Who is Brian Baumgartner? Everything to know about the guest star in Suits LA
As Suits LA introduces Brian Baumgartner as its guest star in one of its episodes, the actor plays a version of himself seeking a career outside of his show, The Office. He's one of the handful of guest stars and celebrities playing their real-life personas in the NBC Suits spinoff starring Stephen Amell, set in the City of Angels.
Outside of starring in The Office for over a hundred episodes and his recent cameo in Suits LA, Baumgartner appeared in dozens of TV shows and movies like comedy romances Four Christmases and License to Wed. He has also worked behind the camera as a director and movie producer, as well as a voice actor for several animated TV shows.
Find out more about Brian Baumgartner, his role in Suits LA, and his career as an actor, director, and producer.
Who did Brian Baumgartner play in Suits LA?
Brian Baumgartner joined the cast of Suits LA in episode 3, playing a fictional version of himself. In the episode, he is looking for a career outside of the world of The Office. He wants to leave his comedic The Office persona to become a dramatic actor, so he goes to Black & Associates to get them to get him a meeting with Tom Hanks.
However, with Ted Black's hands full of Lester Thompson's murder case, Brian asks for the help of the firm's new head of entertainment, Erica Rollins, instead. But while Erica couldn't get him a meeting with Tom Hanks, she got Patton Oswalt to meet with Brian.
While Suits LA episode 3 revolved around Brian wanting to kill off his Kevin Malone character from The Office, the actor clarified that he was only playing a fictional version of himself and that he has a lot of "respect" for The Office. In an interview with NBC Insider, published on March 11, 2025, he said that there was a stipulation for him to guest star in Suits LA, saying:
"The Office does mean a lot to me, and I know it means a lot to other people... The only concern for me in terms of this was to make sure that that was very clear that. I'm playing a fictional version of myself. I still very much honor and respect the legacy of that show. That was the only part that was tricky. The rest of it was just fun."
Read more: Who is Patton Oswalt, the guest star in Suits LA?
Brian Baumgartner is an actor, director, and producer
Brian Baumgartner is an Atlanta, Georgia, native, per his IMDb page. He's been in show business since the early 2000s, with his acting debut in the 2001 comedy romance Herman U.S.A. before he ventured into television. He started with guest starring roles in several TV shows, like The Lyon's Den and CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, early in his acting career.
However, Baumgartner is best known for playing the accountant at Dunder Mifflin Scranton named Kevin Malone in the NBC sitcom The Office. He played the character from seasons 1 through 9 of the series, which aired on NBC from 2005 to 2013. He also reprised the role in several TV miniseries set in The Office Universe, including The Accountants, Kevin's Loan, and more.
His other acting credits on TV include the shows Good Behavior, The Goldbergs, Krapopolis, and Trash Truck, where he voiced various animated characters. In movies, Brian Baumgartner can be seen in License to Wed, Four Christmases, Diagnosis Delicious, and the 2024 holiday drama Confessions of a Christmas Letter.
Besides acting, Baumgartner also directed one episode of The Office, specifically the 16th episode of the sitcom's 8th season, titled After Hours. He also has producing credits for the TV movies Golf Therapy: Life, Lessons & the Pursuits of Par and Training for Tahoe 2, among others.
Catch Brian Baumgartner in Suits LA, which is now streaming on Peacock.
