Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV News
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightFamily Entertainment GuideIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsCannes Film FestivalStar WarsAsian Pacific American Heritage MonthSummer Watch GuideSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign In
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
  • Biography
  • Awards
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

Ken Kwapis

  • Director
  • Producer
  • Writer
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
Ken Kwapis in A Walk in the Woods (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

    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    + 22
    View Poster

    Known for

    Tig Notaro in One Mississippi (2015)
    One Mississippi
    7.6
    TV Series
    • Director
    Nick Nolte and Robert Redford in A Walk in the Woods (2015)
    A Walk in the Woods
    6.4
    • Director
    • 2015
    Steve Coogan in Happyish (2015)
    Happyish
    7.2
    TV Series
    • Director
    Drew Barrymore and John Krasinski in Big Miracle (2012)
    Big Miracle
    6.5
    • Director
    • 2012

    Credits

    Edit
    IMDbPro

    Director



    • Untitled Malcolm in the Middle
      • Director
      • In Production
      • TV Series
      • 2025
    • Sisterhood Everlasting
      • Director
      • In Production
    • The Shaggs
      • Director
      • Pre-production
    • Thelma
      • Director
      • Pre-production



    • John Malkovich, Steve Carell, Don Lake, Ben Schwartz, Jimmy O. Yang, Tawny Newsome, and Diana Silvers 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 The Dangerous Book for Boys (2018)
      The Dangerous Book for Boys
      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 A Walk in the Woods (2015)
      A Walk in the Woods
      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
      5.9
      TV Movie
      • Director
      • 2012
    • Sarah Silverman in Susan 313 (2012)
      Susan 313
      6.1
      TV Movie
      • Director
      • 2012
    • Drew Barrymore and John Krasinski in Big Miracle (2012)
      Big Miracle
      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 He's Just Not That Into You (2009)
      He's Just Not That Into You
      6.4
      • Director
      • 2009
    • Robin Williams, Mandy Moore, and John Krasinski in License to Wed (2007)
      License to Wed
      5.3
      • Director
      • 2007

    Producer



    • Untitled Malcolm in the Middle
      • producer
      • In Production
      • TV Series
      • 2025
    • The Shaggs
      • producer
      • Pre-production



    • John Malkovich, Steve Carell, Don Lake, Ben Schwartz, Jimmy O. Yang, Tawny Newsome, and Diana Silvers 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 in the Middle (2000)
      Malcolm in the Middle
      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 [The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (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.

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb app
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    Follow IMDb on social
    Get the IMDb app
    For Android and iOS
    Get the IMDb app
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • License IMDb Data
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2025 by IMDb.com, Inc.