want to be a writer.”
He encouraged aspiring writers and other professionals to “write for the kid sitting next to you.”
“When I was in class, I would try to write funny things and see if I could make [my friends] laugh,” Novak said. “I obsessed over what my peers would read.”
His approach gave him a creative edge, he said; instead of having to predict what would resonate with a young audience — as many writing rooms do — he already had the practice.
But equally as important as writing for your peers is collaborating with them, he added. During the talk, Novak spoke highly of “The Office” alumna Mindy Kaling, citing his relationship with her as “the biggest relationship of [his] life.” In fact, the two were known for bickering so profusely that it got adapted into their onscreen characters, Ryan and Kelly, who share an on-again, off-again relationship.
“It makes you really sharp to work with someone that sharp,” Novak said.
Another important connection Novak made was with writer and producer Aline Brosh McKenna, who Novak credited for landing his most recent role in “The Devil Wears Prada 2.” The goodwill between McKenna and Novak began when Novak agreed to portray himself as an ecstasy dealer in “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend,” a show McKenna wrote for.
“You gotta say yes to things that are not your favorite thing to do, because people remember when you show up for them,” Novak said.
And when he is ready to write, Novak has an artillery of ideas at his disposal. When considering leaving “The Office,” he was instead advised to create a notebook full of ideas he didn’t get to use. His first notebook eventually became his book, “One More Thing: Stories and Other Stories.”
The notebook-writing habit stuck with Novak. He had a notebook in his pocket as he spoke on campus, eager to be turned into another project. This time, he’s “really excited about the plots,” he said.
Serena Wong, a 20-year-old UF sociology junior, was familiar with Novak through his role in “The Office” and found his perspective intriguing.
“It was very insightful because I got to see a whole different world that I would never be able to access because I lack connections or any drive to write,” she said, “so seeing the mind of someone who's totally different from me and my friends was super amazing.”
UF finance sophomore Anwita Kalyanapu knew Novak primarily through “The Office,” but she’s also seen his work in “Vengeance,” a film Novak starred in and directed. Similarly to Wong, the 18-year-old valued the approach a creative mind can take.
“I'm a finance major; it's more analytical,” Kalyanapu said. “You don't get the chance to express yourself or whatnot. I really wanted to see what his mind was and what his approach was when coming to work.”
After hearing the writer speak, it would be no surprise to see either of these students with their own notebook in their pocket, ready to store the next great creative thought that comes to mind.
Contact Christopher Rodriguez at crodriguez@alligator.org. Follow him on X @ChrisRodri29386.
