
Bob Balaban
Biography
Robert Elmer Balaban, Born: August 16, 1945, Chicago, Illinois, U.S (Height: 5' 5" [1.65 m]). is an American actor, author, comedian, director, and producer. He is best known for his appearances in the Christopher Guest mockumentary comedies Waiting for Guffman (1996), Best in Show (2000), A Mighty Wind (2003), and For Your Consideration (2006), as well as his roles in the films Midnight Cowboy (1969), Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), Altered States (1980), 2010 (1984), Deconstructing Harry (1997), and Capote (2005). Balaban has also directed three feature films, in addition to numerous television episodes and films. He is also an author of children's novels.
Balaban began his career in the 1960s, appearing in small roles in films and television shows. He made his breakthrough role in the 1969 film Midnight Cowboy, playing a young hustler who befriends an aging rodeo cowboy. In the 1970s, Balaban appeared in a number of popular films, including Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), Altered States (1980), and 2010 (1984). He also continued to work in television, appearing in recurring roles on the shows Lou Grant and Designing Women.
In the 1990s, Balaban began a long and fruitful collaboration with filmmaker Christopher Guest. He appeared in all of Guest's mockumentary comedies, including Waiting for Guffman (1996), Best in Show (2000), A Mighty Wind (2003), and For Your Consideration (2006). Balaban's performances in these films were widely praised, and he earned a reputation as one of the most reliable comedic actors in Hollywood.
In addition to his work in film and television, Balaban has also directed three feature films: The Last Shot (1999), Bernie (2011), and A Little Help (2010). He is also a successful author of children's novels, and he has won several awards for his writing.
Balaban is a respected and versatile actor who has enjoyed a long and successful career in the entertainment industry. He is known for his sharp wit, his impeccable comedic timing, and his ability to create memorable characters. He is a true Renaissance man, and he is sure to continue to entertain audiences for many years to come.
Balaban has been nominated for numerous awards throughout his career. He has won two Primetime Emmy Awards, for his work on the television shows Lou Grant and Designing Women. He has also been nominated for two Tony Awards, for his performances in the Broadway plays The Norman Conquests and The Plough and the Stars.
Balaban is a recipient of the American Film Institute's Lifetime Achievement Award. He is also a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
Balaban is married to Lynn Grossman, and they have two children together. He is a resident of New York City.
Acting (97 movies)

80 for Brady
2023

Ghost World
2001

Close Encounters of the Third Kind
1977

Jakob the Liar
1999

Midnight Cowboy
1969

Conversation with the Beast
1997

Deconstructing Harry
1997

No Reservations
2007

2010
1984

Dead Bang
1989

Gosford Park
2001

The Late Shift
1996

The Majestic
2001

Little Man Tate
1991

Altered States
1980

The Mexican
2001

Whose Life Is It Anyway?
1981

For Love or Money
1993

Carl Laemmle
2019

Rage
2009

Lady in the Water
2006

Scene Stealers
2004

Best in Show
2000

Dedication
2007

Recount
2008

The Windmill Movie
2009

Report to the Commissioner
1975

For Your Consideration
2006

Howl
2010

Waiting for Guffman
1996

Funny
1988

End of the Line
1987

Absence of Malice
1981

The Strawberry Statement
1970

Girl Most Likely
2012

Clockwatchers
1997

Asteroid City
2023

Unnatural Pursuits
1992

The Grand Budapest Hotel
2014

The Monster Hunter
1999

The Monuments Men
2014

An L.A. Minute
2018

Me, Natalie
1969

Making It
1971

Fading Gigolo
2013

How Dare You Want More: The Short Film
2022

Moonrise Kingdom
2012

Girlfriends
1978

Exploring the Set of 'Moonrise Kingdom'
2015

City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold
1994

Nothing Lasts Forever
1984

Giving Up the Ghost
1998

Swing Vote
1999

A Mighty Wind
2003

Trust the Man
2005

The Definite Maybe
1997

Desperate Souls, Dark City and the Legend of Midnight Cowboy
2023

Thin Ice
2012

Three to Tango
1999

Greedy
1994

Mascots
2016

The Bank Shot
1974

Marriage: Year One
1971

Cradle Will Rock
1999

Pie in the Sky
1996

Eva Hesse
2016

The Five Stages of Grief
2011

Isle of Dogs
2018

Catch-22
1970

The Face of Fear
1990

I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House
2016

George Romero's Golden Tales 2
1995

Prince of the City
1981

Mike Nichols: An American Master
2016

Bob Roberts
1992

The Making of 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind'
2001

Spielberg
2017

Everything Is Copy
2015

Capote
2005

The Tuxedo
2002

Amos & Andrew
1993

Controversy and Acclaim: The Timelessness of a Groundbreaking Film
2006

Plan B
2001

Starring Austin Pendleton
2016

Hitchcock/Truffaut
2015

Marie and Bruce
2004

Do You Like to Read?
2012

The French Dispatch
2021

License to Wed
2007

F--k
2010

Tex, the Passive/Aggressive Gunslinger
2000

Alice
1990

The Making of Gosford Park
2002

Muhammad Ali's Greatest Fight
2013

How Moving
2021

Prince of the City: The Real Story
2007

2010 : The Odyssey Continues
1984
Directing (14 movies)

My Boyfriend's Back
1993

Parents
1989

Bernard and Doris
2006

The Last Good Time
1994

Georgia O'Keeffe
2009

Subway Stories
1997

The Exonerated
2006

The Brass Ring
1983

Penn & Teller's Invisible Thread
1987

We the Economy: 20 Short Films You Can't Afford to Miss
2014
The Wedding Toast
1999

Tales from the Darkside
1990

George Romero's Golden Tales 3
1995

Trick or Treat
1983
| Title | Year | Job |
|---|---|---|
| Stephen King's Golden Tales | 1993 | Writer |
| The Last Good Time | 1994 | Screenplay |
| The Last Good Time | 1994 | Producer |
| George Romero's Golden Tales 2 | 1995 | Writer |
| The Wedding Toast | 1999 | Producer |
| Gosford Park | 2001 | Producer |
| The Exonerated | 2006 | Executive Producer |
| Bernard and Doris | 2006 | Executive Producer |
| Can You Ever Forgive Me? | 2018 | Executive Producer |
| Brooklyn, Minnesota | 2024 | Producer |