Stephen Tobolowsky
Photoplayd Industry Rating
Not enough rated films yet to compute a weighted score.
Roles are weighted by involvement: director 1.0, screenwriter 0.7, lead 0.8, supporting 0.4, crew 0.1.
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
The Lorax (2012)
as Uncle Ubb (voice)
Basic Instinct (1992)
as Dr. Lamott
Freaky Friday (2003)
as Mr. Bates
Groundhog Day (1993)
as Ned
Spaceballs (1987)
as Captain of the Guard
Memento (2000)
as Sammy
Freakier Friday (2025)
as Mr. Elton Bates
Robots (2005)
as Bigmouth Executive / Forge (voice)
Failure to Launch (2006)
as Bud
The Time Traveler's Wife (2009)
as Dr. Kendrick
Candy Cane Lane (2023)
as Mr. Benedetto (uncredited)
Mr. Peabody & Sherman (2014)
as Principal Purdy (voice)
Thelma & Louise (1991)
as Max
Sneakers (1992)
as Dr. Werner Brandes
Garfield (2004)
as Happy Chapman
The Insider (1999)
as Eric Kluster
Bird on a Wire (1990)
as Joe Weyburn
Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous (2005)
as Tom Abernathy
National Security (2003)
as Billy Narthax
Mississippi Burning (1988)
as Townley
Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco (1996)
as Bando (voice)
View from the Top (2003)
as Frank Thomas (uncredited)
Wild Hogs (2007)
as Charley
Murder in the First (1995)
as Mr. Henkin
Fractured (2019)
as Dr. Berthram
Little Black Book (2004)
as Carl
Buried (2010)
as Alan Davenport (voice)
Scooby-Doo! Shaggy's Showdown (2017)
as Andy Gunderson (voice)
The Country Bears (2002)
as Norbert Barrington
Hero (1992)
as Wallace
Memoirs of an Invisible Man (1992)
as Warren Singleton
Single White Female (1992)
as Mitch Myerson
Win a Date with Tad Hamilton! (2004)
as George Ruddy
My Father the Hero (1994)
as Mike
The Glimmer Man (1996)
as Christopher Maynard
Freddy Got Fingered (2001)
as Uncle Neil
The Philadelphia Experiment (1984)
as Barney
The Grifters (1990)
as Jeweler
Great Balls of Fire! (1989)
as Jud Phillips
Beethoven's Big Break (2008)
as Sal
You May Not Kiss the Bride (2011)
as Plumber
An Alan Smithee Film: Burn, Hollywood, Burn (1998)
as Bill Bardo
The Spooky Tale of Captain Underpants Hack-a-ween (2019)
as Creepy Rattlechains (voice)
Poolman (2024)
as Stephen Toronkowski / Blanche
The Brave Little Toaster Goes to Mars (1998)
as Calculator (voice)
Hello Ladies: The Movie (2014)
as Alan
Mr. Magoo (1997)
as Agent FBI Chuck Stupak
Don't Look Under the Bed (1999)
as Michael McCausland
The Jungle Book: Mowgli's Story (1998)
as Tabaqui (voice)
Where the Day Takes You (1992)
as Charles
The Valley of Light (2007)
as Littlefield
The Confirmation (2016)
as Father Lyons
Black Dog (1998)
as McClaren
Atlas Shrugged: Part III (2014)
as Dr. Hugh Akston
Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael (1990)
as Mayor Bill Klepler
Radioland Murders (1994)
as Max Applewhite
Josh & S.A.M. (1993)
as Thomas 'Thom' Whitney
Blind Dating (2007)
as Dr. Perkins
Haul Out the Holly (2022)
as Ned
Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde (1995)
as Oliver Mintz
Haul Out the Holly: Lit Up (2023)
as Ned
Hollywood Signs (2022)
as Self
Wedlock (1991)
as Warden Holliday
Calendar Girl (1993)
as Antonio
The Barber (2015)
as Chief Hardaway
Boys On Film 4: Protect Me From What I Want (2010)
as Father Joe (segment "Trevor")
In Country (1989)
as Pete
Sleep Easy, Hutch Rimes (2000)
as Dewey Wise
Butterfly in the Typewriter (—)
as The Abbot
Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear's "All in the Family" and "The Jeffersons" (2019)
as Mr. Bentley
One Man's Hero (1999)
as Captain Gaine
The Face is Familiar (2009)
Actor
Groundhog Day: The Weight of Time (2002)
as Self
Haul Out the Halloween (2025)
as Ned Broadhead
Love Liza (2002)
as Tom Bailey
Where is Rocky II? (2016)
as Byron (segment: "Monument One")
Ritual (2002)
as Dr. Javitz (uncredited)
Fantastic Mr. Murray (2019)
as Self - Interviewee
The Day the World Ended (2001)
as Ed Turner
The Last Ride (2012)
as Ray
Thelma & Louise: Born to Live (2025)
as Self
Funny About Love (1990)
as Hugo
The Sasquatch Gang (2006)
as Dalrymple
Christian Mingle (2014)
as Douglas McCarver
Woodstockers (2026)
as Calvin
Swing Shift (1984)
as French deMille / Documentary Narrator
Peep World (2010)
as Ephraim
Six L.A. Love Stories (2016)
as Professor John Dobler
Frankie and Johnny Are Married (2003)
as Murray Mintz
Hard Breakers (2011)
as Max
The Prime Gig (2001)
as Mick
Welcome to the Men's Group (2016)
Actor
To The Moon, Alice (1991)
as Sitcom Producer
Around the Fire (1998)
as Doc
Perry Mason: The Case of the Maligned Mobster (1991)
as Sergeant Phil Baranski
Monsters at Large (2018)
as Mr. Phillips
The Rainbow Tribe (2008)
as Principal Sands
Cocaine and Blue Eyes (1983)
as TV Clerk
Thelma & Louise: The Last Journey (2003)
as Self
Two Idiots in Hollywood (1988)
as Prosecuting Attorney
Roe vs. Wade (1989)
as Darryl Horwath
The Pickle (1993)
as Mike Krakower
Mirror Mirror (1990)
as Mr. Anderson
Checking Out (1988)
as Pharmacist
Strange Nature (2018)
as Mayor Paulson
The Marla Hanson Story (1991)
as Defense Attorney
Loveless in Los Angeles (2007)
as Jon
On the Edge (2001)
as Tom (wraparound segments)
Mary the Widow (2026)
as Ed
Alien Fury: Countdown to Invasion (2000)
as B.J. McQueen
Black River (2002)
as Mayor Tom Thompson
The Curse of Inferno (1996)
as Lonnie Martin
Mimics (2026)
as Melvin Reinhold
Breaking In (1989)
as District Attorney
Hail Mary (2011)
Actor
Freaks Part II (2026)
Actor
McBride: The Doctor is Out...Really Out (2005)
as Harry Evers
Keep My Grave Open (1977)
as Robert
Roadside Prophets (1992)
as Ranger Bob
Stephen Tobolowsky's Birthday Party (2006)
as Self
Last Flight Out (1990)
as Doctor Timothy Brandon
Debating Robert Lee (2004)
as Debate Judge
Power 98 (1996)
as Rick Harris
Night Visitors (1996)
as Taylor
Jimmie & Stevie Ray Vaughan: Brothers in Blues (2023)
as Self
Bossa Nova (2000)
as Trevor
Say It Ain't Solo (2012)
as Self
Promise Me Tomorrow (2006)
as Carl Venable
Love Virtually (2023)
as Dr. Divine
Living 'til the End (2005)
as Dr. Shaw
Loners (2019)
as Mr. Tessman
Deadly Medicine (1991)
as Ron Sutton
Nobody's Fool (1986)
as Kirk
Guys and Girls Can't Be Friends (2014)
as Andy
The Cowboy Killer (2026)
as God
Stanley's Gig (2000)
as Abe Cohen
Trevor (1994)
as Father Joe
Waiting for Yvette (2008)
as Alan
The Operator (2000)
as Doc
Mamaboy (2016)
as Reverend Weld
Par 6 (2002)
as T.T. Riley
The Five Keys to Mastery (2005)
as Self
Boxboarders! (2007)
as Dr. Stephen James
Magnificat (2011)
as Neighbor
Pearblossom Hwy (2012)
as Rick Lawler
Tagget (1991)
as Al Hentz
The Primary Instinct (2015)
as Himself
Watching Walter (2024)
as Walter
Toy Story of Terror! (2013)
as Ron (voice)