Acting
Stephen Tobolowsky
EN, FR cinema · 150 credits
Born
30 May 1951 (age 75)
Birthplace
Dallas, Texas, USA
Also known as Stephen Tobolowski · Steven Tobolowsky · Стивен Тоболовски · Στίβεν Τομπολόβσκι · استیون توبولوسکی · Stephen Harold Tobolowsky
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.
Known for
Filmography
Butterfly in the Typewriter
as The Abbot
Mimics
as Melvin Reinhold
Woodstockers
as Calvin
Freakier Friday
as Mr. Elton Bates
Haul Out the Halloween
as Ned Broadhead
Poolman
as Stephen Toronkowski / Blanche
Love Virtually
as Dr. Divine
Candy Cane Lane
as Mr. Benedetto (uncredited)
Hollywood Signs
as Self
Fractured
as Dr. Berthram
Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear's "All in the Family" and "The Jeffersons"
as Mr. Bentley
Loners
as Mr. Tessman
The Spooky Tale of Captain Underpants Hack-a-ween
as Creepy Rattlechains (voice)
Fantastic Mr. Murray
as Self - Interviewee
Monsters at Large
as Mr. Phillips
Strange Nature
as Mayor Paulson
Scooby-Doo! Shaggy's Showdown
as Andy Gunderson (voice)
The Confirmation
as Father Lyons
Where is Rocky II?
as Byron (segment: "Monument One")
Mamaboy
as Reverend Weld
Six L.A. Love Stories
as Professor John Dobler
The Barber
as Chief Hardaway
The Primary Instinct
as Himself, Writer, Executive Producer
Mr. Peabody & Sherman
as Principal Purdy (voice)
Atlas Shrugged: Part III
as Dr. Hugh Akston
Christian Mingle
as Douglas McCarver
Toy Story of Terror!
as Ron (voice)
The Lorax
as Uncle Ubb (voice)
Pearblossom Hwy
as Rick Lawler
You May Not Kiss the Bride
as Plumber
Magnificat
as Neighbor
Buried
as Alan Davenport (voice)
Peep World
as Ephraim
Boys On Film 4: Protect Me From What I Want
as Father Joe (segment "Trevor")
The Time Traveler's Wife
as Dr. Kendrick
The Rainbow Tribe
as Principal Sands
Blind Dating
as Dr. Perkins
Boxboarders!
as Dr. Stephen James
Wild Hogs
as Charley
The Valley of Light
as Littlefield
Promise Me Tomorrow
as Carl Venable
The Sasquatch Gang
as Dalrymple
Living 'til the End
as Dr. Shaw
McBride: The Doctor is Out...Really Out
as Harry Evers
Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous
as Tom Abernathy
Robots
as Bigmouth Executive / Forge (voice)
Garfield
as Happy Chapman
Win a Date with Tad Hamilton!
as George Ruddy
Debating Robert Lee
as Debate Judge
Frankie and Johnny Are Married
as Murray Mintz
National Security
as Billy Narthax
Freaky Friday
as Mr. Bates
View from the Top
as Frank Thomas (uncredited)
Love Liza
as Tom Bailey
The Country Bears
as Norbert Barrington
Par 6
as T.T. Riley
Ritual
as Dr. Javitz (uncredited)
Freddy Got Fingered
as Uncle Neil
Black River
as Mayor Tom Thompson
The Prime Gig
as Mick
The Day the World Ended
as Ed Turner
On the Edge
as Tom (wraparound segments)
Memento
as Sammy
Sleep Easy, Hutch Rimes
as Dewey Wise
The Operator
as Doc
Bossa Nova
as Trevor
Stanley's Gig
as Abe Cohen
Alien Fury: Countdown to Invasion
as B.J. McQueen
The Insider
as Eric Kluster
Don't Look Under the Bed
as Michael McCausland
One Man's Hero
as Captain Gaine
The Brave Little Toaster Goes to Mars
as Calculator (voice)
Black Dog
as McClaren
The Jungle Book: Mowgli's Story
as Tabaqui (voice)
Mr. Magoo
as Agent FBI Chuck Stupak
Power 98
as Rick Harris
Night Visitors
as Taylor
The Glimmer Man
as Christopher Maynard
Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco
as Bando (voice)
The Curse of Inferno
as Lonnie Martin
Murder in the First
as Mr. Henkin
Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde
as Oliver Mintz
Radioland Murders
as Max Applewhite
Trevor
as Father Joe
The Pickle
as Mike Krakower
Josh & S.A.M.
as Thomas 'Thom' Whitney
Calendar Girl
as Antonio
Basic Instinct
as Dr. Lamott
Memoirs of an Invisible Man
as Warren Singleton
Single White Female
as Mitch Myerson
Where the Day Takes You
as Charles
Sneakers
as Dr. Werner Brandes
Roadside Prophets
as Ranger Bob
Hero
as Wallace
Wedlock
as Warden Holliday
Deadly Medicine
as Ron Sutton
Tagget
as Al Hentz
The Marla Hanson Story
as Defense Attorney
To The Moon, Alice
as Sitcom Producer
Perry Mason: The Case of the Maligned Mobster
as Sergeant Phil Baranski
Bird on a Wire
as Joe Weyburn
Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael
as Mayor Bill Klepler
Funny About Love
as Hugo
The Grifters
as Jeweler
Last Flight Out
as Doctor Timothy Brandon
Mirror Mirror
as Mr. Anderson
Great Balls of Fire!
as Jud Phillips
Roe vs. Wade
as Darryl Horwath
In Country
as Pete
Breaking In
as District Attorney
Mississippi Burning
as Townley
Two Idiots in Hollywood
as Prosecuting Attorney, Director, Writer
Checking Out
as Pharmacist
Spaceballs
as Captain of the Guard
Nobody's Fool
as Kirk
True Stories
Writer
Swing Shift
as French deMille / Documentary Narrator
Cocaine and Blue Eyes
as TV Clerk
Keep My Grave Open
as Robert