

His father co-edited The Big Book of Jewish Humor, and has ghostwritten memoirs for Nancy Reagan, Lee Iacocca, Magic Johnson and others. His parents are Linda (née Manaly) and author William Novak. Novak was born on July 31, 1979, at Newton-Wellesley Hospital in Newton, Massachusetts. In addition to his film career, Novak authored the acclaimed books One More Thing: Stories and Other Stories (2014) and The Book with No Pictures (2014). He portrays Alistair Smythe in The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014). Novak also appeared in The Mindy Project (2013–2016) and The Newsroom (2014), and was the creator and executive producer of Hulu anthology series The Premise (2021). He made his directorial debut in 2022 with the dark comedy thriller Vengeance, which he also wrote and starred in. He appeared in the films Inglourious Basterds (2009), Saving Mr. Novak became known for starring as Ryan Howard in the NBC sitcom The Office (2005–2013), for which he was also a writer and executive producer. He has received five Primetime Emmy Award nominations and won two Screen Actors Guild Awards. Benjamin Joseph Manaly Novak (born July 31, 1979) is an American actor, comedian, and writer.
