Stephen Tobolowsky
Personal Info
Known for
Acting
Gender
Male
Birthday
1951-05-30 (74 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. Elton Bates
(2025)
Haul Out the Halloween
as Ned
(2025)
(2025)
The Cowboy Killer
as God
(2024)
Poolman
as Stephen Toronkowski / Blanche
(2024)
Watching Walter
as Walter
(2023)
Candy Cane Lane
as Mr. Benedetto (uncredited)
(2023)
Love Virtually
as Dr. Divine
(2023)
(2023)
(2022)
Haul Out the Holly
as Ned
(2022)
Hollywood Signs
as Self
(2019)
The Spooky Tale of Captain Underpants: Hack-a-ween
as Creepy Rattlechains (voice)
(2019)
Fractured
as Dr. Berthram
(2019)
Fantastic Mr. Murray
as Self - Interviewee
(2019)
(2019)
Loners
as Mr. Tessman
(2018)
Strange Nature
as Mayor Paulson
(2018)
Monsters at Large
as Mr. Phillips
(2017)
Scooby-Doo! Shaggy's Showdown
as Andy Gunderson (voice)
(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)
Mamaboy
as Reverend Weld
(2016)
(2015)
The Barber
as Chief Hardaway
(2015)
The Primary Instinct
as Himself
(2014)
Mr. Peabody & Sherman
as Principal Purdy (voice)
(2014)
Atlas Shrugged: Part III
as Dr. Hugh Akston
(2014)
Christian Mingle
as Douglas McCarver
(2014)
Hello Ladies: The Movie
as Alan
(2014)
(2013)
Toy Story of Terror!
as Ron (voice)
(2012)
The Lorax
as Uncle Ubb (voice)
(2012)
Pearblossom Hwy
as Rick Lawler
(2012)
Say It Ain't Solo
as Himself
(2012)
The Last Ride
as Ray
(2011)
Magnificat
as Neighbor
(2011)
(2011)
You May Not Kiss the Bride
as Plumber
(2011)
Hard Breakers
as Max
(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)
Loveless in Los Angeles
as Jon
(2007)
Boxboarders!
as dr.james
(2007)
The Valley of Light
as Littlefield
(2006)
Failure to Launch
as Bud
(2006)
(2006)
Promise Me Tomorrow
as Carl Venable
(2006)
Blind Dating
as Dr. Perkins
(2006)
The Sasquatch Gang
as Dalrymple
(2005)
Robots
as Bigmouth Executive / Forge (voice)
(2005)
Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous
as Tom Abernathy
(2005)
Living 'til the End
as Dr. Shaw
(2005)
McBride: The Doctor is Out...Really Out
as Harry Evers
(2004)
Garfield
as Happy Chapman
(2004)
Little Black Book
as Carl
(2004)
Debating Robert Lee
as Debate Judge
(2004)
Win a Date with Tad Hamilton!
as George Ruddy
(2003)
Freaky Friday
as Mr. Bates
(2003)
National Security
as Billy Narthax
(2003)
(2003)
View from the Top
as Frank Thomas (uncredited)
(2003)
Frankie and Johnny Are Married
as Murray Mintz
(2002)
The Country Bears
as Norbert Barrington
(2002)
Ritual
as Dr. Javitz (uncredited)
(2002)
Par 6
as T.T. Riley
(2002)
Love Liza
as Tom Bailey
(2002)
(2001)
On the Edge
as Tom (wraparound segments)
(2001)
The Prime Gig
as Mick
(2001)
Freddy Got Fingered
as Uncle Neil
(2001)
The Day the World Ended
as Ed Turner
(2001)
Black River
as Mayor Tom Thompson
(2000)
Memento
as Sammy
(2000)
Sleep Easy, Hutch Rimes
as Dewey Wise
(2000)
The Operator
as Doc
(2000)
Bossa Nova
as Trevor
(2000)
Stanley's Gig
as Abe Cohen
(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 Brave Little Toaster Goes to Mars
as Calculator (voice)
(1998)
Around the Fire
as Doc
(1998)
The Jungle Book: Mowgli's Story
as Tabaqui (voice)
(1998)
An Alan Smithee Film: Burn, Hollywood, Burn
as Bill Bardo
(1997)
Mr. Magoo
as Agent FBI Chuck Stupak
(1996)
Power 98
as Rick Harris
(1996)
The Glimmer Man
as Christopher Maynard
(1996)
Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco
as Bando (voice)
(1996)
The Curse of Inferno
as Lonnie Martin
(1996)
Night Visitors
as Taylor
(1995)
Murder in the First
as Mr. Henkin
(1995)
Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde
as Oliver Mintz
(1994)
My Father the Hero
as Mike
(1994)
Trevor
as Father Joe
(1994)
Radioland Murders
as Max Applewhite
(1993)
Groundhog Day
as Ned Ryerson
(1993)
Josh & S.A.M.
as Thomas 'Thom' Whitney
(1993)
Romeo Is Bleeding
as District Attorney (uncredited)
(1993)
The Pickle
as Mike Krakower
(1993)
Calendar Girl
as Antonio
(1992)
Sneakers
as Dr. Werner Brandes
(1992)
Basic Instinct
as Dr. Lamott
(1992)
Roadside Prophets
as Ranger Bob
(1992)
Memoirs of an Invisible Man
as Warren Singleton
(1992)
Hero
as Wallace
(1992)
Single White Female
as Mitch Myerson
(1992)
Where the Day Takes You
as Charles
(1991)
Thelma & Louise
as Max
(1991)
Wedlock
as Warden Holliday
(1991)
The Marla Hanson Story
as Defense Attorney
(1991)
Tagget
as Al Hentz
(1991)
Perry Mason: The Case of the Maligned Mobster
as Sergeant Phil Baranski
(1991)
To the Moon, Alice
as Sitcom Producer
(1991)
Deadly Medicine
as Ron Sutton
(1990)
Bird on a Wire
as Joe Weyburn
(1990)
Mirror Mirror
as Mr. Anderson
(1990)
The Grifters
as Jeweler
(1990)
Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael
as Mayor Bill Klepler
(1990)
Funny About Love
as Hugo
(1990)
Last Flight Out
as Doctor Timothy Brandon
(1989)
In Country
as Pete
(1989)
Great Balls of Fire!
as Jud Phillips
(1989)
Roe vs. Wade
as Darryl Horwath
(1989)
Breaking In
as District Attorney
(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)
Swing Shift
as French deMille / Documentary Narrator
(1984)
The Philadelphia Experiment
as Barney
(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