Ed Weeks

English writer and actor Ed Weeks found his breakout role in his portrayal of the suave yet occasionally creepy Dr. Jeremy Reed on "The Mindy Project" (2012-), the FOX sitcom vehicle for comedian Mindy Kaling, the wildly popular Indian-American actress best known for her supporting work as Kelly Kapoor on "The Office" (2005-).

Weeks found his keen sense of humor at an early age; when he was seven, his family was living in Germany (his father was an Army man), and for the sake of consistency they decided to send young Ed to boarding school. In such a foreign element, Weeks honed his sharp wit as a means of self-defense from other young boys. After working as a writer and actor on the U.K. sitcom "Olivia Lee: Dirty, Sexy, Funny" (2010-), guest starring on the cult comedy series "The IT Crowd" (2006-) and performing as one-half of the U.K.-based sketch comedy duo Tommy and the Weeks in venues throughout the U.K., Weeks decided it was time to take a shot at the big time: Hollywood. At 30, he moved to Los Angeles to try his hand at writing spec scripts for TV comedies, with the hopes of breaking into the American entertainment industry.

The move to L.A. can be a sobering, eye-opening experience for many would-be entertainers, but Weeks took to the new locale almost instantly. Incredibly, he sold a spec comedy pilot to CBS not long after arriving. Riding the up-and-down roller coaster that is the entertainment business, Weeks became frustrated when that project did not move forward, but his big break came in the form of the opportunity to audition for the role of Dr. Reed on "The Mindy Project." The character had been written as an American, but Weeks decided to go with his native British accent instead, and won the role. As the charming, debonair British gynecologist, Weeks gained a significant fan base due to his performance on the show. His ability to combine British refinement with devilish smarminess earned him significant notice in the larger entertainment world, making clear that his decision to hop the Atlantic was a wise one.