Stephen Tobolowsky

Birthday:

05/30/1951

Place of birth:

Dallas, Texas, USA:

Biography:

Stephen Harold Tobolowsky is an American character actor. He is known for film roles such as insurance agent Ned Ryerson in Groundhog Day and amnesiac Sammy Jankis in Memento, as well as such television characters as Commissioner Hugo Jarry in Deadwood, Bob Bishop in Heroes, Sandy Ryerson in Glee, Stu Beggs in Californication and White Famous, "Action" Jack Barker in Silicon Valley, Dr. Leslie Berkowitz in One Day at a Time, Principal Earl Ball in The Goldbergs, and Dr. Schulman in The Mindy Project. Tobolowsky was born on May 30, 1951, in Dallas, Texas. He studied geology at Southern Methodist University but switched to theater after being cast in a production of "The Crucible." He later attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where he graduated with a degree in drama. Tobolowsky began his acting career in the early 1980s, appearing in films such as The Philadelphia Experiment (1984), Nobody's Fool (1986), and Spaceballs (1987). He also had a recurring role on the television series Seinfeld (1989-1998). Tobolowsky's breakthrough role came in 1993, when he played Ned Ryerson in the comedy Groundhog Day. His performance in the film was critically acclaimed, and he has since become one of the most recognizable character actors in Hollywood. Tobolowsky has continued to work steadily in film and television over the years. He has appeared in numerous other films, including Memento (2000), Mulholland Drive (2001), and The Informant! (2009). He has also had recurring roles on the television series Deadwood (2004-2006), Heroes (2006-2007), Californication (2007-2014), and Silicon Valley (2014-2019). In addition to his acting career, Tobolowsky is also a writer and a podcaster. He has written two books, The Dangerous Animals Club (2002) and The Tobolowsky Files (2017). He also hosts the podcast The Tobolowsky Files, in which he tells stories about his life and career.



Credits

Candy Cane Lane (2023)
Mr. Benedetto (uncredited)
Haul Out the Holly: Lit Up (2023)
Ned
Love Virtually (2023)
Dr. Divine
Jimmie & Stevie Ray Vaughan: Brothers in Blues (2023)
Self
Haul Out the Holly (2022)
Ned
Hollywood Signs (2022)
Self
Fantastic Mr. Murray (2019)
Self - Interviewee
The Spooky Tale of Captain Underpants: Hack-a-ween (2019)
Creepy Rattlechains (voice)
Fractured (2019)
Dr. Berthram
Loners (2019)
Mr. Tessman
Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear's "All in the Family" and "The Jeffersons" (2019)
Mr. Bentley
Strange Nature (2018)
Mayor Paulson
Monsters at Large (2018)
Mr. Phillips
Scooby-Doo! Shaggy's Showdown (2017)
Andy Gunderson (voice)
Mamaboy (2016)
Reverend Weld
Six L.A. Love Stories (2016)
Professor John Dobler
Welcome to the Men's Group (2016)
Where is Rocky II? (2016)
Byron (segment: "Monument One")
The Confirmation (2016)
Father Lyons
The Primary Instinct (2015)
Himself
The Barber (2015)
Chief Hardaway
Hello Ladies: The Movie (2014)
Alan
Christian Mingle (2014)
Douglas McCarver
Atlas Shrugged: Part III: Who Is John Galt? (2014)
Dr. Hugh Akston
Mr. Peabody & Sherman (2014)
Principal Purdy (voice)
Guys and Girls Can't Be Friends (2014)
Andy
Toy Story of Terror! (2013)
Ron (voice)
Pearblossom Hwy (2012)
Rick Lawler
The Last Ride (2012)
Ray
Say It Ain't Solo (2012)
Himself
The Lorax (2012)
Uncle Ubb (voice)
Magnificat (2011)
Neighbor
Hard Breakers (2011)
Max
You May Not Kiss the Bride (2011)
Plumber
Buried (2010)
Alan Davenport (voice)
Peep World (2010)
Ephraim
Boys On Film 4: Protect Me From What I Want (2010)
Father Joe (segment "Trevor")
The Time Traveler's Wife (2009)
Dr. Kendrick
The Face Is Familiar (2009)
Beethoven's Big Break (2008)
Sal
The Rainbow Tribe (2008)
Principal Sands
Waiting for Yvette (2008)
Alan
Boxboarders! (2007)
dr.james
Wild Hogs (2007)
Charley
The Valley of Light (2007)
Littlefield
Blind Dating (2006)
Dr. Perkins
Stephen Tobolowsky's Birthday Party (2006)
Self
Failure to Launch (2006)
Bud
The Sasquatch Gang (2006)
Dalrymple
Pope Dreams (2006)
Carl Venable
Living 'til the End (2005)
Dr. Shaw
McBride: The Doctor is Out...Really Out (2005)
Harry Evers
Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous (2005)
Tom Abernathy
Robots (2005)
Bigmouth Executive / Forge (voice)
Debating Robert Lee (2004)
Debate Judge
Little Black Book (2004)
Carl
Garfield (2004)
Happy Chapman
Win a Date with Tad Hamilton! (2004)
George Ruddy
Frankie and Johnny Are Married (2003)
Murray Mintz
Freaky Friday (2003)
Mr. Bates
View from the Top (2003)
Frank Thomas (uncredited)
Thelma & Louise: The Last Journey (2003)
Self
National Security (2003)
Billy Narthax
Love Liza (2002)
Tom Bailey
Ritual (2002)
Dr. Javitz (uncredited)
The Country Bears (2002)
Norbert Barrington
Par 6 (2002)
T.T. Riley
Groundhog Day: The Weight of Time (2002)
Self
The Day the World Ended (2001)
Ed Turner
Black River (2001)
Mayor Tom Thompson
On The Edge (2001)
Tom (wraparound segments)
The Prime Gig (2001)
Mick
Freddy Got Fingered (2001)
Uncle Neil
Sleep Easy, Hutch Rimes (2000)
Dewey Wise
Memento (2000)
Sammy Jankis
Stanley's Gig (2000)
Abe Cohen
Alien Fury: Countdown to Invasion (2000)
B.J. McQueen
The Operator (2000)
Doc
Bossa Nova (2000)
Trevor
The Insider (1999)
Eric Kluster
Don't Look Under the Bed (1999)
Michael McCausland
One Man's Hero (1999)
Captain Gaine
The Jungle Book: Mowgli's Story (1998)
Tabaqui (voice)
Around the Fire (1998)
Doc
The Brave Little Toaster Goes to Mars (1998)
Calculator (voice)
Black Dog (1998)
McClaren
An Alan Smithee Film: Burn, Hollywood, Burn (1998)
Bill Bardo
Mr. Magoo (1997)
Agent FBI Chuck Stupak
Boys Life 2 (1997)
Father John
The Curse of Inferno (1996)
Lonnie Martin
Night Visitors (1996)
Taylor
The Glimmer Man (1996)
Christopher Maynard
Power 98 (1996)
Rick Harris
Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco (1996)
Bando (voice)
Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde (1995)
Oliver Mintz
Murder in the First (1995)
Mr. Henkin
Radioland Murders (1994)
Max Applewhite
My Father the Hero (1994)
Mike
Trevor (1994)
Father Joe
Josh and S.A.M. (1993)
Thomas 'Thom' Whitney
Romeo Is Bleeding (1993)
District Attorney (uncredited)
Calendar Girl (1993)
Antonio
The Pickle (1993)
Mike Krakower
Groundhog Day (1993)
Ned Ryerson
Hero (1992)
Wallace
Where the Day Takes You (1992)
Charles
Sneakers (1992)
Dr. Werner Brandes
Single White Female (1992)
Mitch Myerson
Roadside Prophets (1992)
Ranger Bob
Basic Instinct (1992)
Dr. Lamott
Memoirs of an Invisible Man (1992)
Warren Singleton
Deadly Medicine (1991)
Ron Sutton
To the Moon, Alice (1991)
Sitcom Producer
Thelma & Louise (1991)
Max
Wedlock (1991)
Warden Holliday
Tagget (1991)
Al Hentz
Perry Mason: The Case of the Maligned Mobster (1991)
Sergeant Phil Baranski
The Marla Hanson Story (1991)
Defense Attorney
Mirror Mirror (1990)
Mr. Anderson
Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael (1990)
Mayor Bill Klepler
Funny About Love (1990)
Hugo
The Grifters (1990)
Jeweler
Last Flight Out (1990)
Doctor Timothy Brandon
Bird on a Wire (1990)
Joe Weyburn
Breaking In (1989)
District Attorney
In Country (1989)
Pete
Great Balls of Fire! (1989)
Jud Phillips
Roe vs. Wade (1989)
Darryl Horwath
Checking Out (1989)
Pharmacist
Mississippi Burning (1988)
Townley
Two Idiots in Hollywood (1988)
Prosecuting Attorney
Spaceballs (1987)
Captain of the Guard
Nobody's Fool (1986)
Kirk
The Philadelphia Experiment (1984)
Barney
Swing Shift (1984)
French deMille / Documentary Narrator
Cocaine and Blue Eyes (1983)
TV Clerk
Keep My Grave Open (1976)
Robert
Butterfly in the Typewriter ()
The Abbot
The Primary Instinct (2015)
Writer
The Primary Instinct (2015)
Executive Producer
Two Idiots in Hollywood (1988)
Director
Two Idiots in Hollywood (1988)
Writer
True Stories (1986)
Writer