Stephen Tobolowsky
Known For
Acting
Born
1951-05-30 in Dallas, Texas, USA
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.
Most Known For
The Simpsons
as Merle (voice)
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
as Edwin Adelson
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
as Mr. Kayman
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
as Spencer Freiberg
Seinfeld
as Tor Eckman
Desperate Housewives
as Bud Penrod
The West Wing
as Dr. Max Milkman
CSI: Miami
as Don Haffman
King of the Hill
as Dr. Benson / Burt Halverstrom (voice)
Curb Your Enthusiasm
as Len Dunkel
The Closer
as James Bloom
Glee
as Sandy Ryerson
That '70s Show
as Professor
Community
as Professor Peter Sheffield
Malcolm in the Middle
as Mr. Fisher
Law & Order: Criminal Intent
as Jim Halliwell
The Goldbergs
as Principal Ball
Archer
as Robert (voice)
Mad About You
as Principal Hocksacker
Ghost Whisperer
as Dr. Peltier