# Ellie Kemper
**Ellie Kemper** (Elizabeth Claire Kemper, born 1980 in [Kansas City, Missouri](https://www.edgepedia.org/kansas-city-missouri)) is an American actress, comedian, and writer best known for playing receptionist [Erin Hannon](https://www.edgepedia.org/erin-hannon) on NBC's *The Office* and the title character of the Netflix comedy *Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt*, created for her by [Tina Fey](https://www.edgepedia.org/tina-fey) and Robert Carlock.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2608689/bio/?mode=desktop) • [2](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/ellie-kemper) • [3](https://time.com/3733131/review-the-unbreakable-kimmy-schmidt/) She also played supporting comic roles in the films *Bridesmaids* (2011) and *21 Jump Street* (2012), and has written humor essays for outlets including *The Onion* and *McSweeney's*.[2](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/ellie-kemper)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | Elizabeth Claire Kemper, 1980, Kansas City, Missouri; raised in St. Louis[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2608689/bio/?mode=desktop) • [2](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/ellie-kemper) |
| Education | John Burroughs School (drama teacher: Jon Hamm); Princeton, where she joined the improv group Quipfire! and the Princeton Triangle Club; graduate of Princeton and Oxford[2](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/ellie-kemper) • [4](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2018/sep/17/oh-my-gosh-i-love-that-question-why-unbreakable-kimmy-schmidts-ellie-kemper-is-tvs-happiest-star) |
| Signature TV roles | Erin Hannon on *The Office* (2009–2013); Kimmy Schmidt on *Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt* (2015–2019)[2](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/ellie-kemper) • [5](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Ellie-Kemper/) |
| Film roles | Becca in *Bridesmaids* (2011); a teacher in *21 Jump Street* (2012); also *Laggies* and *They Came Together*[2](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/ellie-kemper) |
| Emmy recognition | Two consecutive nominations for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series (2016 and 2017) for *Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt*[2](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/ellie-kemper) |
| Other nominations | One Critics' Choice Movie Award, two Critics' Choice Television Awards, three Satellite Awards, and seven Screen Actors Guild Award nominations[5](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Ellie-Kemper/) |
| Writing | Contributor to *The Onion*, *McSweeney's*, and *The Huffington Post*; memoir *My Squirrel Days* (2018)[2](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/ellie-kemper) • [4](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2018/sep/17/oh-my-gosh-i-love-that-question-why-unbreakable-kimmy-schmidts-ellie-kemper-is-tvs-happiest-star) |
| Family | Married comedy writer Michael Koman on July 7, 2012; two children[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2608689/bio/?mode=desktop) |
## Early life and education
Kemper was born in Kansas City and raised in St. Louis, Missouri.[2](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/ellie-kemper) She attended the [John Burroughs School](https://www.edgepedia.org/john-burroughs-school) there from grades 7 through 12, graduating in 1998; one of her drama teachers was the actor [Jon Hamm](https://www.edgepedia.org/jon-hamm), who later played the cult leader holding her character captive in *Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt*.[2](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/ellie-kemper) • [6](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2014/12/ellie-kemper-unbreakable-kimmy-schmidt) At Princeton University she joined Quipfire!, an improv group, and the Princeton Triangle Club, a touring musical-theater comedy troupe, and continued her improv training while a student there.[2](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/ellie-kemper) • [7](https://www.televisionacademy.com/features/news/mix/sincerity-city) She is a graduate of both Princeton and Oxford.[4](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2018/sep/17/oh-my-gosh-i-love-that-question-why-unbreakable-kimmy-schmidts-ellie-kemper-is-tvs-happiest-star)
After college she moved to New York to pursue comedy, performing with the People's Improv Theatre and with the [Upright Citizens Brigade](https://www.edgepedia.org/upright-citizens-brigade), the improv group founded by [Amy Poehler](https://www.edgepedia.org/amy-poehler)'s collaborators, and appearing in bits on shows such as *Late Night with Conan O'Brien* and *The Colbert Report*.[2](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/ellie-kemper) • [7](https://www.televisionacademy.com/features/news/mix/sincerity-city) In July 2009, *Variety* named her one of its "10 Comics to Watch."[2](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/ellie-kemper) In her memoir she describes the financial support of her family, whose men had been bankers for generations, as a luxury that let her pursue comedy without a backup plan; during those years she also supported herself by auditioning for commercials and working at the cupcake shop Crumbs.[4](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2018/sep/17/oh-my-gosh-i-love-that-question-why-unbreakable-kimmy-schmidts-ellie-kemper-is-tvs-happiest-star)
## The Office and film breakthrough
Kemper's television break came indirectly. She auditioned for a role in *Parks and Recreation*, did not get it, but received a call back for a part on *The Office*, which shared creators with *Parks*.[2](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/ellie-kemper) Her character, the cheerily optimistic receptionist Erin Hannon, was originally written for just four episodes in season five; Kemper was instead signed as a regular and stayed with the show until it ended.[2](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/ellie-kemper) She spent five seasons in the role and has said her favorite episode to film was "Secretary's Day," centered on Erin, in which she improvised with [Steve Carell](https://www.edgepedia.org/steve-carell).[6](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2014/12/ellie-kemper-unbreakable-kimmy-schmidt) • [8](https://onairwithryan.iheart.com/content/2026-08-11-ellie-kemper-talks-motherhood-the-office-making-the-most-of-summer/) Her sister Carrie Kemper was a writer on the show during her time there.[9](https://pressfolios-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/story/story_pdf/262942/2629421494514587.pdf)
Success on *The Office* opened the door to film. Her first movie role was a small part in [Russell Brand](https://www.edgepedia.org/russell-brand)'s *Get Him to the Greek*, followed by her breakout as the clueless bridesmaid Becca in the 2011 hit *Bridesmaids*, alongside [Kristen Wiig](https://www.edgepedia.org/kristen-wiig), Maya Rudolph, and [Melissa McCarthy](https://www.edgepedia.org/melissa-mccarthy).[10](https://paw.princeton.edu/sites/default/files/pdf/020812_issue.pdf) • [2](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/ellie-kemper) She then played a teacher in *21 Jump Street* (2012), and later appeared in *Laggies* and *They Came Together*.[6](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2014/12/ellie-kemper-unbreakable-kimmy-schmidt) • [2](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/ellie-kemper) In January 2014 she served as the first guest host in the 10-year history of *The Ellen DeGeneres Show*.[6](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2014/12/ellie-kemper-unbreakable-kimmy-schmidt)
## Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
**A show built for her.** When NBC Entertainment chairman Robert Greenblatt floated the idea of developing a series for Kemper, Tina Fey and her writing and producing partner Robert Carlock created the character of Kimmy Schmidt around her, having become familiar with Kemper from watching *The Office*; Fey joked that her first impression was that Kemper might be "too pretty to be on The Office" but grew on her because she "is good at downplaying her prettiness."[6](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2014/12/ellie-kemper-unbreakable-kimmy-schmidt) The show was developed for NBC, whose parent company produced it, but the network effectively sold it to Netflix before premiere; Netflix committed to two full seasons before the first aired, and the series launched on March 6, 2015.[3](https://time.com/3733131/review-the-unbreakable-kimmy-schmidt/)
The premise gave Kemper a role with more dramatic weight than her earlier parts. Kimmy is rescued from an underground bunker in Indiana, where a cult leader (played by Jon Hamm) had kept her and three other women since abducting her in the eighth grade, claiming the outside world had ended in a nuclear apocalypse.[7](https://www.televisionacademy.com/features/news/mix/sincerity-city) • [3](https://time.com/3733131/review-the-unbreakable-kimmy-schmidt/) Kimmy then starts a new life in New York City, rooming with broke actor Titus ([Tituss Burgess](https://www.edgepedia.org/tituss-burgess)) in the townhouse of eccentric landlady Lillian ([Carol Kane](https://www.edgepedia.org/carol-kane)).[3](https://time.com/3733131/review-the-unbreakable-kimmy-schmidt/) Kemper said she was initially worried the premise risked trivializing abuse, but was reassured after reading Fey and Carlock's finished pilot script.[4](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2018/sep/17/oh-my-gosh-i-love-that-question-why-unbreakable-kimmy-schmidts-ellie-kemper-is-tvs-happiest-star)
The role was her first as a series lead and brought her two consecutive Primetime Emmy nominations for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, in 2016 and 2017.[2](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/ellie-kemper) The series ran four seasons, from 2015 to 2019, followed in 2020 by the interactive special *Kimmy vs the Reverend* with much of the original cast.[5](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Ellie-Kemper/) • [11](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2608689) Leading the show also changed the demands of the job: Kemper has said she was surprised by her own difficulty memorizing scripts as a carry-a-show lead, a skill her lighter *Office* duties had never required.[4](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2018/sep/17/oh-my-gosh-i-love-that-question-why-unbreakable-kimmy-schmidts-ellie-kemper-is-tvs-happiest-star)
## Writing and other work
Kemper has written humor pieces for *The Onion*, *McSweeney's*, and *The Huffington Post*, including the 2007 McSweeney's piece "Some Relatively Recent College Grads Discuss Their Maids."[2](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/ellie-kemper) • [6](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2014/12/ellie-kemper-unbreakable-kimmy-schmidt) Her memoir of comic essays, *My Squirrel Days*, was published on October 4, 2018, by Hodder & Stoughton.[4](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2018/sep/17/oh-my-gosh-i-love-that-question-why-unbreakable-kimmy-schmidts-ellie-kemper-is-tvs-happiest-star)
Her later screen and hosting work has leaned toward family-friendly formats: she joined NBC's *Today* as a temporary co-host in the summer of 2015, voiced a character in the animated series *[Central Park](https://www.edgepedia.org/central-park-tv-series)*, co-hosted the US series *The Great American Baking Show* with Zach Cherry, competed on *Celebrity Wheel of Fortune*, and reunited with her *Kimmy Schmidt* co-star Tituss Burgess in *The Elephant & Piggie Show!*, an adaptation of [Mo Willems](https://www.edgepedia.org/mo-willems)'s children's books.[1](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2608689/bio/?mode=desktop) • [12](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/ellie-kemper/) • [13](https://bleedingcool.com/tv/kemper-on-pirates-booty-activities-elephant-piggie-show-and-more/) In March 2026 she rejoined four of her *Bridesmaids* castmates on stage at the 98th Academy Awards to present two awards.[14](https://apnews.com/article/ee95584b0257a71a78811347fd34e931)
## Persona and assessment
Across her best-known roles, the cheerily optimistic Erin on *The Office*, the naive Becca in *Bridesmaids*, and the unsophisticated Kimmy Schmidt, Kemper has specialized in wide-eyed characters, and profile writers have repeatedly connected this type to her own demeanor; a sidewalk promotion scam she fell for on her first day in New York, she says, "smelled the Midwesterner" on her.[7](https://www.televisionacademy.com/features/news/mix/sincerity-city) A 2018 *Guardian* profile argued that the sunny image sits over considerable grit: she describes a quick-reboot temperament inherited from her father, and speaks of the anxiety of an artistic career without clear markers of progress compared with the office jobs of her Princeton classmates.[4](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2018/sep/17/oh-my-gosh-i-love-that-question-why-unbreakable-kimmy-schmidts-ellie-kemper-is-tvs-happiest-star)
## References
1. [Ellie Kemper – Biography, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2608689/bio/?mode=desktop)
2. [Ellie Kemper – Emmy Awards and Nominations, Television Academy](https://www.televisionacademy.com/bios/ellie-kemper)
3. [Review: The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Time](https://time.com/3733131/review-the-unbreakable-kimmy-schmidt/)
4. ['Oh my gosh, I love that question!': Why Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt's Ellie Kemper is TV's happiest star, The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2018/sep/17/oh-my-gosh-i-love-that-question-why-unbreakable-kimmy-schmidts-ellie-kemper-is-tvs-happiest-star)
5. [Ellie Kemper – Broadway & Theatre Credits, BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/people/Ellie-Kemper/)
6. [Profile: Ellie Kemper, Star of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Vanity Fair](https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2014/12/ellie-kemper-unbreakable-kimmy-schmidt)
7. [Sincerity in the City, Television Academy](https://www.televisionacademy.com/features/news/mix/sincerity-city)
8. [Ellie Kemper Talks Motherhood, 'The Office' & Making The Most Of Summer, On Air with Ryan Seacrest](https://onairwithryan.iheart.com/content/2026-08-11-ellie-kemper-talks-motherhood-the-office-making-the-most-of-summer/)
9. [Profile of Ellie Kemper (page 48 continuation), pressfolios archive](https://pressfolios-production.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads/story/story_pdf/262942/2629421494514587.pdf)
10. [Princeton Alumni Weekly, February 8, 2012 issue](https://paw.princeton.edu/sites/default/files/pdf/020812_issue.pdf)
11. [Ellie Kemper, IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2608689)
12. [Ellie Kemper – TV Insider](https://www.tvinsider.com/people/ellie-kemper/)
13. [Kemper on Pirate's Booty Activities, Elephant & Piggie Show, and More, Bleeding Cool](https://bleedingcool.com/tv/kemper-on-pirates-booty-activities-elephant-piggie-show-and-more/)
14. [The day before the Oscars, the 'Bridesmaids' rehearsed, Associated Press](https://apnews.com/article/ee95584b0257a71a78811347fd34e931)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Screen people and creators › Screen actors of the Anglosphere and Europe › American actors: 2000s onward › Surnames Jo to Kl*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
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