Paul Lieberstein
Encyclopedia
Paul Bevan Lieberstein is an American
screenwriter
, actor
and television producer
. An Emmy Award
winner, he is most widely known as a writer, producer, and as supporting cast member Toby Flenderson
on the U.S. version of the sitcom The Office.
interview, Lieberstein noted that "as an actor, which is just a very small percentage of me, I don’t feel Toby while I’m writing. It’s the hardest of the characters to access." In an interview for his alma mater, Hamilton College, Lieberstein commented on the bigger picture:
On June 12, 2008, Variety
magazine reported that he would become one of the executive producer
s of The Office.
" for his work on King of the Hill
.
Lieberstein's work on The Office has resulted in numerous awards. In June 2007, Lieberstein shared in a Daytime Emmy Award
for "Outstanding Broadband Program – Comedy", for his work on The Office: Accountants webisodes. As an actor, Lieberstein shared in a 2006 Screen Actors Guild Award for "Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series"; as a writer, he shared a 2006 Writers Guild of America Award
for the series, in addition to a WGA Award nomination for "The Coup"
. As co-executive producer, he shared a 2006 Emmy Award
for "Outstanding Comedy Series"
.
Lieberstein received an Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts degree from Hamilton College on May 22, 2011.
, attending Staples High School. Afterwards, he attended Hamilton College, where he joined Chi Psi
, and graduated in 1989 with a major in economics (he "wanted to be a financier
of some kind"). His first job after graduation was as an auditor at Peat Marwick International, a job that didn't last six months. He followed that with part-time work in his father's law firm, "working as little as [he] could so [he] could write."
His sister Susanne is a president at Lifetime Entertainment Services
and is married to Greg Daniels
. His brother Warren was married to Angela Kinsey
. Lieberstein was married for a second time to Janine Poreba on July 19, 2008 at the New York City restaurant Battery Gardens. His cousin is Paul Faust, on whom the character "Cool Guy Paul" was based, as seen in The Office episode Chair Model
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
screenwriter
Screenwriter
Screenwriters or scriptwriters or scenario writers are people who write/create the short or feature-length screenplays from which mass media such as films, television programs, Comics or video games are based.-Profession:...
, actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
and television producer
Television producer
The primary role of a television Producer is to allow all aspects of video production, ranging from show idea development and cast hiring to shoot supervision and fact-checking...
. An Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
winner, he is most widely known as a writer, producer, and as supporting cast member Toby Flenderson
Toby Flenderson
Toby Wyatt Flenderson, M.S.W. born 1971 is a character from the US television series The Office. He is played by Paul Lieberstein. He is an original character and has no equivalent in the British version of the show, The Office.-Overview:...
on the U.S. version of the sitcom The Office.
Dual cast-and-crew role
In a SuicideGirlsSuicideGirls
SuicideGirls is a website that features softcore pornography and text profiles of goth, punk and indie-styled young women who are known as the "Suicide Girls"...
interview, Lieberstein noted that "as an actor, which is just a very small percentage of me, I don’t feel Toby while I’m writing. It’s the hardest of the characters to access." In an interview for his alma mater, Hamilton College, Lieberstein commented on the bigger picture:
On June 12, 2008, Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
magazine reported that he would become one of the executive producer
Executive producer
An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
s of The Office.
Awards
Lieberstein's first Emmy Award was as a producer, sharing a 1999 Emmy for "Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming One Hour or Less)Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming less than One Hour)
The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program is a Creative Arts Emmy Award which is given annually to an animated series which is judged to have been the best...
" for his work on King of the Hill
King of the Hill
King of the Hill is an American animated dramedy series created by Mike Judge and Greg Daniels, that ran from January 12, 1997, to May 6, 2010, on Fox network. It centers on the Hills, a working-class Methodist family in the fictional small town of Arlen, Texas...
.
Lieberstein's work on The Office has resulted in numerous awards. In June 2007, Lieberstein shared in a Daytime Emmy Award
Daytime Emmy Award
The Daytime Emmy Awards are awards presented by the New York-based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences and the Los Angeles-based Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in recognition of excellence in American daytime television programming...
for "Outstanding Broadband Program – Comedy", for his work on The Office: Accountants webisodes. As an actor, Lieberstein shared in a 2006 Screen Actors Guild Award for "Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series"; as a writer, he shared a 2006 Writers Guild of America Award
Writers Guild of America Awards 2006
The 59th Writers Guild of America Awards honored the best film and television writers of 2006.-Best Adapted Screenplay:The Departed - William Monahan...
for the series, in addition to a WGA Award nomination for "The Coup"
The Coup (The Office episode)
"The Coup" is the second filmed and third aired episode of the third season of The Office . It was written by Paul Lieberstein and directed by Greg Daniels. It aired on October 5, 2006 on NBC....
. As co-executive producer, he shared a 2006 Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
for "Outstanding Comedy Series"
Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series
The Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Comedy Series is an Emmy given to the best television comedy series of the year.-Winners and nominees:...
.
Lieberstein received an Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts degree from Hamilton College on May 22, 2011.
Personal life
Lieberstein grew up in Westport, ConnecticutWestport, Connecticut
-Neighborhoods:* Saugatuck – around the Westport railroad station near the southwestern corner of the town – a built-up area with some restaurants, stores and offices....
, attending Staples High School. Afterwards, he attended Hamilton College, where he joined Chi Psi
Chi Psi
Chi Psi Fraternity is a fraternity and secret society consisting of 29 active chapters at American colleges and universities. It was founded on Thursday May 20, 1841, by 10 students at Union College with the idea of emphasizing the fraternal and social principles of a brotherhood...
, and graduated in 1989 with a major in economics (he "wanted to be a financier
Financier
Financier is a term for a person who handles typically large sums of money, usually involving money lending, financing projects, large-scale investing, or large-scale money management. The term is French, and derives from finance or payment...
of some kind"). His first job after graduation was as an auditor at Peat Marwick International, a job that didn't last six months. He followed that with part-time work in his father's law firm, "working as little as [he] could so [he] could write."
His sister Susanne is a president at Lifetime Entertainment Services
Lifetime Entertainment Services
Lifetime Entertainment Services was an American entertainment industry company, whose media properties were focused on women. Lifetime Entertainment Services was a joint venture of Hearst Corporation and The Walt Disney Company ....
and is married to Greg Daniels
Greg Daniels
Gregory Martin "Greg" Daniels is an American television comedy writer, producer, and director.-Life and career:...
. His brother Warren was married to Angela Kinsey
Angela Kinsey
Angela Kinsey is an American actress. She currently appears as the uptight accountant Angela Martin on the hit NBC television series The Office.-Personal life:...
. Lieberstein was married for a second time to Janine Poreba on July 19, 2008 at the New York City restaurant Battery Gardens. His cousin is Paul Faust, on whom the character "Cool Guy Paul" was based, as seen in The Office episode Chair Model
Chair Model
"Chair Model" is the fourteenth episode of the fourth season of the American comedy television series The Office, and the show's sixty-seventh episode overall. Written by B. J. Novak, and directed by Jeffrey Blitz, the episode first aired in the United States on April 17, 2008 on NBC.In the...
.
Filmography
- The Goods: Live Hard, Sell HardThe Goods: Live Hard, Sell HardThe Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard is a 2009 comedy film directed by Neal Brennan, starring Jeremy Piven and Ed Helms. The film was released on August 14, 2009.- Plot :...
(2009) as Selleck Last Customer - The Office: The OutburstThe OutburstThe Outburst is a spin-off series of mini-episodes of The Office; it premiered as original internet-only content, available online at NBC.com. It started its run on November 20, 2008...
(2008) as Toby Flenderson - The OfficeThe Office (US TV series)The Office is an American comedy television series broadcast by NBC. An adaptation of the original BBC series of the same name, it depicts the everyday lives of office employees in the Scranton, Pennsylvania, branch of the fictional Dunder Mifflin Paper Company...
(2005–present) as Toby Flenderson
Written episodes of The Office
- "Health Care" (April 5, 2005) – Season 1
- "The Client" (November 8, 2005) – Season 2
- "The CarpetThe Carpet"The Carpet" is the 14th episode of the second season of The Office . It was written by Paul Lieberstein and directed by Victor Nelli, Jr.. It first aired on January 26, 2006 on NBC....
" (January 26, 2006) – Season 2 - "Dwight's SpeechDwight's Speech"Dwight's Speech" is the seventeenth episode of the second season of the American comedy television series The Office, and the show's twenty-third episode overall. Written by Paul Lieberstein, and directed by Charles McDougall, the episode first aired in the United States on March 2, 2006 on NBC.In...
" (March 2, 2006) – Season 2 - "The Coup" (October 5, 2006) – Season 3
- "CocktailsCocktails (The Office)"Cocktails" is the seventeenth episode of the third season of the US version of The Office. It aired on February 22, 2007 on NBC. It is written by Paul Lieberstein and directed by Alias and Lost creator J. J. Abrams....
" (February 22, 2007) – Season 3 - "The JobThe Job (The Office)"The Job" is the third season finale of the U.S. version of The Office, and the show's 52nd and 53rd episode overall. It aired in the United States on April 19, 2007 on NBC. It is the season's second hour-long episode...
" along with Michael SchurMichael SchurMichael Herbert Schur is an American television producer and writer, best known for his work on the NBC comedy series The Office and Parks and Recreation, the latter of which he co-created along with Greg Daniels...
(May 17, 2007) – Season 3 - "MoneyMoney (The Office)"Money" is the seventh episode of the fourth season of the American comedy television series The Office, and the show's sixtieth episode overall. It first aired on October 18, 2007, on NBC, and was the last of four consecutive hour long episodes that opened the fourth season...
" (October 18, 2007) – Season 4 - "Goodbye, TobyGoodbye, Toby"Goodbye, Toby" is the fourth season hour-long finale of the American comedy television series The Office, and the show's seventy-first episode overall...
" along with Jennifer CelottaJennifer CelottaJennifer Ann Celotta is an American television producer and writer. Among her credits are Home Improvement, Malcolm in the Middle, Greg the Bunny, Andy Richter Controls The Universe and The Office...
(May 15, 2008) – Season 4 - "Stress ReliefStress Relief"Stress Relief" is a two-part episode of the American comedy television series The Office. They constituted the fourteenth and fifteenth episode of the fifth season, and the 86th and 87th overall episodes of the series...
" (February 1, 2009) – Season 5 - "Company PicnicCompany Picnic"Company Picnic" is the fifth season finale of the American comedy television series The Office, and the 100th overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on May 14, 2009...
" along with Jennifer CelottaJennifer CelottaJennifer Ann Celotta is an American television producer and writer. Among her credits are Home Improvement, Malcolm in the Middle, Greg the Bunny, Andy Richter Controls The Universe and The Office...
(May 14, 2009) – Season 5 - "GossipGossip (The Office)"Gossip" is the sixth season premiere of the American comedy television series The Office, and the 101st overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on September 17, 2009....
" (September 17, 2009) – Season 6 - "Sex EdSex Ed (The Office)"Sex Ed" is the fourth episode of the seventh season of the American comedy television series The Office, and the show's 130th episode overall. Written and directed by Paul Lieberstein, the episode aired on NBC in the United States on October 14, 2010...
" (October 14, 2010) – Season 7 - "Search CommitteeSearch Committee"Search Committee" is the hour-long finale of the seventh season of the American television comedy series The Office. It is the 151st and 152nd episodes of the series overall and the 25th and 26th episodes of the seventh season. It was written by show runner and executive producer Paul Lieberstein...
" (May 19, 2011) - Season 7 - "The IncentiveThe Incentive"The Incentive" is the second episode of the eighth season of the American comedy television series The Office, and the show's 154th episode overall. It was written by Paul Lieberstein and directed by Charles McDougall. The episode originally aired on NBC in the United States on September 29, 2011...
" (September 29, 2011) - Season 8
Directed episodes of The Office
- "MoneyMoney (The Office)"Money" is the seventh episode of the fourth season of the American comedy television series The Office, and the show's sixtieth episode overall. It first aired on October 18, 2007, on NBC, and was the last of four consecutive hour long episodes that opened the fourth season...
" (October 18, 2007) – Season 4 - "Two WeeksTwo Weeks (The Office)"Two Weeks" is the twenty-first episode of the fifth season of the television series The Office, and the 93rd overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on March 26, 2009. In this episode, Michael, who has given his two weeks notice to Dunder Mifflin, tries to...
" (March 26, 2009) – Season 5 - "GossipGossip (The Office)"Gossip" is the sixth season premiere of the American comedy television series The Office, and the 101st overall episode of the series. It originally aired on NBC in the United States on September 17, 2009....
" (September 17, 2009) – Season 6 - "WhistleblowerWhistleblower (The Office)"Whistleblower" is the 26th episode and season finale of the sixth season of the U.S. comedy series The Office and the show's 126th episode overall...
" (May 20, 2010) – Season 6 - "Sex EdSex Ed (The Office)"Sex Ed" is the fourth episode of the seventh season of the American comedy television series The Office, and the show's 130th episode overall. Written and directed by Paul Lieberstein, the episode aired on NBC in the United States on October 14, 2010...
" (October 14, 2010) – Season 7 - "Training DayTraining Day (The Office)"Training Day" is the twentieth episode of the seventh season of the American comedy television series The Office and the show's 146th episode overall. Written by Daniel Chun and directed by Paul Lieberstein, the episode aired on April 14, 2011, on NBC...
" (April 14, 2011) – Season 7