Stephen Tobolowsky

Personal Info

Known For Actor

Gender Male

Birthday 1951-05-30 (73 years old)

Place of Birth Dallas, Texas, USA

Also Known As Stephen Tobolowski, Steven Tobolowsky, Стивен Тоболовски, Στίβεν Τομπολόβσκι

Stephen Tobolowsky

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.

Known For

Actor

2025
Freakier Friday

as Mr. Bates

2024
Poolman

as Stephen Toronkowski / Blanche

2024
Nobody Wants This

as Rabbi Cohen

2023
Candy Cane Lane

as Mr. Benedetto (uncredited)

2023
Love Virtually

as Dr. Divine

2023
Frog and Toad

as Dragonfly (voice)

2022
2022
The Really Loud House

as Walter Phillipini

2022
Minx

as Conrad Ross

2020
Dicktown

as John’s Dad

2020
2020
ThunderCats Roar

as Driller (voice)

2019
Fantastic Mr. Murray

as Self - Interviewee

2019
2019
Fractured

as Dr. Berthram

2019
Loners

as Mr. Tessman

2019
Green Eggs and Ham

as Chad (voice)

2019
Schooled

as Earl Ball

2018
Strange Nature

as Mayor Paulson

2018
Monsters at Large

as Mr. Phillips

2018
The Cool Kids

as Leonard

2017
Scooby-Doo! Shaggy's Showdown

as Andy Gunderson (voice)

2017
No Activity

as (voice)

2017
White Famous

as Stu Beggs

2017
One Day at a Time

as Dr. Berkowitz

2016
Mamaboy

as Reverend Weld

2016
Six L.A. Love Stories

as Professor John Dobler

2016
Where is Rocky II?

as Byron (segment: "Monument One")

2016
The Confirmation

as Father Lyons

2016
Justice League Action

as Professor Stein (voice)

2016
Bad Internet

as James

2016
Fuller House

as Mr. Gerald

2015
2015
The Barber

as Chief Hardaway

2015
Dr. Ken

as Joe

2015
We Bare Bears

as Stephen ( voice)

2015
Another Period

as Thomas Edison

2015
2014
Christian Mingle

as Douglas McCarver

2014
Atlas Shrugged: Part III

as Dr. Hugh Akston

2014
Mr. Peabody & Sherman

as Principal Purdy (voice)

2014
Silicon Valley

as Jack Barker

2014
2013
Toy Story of Terror!

as Ron (voice)

2013
The Goldbergs

as Principal Ball

2012
Pearblossom Hwy

as Rick Lawler

2012
2012
2012
The Lorax

as Uncle Ubb (voice)

2012
The Mindy Project

as Marc Shulman

2011
Magnificat

as Neighbor

2011
2010
Buried

as Alan Davenport (voice)

2010
Peep World

as Ephraim

2010
Boys On Film 4: Protect Me From What I Want

as Father Joe (segment "Trevor")

2010
Pound Puppies

as Mr. Geekman (voice)

2010
The Defenders

as Judge Gelineau

2010
Justified

as Jerry Barkley

2009
The Time Traveler's Wife

as Dr. Kendrick

2009
Community

as Professor Peter Sheffield

2009
Archer

as Robert (voice)

2009
Glee

as Sandy Ryerson

2008
The Rainbow Tribe

as Principal Sands

2008
2008
True Jackson, VP

as Lars Balthazar

2007
Boxboarders!

as dr.james

2007
Wild Hogs

as Charley

2007
The Valley of Light

as Littlefield

2007
Californication

as Stu Beggs

2007
2007
The Sarah Silverman Program.

as Bill Fantastimart

2006
Blind Dating

as Dr. Perkins

2006
The Sasquatch Gang

as Dalrymple

2006
Promise Me Tomorrow

as Carl Venable

2006
Heroes

as Bob Bishop

2006
The New Adventures of Old Christine

as Principal James Merrow

2005
2005
Robots

as Bigmouth Executive / Forge (voice)

2005
Ghost Whisperer

as Dr. Peltier

2005
The Closer

as James Bloom

2004
Debating Robert Lee

as Debate Judge

2004
2004
Garfield

as Happy Chapman

2004
2004
Desperate Housewives

as Bud Penrod

2004
Boston Legal

as Dr. Alvin Azinabinacroft

2004
Complete Savages

as Mr. Frehley

2004
Deadwood

as Hugo Jarry

2003
2003
Freaky Friday

as Mr. Bates

2003
View from the Top

as Frank Thomas (uncredited)

2003
National Security

as Billy Narthax

2002
Love Liza

as Tom Bailey

2002
Ritual

as Dr. Javitz (uncredited)

2002
The Country Bears

as Norbert Barrington

2002
Par 6

as T.T. Riley

2002
CSI: Miami

as Don Haffman

2001
2001
Black River

as Mayor Tom Thompson

2001
On the Edge

as Tom (wraparound segments)

2001
2001
Freddy Got Fingered

as Uncle Neil

2001
2001
According to Jim

as Dr. Ted

2001
2000
2000
Memento

as Sammy

2000
Stanley's Gig

as Abe Cohen

2000
2000
Bossa Nova

as Trevor

2000
Curb Your Enthusiasm

as Len Dunkel

2000
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation

as Spencer Freiberg

2000
Malcolm in the Middle

as Mr. Fisher

1999
The Insider

as Eric Kluster

1999
Don't Look Under the Bed

as Michael McCausland

1999
One Man's Hero

as Captain Gaine

1999
Roswell

as Julius Walters

1999
The West Wing

as Dr. Max Milkman

1998
1998
1998
1998
Black Dog

as McClaren

1998
Will & Grace

as Ned Weathers

1998
Hercules

as Numericles (voice)

1998
That '70s Show

as Professor

1998
Two Guys and a Girl

as Father Viteri

1997
Mr. Magoo

as Agent FBI Chuck Stupak

1997
Buffy the Vampire Slayer

as Principal Flutie

1997
King of the Hill

as Dr. Benson / Burt Halverstrom (voice)

1996
The Curse of Inferno

as Lonnie Martin

1996
Night Visitors

as Taylor

1996
The Glimmer Man

as Christopher Maynard

1996
Power 98

as Rick Harris

1996
The Pretender

as Dr. Alan Trader

1996
Suddenly Susan

as Dr. Gerken

1995
Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde

as Oliver Mintz

1995
Murder in the First

as Mr. Henkin

1995
1995
The Drew Carey Show

as Councilman

1995
The Naked Truth

as Vincent Hartford

1995
A Whole New Ballgame

as Dr. Warner Brakefield

1994
Radioland Murders

as Max Applewhite

1994
1994
Trevor

as Father Joe

1994
Blue Skies

as Oak

1993
Josh and S.A.M.

as Thomas 'Thom' Whitney

1993
Romeo Is Bleeding

as District Attorney (uncredited)

1993
Calendar Girl

as Antonio

1993
The Pickle

as Mike Krakower

1993
Groundhog Day

as Ned Ryerson

1993
Against the Grain

as Niles Hardeman

1993
Cafe Americain

as Roger Livingston

1992
Hero

as Wallace

1992
Sneakers

as Dr. Werner Brandes

1992
Single White Female

as Mitch Myerson

1992
Roadside Prophets

as Ranger Bob

1992
Basic Instinct

as Dr. Lamott

1992
Memoirs of an Invisible Man

as Warren Singleton

1992
Mad About You

as Principal Hocksacker

1991
Deadly Medicine

as Ron Sutton

1991
To the Moon, Alice

as Sitcom Producer

1991
1991
Wedlock

as Warden Holliday

1991
Tagget

as Al Hentz

1991
1991
The Marla Hanson Story

as Defense Attorney

1990
Mirror Mirror

as Mr. Anderson

1990
Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael

as Mayor Bill Klepler

1990
1990
The Grifters

as Jeweler

1990
Last Flight Out

as Doctor Timothy Brandon

1990
Bird on a Wire

as Joe Weyburn

1989
Breaking In

as District Attorney

1989
In Country

as Pete

1989
Great Balls of Fire!

as Jud Phillips

1989
Roe vs. Wade

as Darryl Horwath

1989
Seinfeld

as Tor Eckman

1988
1988
Checking Out

as Pharmacist

1988
Two Idiots in Hollywood

as Prosecuting Attorney

1987
Spaceballs

as Captain of the Guard

1986
1986
L.A. Law

as Dr. Michael Segal

1985
1984
Swing Shift

as French deMille / Documentary Narrator

1984
Crazy like a Fox

as Hotel Clerk

1983
1981
Falcon Crest

as Doctor

1979
Knots Landing

as Steve Comiskey

1977
1976
1956
Tony Awards

as Self - Nominee

Writer

2015
1986
True Stories

as Writer

Director

1988

Producer

2015
The Primary Instinct

as Executive Producer