Ed Helms was born and raised in Atlanta. Shortly after graduating from Oberlin College in Ohio, he moved to New York to pursue a career as a comedian and actor.
He gained fame thanks to his participation in the program “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart”, where in the years 2002-2006 he not only appeared in the comedy segments: “Digital Watch”, “Ad Nauseam” and “Mark Your Calendar”, but also participated in writing the script Their own.
In 2006, Helms joined the cast of the American version of the series “The Office”, where the main role was given to his colleague from “The Daily Show” – Steve Carell. He played the supporting character of Andy Bernard, an energetic salesman who cannot handle anger.
A year later, Helms became a regular cast member on The Office, and in 2010, his name finally appeared in the series' credits. Helms also became one of the show's producers.
Cinema audiences were able to see him in the films: “Knocked Up,” “Call Me Dave,” “Go Hard,” and “Evan Supreme.” He also appeared in the series: “The Broke Rich” and “The World As to Mindy.” “. And Wilfred.
However, the breakthrough in his career was his appearance in the comedy film “The Hangover” directed by Todd Phillips.
It was a story about three friends (played by Ed Helms, Bradley Cooper, and Zach Galifianakis) who go to Las Vegas to attend their friend's lavish bachelor party. When the groomsmen wake up the next morning with a terrible headache, they remember nothing. Their luxury apartment was destroyed and the future groom disappeared without a trace. None of the three have any idea what happened. There is little time left before the planned wedding, so together they try to replay the events of the previous night to understand what went wrong, find the groom and get him to Los Angeles on time. However, the more truth they discover, the more they realize the problem they are in.
Helms played Stu, a kind but nervous dentist with an exaggerated sense of responsibility. “I was flattered that the filmmakers chose me for this role, but at the same time I was a little insulted that Stu is an idiot, an anal Freudian type,” the actor joked.
Helms moved to the Las Vegas set from Los Angeles while working on “The Office.” “If you're looking for character types, Phil is the quiet type, Alan is the weird one, and Stu is the loser. I wonder why they thought of casting me for this role?” – he was asking. Perhaps because, as Phillips admits, “Ed fought as a timid follower who had long been on the verge of complete collapse.”
The Golden Globe-winning film “The Hangover” was one of the best, most discussed and profitable film productions of 2009. Its sequel, made two years later, achieved even greater commercial success, and the distribution revenues in cinemas alone for both titles exceeded $1 billion!
In 2013, the third part of the series was released in cinemas.
However, “The Hangover III” broke with the tradition of previous films. This time, the characters aren't attending a bachelor party or even suffering from a hangover. The film marks the first original “headache” for Bradley Cooper's character, which six years ago set off a whole series of events in a way that no one could have predicted.
“I realize that it is a rare honor to be able to make films like this and bring to life characters that the audience will interact with the way they interacted with these people. I'm glad that we were able to end it in a way that pays homage to the entire story and says goodbye to its characters as they deserve,” said director Todd Phillips. “.
After the success of “The Hangover,” we saw Helms in the lead role in the movie “Cedar Rapids,” where he played insurance agent Tim Libby, who spent his entire life in Brown Valley, Wisconsin. Now he faces his first trip to the “big world” — a trip to a business conference in Cedar Rapids. Naive Tim does not expect that the adventure of a lifetime, filled with the strangest events, will await him. The hero will make new friends and… finally become the man he always wanted to be.
“Ed had an immediate sense of his character. He was wonderfully empathetic and had no qualms about fully becoming the character. He reminds me of Jimmy Stewart, and sparks fly off the screen. Within a few minutes of the movie, you'll adore Tim like your best relative.” said director Miguel Arteta.
“I'm a huge fan of Ed Helms. I loved him when he was on TV, but when I watched The Hangover I was thrilled with his talent. He's the perfect actor for the role of Tim. He kept us all passionate about it,” added Alexander Payne, who served as producer: “Fingers crossed that it's a success.” Hero”.
We can also see Helms in the comedy “In a New Mirror: Vacation”, in which he played the son of the characters of the cult series “In a Crooked Mirror. Vacation”.
The Griswolds first appeared on screen over thirty years ago, in the classic comedy “Crooked Mirror.” Viewers still remember the disasters that befell this family while traveling around the country. Clark Griswold, his wife Ellen, and their two constantly arguing children, Rusty and Audrey, have a trip to Wally World, America's favorite amusement park, full of comedic situations. It was also an unforgettable ride for viewers around the world, and was very popular. In the following years, the Griswolds took us to “European Vacation,” “Vegas Vacation,” and even spent Christmas with us in the comedy “Crooked Mirror: Hello, Santa Claus,” becoming an integral part of our culture.
In In a New Mirror: Vacation, Helms played the adult Rusty Griswold, the son of Clark (Chevy Chase) and Ellen (Beverly D'Angelo).
When a man realizes that his relationship with his wife (Christina Applegate) and two sons (Skyler Gisondo and Steele Stebbins) is no longer as close as it used to be, he decides to heal her. Following in his father's footsteps, he organizes a surprise for his entire family – a joint trip to Wally's World, America's favorite amusement park.
Helms is also a respected voice actor. We heard from him, among other things: in the cartoon “LOrax” (such as Once), and he also lent his voice to the main character in the production of “Captain Underpants: The First Great Movie”.
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