Ellie Kemper

Ellie Kemper is an American actress and comedian best known for her roles as Erin Hannon on the NBC sitcom The Office and as the title character in the Netflix comedy series Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Born in Kansas City, Missouri, and raised in a wealthy family in the suburb of Ladue, Kemper attended the prestigious John Burroughs School before going on to study at Princeton University, where she performed with the improvisational comedy group Quipfire! She later studied at Oxford University as a participant in the Worcester Players drama program.

Kemper’s career in comedy began in earnest when she moved to New York City and started performing at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre. She gained early viral attention with a comedic video and began landing small television roles and commercial appearances. Her big break came in 2009 when she was cast as the enthusiastic and endearingly naive receptionist Erin Hannon on The Office, a role she would play until the series finale in 2013. Her natural warmth and impeccable comedic timing made Erin a fan-favorite character in the later seasons of the show.

In 2015, Kemper landed the lead role in Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, the Netflix comedy created by Tina Fey and Robert Carlock. She starred as Kimmy, a woman rebuilding her life in New York City after being rescued from an underground bunker. The show ran for four seasons and earned Kemper two Emmy nominations for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. The role cemented her status as a leading lady in comedy and showcased her ability to carry an entire series.

With a net worth estimated at $9 million, Kemper has continued to work steadily in both film and television. She has appeared in films like Bridesmaids (2011) and 21 Jump Street (2012), published a humorous memoir titled My Squirrel Days (2018), and has been a frequent guest on talk shows and podcasts. She is married to writer and comedian Michael Koman, and they have two children together.