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Paul Lieberstein

Paul Lieberstein

Writer, actor, director and producer · Born February 22, 1967 (59) · Westport, Connecticut, USA

2 Primetime Emmys · 2 Screen Actors Guild Awards · 2 other major award bodies

Paul Bevan Lieberstein is an American actor, screenwriter, television director and television producer. A Primetime Emmy Award winner, he is best known as writer, as executive producer, and as supporting cast member Toby Flenderson on the NBC sitcom The Office.

Biography from TMDB.

Born
February 22, 1967 (59)
From
Westport, Connecticut, USA
Works as
Writer, actor, director and producer
Titles
21 on MovieCove · 24 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 156 days to Oct 27Down 7% in 30 days

What are Paul Lieberstein's films like?

Across their 7 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Self and Society.

Themes

share of theme weight
Self
50%
Society
24%
Bonds
15%
Ideas
11%
Purpose3 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity2 titles, browse their movies with this themeSelf-worth2 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 4 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 4 · Serious 0 · Dark 0

Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 4 · Stylized 0 · Heightened 0

Gentle: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their gentle movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 3 · Charged 1 · Intense 0

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 3 · Shifting 1 · Whiplash 0

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 0 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 2

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 3 · Even-paced 1 · Relentless 0

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 3 · Engaged 1 · Full focus 0

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 3 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

1 analyzed role

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Warm
4
Joyful
3
Contemplative
2
Melancholic
3
Absurd
2
Other
3

How their films linger

Feel-good4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy1
  • Bittersweet4
  • Ambiguous2

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Paul Lieberstein's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 20 of their 21 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Tubi (5).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Paul Lieberstein's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

24 credits, 21 with a MovieCove page; 2 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • The Paper(2025)

    Show 9 episodes · Director · Consulting Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all shows

  • Not an Artist(2023)

    as Dominic

    Midcredits score: 18th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Platonic(2023)

    Show 1 episode · as Dr. Melfi

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all shows

  • Lucky Hank(2023)

    Show 8 episodes · Creator · Executive Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all shows

  • Out of Office(2022)

    Director · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 30th percentile of all films

  • Space Force(2020)

    Show 7 episodes · Executive Producer · Other · Writer

    Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all shows

  • The Big Break (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    as Ted

  • Song of Back and Neck(2018)

    Director · Producer · Writer · as Fred

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • Ghosted(2017)

    Show 6 episodes · Executive Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all shows

  • Togetherness(2015)

    Show 1 episode · as Greg

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all shows

  • Bad Teacher(2014)

    Show 1 episode · as Evaluator

    Midcredits score: 6th percentile of all shows

  • Rick and Morty(2013)

    Show 1 episode · as Little Mike (voice)

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all shows

  • The Mindy Project(2012)

    Show 3 episodes · Director · as Cuddle Spot Man

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all shows

  • The Newsroom(2012)

    Show 2 episodes · Director · as Richard Westbrook

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard(2009)

    as Selleck Last Customer

    Midcredits score: 31st percentile of all films

  • The Office(2005)

    Show 136 episodes · Director · Co-Executive Producer · Consulting Producer · Executive Producer · Writer · as Toby Flenderson

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all shows

  • Dead Like Me(2003)

    Show 1 episode · Writer

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all shows

  • Greg the Bunny (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Show 1 episode · Writer

  • The Bernie Mac Show(2001)

    Show 2 episodes · Writer

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all shows

  • King of the Hill(1997)

    Show 12 episodes · Writer

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all shows

  • The Drew Carey Show(1995)

    Show 3 episodes · Writer

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all shows

  • The Naked Truth (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Show 3 episodes · Writer

  • Weird Science(1994)

    Show 3 episodes · Writer

    Midcredits score: 36th percentile of all shows

  • Clarissa Explains It All(1991)

    Show Writer

    Midcredits score: 63rd percentile of all shows

Career shape

A full career of 23 titles from 1994 to 2025.

Highest rated

The Office Retrospective (2013)

Midcredits 95th

Most popular right now

The Paper (2025)

Film career

MilestoneAward win

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting11 of 23: 7 only acting, 4 with another role · typical Midcredits score62ndDirecting6 of 23: 0 only directing, 6 with another role · typical Midcredits score53rdWriting14 of 23: 7 only writing, 7 with another role · typical Midcredits score42ndProducing6 of 23: 0 only producing, 6 with another role · typical Midcredits score42ndOther crew2 of 23: 0 only other crew, 2 with another role

23 titles, 9 with more than one role — writing and acting overlap on 2 of them.

By decade

1990s4 · crew2000s5 · 2 acting · 4 crew2010s8 · 7 acting · 4 crew2020s6 · 2 acting · 4 crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

Awards

2 Primetime Emmys, 2 Screen Actors Guild Awards and 2 other major awards from 28 major nominations, 1999–2013.

WinNomination
  1. 2013
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
  2. 2012
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
  3. 2011
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Comedy Series
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
    • +2 other major bodies · 2 nominations
      • Writers Guild Award, nominated · Comedy Series
      • Producers Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Comedy
  4. 2010
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Comedy Series
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
    • +2 other major bodies · 3 nominations
      • Writers Guild Award, nominated · Comedy Series
      • Writers Guild Award, nominated · Episodic Comedy
      • Producers Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Producer of Episodic Television, Comedy
  5. 2009
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Comedy Series
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
    • +1 other major body · 1 nomination
      • Writers Guild Award, nominated · Comedy Series
  6. 2008
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Comedy Series
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, won · Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
    • +1 other major body · 1 win and 1 nomination
      • Writers Guild Award, won · Episodic Comedy
      • Writers Guild Award, nominated · Comedy Series
  7. 2007
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Comedy Series
    • Screen Actors Guild Award, won · Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series
    • +1 other major body · 1 win and 1 nomination
      • Writers Guild Award, won · Comedy Series
      • Writers Guild Award, nominated · Episodic Comedy
  8. 2006
    • Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Comedy Series
    • +1 other major body · 2 nominations
      • Writers Guild Award, nominated · Comedy Series
      • Writers Guild Award, nominated · New Series
Show 2 earlier years
  1. 2001
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming Less Than One Hour)
  2. 1999
    • Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Animated Program (For Programming One Hour or Less)

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do Paul Lieberstein's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 31st percentile, the median of all 4; across a limited sample of 4 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 35th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

35thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 4

Approval · how many liked their films

38thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 4

Reach · how many have seen their films

49thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 4

Midcredits score across 21 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up5
  • 50th to 74th5
  • 25th to 49th8
  • Below 25th3

Shape of the crowd

8 of their 21 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Loved4
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser6
  • Broadly Agreed2
  • Mixed8

Most divisive · actor, director, writer, producer

Song of Back and Neck (2018)

83rd percentile spread · 27% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor, director, writer, producer

The Office (2005)

Midcredits 99th · 93% liked

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Paul Lieberstein work with?

People who share at least 2 of Paul Lieberstein's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Antonio Andrade shares the most, 2.

Composers

Producers

Mixed roles