Paul Lieberstein is an American actor, producer, screenwriter, and director. He is known for his work on the American version of the comedy series The Office, in which he played not only an acting role but also several roles behind the scenes as co-producer, writer, and director. The multi-talented actor appeared throughout the series’ nine seasons in the supporting role of Toby Flenderson and acted as showrunner from season 5 to season 8.
King of the Hill won him (and several others) the 1999 Primetime Emmy Award for an outstanding animation program. He also served as producer on the Drew Carey Show (Season 6) and the HBO drama series The Newsroom (Season 3).
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Paul Lieberstein Bio
The multi-talented actor was born on February 22, 1967, as Paul Bevan Lieberstein in Westport, Connecticut. His mother Judith Lieberstein is a clinical psychologist and his father Stanley Lieberstein is a lawyer. He grew up with 2 siblings; an older sister named Susanne and a younger brother named Warren. His two siblings are also in show business; his sister Susanne Daniels is a senior entertainment executive, while his brother Warren Lieberstein is a writer and producer.
The young Lieberstein received his high school education at Staples High School in Westport, Connecticut. He completed his college education at Hamilton College in Clinton, New York. He graduated in 1989 with a bachelor’s degree in economics. Upon graduation, he obtained a regular position with Peat Marwick International, an international accounting firm. In less than a year he quit his first job and took a part-time position in his father’s law firm, which enabled him to pursue a career as a screenwriter.
In 1992 Paul Lieberstein recorded one of his early credits for an episode of the Nickelodeon sitcom Clarissa Explains It All. In 1998 he was given a major writing role in the Fox animated sitcom King of the Hill. Lieberstein wrote several episodes for the first 5 seasons of the series, for which he received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Animated Program in 1999.
Paul Lieberstein worked as a producer, writer, director, and supporting actor in the NBC mockumentary series The Office (2005-13). He was a showrunner from the 5th to the 8th season of the series. His supporting role as Toby Flenderson during the series’ 9 seasons earned him the 2006 SAG Award for “Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series”. Lieberstein also shared the 2007 Daytime Emmy Award for “Outstanding Broadband Program-Comedy” for his brilliant work on The Office.
Lieberstein also served as producer of season 3 of the political drama series The Newsroom (2014). In November 2017, he was named showrunner of the supernatural sitcom Ghosted (2017-today), replacing Kevin Etten, who was the original showrunner.
As an actor, Paul Lieberstein had a small role in the comedy Die Ware: Lebe hart, verkaufe hart (2009). He also played guest roles in the political drama series The Newsroom (2014) and in the comedy series Bad Teacher (2014) and People of Earth (2017). He made his directorial debut on the big screen with the comedy film Song of Back and Neck (2018), which had its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival in April 2018.
In May 2011, the multi-talented author, producer, director, and actor received an honorary doctorate in Fine Arts from his Alma Mater Hamilton College.
Wife
Paul Lieberstein is married to Janine Serafin Poreba. She is an English teacher at Santa Monica College in Santa Monica, California. The duo made the alliance on July 19, 2008, at the Battery Gardens restaurant in New York City. Lieberstein and his wife Janine Poreba keep the details of their private lives away from the media. They do not often appear together in public and keep their family life well hidden.
Lieberstein’s current marriage is his second, as he has been married in the past. His first marriage ended in divorce. From both marriages, he has 5 children.
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Paul Lieberstein Net Worth
Paul Lieberstein’s career as a screenwriter, producer, actor and director currently spans well over 2 decades. He proved himself very early in his career, which brought him several long-lasting roles. Through his brilliant career, Lieberstein was able to accumulate a fortune of an estimated $14 million. It is expected that this enviable sum will continue to grow as he takes on various other lucrative roles.
Weight Loss And His Battle With Cancer
During the final episodes of the last season of The Office, Paul Lieberstein, who played the character Toby Flenderson, seemed visibly emaciated. This gave rise to speculation that the multitalented actor had been diagnosed with cancer. The rumors were complicated by the fact that Lieberstein was visibly absent at several social events during this period, leading to further speculation that he underwent chemotherapy in a New York hospital.
However, these speculations were never taken up by Paul Lieberstein himself. He also regained weight and returned to his usual form, which helped to dispel all speculation about his state of health. His weight is estimated at 66 kg and he is 5′ 9½” (177 cm) tall.