From high school classmates to movie stars.
During an Aug. 2 appearance on Watch What Happens Live, B.J. Novak shared that he and his Office co-star John Krasinski were in the same graduating class at Newtown South High School in Massachusetts.
When a viewer called in to ask the Saving Mr. Banks actor if he ever thought he and John would collaborate on a project as big as The Office, B.J.—who starred as Ryan Howard on the sitcom and wrote for the series—replied, "No. I think there wasn't even any show like that that had ever been made and I don't think we were thinking about TV."
Host Andy Cohen then inquired if the actors were both "theater guys" in school to which B.J. responded, "I was, he wasn't. He was a jock, a basketball captain, stuff like that. He found acting a little later."
It's a good thing John switched gears and joined the acting world. His role as Jim Halpert on the hit NBC sitcom helped his career flourish in Hollywood. Since then, he has appeared in several hit films, including A Quiet Place—which he also co-wrote and directed—and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
On the other hand, B.J. has starred in a handful of projects, such as Inglorious Basterds and The Premise. Most recently, he made his directorial debut with the dark comedy Vengeance, which was released in theaters July 29 and features a star-studded cast that includes Issa Rae, Ashton Kutcher, and Dove Cameron.
Earlier this month, B.J. spoke about what it was like being the one in charge of production for the film.
"Any employee can get impatient," he told NPR's Morning Edition July 29. "When I'm the boss of a film set, I am humbled and in awe of all the jobs that everybody has to do. How do I keep everyone happy, how do I keep them motivated ... I was much nicer and more professional and more respectful of everyone's job than I've ever been when I realized that it fell on my shoulders."
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