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.
Acting (140 movies)
Memento
2000
Groundhog Day
1993
Basic Instinct
1992
Thelma & Louise
1991
Wedlock
1991
Mississippi Burning
1988
Bird on a Wire
1990
Memoirs of an Invisible Man
1992
The Brave Little Toaster Goes to Mars
1998
Great Balls of Fire!
1989
Radioland Murders
1994
Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael
1990
Murder in the First
1995
Garfield
2004
The Insider
1999
Mr. Magoo
1997
Buried
2010
Jimmie & Stevie Ray Vaughan: Brothers in Blues
2023
Single White Female
1992
Blind Dating
2006
Freddy Got Fingered
2001
Win a Date with Tad Hamilton!
2004
The Pickle
1993
Beethoven's Big Break
2008
Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde
1995
Boxboarders!
2007
Black River
2001
Love Liza
2002
The Prime Gig
2001
Funny About Love
1990
Where the Day Takes You
1992
The Grifters
1990
Josh & S.A.M.
1993
Black Dog
1998
The Country Bears
2002
The Day the World Ended
2001
Don't Look Under the Bed
1999
Deadly Medicine
1991
Mr. Peabody & Sherman
2014
You May Not Kiss the Bride
2011
Sleep Easy, Hutch Rimes
2000
Living 'til the End
2005
The Lorax
2012
The Last Ride
2012
Love Virtually
2023
Stephen Tobolowsky's Birthday Party
2006
Power 98
1996
Promise Me Tomorrow
2006
Trevor
1994
Haul Out the Holly: Lit Up
2023
Par 6
2002
Peep World
2010
Hard Breakers
2011
On the Edge
2001
The Face is Familiar
2009
Night Visitors
1996
The Operator
2000
Two Idiots in Hollywood
1988
Roe vs. Wade
1989
The Philadelphia Experiment
1984
Frankie and Johnny Are Married
2003
Sneakers
1992
Atlas Shrugged: Part III
2014
Candy Cane Lane
2023
Tagget
1991
Hello Ladies: The Movie
2014
Christian Mingle
2014
The Time Traveler's Wife
2009
Haul Out the Holly
2022
Guys and Girls Can't Be Friends
2014
The Barber
2015
The Primary Instinct
2015
Thelma & Louise: The Last Journey
2003
Failure to Launch
2006
The Glimmer Man
1996
One Man's Hero
1999
The Confirmation
2016
Hollywood Signs
2022
Bossa Nova
2000
Cocaine and Blue Eyes
1983
Roadside Prophets
1992
Debating Robert Lee
2004
Poolman
2024
Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco
1996
Wild Hogs
2007
McBride: The Doctor is Out...Really Out
2005
The Valley of Light
2007
National Security
2003
Freaky Friday
2003
Mirror Mirror
1990
Spaceballs
1987
Where is Rocky II?
2016
Magnificat
2011
Hero
1992
Scooby-Doo! Shaggy's Showdown
2017
Alien Fury: Countdown to Invasion
2000
Mamaboy
2016
Nobody's Fool
1986
Calendar Girl
1993
Keep My Grave Open
1977
Directing (1 movie)
| Title | Year | Job |
|---|---|---|
| True Stories | 1986 | Writer |
| Two Idiots in Hollywood | 1988 | Writer |
| The Primary Instinct | 2015 | Executive Producer |
| The Primary Instinct | 2015 | Writer |