North by Northwestern

You may find yourself referring to A&O’s 2013 Winter Speaker, B.J. Novak, as “That Guy from The Office” in the next few days. Whether you choose this label out of Dunder Mifflin customer loyalty or to avoid his rather unfortunate initials, it does showcase Novak’s comedic talents by referencing his most well-known role.

In preparation for Novak’s stand-up comedy gig at Pick-Staiger Concert Hall on 7 p.m. this Saturday, here are some additional monikers you can consider.

Inglorious Basterds is perhaps Novak's most prestigious acting credit. The film features Novak as Pvt. Smithson Utivich, a Jewish-American member of a special service force known as the Basterds and a right-hand man to Brad Pitt’s Lt. Aldo Raine. Novak's character brings out Quentin Tarantino's signature sense of crude humor, punishing captured Nazi soldiers by scalping them. Large as this gesture may be, the Germans apparently nicknamed him the “Little Man.”

Although he is most recognized for his work on screen, Novak broke into Hollywood as a comedian rather than an actor. While attending Harvard as an undergraduate, Novak wrote for the Harvard Lampoon and cohosted a variety show called “The BJ Show.” He began a stand-up career in Los Angeles after graduating from college in 2001. Within two years, his rising stand-up career landed him among Variety’s 2003 comics edition of its "10 to Watch" series. One of Novak’s more recognizable comedy gigs was as a lead accomplice on the second season of MTV’s show Punk’d.

Novak’s involvement in The Office can be seen both in front of and behind the camera. Since the show’s inception, he has held various titles including co-producer, supervising producer and executive producer. He has also written 15 episodes including "Chair Model," "Prince Family Paper," and "Threat Level Midnight," between 2005 and 2012. Novak holds similar producer and writer credits for The Mindy Project, a FOX sitcom starring Mindy Kaling, who played Novak’s on-again-off-again girlfriend in The Office.