Ellie Kemper has been making a name for herself in comedy for some time now. From big roles in shows like The Office, to her own Netflix series, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, it’s no wonder that she’s been nominated for several awards.
Currently, she’s starring in Home Sweet Home Alone, a Disney+ original movie, but now, we’re going to take a look back on some of her best work, and how you can watch it. These are some of the best Ellie Kemper movies and TV shows that are streaming right now.
The Office (2009 - 2013)
Arguably, The Office is how a lot of people found out about Ellie Kemper. This iconic sitcom is about the lives of the workers at Dunder Mifflin Paper Company, and how they constantly have to deal with their leader, Michael Scott, who can be a good boss at times - but is mostly just a mess.
Ellie Kemper played Erin, a recurring character at first, who replaced Pam when she stopped working as Dunder Mifflin’s secretary, but overtime her character became much more important and she graduated to being a main cast member. While I’ll always have a special place in my heart for Pam as the secretary, I must say that there’s something wholesome about Erin that I really enjoy. The poor girl was so new at her job that she was constantly getting crapped on by Michael, but she learned how to be the best secretary. You gotta admire her perseverance - despite being a little kooky.
Bridesmaids (2011)
Bridesmaids follows Annie, a young woman who suffers a series of misfortunes when she is is asked to serve as the maid of honor at her best friends' wedding, causing a ridiculous amount of chaos.
Kemper plays naïve newlywed Becca, one of the several hilarious bridesmaids in the Bridesmaids cast, but honestly, this entire ensemble is just *chef’s kiss.*
Here, Kemper really shows just how perfect her comedic timing is. Her line on the plane when she says "Excuse me, um, could I have a glass of alcohol when you get the chance?" is so adorable and hilarious it gets me every time. Sweet, reserved Becca. Kemper and everyone here created one of the funniest comedies yet.
Sofia The First (2013-2018)
Sofia the First is a fun children’s TV show about a young girl named Sofia, who was living in a village as a young girl until her mother fell in love with the king, and now, she has become a princess overnight. It’s up to her to figure out how to do it right and become the best princess.
Ellie Kemper voiced Crackle, one of the many side characters of Sofia the First, and she's the perfect fit. Crackle is loud and outgoing and loves to make friends, and that's exactly what I think of when Kemper comes to mind.
This is honestly a great show. The voice acting, including Kemper’s, is great, and the stories remind me of those classic Disney princesses. As someone who is a fan of Disney, I can say that they created an entertaining show not only for kids, but for adults as well. While Sofia will never be a part of the official Disney princess line-up, she gets an honorary pass from me.
Stream Sofia the First on Disney Now.
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (2015 - 2020)
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt is a Netflix original series about the titular character, who has to suddenly learn how to be a grownup overnight after being stuck in a bunker for more than a decade, thanks to a deranged priest.
Ya’ll, Kemper rocks this role. I remember when I first began watching Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, I felt like I was going to hate it because I wouldn’t like how positive Kimmy was being about the world, but after the first couple of episodes, I was hooked.
Ellie Kemper brings out this bubbliness in Kimmy, after the horrible ordeal she went through, that makes her so likable. The rest of the Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt cast is wonderful too, creating some hilarious moments. The interactive special that they did was also a lot of fun, and even had stars like Daniel Radcliffe involved with it - truly, such a great comedy that deserved all the praise it got.
Stream Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt on Netflix.
Get Him To The Greek (2010)
Moving on, we have the comedy, Get Him to the Greek, starring Jonah Hill and Russell Brand. Here, Aaron, an intern from a record company, is hired to get a crazy, out of control British rockstar to a concert at L.A’s Greek Theater, hence “the Greek” in the title.
Kemper plays one of the Aaron’s co-worker’s in the movie, and while her role is smaller than some of her others, there's just something so brilliant about her. She plays the complete opposite of many of her bubbly, happy roles. Kemper's a more reserved, collected type who's just trying to keep her job, and it really shows her range.
Plus, the whole cast is full of stars. With Big Mouth co-creator Nick Kroll, The Handmaid’s Tale star Elisabeth Moss, and rap legend P. Diddy - there’s truly no end to this star-studded cast.
Stream Get Him to the Greek on Peacock.
Rent Get Him to the Greek on Amazon.
21 Jump Street (2012)
In the buddy cop movie 21 Jump Street, starring Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill, we follow two cops named Schmidt and Jenko, who are forced to relive their high school days and go undercover as students when an outbreak of a new synthetic drug seems to be coming directly from the kids. Now, it’s up to them to figure out who it is.
Ellie Kemper plays Ms. Griggs, a teacher who has a sexual interest towards Jenko, Channing Tatum’s character - I mean, I don’t blame her, who wouldn’t? Jokes aside, I think this is one of Kemper's best roles because it again shows her range. I never look at her and think she'd be a teacher attracted to a student, but her character in 21 Jump Street makes me believe that.
You wouldn’t expect Hill and Tatum to have such great chemistry, but they take the buddy cop genre to new heights with hilariously dark comedy, funny bits, and a lot of intense action. Plus, Ice Cube as their captain is the funniest and best casting I’ve ever seen.
Stream 21 Jump Street on Netflix.
Rent 21 Jump Street on Amazon.
Laggies (2014)
Next up, we have Laggies, a romantic comedy starring Keira Knightley, Chloe Grace Moretz, and Sam Rockwell. Knightley’s character, Megan, buys teenagers beer, and is drawn into their much more simple life. She ends up moving in with young Annika and her father, trying to help the teen with life, and juggle being an adult with romantic interests, and the feeling that she’s always lagging behind.
Kemper plays Allison, Megan’s childhood friend, and I absolutely adore their scenes. Their friendship just feels so real and you can really tell that Allison cares for Megan and everything she has gone through, and only wants the best for her.
To me, Laggies has always been underrated as a romantic comedy, as it has a certain charm to it that I can get behind.
Stream Laggies on Showtime.
Rent Laggies on Amazon.
They Came Together (2014)
I bet you didn’t think you’d see a satirical romantic comedy on this list, but here we are. They Came Together, starring Amy Poehler and Paul Rudd, is about their two characters, who own different types of candy stores, one a small shop and the other a gigantic company. When the company threatens to shut down the small shop, their love story begins in this rom-com spoof.
This film deserved so much more attention. Ellie Kemper stars as Karen, one of the many main characters in this ensemble film. And, her scenes with Bill Hader are stellar. I love their comedic timing together, and I find myself laughing every time I watch this movie.
They Came Together brings those classic romantic comedy tropes to create a hilarious spoof, but at the same time, still produces a heartwarming tale about love, as ridiculous as the movie can be.
Stream They Came Together on HBO Max.
Rent They Came Together on Amazon.
The Secret Life Of Pets Series (2016 - 2019)
Illumination hit the jackpot with this fun animated movie series. The Secret Life of Pets is exactly what the title suggests. When the humans step away, what do people’s pets do? They have a fun time; that’s exactly what they do.
Ellie Kemper plays Katie, one of the predominantly featured human characters in The Secret Life of Pets series. To be honest, I want to hear Kemper in way more voice roles, because she truly does let her personality shine through in this movie. While we're all focused on the dogs and cats, Katie is the one human where we actually do grow attached to her, because you can see how much she cares for and loves her animals.
Her co-stars are hilarious, with the likes of Kevin Hart, Jenny Slate, and more offering their voice talents, and the animation is seriously good. I mean, who doesn’t want to watch talking dogs and cats?
Rent The Secret Life of Pets series on Amazon.
The Lego Batman Movie (2017)
The Lego Batman Movie, which is a spinoff of The Lego Movie, follows the title character in his attempts to overcome his greatest fear and stop the Joker’s latest plan.
Ellie Kemper plays Phyllis, the gatekeeper of the Phantom Zone. Her time in the movie is brief, but memorable. She has a strong connection with Batman, asking him the real questions about his fears, while also providing several quotable moments. It's such a great character - even if it's just a single LEGO brick.
The Lego Batman Movie is genuinely just a lot of fun for all audiences. From the supercool animation for kids to the iconic Batman characters, The Lego Batman Movie is perfect for kids and adults, and offers some hysterical moments thanks to Will Arnett's talented voicing of Batman.
The Stand-In (2020)
Last up, we have The Stand-In, a romantic comedy starring Drew Barrymore. This movie takes that classic trading places trope, and gives it to a disaffected comedy actress, who trades places with her ambitious stand-in.
Ellie Kemper plays Jenna Jones, one of the actresses Barrymore’s character works with. This is another case where Kemper showcases her acting ability. She plays a completely different character than what we're used to from Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt or The Office, and is low key kind of a mean person, and not her usually bubbly self. I didn't think it was possible for me to not like Kemper, but this movie succeeded, and that's thanks to her skills as an actress.
While The Stand-In isn’t everyone’s favorite, I actually really enjoyed it and personally believe it’s one of Drew Barrymore’s best movies. There’s a lot to enjoy about here, and I think it’s worthy of a night in to watch.
Stream The Stand-In on Netflix.
Rent The Stand-In on Netflix.
With so many choices, Ellie Kemper is certainly a leader in comedy who's also shown some versatility. Hopefully we’ll get to see her in some more leading roles like soon. But, no matter what you pick from this list, you’ll have a fun time.
