Brian Baumgartner

Biography: Funnyman Brain Baumgartner originally dreamed of a career in baseball but a serious leg injury at age 13 permanently dashed his athletic dreams. His focus quickly switched to acting when he attended Northwestern University's National High School Institute for a summer to learn about theater. He then pursued his newfound passion in college and later honed his performing skills in various regional theaters while also serving as the artistic director for the Hidden Theatre in Minneapolis. To supplement his meager income, Baumgartner worked as a paralegal. But after years of toiling in front of the footlights, the Georgia native decided to move to Los Angeles in 2003 to see if he could make it in TV and film. A few months after arriving in Hollywood, the rotund actor auditioned for The Office as unspectacular pencil pusher Kevin Malone and promptly landed the role. Guest appearances on a few other series (Jake in Progress; Arrested Development; Everwood) and a couple of moviesFunnyman Brain Baumgartner originally dreamed of a career in baseball but a serious leg injury at age 13 permanently dashed his athletic dreams. His focus quickly switched to acting when he attended Northwestern University's National High School Institute for a summer to learn about theater. He then pursued his newfound passion in college and later honed his performing skills in various regional theaters while also serving as the artistic director for the Hidden Theatre in Minneapolis. To supplement his meager income, Baumgartner worked as a paralegal. But after years of toiling in front of the footlights, the Georgia native decided to move to Los Angeles in 2003 to see if he could make it in TV and film. A few months after arriving in Hollywood, the rotund actor auditioned for The Office as unspectacular pencil pusher Kevin Malone and promptly landed the role. Guest appearances on a few other series (Jake in Progress; Arrested Development; Everwood) and a couple of movies (License to Wed; Four Christmases) followed, but it's The Office for which he remains best known. Baumgartner shared a 2007 Daytime Emmy with fellow Office cast members Angela Kinsey and Oscar Nunez for Webisodes of The Office: The Accountants, which was named Outstanding Broadband Program in Comedy.… Expand