Stephen Tobolowsky
Born: 1951-05-30 in Dallas, Texas, USA
Known For: Acting
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.
Filmography
2026
- Mimics as Melvin Reinhold
2025
- Freakier Friday as Mr. Elton Bates
- Thelma & Louise: Born to Live as Self
- Haul Out the Halloween as Ned Broadhead
- The Cowboy Killer as God
2024
- Nobody Wants This as Rabbi Cohen
- Poolman as Stephen Toronkowski / Blanche
- Watching Walter as Walter
2023
- Haul Out the Holly: Lit Up as Ned
- Candy Cane Lane as Mr. Benedetto (uncredited)
- Love Virtually as Dr. Divine
- Frog and Toad as Dragonfly (voice)
- Jimmie & Stevie Ray Vaughan: Brothers in Blues as Self
2022
- Haul Out the Holly as Ned
- Minx as Conrad Ross
- Hollywood Signs as Self
- The Really Loud House as Walter Phillipini
2021
- Hacks as Henry Weeks
2020
- Stars in the House as Self
- ThunderCats Roar as Driller (voice)
- Dicktown as John’s Dad
2019
- Fractured as Dr. Berthram
- Green Eggs and Ham as Chad (voice)
- The Spooky Tale of Captain Underpants: Hack-a-ween as Creepy Rattlechains (voice)
- Schooled as Earl Ball
- Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear's "All in the Family" and "The Jeffersons" as Mr. Bentley
- Fantastic Mr. Murray as Self - Interviewee
- Loners as Mr. Tessman
2018
- Monsters at Large as Mr. Phillips
- The Cool Kids as Leonard
- Strange Nature as Mayor Paulson
2017
- One Day at a Time as Dr. Berkowitz
- No Activity as (voice)
- Scooby-Doo! Shaggy's Showdown as Andy Gunderson (voice)
- White Famous as Stu Beggs
2016
- Fuller House as Mr. Gerald
- Justice League Action as Professor Stein (voice)
- The Confirmation as Father Lyons
- Six L.A. Love Stories as Professor John Dobler
- Where is Rocky II? as Byron (segment: "Monument One")
- Bad Internet as James
- Welcome to the Men's Group
- Mamaboy as Reverend Weld
2015
- We Bare Bears as Stephen ( voice)
- The Barber as Chief Hardaway
- Dr. Ken as Joe
- Another Period as Thomas Edison
- The Primary Instinct as Himself
- Big Time in Hollywood, Fl as Alan Dolfe
2014
- Silicon Valley as Jack Barker
- Mr. Peabody & Sherman as Principal Purdy (voice)
- Christian Mingle as Douglas McCarver
- Atlas Shrugged: Part III as Dr. Hugh Akston
- Friends with Better Lives as Dr. Adleman
- The Hotwives of Orlando as Phil
- Hello Ladies: The Movie as Alan
- Guys and Girls Can't Be Friends as Andy
2013
- The Goldbergs as Principal Ball
- Toy Story of Terror! as Ron (voice)
2012
- The Lorax as Uncle Ubb (voice)
- The Mindy Project as Marc Shulman
- Pearblossom Hwy as Rick Lawler
- The Last Ride as Ray
- Say It Ain't Solo as Himself
2011
- Hard Breakers as Max
- Magnificat as Neighbor
- Hail Mary
- You May Not Kiss the Bride as Plumber
2010
- Justified as Jerry Barkley
- Peep World as Ephraim
- Buried as Alan Davenport (voice)
- Pound Puppies as Mr. Geekman (voice)
- The Defenders as Judge Gelineau
- Boys On Film 4: Protect Me From What I Want as Father Joe (segment "Trevor")
2009
- Glee as Sandy Ryerson
- Community as Professor Peter Sheffield
- Archer as Robert (voice)
- The Time Traveler's Wife as Dr. Kendrick
- The Face is Familiar
2008
- True Jackson, VP as Lars Balthazar
- Beethoven's Big Break as Sal
- The Rainbow Tribe as Principal Sands
- Waiting for Yvette as Alan
2007
- Californication as Stu Beggs
- Wild Hogs as Charley
- Boxboarders! as dr.james
- The Sarah Silverman Program. as Bill Fantastimart
- The Valley of Light as Littlefield
- Loveless in Los Angeles as Jon
- John from Cincinnati
- Raines
2006
- Heroes as Bob Bishop
- The New Adventures of Old Christine as Principal James Merrow
- Failure to Launch as Bud
- Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
- The Sasquatch Gang as Dalrymple
- Blind Dating as Dr. Perkins
- Promise Me Tomorrow as Carl Venable
- Big Day
- Stephen Tobolowsky's Birthday Party as Self
2005
- Ghost Whisperer as Dr. Peltier
- The Closer as James Bloom
- Robots as Bigmouth Executive / Forge (voice)
- Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous as Tom Abernathy
- Night Stalker
- Living 'til the End as Dr. Shaw
- McBride: The Doctor is Out...Really Out as Harry Evers
2004
- Desperate Housewives as Bud Penrod
- Boston Legal as Dr. Alvin Azinabinacroft
- Entourage as Mayor of Beverly Hills
- Deadwood as Hugo Jarry
- Garfield as Happy Chapman
- Little Black Book as Carl
- Complete Savages as Mr. Frehley
- Debating Robert Lee as Debate Judge
- Win a Date with Tad Hamilton! as George Ruddy
2003
- Las Vegas as Donny Rollins
- Freaky Friday as Mr. Bates
- Oliver Beene as Ringmaster Bob
- View from the Top as Frank Thomas (uncredited)
- Thelma & Louise: The Last Journey as Self
- National Security as Billy Narthax
- Kingpin
- Married to the Kellys as Henry Conway
- Frankie and Johnny Are Married as Murray Mintz
2002
- CSI: Miami as Don Haffman
- The Dead Zone as Jim Pratt
- Par 6 as T.T. Riley
- The Country Bears as Norbert Barrington
- Love Liza as Tom Bailey
- Groundhog Day: The Weight of Time as Self
- Do Over
- Ritual as Dr. Javitz (uncredited)
2001
- Law & Order: Criminal Intent as Jim Halliwell
- According to Jim as Dr. Ted
- Reba as Judge
- The Lone Gunmen
- On the Edge as Tom (wraparound segments)
- The Prime Gig as Mick
- The Day the World Ended as Ed Turner
- Off Centre
- Freddy Got Fingered as Uncle Neil
- Black River as Mayor Tom Thompson
2000
- CSI: Crime Scene Investigation as Spencer Freiberg
- Malcolm in the Middle as Mr. Fisher
- Curb Your Enthusiasm as Len Dunkel
- Memento as Sammy
- Buzz Lightyear of Star Command as Gil (voice)
- Bossa Nova as Trevor
- The Operator as Doc
- Alien Fury: Countdown to Invasion as B.J. McQueen
- Sleep Easy, Hutch Rimes as Dewey Wise
- Stanley's Gig as Abe Cohen
1999
- Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as Edwin Adelson
- The West Wing as Dr. Max Milkman
- Roswell as Julius Walters
- Don't Look Under the Bed as Michael McCausland
- The Insider as Eric Kluster
- Snoops as Michael Bench
- One Man's Hero as Captain Gaine
1998
- That '70s Show as Professor
- Will & Grace as Ned Weathers
- Hercules as Numericles (voice)
- Black Dog as McClaren
- Two Guys and a Girl as Father Viteri
- The Jungle Book: Mowgli's Story as Tabaqui (voice)
- Any Day Now
- Around the Fire as Doc
- The Brave Little Toaster Goes to Mars as Calculator (voice)
- An Alan Smithee Film: Burn, Hollywood, Burn as Bill Bardo
1997
- King of the Hill as Dr. Benson / Burt Halverstrom (voice)
- The Practice as Clyde Burrows
- Mr. Magoo as Agent FBI Chuck Stupak
1996
- The Pretender as Dr. Alan Trader
- Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco as Bando (voice)
- Power 98 as Rick Harris
- Suddenly Susan as Dr. Gerken
- The Glimmer Man as Christopher Maynard
- Night Visitors as Taylor
- The Curse of Inferno as Lonnie Martin
- Mr. Rhodes
1995
- The Drew Carey Show as Councilman
- The Naked Truth as Vincent Hartford
- Murder One
- Murder in the First as Mr. Henkin
- Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde as Oliver Mintz
- The Home Court as Jeffrey Solomon
- A Whole New Ballgame as Dr. Warner Brakefield
- Dweebs
1994
- Chicago Hope
- My Father the Hero as Mike
- Radioland Murders as Max Applewhite
- Blue Skies as Oak
- Trevor as Father Joe
1993
- Groundhog Day as Ned Ryerson
- The Pickle as Mike Krakower
- Romeo Is Bleeding as District Attorney (uncredited)
- Josh & S.A.M. as Thomas 'Thom' Whitney
- Harts of the West
- Calendar Girl as Antonio
- Cafe Americain as Roger Livingston
- Against the Grain as Niles Hardeman
1992
- Mad About You as Principal Hocksacker
- Sneakers as Dr. Werner Brandes
- Basic Instinct as Dr. Lamott
- Roadside Prophets as Ranger Bob
- Memoirs of an Invisible Man as Warren Singleton
- Hero as Wallace
- Where the Day Takes You as Charles
- Single White Female as Mitch Myerson
1991
- Tagget as Al Hentz
- Wedlock as Warden Holliday
- Thelma & Louise as Max
- Deadly Medicine as Ron Sutton
- Perry Mason: The Case of the Maligned Mobster as Sergeant Phil Baranski
- The Marla Hanson Story as Defense Attorney
- To the Moon, Alice as Sitcom Producer
- Baby Talk
1990
- Mirror Mirror as Mr. Anderson
- Bird on a Wire as Joe Weyburn
- Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael as Mayor Bill Klepler
- Shannon's Deal
- The Grifters as Jeweler
- Funny About Love as Hugo
- Last Flight Out as Doctor Timothy Brandon
1989
- The Simpsons as Merle (voice)
- Seinfeld as Tor Eckman
- In Country as Pete
- Great Balls of Fire! as Jud Phillips
- Breaking In as District Attorney
- Roe vs. Wade as Darryl Horwath
1988
- Checking Out as Pharmacist
- Mississippi Burning as Townley
- Two Idiots in Hollywood as Prosecuting Attorney
1987
- Spaceballs as Captain of the Guard
- The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd as Alex
1986
- L.A. Law as Dr. Michael Segal
- Designing Women
- Nobody's Fool as Kirk
- True Stories ... (Writer)
1985
1984
- Swing Shift as French deMille / Documentary Narrator
- Crazy like a Fox as Hotel Clerk
- The Philadelphia Experiment as Barney
1983
- Cocaine and Blue Eyes as TV Clerk
1982
1981
- Falcon Crest as Doctor
1979
- Knots Landing as Steve Comiskey
1977
- Keep My Grave Open as Robert
1976
1956
- Tony Awards as Self - Nominee