“I think he’s descended more directly from clowns than from comedians,” Novak says.

His mother Elizabeth attributes B.J.’s array of theatrical pursuits to his zest for seeing people smile.

“His activities are a lot about enjoying life, trying to bring joy. He doesn’t do it just for himself,” she says. “He wants people to feel good, feel happy.”

She recalls a five-year-old B.J. asking his mother to roll down the car window so he could wave hello to passers-by.

These days he bounces gleefully down the street, saluting friends and non-friends wherever he’s going.

“I like making people laugh,” B.J. explains. “It’s good to have a humorous perspective on life.”

And he plans to continue to keep that humorous perspective in the future. Next year, he plans to travel and to work more on comedic writing.

But it’s still always anyone’s guess as to what pranks B.J. has left up his sleeve.

“I don’t like talking about my goals,” he smiles mischeviously. “I think it’s better to surprise people.”

—Staff Writer Alex. L. Pasternack can be reached at apastern@fas.harvard.edu.