Ed Helms is an American actor, comedian, writer, producer, and musician. He gained initial recognition as a correspondent on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart from 2002 to 2006, where he showcased his comedic talents and interest in politics.
He is widely known for his role as Andy Bernard, the preppy and a cappella-loving paper salesman, in the NBC hit sitcom The Office (2006-2013). Helms’ character became a central figure in the show, known for his quirky personality and musical inclinations.
On the film side, Ed Helms achieved mainstream success as Stu Price in The Hangover film trilogy (2009, 2011, 2013) alongside Bradley Cooper and Zach Galifianakis. The first movie won a Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture – Comedy or Musical, and the trilogy grossed nearly $1.5 billion worldwide.
Other Notable Roles:
- Rusty Griswold in the “Vacation” reboot (2015)
- The Once-ler (voice) in “The Lorax” (2012)
- Tim Lippe in “Cedar Rapids” (2011), which he also executive produced
- Hogan “Hoagie” Malloy in “Tag” (2018)
- Nathan Rutherford in the Peacock comedy series “Rutherford Falls” (2021-2022), which he also co-created and wrote.
- Graham Pudowski (voice) in “Ron’s Gone Wrong” (2021)
- Bill Walker in “Family Switch” (2023)
Beyond Acting:
- Production Company: In 2013, Helms launched his production company, Pacific Electric Picture Co.
- Music: A lifelong musician, he plays the banjo in his bluegrass band, The Lonesome Trio. He also co-founded The L.A. Bluegrass Situation, a music festival and website.
- Author and Podcaster: Helms hosts “SNAFU,” an award-winning podcast about historical screw-ups, which has been adapted into a book, “SNAFU: The Definitive Guide to History’s Greatest Screwups” (2025). He is currently promoting the book with various appearances and discussions.
Ed Helms has received several awards and nominations throughout his career, including a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series for “The Office” and a Writers Guild of America Award for Best Writing for a Comedy or Variety Special for “The Fake News with Ted Nelms.”