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IMDbPro

Ken Kwapis

  • Director
  • Producer
  • Writer
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
Ken Kwapis in Randonneurs amateurs (2015)
Ken Kwapis is an award-winning director of motion pictures and television. He has directed eleven feature films, among them A Walk In The Woods, based on Bill Bryson's acclaimed comedic memoir; He's Just Not That Into You, inspired by the New York Times bestselling advice book; and The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, adapted from the beloved young adult novel. Other films include the rescue adventure Big Miracle, and the romantic comedies License to Wed and He Said, She Said (co-directed with Marisa Silver). His feature debut was Sesame Street Presents: Follow That Bird, starring Jim Henson's Muppets.

For television, Kwapis helped launch nine series, including the groundbreaking HBO comedy The Larry Sanders Show, Fox's Emmy Award-winning The Bernie Mac Show, and NBC's The Office. Kwapis directed the pilot of The Office and its series finale, along with many memorable episodes -"Casino Night," Booze Cruise," "Diversity Day," to name a few. He earned an Emmy nomination for directing the episode "Gay Witch Hunt."

Kwapis also earned an Emmy nomination for his work as a producer-director of Fox's Malcolm In The Middle. Other series Kwapis helped launch include NBC's Outsourced, Showtime's Happyish, and Netflix's #blackAF. He directed numerous episodes of shows such as Freaks and Geeks, One Mississippi, and Santa Clarita Diet.

Kwapis studied filmmaking at Northwestern University and the University of Southern California. He won the Student Academy Award in Dramatic Achievement for his USC thesis film "For Heaven's Sake," an adaptation of Mozart's one-act comic opera Der Schauspieldirektor ("The Impresario").
BornAugust 17, 1957
  • More at IMDbPro
    • Contact info
    • Agent info
    • Resume
BornAugust 17, 1957
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
  • View contact info at IMDbPro
    • Nominated for 2 Primetime Emmys
      • 3 wins & 11 nominations total

    Photos29

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    Known for

    Tig Notaro in One Mississippi (2015)
    One Mississippi
    7.6
    TV Series
    • Director
    Nick Nolte and Robert Redford in Randonneurs amateurs (2015)
    Randonneurs amateurs
    6.4
    • Director
    • 2015
    Steve Coogan in HAPPYish (2015)
    HAPPYish
    7.2
    TV Series
    • Director
    Drew Barrymore and John Krasinski in Miracle en Alaska (2012)
    Miracle en Alaska
    6.5
    • Director
    • 2012

    Credits

    Edit
    IMDbPro

    Director



    • Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair
      • Director
      • Post-production
      • TV Series
      • 2025
    • Sisterhood Everlasting
      • Director
      • In Production
    • The Shaggs
      • Director
      • Pre-production
    • Thelma
      • Director
      • Pre-production



    • John Malkovich, Steve Carell, and Ben Schwartz in Space Force (2020)
      Space Force
      6.7
      TV Series
      • Director
      • 2022
    • Rashida Jones and Kenya Barris in #BlackAF (2020)
      #BlackAF
      6.8
      TV Series
      • Director
      • 2020
    • Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant in Santa Clarita Diet (2017)
      Santa Clarita Diet
      7.8
      TV Series
      • Director
      • 2017–2019
    • Swoosie Kurtz, Erinn Hayes, Chris Diamantopoulos, Gabriel Bateman, Drew Powell, and Kyan Zielinski in Les jeunes aventuriers (2018)
      Les jeunes aventuriers
      5.8
      TV Series
      • Director
      • 2018
    • Tig Notaro in One Mississippi (2015)
      One Mississippi
      7.6
      TV Series
      • Director
      • 2016–2017
    • Steve Coogan in HAPPYish (2015)
      HAPPYish
      7.2
      TV Series
      • Director
      • 2015
    • Nick Nolte and Robert Redford in Randonneurs amateurs (2015)
      Randonneurs amateurs
      6.4
      • Director
      • 2015
    • Steve Carell, Jenna Fischer, Rainn Wilson, John Krasinski, and B.J. Novak in The Office (2005)
      The Office
      9.0
      TV Series
      • Director
      • 2005–2013
    • Friday Night Dinner
      6.0
      TV Movie
      • Director
      • 2012
    • Sarah Silverman in Susan 313 (2012)
      Susan 313
      6.0
      TV Movie
      • Director
      • 2012
    • Drew Barrymore and John Krasinski in Miracle en Alaska (2012)
      Miracle en Alaska
      6.5
      • Director
      • 2012
    • Outsourced (2010)
      Outsourced
      7.6
      TV Series
      • Director
      • 2010
    • Adam Scott, Rashida Jones, Jim O'Heir, Nick Offerman, Amy Poehler, Chris Pratt, Retta, Aziz Ansari, and Aubrey Plaza in Parks and Recreation (2009)
      Parks and Recreation
      8.6
      TV Series
      • Director
      • 2010
    • Jennifer Aniston, Drew Barrymore, Jennifer Connelly, Ben Affleck, Kevin Connolly, Bradley Cooper, Ginnifer Goodwin, Scarlett Johansson, and Justin Long in Ce que pensent les hommes (2009)
      Ce que pensent les hommes
      6.4
      • Director
      • 2009
    • Robin Williams, Mandy Moore, and John Krasinski in Permis de mariage (2007)
      Permis de mariage
      5.3
      • Director
      • 2007

    Producer



    • Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair
      • producer
      • Post-production
      • TV Series
      • 2025
    • The Shaggs
      • producer
      • Pre-production



    • John Malkovich, Steve Carell, and Ben Schwartz in Space Force (2020)
      Space Force
      6.7
      TV Series
      • executive producer
      • 2022
    • Steve Coogan in HAPPYish (2015)
      HAPPYish
      7.2
      TV Series
      • executive producer
      • 2015
    • Outsourced (2010)
      Outsourced
      7.6
      TV Series
      • executive producer
      • 2010–2011
    • Steve Carell, Jenna Fischer, Rainn Wilson, John Krasinski, and B.J. Novak in The Office (2005)
      The Office
      9.0
      TV Series
      • producer
      • executive producer
      • 2005–2009
    • Bernie Mac in The Bernie Mac Show (2001)
      The Bernie Mac Show
      7.2
      TV Series
      • producer
      • 2001–2006
    • Frankie Muniz, Justin Berfield, Bryan Cranston, Jane Kaczmarek, Christopher Masterson, and Erik Per Sullivan in Malcolm (2000)
      Malcolm
      8.2
      TV Series
      • producer
      • 2000–2004
    • About a Boy
      5.5
      TV Movie
      • executive producer
      • 2003
    • Julia Louis-Dreyfus in Watching Ellie (2002)
      Watching Ellie
      6.0
      TV Series
      • producer
      • 2002

    Writer



    • Sexual Life (2004)
      Sexual Life
      5.1
      • written by
      • 2004
    • For Heaven's Sake
      Short
      • Writer
      • 1982

    • In-development projects at IMDbPro

    Videos1

    10 Chick-Flick Clichés You Won't Find in He's Just Not That Into You
    Promo 5:52
    10 Chick-Flick Clichés You Won't Find in He's Just Not That Into You

    Personal details

    Edit
    • Official site
      • official website for Ken Kwapis
    • Born
      • August 17, 1957
      • Belleville, Illinois, USA
    • Spouse
      • Marisa Silver? - present (2 children)
    • Other works
      Published article entitled 'Office Work' about directing the first and final episodes of The Office (2005) in DGA Quarterly magazine.
    • Publicity listings
      • 1 Interview
      • 1 Article

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      He is of Polish descent.
    • Quotes
      Since Pants [Quatre filles et un jean (2005)] was released, I can't tell you how many conversations I've had about public displays of emotion in general, and crying at the movies in particular. I've received messages from male friends berating me for creating something that brought them to tears. I've received emails from girls who claim they'd never cried at the movies before Pants. And there are many rave reviews that are quite apologetic in tone. Many journalists have a hard time distinguishing between honest emotion and sentiment. I feel certain the audience knows the difference.

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