Ellie Kemper Bio
Elizabeth Claire Kemper (born May 2, 1980) is an American actress, comedian, and writer best known for her television roles as Erin Hannon on The Office and the title character in Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. She has appeared in feature films including Bridesmaids, 21 Jump Street, Sex Tape, and Home Sweet Home Alone, and published her first book, My Squirrel Days, in 2018. Kemper has received multiple industry nominations, including two consecutive Primetime Emmy Award nods for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series.
Early Life and Background
Elizabeth Claire Kemper was born in Kansas City, Missouri, to Dorothy Ann Jannarone and David Woods Kemper and moved with her family to the St. Louis area when she was five. She is the second of four children and grew up in a family with longstanding ties to Missouri civic and business life. Her upbringing included early involvement in local theater and school productions.
Kemper attended Conway Elementary School and John Burroughs School in Ladue, Missouri, where she developed an interest in theater and improvisation. One of her teachers at John Burroughs was actor Jon Hamm, with whom she later appeared in a school play. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from Princeton University in 2002, where she performed with the improv troupe Quipfire and belonged to the Ivy Club, and spent a year studying at Worcester College, Oxford.
Path to Celebrity
After college Kemper moved to New York City and pursued improvisational comedy and sketch work at the Upright Citizens Brigade and the People s Improv Theater. She built her early resume with comedy sketches, contributions to satirical outlets, and commercial work that earned her a Screen Actors Guild card. Kemper wrote and performed in one-woman shows and collaborated with fellow Princeton alumni on sketch projects.
Her visibility grew through recurring sketch appearances on Late Night with Conan O Brien and other television spots, writing for The Onion and McSweeney s, and participation in the comedy community at UCB. Industry recognition included being named one of Variety s 10 Comics to Watch in 2009, a turning point that came shortly before her first major television casting opportunities.
Ellie Kemper Career
Early Career (1999–2008)
Kemper s professional career began in the late 1990s with regional theater and commercial work, including an early national commercial that qualified her for a Screen Actors Guild card. She continued to cultivate her comedic voice through improv teams, one-woman shows, and small film and television appearances. During this period she appeared in comedy shorts and in small roles that showcased her aptitude for naturalistic, upbeat characters.
Throughout the 2000s Kemper expanded her profile by contributing material to national humor outlets and performing in live comedy venues. She appeared in sketches on cable and network programs and in independent projects that established her as a versatile performer comfortable in both scripted and improvised formats.
Breakthrough (2009–2019)
Kemper s breakthrough came in 2009 when she was cast as Erin Hannon on the NBC sitcom The Office. Originally intended for a small arc, the character became a series regular in the sixth season as Kemper s upbeat, guileless portrayal won praise from critics and viewers. Her role on The Office ran through the series conclusion and brought broad audience recognition.
Following her rise on The Office, Kemper joined the cast of notable studio comedies, appearing in Bridesmaids in 2011 and in 21 Jump Street in 2012, among other film roles. These appearances established her as a reliable comedic supporting player in mainstream film comedies while she continued television work and voice roles.
Kemper reached a new level of prominence with the Netflix series Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, which premiered in 2015. As the title character, a woman rebuilding her life after leaving a cult, Kemper led the series for its run through 2019. Her performance earned two consecutive nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series and multiple other industry nominations, and the role is widely cited as a defining piece of her career.
Notable Works and Milestones
Kemper s signature television work includes her roles as Erin Hannon on The Office and as the lead of Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt; both performances are central to her public profile. Her film credits include Bridesmaids, 21 Jump Street, Sex Tape, and Home Sweet Home Alone. Outside of screen work, she published My Squirrel Days in 2018 and contributed voice work and audiobooks tied to her television character.
Ellie Kemper Award Nominations
Across her career Kemper has received multiple verified nominations from major industry organizations. She earned two consecutive Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for her work on Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, and has been nominated for a Critics Choice Movie Award, two Critics Choice Television Awards, three Satellite Awards, and seven Screen Actors Guild Awards.
Ellie Kemper Family
Kemper s parents are Dorothy Ann Jannarone and David Woods Kemper. She is the elder sister of television writer Carrie Kemper. Her family background and relatives are noted in public records and profiles dating to her early life in Missouri.
Personal Life
Kemper married comedy writer Michael Koman in July 2012. The couple has two sons, born in August 2016 and September 2019, and have stated that their children are to be raised in the Roman Catholic faith. Kemper has also been publicly active in extracurricular pursuits outside acting, including recording audiobooks and publishing a memoir collection in 2018.
Her public life has included occasional controversy and response. Kemper was presented as a debutante at the Veiled Prophet Ball in 1999 and later addressed criticism of the event, issuing a statement denouncing white supremacy and apologizing for participation. She completed the New York City Marathon in 2022, a publicly reported personal achievement.