Josh Groban sings praises of comedy

In addition to his heavenly voice, which helped his "Noel" album sell 5 million copies, 30-year-old "popera" singer Josh Groban has a surprising reserve of comedy talent. He memorably portrayed Emma Stone's controlling not-quite-fiance in last summer's "Crazy, Stupid, Love" and continues the shlumpy deadpan as Ed Helms' brother on "The Office." Groban's acting gigs happen between music projects, such as last year's Rick Rubin-produced "Illuminations," which played up the dramatic tension in Groban's falsetto. Here are five other things you might not know about the man who once dated January Jones. He plays the Nassau Coliseum Friday night.

1. He snagged his acting gig on "The Office" through Twitter. "When "Office" actress] Mindy Kaling asked me about doing the show, she said -- she actually kind of direct-message tweeted me, and I was shocked to hear from her and I said, 'Yeah, no, I would love to do the show. When are you thinking?' " he told BuzzSugar. "It was 100 percent just serendipity that I happened to be in town when they were taping this episode."

2. He once installed a bowling alley in his tour bus. "My band can turn that bus into many things," Groban told Entertainment Weekly. "The bowling alley is just one of them."

3. His acting career didn't come out of nowhere. Groban was in a Los Angeles improv troupe in 8th or 9th grade, studied theater at Los Angeles County High School for the Arts and did one year as a musical-theater student at Carnegie Mellon. Then he signed to a record label as a singer and delayed the comedy.

4. He met super-producer Rubin while lunching with Madonna's manager. Groban asked Guy Oseary to set up a meeting, which led to the Beastie Boys-Johnny Cash-Linkin Park producer to sign on for "Illuminations."

5. His breakout performance, as far as show business was concerned, was at a 1999 Grammy Awards rehearsal, when he pinch-hit for pop-classical predecessor Andrea Bocelli as Celine Dion's duet partner on "The Prayer." Dion later said: "He was almost going backwards, he was so scared . . . and you couldn't be any more powerful than that -- this kid was incredible." Immediately afterward, Rosie O'Donnell, who happened to be in the auditorium, booked Groban on her talk show, as "opera boy."

WHO Josh Groban

WHEN | WHERE Friday night at 8, Nassau Coliseum

INFO $40-$93.50; 800-745- 3000, ticketmaster.com