Elizabeth Claire Kemper is an American actress and comedian. She played the receptionist Erin Hannon in the NBC comedy series The Office (2009–2013) and later the starring role in the Netflix comedy series Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt), for which she has received two nominations for the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series. Kemper also appeared in the films Bridesmaids (2011) and 21 Jump Street (2012).
Went to John Burroughs School in St. Louis where former alumnus Jon Hamm was her drama teacher.
She auditioned for "Saturday Night Live" .
Shes an alumna of The P.I.T in New York City and performed there with many improvisers including Kristen Schaal , Kurt Braunohler , Chris Caniglia and Joe Lipari.
She is the granddaughter of Mildred Lane Kemper, the namesake of the Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum at Washington University (St. Louis, Missouri), for which the family donated $5 million.
Her father David Woods Kemper was chairman & CEO of Commerce Bancshares, a bank holding company founded by the Kemper family. (Her paternal great-great-grandfather was banker William Thornton Kemper, Sr.).
Older sister of television writer Carrie Kemper.
Is of Italian (from her maternal grandfather), German, English, and Scottish descent.
Attended Princeton University, graduating in 2002 with a degree in English. She subsequently studied English for a year at Oxford University.
While attending Princeton, she was a member of Quipfire!, a renowned improvisational comedy group, and also the Princeton Triangle Club, a touring musical comedy theater troupe.
Played field hockey at Princeton in the 1999 season, though she claims she sat on the bench "roughly 97%" of the time. Her field hockey team went to the national championship in her freshman year, but she quit the team in later years to focus on theater.
A contributing writer for the satirical newspaper "The Onion", she also has been published in "McSweeneys", the literary journal founded by Dave Eggers.
Auditioned for a role in "Parks and Recreation" , a comedy series launched by the creators of "The Office" . She did not receive the part, but received a call back to audition for a supporting role in "The Office" as Erin Hannon, a receptionist/secretary who replaced the character of Pam Beesly Halpert when Pam left Dunder Mifflin to join the Michael Scott Paper Co. Kemper was cast in the role and started appearing in the show in April 2009. Although the character was originally intended for 4 episodes, the producers were impressed with Kemper and signed her as a regular in the sixth season.
Announced on 12/7/11 on Conan OBrien s show that she was engaged to former Conan writer, Michael Koman.
Like Amy Poehler and other "Saturday Night Live" cast members Bobby Moynihan and Kate McKinnon , she performed at Manhattans Upright Citizens Brigade improvisational comedy group, usually for free.
Was voted "Sexiest Sense of Humor" by Victorias Secrets annual What is Sexy List, 2015.
Was 3 months pregnant with her son James when she completed filming the 2nd season of "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" .
Gave birth to her 1st child at age 36, a son named James Miller Koman in July 2016. Childs father is her husband, Michael Koman.
On the June 20, 2016 episode of "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" , she stated that shes a practicing Catholic.
Returned to work 3 months after giving birth to her son James to begin filming the 3rd season of "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt" .
Los Angeles survives on that which is unpredictable. The unexpected,courses through its very veins.
In Los Angeles, people dress with the deep and earnest hope that people,will do nothing but stare at them.
I wrote comedy sketches in college.
She gets to live in New York and has this amazing job hosting a talk,show.
New York is like the weirdest city in the United States, in a great way,and Los Angeles is probably more similar to most of America.
Most New Yorkers want to look amazing, and they want you to understand,that they look amazing, but they also want you to stop staring at them.
