Started acting in college as a member of the Maine Masque, the University of Maine's student theater group. Spent several years after college in Chicago's independent-theater scene before moving to Los Angeles in 2008. Early acting work in Los Angeles included commercials for Best Buy, Honda and Bank of America. An appearance as Abe Lincoln in a 2010 spot for Geico Insurance was seen by a casting director, which led to an audition for HBO's Veep.