Stephen Tobolowsky
Personal Info
Known for
Acting
Gender
Male
Birthday
1951-05-30 (73 years old)
Place of Birth
Dallas, Texas, USA
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
Butterfly in the Typewriter
as The Abbot
Mimics
as Melvin Reinhold
(2025)
Freakier Friday
as Mr. Bates
(2025)
(2024)
Poolman
as Stephen Toronkowski / Blanche
(2024)
Watching Walter
as Walter
(2023)
Candy Cane Lane
as Mr. Benedetto (uncredited)
(2023)
(2023)
Love Virtually
as Dr. Divine
(2023)
(2022)
Haul Out the Holly
as Ned
(2022)
Hollywood Signs
as Self
(2019)
Fractured
as Dr. Berthram
(2019)
The Spooky Tale of Captain Underpants: Hack-a-ween
as Creepy Rattlechains (voice)
(2019)
(2019)
Loners
as Mr. Tessman
(2019)
Fantastic Mr. Murray
as Self - Interviewee
(2018)
Monsters at Large
as Mr. Phillips
(2018)
Strange Nature
as Mayor Paulson
(2017)
Scooby-Doo! Shaggy's Showdown
as Andy Gunderson (voice)
(2016)
The Confirmation
as Father Lyons
(2016)
Six L.A. Love Stories
as Professor John Dobler
(2016)
Mamaboy
as Reverend Weld
(2016)
(2016)
Where is Rocky II?
as Byron (segment: "Monument One")
(2015)
The Barber
as Chief Hardaway
(2015)
The Primary Instinct
as Himself
(2014)
Mr. Peabody & Sherman
as Principal Purdy (voice)
(2014)
Christian Mingle
as Douglas McCarver
(2014)
Atlas Shrugged: Part III
as Dr. Hugh Akston
(2014)
Hello Ladies: The Movie
as Alan
(2014)
(2013)
Toy Story of Terror!
as Ron (voice)
(2012)
The Lorax
as Uncle Ubb (voice)
(2012)
The Last Ride
as Ray
(2012)
Say It Ain't Solo
as Himself
(2012)
Pearblossom Hwy
as Rick Lawler
(2011)
You May Not Kiss the Bride
as Plumber
(2011)
Hard Breakers
as Max
(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")
(2009)
The Time Traveler's Wife
as Dr. Kendrick
(2009)
(2008)
Beethoven's Big Break
as Sal
(2008)
The Rainbow Tribe
as Principal Sands
(2008)
Waiting for Yvette
as Alan
(2007)
Wild Hogs
as Charley
(2007)
The Valley of Light
as Littlefield
(2007)
Boxboarders!
as dr.james
(2006)
Failure to Launch
as Bud
(2006)
Blind Dating
as Dr. Perkins
(2006)
The Sasquatch Gang
as Dalrymple
(2006)
Promise Me Tomorrow
as Carl Venable
(2006)
(2005)
Robots
as Bigmouth Executive / Forge (voice)
(2005)
Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous
as Tom Abernathy
(2005)
McBride: The Doctor is Out...Really Out
as Harry Evers
(2005)
Living 'til the End
as Dr. Shaw
(2004)
Garfield
as Happy Chapman
(2004)
Little Black Book
as Carl
(2004)
Win a Date with Tad Hamilton!
as George Ruddy
(2004)
Debating Robert Lee
as Debate Judge
(2003)
Freaky Friday
as Mr. Bates
(2003)
National Security
as Billy Narthax
(2003)
View from the Top
as Frank Thomas (uncredited)
(2003)
(2003)
Frankie and Johnny Are Married
as Murray Mintz
(2002)
Ritual
as Dr. Javitz (uncredited)
(2002)
The Country Bears
as Norbert Barrington
(2002)
Love Liza
as Tom Bailey
(2002)
Par 6
as T.T. Riley
(2002)
(2001)
Freddy Got Fingered
as Uncle Neil
(2001)
The Prime Gig
as Mick
(2001)
On the Edge
as Tom (wraparound segments)
(2001)
Black River
as Mayor Tom Thompson
(2001)
The Day the World Ended
as Ed Turner
(2000)
Memento
as Sammy
(2000)
Bossa Nova
as Trevor
(2000)
The Operator
as Doc
(2000)
Stanley's Gig
as Abe Cohen
(2000)
Sleep Easy, Hutch Rimes
as Dewey Wise
(2000)
Alien Fury: Countdown to Invasion
as B.J. McQueen
(1999)
The Insider
as Eric Kluster
(1999)
Don't Look Under the Bed
as Michael McCausland
(1999)
One Man's Hero
as Captain Gaine
(1998)
Black Dog
as McClaren
(1998)
The Jungle Book: Mowgli's Story
as Tabaqui (voice)
(1998)
The Brave Little Toaster Goes to Mars
as Calculator (voice)
(1998)
Around the Fire
as Doc
(1998)
An Alan Smithee Film: Burn, Hollywood, Burn
as Bill Bardo
(1997)
Mr. Magoo
as Agent FBI Chuck Stupak
(1996)
Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco
as Bando (voice)
(1996)
The Glimmer Man
as Christopher Maynard
(1996)
The Curse of Inferno
as Lonnie Martin
(1996)
Power 98
as Rick Harris
(1996)
Night Visitors
as Taylor
(1995)
Murder in the First
as Mr. Henkin
(1995)
Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde
as Oliver Mintz
(1994)
Radioland Murders
as Max Applewhite
(1994)
My Father the Hero
as Mike
(1994)
Trevor
as Father Joe
(1993)
Groundhog Day
as Ned Ryerson
(1993)
Romeo Is Bleeding
as District Attorney (uncredited)
(1993)
Calendar Girl
as Antonio
(1993)
The Pickle
as Mike Krakower
(1993)
Josh and S.A.M.
as Thomas 'Thom' Whitney
(1992)
Basic Instinct
as Dr. Lamott
(1992)
Sneakers
as Dr. Werner Brandes
(1992)
Single White Female
as Mitch Myerson
(1992)
Hero
as Wallace
(1992)
Memoirs of an Invisible Man
as Warren Singleton
(1992)
Where the Day Takes You
as Charles
(1992)
Roadside Prophets
as Ranger Bob
(1991)
Thelma & Louise
as Max
(1991)
Wedlock
as Warden Holliday
(1991)
To the Moon, Alice
as Sitcom Producer
(1991)
Perry Mason: The Case of the Maligned Mobster
as Sergeant Phil Baranski
(1991)
Deadly Medicine
as Ron Sutton
(1991)
The Marla Hanson Story
as Defense Attorney
(1991)
Tagget
as Al Hentz
(1990)
Bird on a Wire
as Joe Weyburn
(1990)
The Grifters
as Jeweler
(1990)
Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael
as Mayor Bill Klepler
(1990)
Funny About Love
as Hugo
(1990)
Mirror Mirror
as Mr. Anderson
(1990)
Last Flight Out
as Doctor Timothy Brandon
(1989)
Great Balls of Fire!
as Jud Phillips
(1989)
In Country
as Pete
(1989)
Breaking In
as District Attorney
(1989)
Roe vs. Wade
as Darryl Horwath
(1988)
Mississippi Burning
as Townley
(1988)
Checking Out
as Pharmacist
(1988)
Two Idiots in Hollywood
as Prosecuting Attorney
(1987)
Spaceballs
as Captain of the Guard
(1986)
Nobody's Fool
as Kirk
(1984)
The Philadelphia Experiment
as Barney
(1984)
Swing Shift
as French deMille / Documentary Narrator
(1983)
Cocaine and Blue Eyes
as TV Clerk
(1977)
Keep My Grave Open
as Robert
Crew
(2015)
The Primary Instinct
Writer, Executive Producer
(1988)
Two Idiots in Hollywood
Director, Writer
(1986)
True Stories
Writer