Brian Baumgartner

Brian Baumgartner Bio

Brian Baumgartner (born November 29, 1972) is an American actor best known for his role as Kevin Malone on the NBC comedy The Office, which aired from 2005 to 2013. Over the course of his career, he has appeared in feature films such as Into Temptation (2009), Ordinary World (2016), and Electric Jesus (2020), and has contributed voice work on animated and streaming projects, including Trash Truck (2020–2021). Baumgartner has also hosted podcasts related to The Office and has pursued stage work and other acting projects across film and television. He is married to Celeste Ackelson, with whom he has a daughter, and he continues to work in the industry with a mix of television, film, and live performance.

Early Life and Background

Brian Baumgartner was born on November 29, 1972, in Atlanta, Georgia. He is of Austrian descent and grew up in the Atlanta area, where he attended Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School before graduating from The Westminster Schools in 1991, one year ahead of his future The Office co-star Ed Helms. During his time at The Westminster Schools, Baumgartner competed in competitive speech events focused on drama and reached the national finals in his senior year.

Between his junior and senior years of high school, Baumgartner attended Northwestern University’s National High School Institute, where he concentrated on theater. After high school, he went on to attend Southern Methodist University, where he majored in theater and graduated in 1995 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. His early training in speech and stage work helped shape his approach to acting long before he entered the professional television industry.

Path to Celebrity

After completing his education, Baumgartner moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in acting. He also served as Artistic Director of Hidden Theatre in Minneapolis, where he received multiple awards for artistic and acting excellence. In addition to his work in Minneapolis, Baumgartner performed regionally at respected companies including the Guthrie Theater, Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Children’s Theater Company, and Theatre de la Jeune Lune, building a strong foundation in stage performance.

These early theater credits allowed him to develop the comedic timing and grounded screen presence that would later define his work on television. His transition from regional theater to on-camera roles began in the early 2000s, when he started landing guest spots and small parts in film and television projects.

Brian Baumgartner Career

Early Career (2001–2004)

Brian Baumgartner began his professional on-screen career in 2001, taking on small roles in television in the years that followed. He appeared in shows such as Jake in Progress, Arrested Development, and Everwood, gradually building a résumé of guest parts and supporting work. During this period he also worked alongside his future The Office co-star Kate Flannery as a celebrity talent scout on Last Comic Standing.

He appeared in the feature film License to Wed alongside Robin Williams, Mandy Moore, and John Krasinski, and also featured in Ingrid Michaelson’s music video for Time Machine. These early projects helped him gain visibility in the industry and led directly to his casting on The Office.

Breakthrough (2005–2013)

Baumgartner’s breakthrough came when he was cast as accountant Kevin Malone on the NBC sitcom The Office, which ran from 2005 to 2013. The role became his signature performance and earned him two Screen Actors Guild Awards as part of the show’s ensemble, along with a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Broadband Program – Comedy, won in June 2007 for The Office: The Accountants webisodes, which he shared with co-stars Angela Kinsey and Oscar Nunez.

Beyond The Office, Baumgartner took on starring roles in feature films including Into Temptation (2009), Ordinary World (2016), and Electric Jesus (2020). He also had a supporting voice role in the animated film Rumble (2021). On television, he voiced the character Walter on the Netflix animated series Trash Truck (2020–2021), held a recurring role on the Amazon Prime Video series Hand of God (2017), and appeared in a recurring role on the Hulu series The Other Black Girl (2023).

Notable Works and Milestones

Baumgartner’s signature work remains his portrayal of Kevin Malone on The Office, a role that has become a touchstone of American sitcom comedy. His work on the related web series The Office: The Accountants led to a Daytime Emmy Award win, while the broader cast’s success brought two Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series. He has also expanded into podcasting, hosting An Oral History of The Office for Spotify in 2020 and later The Office Deep Dive with Brian Baumgartner for iHeart, and co-hosting the golf-focused show We Need a Fourth with Cooper Manning and Kenny Mayne, produced by SmartLess Media.

Brian Baumgartner Award Nominations

Brian Baumgartner has received recognition throughout his career as part of the ensemble of The Office, earning nominations alongside his cast members through the Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series during the show’s run. These nominations reflect the consistent acclaim that the long-running NBC sitcom received from the acting branch of the entertainment industry.

Brian Baumgartner Awards Won

Brian Baumgartner has won multiple awards across his career, most notably as part of the celebrated ensemble of The Office. He earned two Screen Actors Guild Awards for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series, recognizing the cast’s collective work on the series. In June 2007, he won a Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Broadband Program – Comedy for his work on The Office: The Accountants webisodes, an honor shared with co-stars Angela Kinsey and Oscar Nunez. He also received multiple awards for artistic and acting excellence during his time as Artistic Director of Hidden Theatre in Minneapolis.

Brian Baumgartner Family

Brian Baumgartner is of Austrian descent and was raised in the Atlanta, Georgia area, where he attended Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School and The Westminster Schools. His early family environment in Atlanta supported his interest in performing, including his participation in competitive speech and drama during high school. He later attended Southern Methodist University, where he majored in theater and graduated in 1995 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.

Personal Life

Brian Baumgartner is married to Celeste Ackelson, with the couple having wed in 2014. Together they have a daughter. Baumgartner has balanced his acting career with personal pursuits outside the entertainment industry, including golf, which he explores as co-host of the podcast We Need a Fourth.