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