Ed Helms

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Ed Helms
EdHelmsJune09.jpg
Helms at the Savoy Cinema Irish premiere of The Hangover in Dublin, (2009)
Birth name Edward Parker Helms
Born (1974-01-24) January 24, 1974 (age 40)
Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Medium Stand-up, film, television
Nationality American
Years active 2002–present

Edward Parker "Ed" Helms[1] (born January 24, 1974) is an American actor and comedian, known for his work as a correspondent on The Daily Show, Andy Bernard in the U.S. version of The Office and Stuart Price in The Hangover trilogy.

Personal life[edit]

Helms was born in Atlanta, Georgia. His mother, Pamela (née Parker), was a school administrator, and his father, John Helms, was a lawyer. Helms is the youngest of three children.[2][3] He graduated from The Westminster Schools one year after Office cast-mate Brian Baumgartner in 1992. Helms had open-heart surgery to correct a severe heart murmur at age 14.[4][5] Helms entered Oberlin College as geology major, but ended up graduating in 1996 with his B.A. in film theory and technology. He spent a semester as an exchange student at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts.[6][7]

Helms is the recipient of an honorary degree of Doctor of Fine Arts from Knox College, where he delivered the 2013 Commencement Address.[8]

After graduating from Oberlin, Helms began his comedy and acting career as a writer and performer with New York City sketch comedy bands, and studied improvisation with the Upright Citizens Brigade troupe.[9] Helms concurrently worked as a trainee film editor at Crew Cuts, a post-production facility in New York City. While doing so, he recorded some rough voiceover scratch tracks that eventually led to paying voiceover work, which in turn led to finding a talent agent.[10]

Career[edit]

Television[edit]

Helms was performing comedy in New York City when, as he recalled in a 2005 interview, "The Daily Show had a sort of open audition with a casting company that I had dealt with. I read for the part, and got it".[11] In his April 2002 to mid-2006 tenure on the satirical news program, Helms contributed "field reports" in addition to hosting various segments of the show, such as Digital Watch, Ad Nauseam, and Mark Your Calendar. He has also contributed to the This Week in God segment. Helms left the show in 2006, but has occasionally returned for brief appearances. On July 21, 2008 he returned for Obama Quest – a segment covering then-Senator Barack Obama's trip to Iraq. He occasionally narrates the Prescott Group educational films on sister series The Colbert Report. In late July 2006, NBC announced that Helms was added to the cast of the mockumentary The Office, alongside fellow The Daily Show correspondent Steve Carell, in a recurring role as Andy Bernard, a nostalgic Cornell graduate who is obsessed with a cappella music. Helms has been a series regular since the 3rd season.[12] "He had so much in common with this character we wanted to create," recalled Paul Lieberstein, a writer for the show who also plays Toby Flenderson, the human resources representative at the Scranton branch of Dunder Mifflin. "I can't remember when they started merging."[13] Helms returned to The Daily Show on December 5, 2006, stating he had been gone because he was "undercover at a paper company in Scranton", an allusion to his stint on The Office. In February 2007, NBC announced that Helms had been promoted to series regular, and in February 2010 Helms was added to the show's opening credits. Helms quickly became a solidifying part of the cast, and eventually came to be one of the show's producers. In June 2009, on a radio interview with National Public Radio, Helms said that like his character, Andy Bernard, he is obsessed with a capella music. He also appeared on such television shows as Tanner on Tanner, Childrens Hospital, Arrested Development and Cheap Seats, and in various Comedy Central specials. He has done commercial voiceover work in campaigns for Burger King, Doritos, Hotels.com, Sharp Aquos and Advair asthma medication, and he voices Angel, a character on Cartoon Network's Weighty Decisions series. Helms plays guitar, banjo (which was shown in the commercial bumpers and on a What Up With That? sketch when he hosted Saturday Night Live in 2013), piano, and all three, as well as a sitar, in some of his entertainment performances.

On December 18, 2013, it was announced that Helms will serve as an executive producer on the upcoming TV series adaptation of the web series Jake and Amir.[14]

Film[edit]

Helms at the premiere of Obvious Child on June 5, 2014

Helms starred in the 2011 film Cedar Rapids and co-starred in the blockbuster The Hangover film trilogy as Stuart Price. He had minor roles, including Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, Blackballed: The Bobby Dukes Story, Meet Dave, Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay, I'll Believe You, Evan Almighty, Semi-Pro and, with Office co-star Jenna Fischer, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story. In 2009, Helms appeared in The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard, directed by Neal Brennan and starring Jeremy Piven. He developed a Universal Pictures film A Whole New Hugh with Judd Apatow, in which he would star and co-wrote with Jake Fleisher and Ian Berger.[9] Variety reported in February 2009 that Helms would star and he and Fleisher would co-write a Warner Bros. feature about a time-traveling Civil War re-enactor, with the film to be produced through The Office star Steve Carell's production company Carousel. Helms voiced the Once-ler in The Lorax in 2012 and it was announced in July 2012 that he has signed on to play Rusty Griswold in the upcoming film, Vacation as a sequel/spin-off of the National Lampoon's Vacation series,[15] although as of April 2013 this film has been delayed indefinitely.[16]

Other work[edit]

Helms is also in a bluegrass band called The Lonesome Trio with his friends Ian and Jake. They formed the band when they were at Oberlin College, and still get together to play a few shows every year. They recorded an as-yet-untitled album in summer 2013, shortly after appearing on the Bluegrass Situation stage at the Bonnaroo festival, which Helms curated.[17][18] Helms is a self-confessed "bluegrass nerd" and founded the annual LA Bluegrass Situation festival.[19] Helms plays banjo, guitar and piano.[20]

On his Twitter account[21] Helms called Chick-fil-A's opposition to same-sex marriage "lame" and said the fast food franchise had lost a loyal customer.[22] Helms features in the video for Mumford and Sons' song "Hopeless Wanderer".[23] Helms launched his own production company, Pacific Electric Picture Company, in 2013. The company has a two-year development deal with Universal Television.[24]

Helms co-wrote, produced and starred in the Yahoo Screen web series Tiny Commando in 2013.[25]

Filmography[edit]

Film
Year Title Role Notes
2004 Blackballed: The Bobby Dukes Story Bunker McLaughlin Film debut
2006 Everyone's Hero Hobo Louie Voice
2007 Evan Almighty Ark Reporter/Ed Carson
2007 I'll Believe You Leon
2007 Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story Stage Manager
2008 Semi-Pro Turtleneck Reporter
2008 Confessions of a Shopaholic Garret E. Barton Uncredited
2008 Meet Dave Number 2
2008 Harold & Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay Interpreter
2008 Lower Learning Maurice Bunting
2009 The Smell of Success Chet Pigford
2009 The Hangover Stuart Price
2009 Monsters vs. Aliens News Reporter Voice
2009 Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian Larry Daley's Assistant Uncredited
2009 The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard Paxton Harding
2011 Cedar Rapids Tim Lippe Executive producer
2011 The Hangover Part II Stuart Price
2011 Jeff, Who Lives at Home Pat
2011 High Road Barry Uncredited
2012 The Lorax The Once-ler Voice
2013 We're the Millers Brad Gurdlinger
2013 The Hangover Part III Stuart Price
2014 Someone Marry Barry Ben
2014 They Came Together
2014 Stretch Post-production
Television
Year Title Role Notes
2002–2009 The Daily Show Correspondent 207 episodes
2004 Cheap Seats Bradley Wallace 2 episodes
2004, 2013 Arrested Development James Carr 3 episodes
2006 The Colbert Report Narrator – The On Notice Board: A Wonder of the Modern Age Episode: Linda Hirshman
2006 Samurai Love God Samurai Love God Voice, Television miniseries
2008 Upright Citizens Brigade Guest Monologist Uncredited
2008 American Dad! Mr. Buckley Voice, Episode: Stanny Slickers II: The Legend of Ollie's Gold
2008 Wainy Days Doctor Episode: Angel
2009 Family Guy Al Gore Voice, Episode: FOX-y Lady
2010 Funny or Die Presents Cast (Holdup) 4 episodes
2008–2010 Childrens Hospital Doctor, TV Announcer 5 episodes
2006–2013 The Office Andy Bernard Series regular; 163 Episodes
2011 Wilfred Daryl Episode: Acceptance
2011 NTSF:SD:SUV:: Eddie 2 episodes
2012 The Mindy Project Dennis 2 episodes
2012 Ugly Americans Dennis Episode: Mark Loves Dick
2013 Kroll Show Sex in the City Dude Episode: San Diego Diet
2013 Saturday Night Live Ted Pelms Episode: Zach Galifianakis/Of Monsters and Men, uncredited

Awards and nominations[edit]

Year Nominated work Award Results
2008 The Office SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series Won
2009 The Office SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series Nominated
2009 The Hangover Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie: Rockstar Moment Nominated
2010 The Office SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series Nominated
2011 The Hangover Part II Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Hissy Fight Won
2011 The Hangover Part II Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Actor Comedy Nominated
2011 The Hangover Part II Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Chemistry (shared with Bradley Cooper and Zach Galifianakis) Nominated
2012 The Office SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series Nominated
2013 The Office SAG Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series Nominated

References[edit]

  1. ^ Hangover Part III Set Visit : Ed Helms – Moviehole. Moviehole.net. Retrieved on 2014-02-10.
  2. ^ Stephen Whitty: Ed Helms' booming career has grown out of his ability to find laughs in truth and decency. New Jersey On-Line, February 13, 2011, retrieved June 5, 2011
  3. ^ "Look Who’s Related: Ed Helms and Michelle Obama". Geni.com. Retrieved 2013-05-28. 
  4. ^ 5 Facts About Me: Ed Helms – Ed Helms. People.com. Retrieved on 2014-02-10.
  5. ^ Goldman, Andrew. (2011-05-27) Hangover 2 Star Ed Helms Interview. ELLE. Retrieved on 2014-02-10.
  6. ^ Phipps, Keith (June 3, 2009). "Ed Helms". The A.V. Club. Retrieved June 11, 2009. 
  7. ^ "Ed Helms: Biography". TVGuide.com. Retrieved January 16, 2011. 
  8. ^ "Knox College Announces 2013 Honorary Degrees". Knox.edu. Retrieved June 15, 2013. 
  9. ^ a b "The Office Cast Biographies – Ed Helms". NBC.com. Retrieved October 11, 2010. 
  10. ^ Sternbergh, Adam (September 14, 2008). "The Jerk: Daily Show alum and The Office star Ed Helms on the highs (and lows) of being obnoxious". New York Magazine. Retrieved October 28, 2009. 
  11. ^ "Ed Helms on Politics, The Media and The Daily Show". TheComical.com. Accessed October 11, 2010 (undated, but copyrighted 2005). 
  12. ^ Snierson, Dan (June 28, 2006). "Ed Helms joins the cast of The Office". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved October 28, 2009. 
  13. ^ Itzkoff, Dave (March 11, 2012). "Ambitious, but in a Polite Sort of Way". The New York Times. Retrieved March 17, 2012. 
  14. ^ 'Jake & Amir' Web Series Heading To TBS With Ed Helms Producing. Deadline.com. Retrieved on 2014-02-10.
  15. ^ "Ed Helms to Play Rusty Griswold in New Vacation". ComingSoon. 
  16. ^ Trumbore, Dave (23 April 2013). "VACATION Remake Delayed Indefinitely Citing Creative Differences over Movie Rating". Collider. Retrieved 2013-12-04. 
  17. ^ Ed Helms' Bluegrass Situation Superjam with special guests. lineup.bonnaroo.com
  18. ^ The Lonesome Trio. Facebook (2013-04-21). Retrieved on 2014-02-10.
  19. ^ Bluegrass Situation festival: Banjo, comedy unite Steve Martin, Ed Helms – Los Angeles Times. Articles.latimes.com (2011-04-26). Retrieved on 2014-02-10.
  20. ^ Better Off Ed: Ed Helms of ‘The Hangover’ and ‘The Office’ Talks Guitars, Banjos and Bluegrass « Guitar Aficionado. Guitaraficionado.com (2013-04-22). Retrieved on 2014-02-10.
  21. ^ Ed Helms (edhelms) on Twitter. Twitter.com. Retrieved on 2014-02-10.
  22. ^ Kinser, Jeremy (2012-07-18). "Ed Helms Star of The Hangover and The Office Joins Chick fil A Boycott". Advocate.com. Retrieved 2013-05-28. 
  23. ^ "Mumford and Sons release hilarious Hopeless Wanderer video". Music Blogged. 2013-08-04. Retrieved 2013-08-04. 
  24. ^ Ed Helms Launches Production Company, Inks Overall Deal With Universal TV. Hollywoodreporter.com (2013-09-16). Retrieved on 2014-02-10.
  25. ^ Ed Helms at the Internet Movie Database

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