Stephen Tobolowsky
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.
Known For
Credits
- 2026 · Woodstockers as Calvin
- 2025 · Haul Out the Halloween as Ned Broadhead
- 2025 · Freakier Friday as Mr. Elton Bates
- 2025 · The Cowboy Killer as God
- 2025 · Thelma & Louise: Born to Live as Self
- 2024 · Nobody Wants This as Rabbi Cohen
- 2024 · Poolman as Stephen Toronkowski / Blanche
- 2023 · Candy Cane Lane as Mr. Benedetto (uncredited)
- 2023 · Haul Out the Holly: Lit Up as Ned
- 2023 · Frog and Toad as Dragonfly (voice)
- 2023 · Jimmie & Stevie Ray Vaughan: Brothers in Blues as Self
- 2022 · Haul Out the Holly as Ned
- 2022 · The Really Loud House as Walter Phillipini
- 2022 · Minx as Conrad Ross
- 2021 · Hacks as Henry Weeks
- 2020 · Dicktown as John’s Dad
- 2020 · Stars in the House as Self
- 2020 · ThunderCats Roar as Driller (voice)
- 2019 · Green Eggs and Ham as Chad (voice)
- 2019 · Fantastic Mr. Murray as Self - Interviewee
- 2019 · The Spooky Tale of Captain Underpants Hack-a-ween as Creepy Rattlechains (voice)
- 2019 · Fractured as Dr. Berthram
- 2019 · Loners as Mr. Tessman
- 2019 · Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear's "All in the Family" and "The Jeffersons" as Mr. Bentley
- 2019 · Schooled as Earl Ball
- 2018 · The Cool Kids as Leonard
- 2018 · Strange Nature as Mayor Paulson
- 2018 · Monsters at Large as Mr. Phillips
- 2017 · No Activity as (voice)
- 2017 · White Famous as Stu Beggs
- 2017 · Scooby-Doo! Shaggy's Showdown as Andy Gunderson (voice)
- 2017 · One Day at a Time as Dr. Berkowitz
- 2016 · Justice League Action as Professor Stein (voice)
- 2016 · Bad Internet as James
- 2016 · Where is Rocky II? as Byron (segment: "Monument One")
- 2016 · The Confirmation as Father Lyons
- 2016 · Fuller House as Mr. Gerald
- 2015 · Dr. Ken as Joe
- 2015 · We Bare Bears as Stephen ( voice)
- 2015 · Another Period as Thomas Edison
- 2015 · The Barber as Chief Hardaway
- 2015 · Big Time in Hollywood, Fl as Alan Dolfe
- 2014 · Hello Ladies: The Movie as Alan
- 2014 · Christian Mingle as Douglas McCarver
- 2014 · Atlas Shrugged: Part III as Dr. Hugh Akston
- 2014 · The Hotwives of Orlando as Phil
- 2014 · Silicon Valley as Jack Barker
- 2014 · Friends with Better Lives as Dr. Adleman
- 2014 · Mr. Peabody & Sherman as Principal Purdy (voice)
- 2013 · The Goldbergs as Principal Ball
- 2012 · The Mindy Project as Marc Shulman
- 2012 · The Last Ride as Ray
- 2012 · Say It Ain't Solo as Self
- 2012 · The Lorax as Uncle Ubb (voice)
- 2011 · Hard Breakers as Max
- 2011 · You May Not Kiss the Bride as Plumber
- 2010 · Pound Puppies as Mr. Geekman (voice)
- 2010 · Buried as Alan Davenport (voice)
- 2010 · The Defenders as Judge Gelineau
- 2010 · Peep World as Ephraim
- 2010 · Boys On Film 4: Protect Me From What I Want as Father Joe (segment "Trevor")
- 2010 · Justified as Jerry Barkley
- 2009 · Community as Professor Peter Sheffield
- 2009 · Archer as Robert (voice)
- 2009 · The Time Traveler's Wife as Dr. Kendrick
- 2009 · The Face is Familiar as
- 2009 · Glee as Sandy Ryerson
- 2008 · Beethoven's Big Break as Sal
- 2008 · True Jackson, VP as Lars Balthazar
- 2007 · Californication as Stu Beggs
- 2007 · John from Cincinnati as
- 2007 · Raines as
- 2007 · Wild Hogs as Charley
- 2007 · The Sarah Silverman Program. as Bill Fantastimart
- 2007 · The Valley of Light as Littlefield
- 2007 · Loveless in Los Angeles as Jon
- 2006 · Big Day as
- 2006 · Heroes as Bob Bishop
- 2006 · Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip as
- 2006 · Blind Dating as Dr. Perkins
- 2006 · Stephen Tobolowsky's Birthday Party as Self
- 2006 · The New Adventures of Old Christine as Principal James Merrow
- 2006 · Failure to Launch as Bud
- 2006 · The Sasquatch Gang as Dalrymple
- 2005 · Night Stalker as
- 2005 · Ghost Whisperer as Dr. Peltier
- 2005 · The Closer as James Bloom
- 2005 · McBride: The Doctor is Out...Really Out as Harry Evers
- 2005 · Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous as Tom Abernathy
- 2005 · Robots as Bigmouth Executive / Forge (voice)
- 2004 · Desperate Housewives as Bud Penrod
- 2004 · Boston Legal as Dr. Alvin Azinabinacroft
- 2004 · Complete Savages as Mr. Frehley
- 2004 · Little Black Book as Carl
- 2004 · Entourage as Mayor of Beverly Hills
- 2004 · Garfield as Happy Chapman
- 2004 · Deadwood as Hugo Jarry
- 2004 · Win a Date with Tad Hamilton! as George Ruddy
- 2003 · Married to the Kellys as Henry Conway
- 2003 · Las Vegas as Donny Rollins
- 2003 · Freaky Friday as Mr. Bates
- 2003 · View from the Top as Frank Thomas (uncredited)
- 2003 · Oliver Beene as Ringmaster Bob
- 2003 · Thelma & Louise: The Last Journey as Self
- 2003 · Kingpin as
- 2003 · National Security as Billy Narthax
- 2002 · Love Liza as Tom Bailey
- 2002 · CSI: Miami as Don Haffman
- 2002 · Do Over as
- 2002 · Ritual as Dr. Javitz (uncredited)
- 2002 · The Country Bears as Norbert Barrington
- 2002 · The Dead Zone as Jim Pratt
- 2002 · Groundhog Day: The Weight of Time as Self
- 2001 · The Day the World Ended as Ed Turner
- 2001 · Off Centre as
- 2001 · Reba as Judge
- 2001 ·