B. J. Novak: Art and Pranks

Writer, actor, and comedian B. J. Novak returns to the MFA to relive his prank of recording over the Museum’s audio guides when he was a high schooler living in Newton. Join Novak for a special talk where he breaks down the prank, which at the time was highly publicized, and hear his thoughts on the intersection where pranks, creativity, authenticity, and art meet.

B. J. Novak is well known for his work on the Emmy Award–winning comedy The Office, in which he both starred as Ryan and was a writer, director, and Executive Producer. He has appeared in films such as Inglorious Basterds and The Founder and television series such as Punk’d, The Newsroom and The Mindy Project, and is the author of the best-selling short story collection One More Thing and the children’s blockbuster The Book With No Pictures. Most recently, Novak wrote, directed, and starred in the acclaimed 2022 film Vengeance.