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.
Known For
Sammy
Memento
Ned Ryerson
Groundhog Day
Dr. Lamott
Basic Instinct
Max
Thelma & Louise
Warden Holliday
Wedlock
Townley
Mississippi Burning
Joe Weyburn
Bird on a Wire
Warren Singleton
Memoirs of an Invisible Man
Calculator (voice)
The Brave Little Toaster Goes to Mars
Jud Phillips
Great Balls of Fire!
Max Applewhite
Radioland Murders
Mayor Bill Klepler
Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael
Mr. Henkin
Murder in the First
Happy Chapman
Garfield
Eric Kluster
The Insider
Agent FBI Chuck Stupak
Mr. Magoo
Self
Jimmie & Stevie Ray Vaughan: Brothers in Blues
Alan Davenport (voice)
Buried
Mitch Myerson
Single White Female
Dr. Perkins
Blind Dating
Uncle Neil
Freddy Got Fingered
George Ruddy
Win a Date with Tad Hamilton!
Mike Krakower
The Pickle
Sal
Beethoven's Big Break
Oliver Mintz
Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde
dr.james
Boxboarders!
Mayor Tom Thompson
Black River
Tom Bailey
Love Liza
Mick
The Prime Gig
Hugo
Funny About Love
Charles
Where the Day Takes You
Jeweler
The Grifters
Thomas 'Thom' Whitney
Josh & S.A.M.
McClaren
Black Dog
Norbert Barrington
The Country Bears
Ed Turner
The Day the World Ended
Michael McCausland
Don't Look Under the Bed
Ron Sutton
Deadly Medicine
Principal Purdy (voice)
Mr. Peabody & Sherman
Plumber
You May Not Kiss the Bride
Dewey Wise
Sleep Easy, Hutch Rimes
Dr. Shaw
Living 'til the End
Uncle Ubb (voice)
The Lorax
Ray
The Last Ride
Dr. Divine
Love Virtually
Self
Stephen Tobolowsky's Birthday Party
Rick Harris
Power 98
Carl Venable
Promise Me Tomorrow
Father Joe
Trevor
Ned
Haul Out the Holly: Lit Up
T.T. Riley
Par 6
Ephraim
Peep World
Max
Hard Breakers
Tom (wraparound segments)
On the Edge
The Face is Familiar
Taylor
Night Visitors
Doc
The Operator
Prosecuting Attorney
Two Idiots in Hollywood
Darryl Horwath
Roe vs. Wade
Barney
The Philadelphia Experiment
Murray Mintz
Frankie and Johnny Are Married
Dr. Werner Brandes
Sneakers
Dr. Hugh Akston
Atlas Shrugged: Part III
Mr. Benedetto (uncredited)
Candy Cane Lane
Al Hentz
Tagget
Alan
Hello Ladies: The Movie
Douglas McCarver
Christian Mingle
Dr. Kendrick
The Time Traveler's Wife
Ned
Haul Out the Holly
Andy
Guys and Girls Can't Be Friends
Chief Hardaway
The Barber
Himself
The Primary Instinct
Self
Thelma & Louise: The Last Journey
Bud
Failure to Launch
Christopher Maynard
The Glimmer Man
Captain Gaine
One Man's Hero
Father Lyons
The Confirmation
Self
Hollywood Signs
Trevor
Bossa Nova
TV Clerk
Cocaine and Blue Eyes
Doctor Timothy Brandon
Last Flight Out
Ranger Bob
Roadside Prophets
Abe Cohen
Stanley's Gig
Debate Judge
Debating Robert Lee
Stephen Toronkowski / Blanche
Poolman
Bando (voice)
Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco
Charley
Wild Hogs
Harry Evers
McBride: The Doctor is Out...Really Out
Littlefield
The Valley of Light
Billy Narthax
National Security
Mr. Bates
Freaky Friday
Mr. Anderson
Mirror Mirror
Captain of the Guard
Spaceballs
Byron (segment: "Monument One")
Where is Rocky II?
Himself
Say It Ain't Solo
Neighbor
Magnificat
Wallace
Hero
Andy Gunderson (voice)
Scooby-Doo! Shaggy's Showdown
The Abbot
Butterfly in the Typewriter
B.J. McQueen
Alien Fury: Countdown to Invasion
Reverend Weld
Mamaboy
Kirk
Nobody's Fool
Antonio
Calendar Girl
Robert
Keep My Grave Open
Carl
Little Black Book
Rick Lawler
Pearblossom Hwy
Mr. Phillips
Monsters at Large
Tom Abernathy
Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous
Pete
In Country
District Attorney
Breaking In
Mayor Paulson
Strange Nature
Defense Attorney
The Marla Hanson Story
Dr. Berthram
Fractured
Mr. Bentley
Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear's "All in the Family" and "The Jeffersons"
Mr. Tessman
Loners
Creepy Rattlechains (voice)
The Spooky Tale of Captain Underpants Hack-a-ween
Self - Interviewee
Le Fantastique Mr Murray
Sitcom Producer
To the Moon, Alice
Lonnie Martin
The Curse of Inferno
Frank Thomas (uncredited)
View from the Top
Dr. Javitz (uncredited)
Ritual
Dalrymple
The Sasquatch Gang
Sergeant Phil Baranski
Perry Mason: The Case of the Maligned Mobster
Ron (voice)
Toy Story of Terror!
French deMille / Documentary Narrator
Swing Shift
Bigmouth Executive / Forge (voice)
Robots
Tabaqui (voice)
The Jungle Book: Mowgli's Story
Doc
Around the Fire
Welcome to the Men's Group
Alan
Waiting for Yvette
Father Joe (segment "Trevor")
Boys On Film 4: Protect Me From What I Want
Bill Bardo
An Alan Smithee Film: Burn, Hollywood, Burn
Mike
My Father the Hero
Self
Groundhog Day: The Weight of Time
Principal Sands
The Rainbow Tribe
Professor John Dobler
Six L.A. Love Stories
Pharmacist
Checking Out
Hail Mary
Walter
Watching Walter
Mr. Elton Bates
Freakier Friday
Self
Thelma et Louise, un western féministe
Melvin Reinhold
Mimics
Jon
Loveless in Los Angeles
God
The Cowboy Killer
Ned Broadhead
Haul Out the Halloween
Personal Info
Known For
Acting
Known Credits
145
Gender
Male
Birthday
1951-05-30
Place of Birth
Dallas, Texas, USA
Also Known As
Stephen Tobolowski