Ellie Kemper has been known to play quirky redheads, as seen from her famous roles as the cheerful receptionist Erin Hannon in The Office and the cheerful optimist Kimmy Schmidt in Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt. Her bright smile, giddy defiance and childlike wonder made her a solid standout on those shows.
While her signature traits allowed her to be typecasted for such roles, Kemper added some benefits to the films she was in. Whether she had a supporting role, like in Bridesmaids, or a small appearance, like in 21 Jump Street, she is game for anything with an innocent, relentless smile.
Mystery Team (2009)
Kemper was closely associated with the comedy group Derrick Comedy that she also appeared in their comedy mystery film. Mystery Team centers on three childhood friends who grew up on sleuth stories and inhabited identities as detectives. When a mystery surfaced, they rise to the occasion to save the day.
This movie, of course, features the group’s most popular alumni, Donald Glover as “Master of Disguise” Jason Rogers. Meanwhile, Kemper popped here and there as the boys’ informant/town crier Jamie, who also had a similar childish attitude like the boys.
Smurfs: The Lost Village (2017)
Smurfs: The Lost Village is intended to be a fully animated reboot of Sony Pictures Animation’s adaptation of The Smurfs. In this movie, Smurfette (Demi Lovato) discovers a mysterious map that leads to a lost village, prompting her, Brainy (Danny Pudi), Clumsy (Jack McBrayer) and Hefty (Joe Manganiello) to track it down before Gargamel does.
Unlike the first two Smurfs, this movie features an all-new aesthetic and cast, including Kemper as female Smurf Smurfblossom (who becomes close friends with Smurfette) and, coincidentally, her Office costar Rainn Wilson voice as Gargamel.
Julie’s Greenroom (2017)
Julie’s Greenroom is an educational pre-school television series, hosted by Julie Andrews (taking the role of Miss Julie, the director of the Wellspring Center for the Performing Arts). Each episode provides practical tips for children wanting to learn about theater. And each also features a guest to help Miss Julie.
Ellie Kemper appears as herself, who taught the children – known as Greenies – how to listen and cooperate through improv as a way to get through rehearsals. Her appearance is fitting, given Kemper started from improv through the Upright Citizens Brigade.
They Came Together (2014)
From the guys who created Wet Hot American Summer comes They Came Together, an intentional poke on romantic comedies and their clichés. It features Paul Rudd and Amy Poehler as leads Joel and Molly, two opposites who attract but fall out, in typical rom-com manner.
Kemper starred as Karen, partner to Kyle (Bill Hader). They are unhappy couple, who are unwisely paired to a giddier Joel and Molly, who told about the story how they met. Nice for Kemper to play against type to practically voice the audience’s pragmatic emotions.
The Lego Batman Movie (2017)
As one will see on her filmography, Ellie Kemper had her eyes on voice roles for TV hits like American Dad and animated blockbusters like The Secret Life of Pets. But she also had an unrecognizable voice role in The Lego Batman Movie (with Will Arnett as hysterical Lego Batman).
Kemper voices Phyllis, a sentient Lego brick who serves as the gatekeeper to the Phantom Zone, the realm of supervillains where the Joker (Zach Galifianakis) was thrown. She initially labelled Lego Batman as a villain, but redeemed him to Gotham.
Identity Thief (2013)
Identity Thief is an R-rated comedy movie, starring Jason Bateman as identity-theft victim Sandy Patterson who must chase down his perpetrator Diana (played by Melissa McCarthy). The ultimate gimmick of this bland roadtrip movie is Bateman as straight man trying to outwit an off-kilter McCarthy.
McCarthy’s Bridesmaids costar plays an uncredited part as Flo, a waitress on a diner that Sandy and Diana stopped at. Diana dupes Flo into thinking that Sandy is her impolite husband in order to get a heftier buffet meal. Sandy thought of Diana as “sociopathic”.
We Bare Bears (2015, 2017–2018)
Kemper also voiced a recurring character in the hit Cartoon Network series We Bare Bears. She plays the likable Lucy, owner of the produce delivery service Lucy’s Produce and friend to brothers Grizzly, Panda and Ice Bear. It is later revealed that she delivers fruits to the Bears every Friday.
Lucy is one of the Bears’ closest human friends. And Panda has a huge crush on her, to which she is oblivious about. When she had begun dating, he feels upset but soon accepts it, assuring that she is happy.
Somewhere (2010)
Somewhere is a Sofia Coppola film about a famous actor named Johnny Marco (Stephen Dorff) who recuperates at the Chateau Marmont as he suffers from an existential crisis. His life turned upside down when his 11-year-old daughter Cleo (Elle Fanning) was left under his care.
Kemper has a small part as assistant Claire, who guides Johnny to his event. She is shown to be enamored by his charisma. Her part is really minor, but that does not detract with the film’s heartfelt message of accepting adult responsibility and emotional contentment.
The Mindy Project (2012-2013)
For Office fans, it is delightful to see Ellie Kemper have a recurring role in her onscreen friend Mindy Kaling’s comedy series The Mindy Project. Kemper appeared thrice as Heather (who is a straight-faced Erin), ex-boyfriend to lawyer Josh Daniels and, later, neighbor of Mindy.
Her most prominent appearance is on “Josh and Mindy's Christmas Party”, where she crashed the party to confront Josh and was dubbed as “the other woman”. It served as an in-joke for both Kaling and Kemper. Heather was gratefully brought back for two more episodes.
21 Jump Street (2012)
Initially, many are skeptical for the R-rated comedic reboot of 21 Jump Street. Yet, directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller subvert expectations and offer a self-aware buddy cop movie. Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum star as Schmidt and Jenko, who are instructed to go undercover in a high school to hunt down a drug supplier.
Kemper appeared as Jenko’s cheery teacher Ms. Griggs, who takes an immediate liking to Jenko that they made out, but is oblivious he is a cop. Kemper is just one of the many hidden talents in a packed comedy blockbuster.