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.
Movies
Memento
Sammy
Groundhog Day
Ned Ryerson
Basic Instinct
Dr. Lamott
Thelma & Louise
Max
Wedlock
Warden Holliday
Mississippi Burning
Townley
Bird on a Wire
Joe Weyburn
Memoirs of an Invisible Man
Warren Singleton
The Brave Little Toaster Goes to Mars
Calculator (voice)
Great Balls of Fire!
Jud Phillips
Radioland Murders
Max Applewhite
Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael
Mayor Bill Klepler
Murder in the First
Mr. Henkin
Garfield
Happy Chapman
The Insider
Eric Kluster
Mr. Magoo
Agent FBI Chuck Stupak
Jimmie & Stevie Ray Vaughan: Brothers in Blues
Self
Buried
Alan Davenport (voice)
Single White Female
Mitch Myerson
Blind Dating
Dr. Perkins
Freddy Got Fingered
Uncle Neil
Win a Date with Tad Hamilton!
George Ruddy
The Pickle
Mike Krakower
Beethoven's Big Break
Sal
Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde
Oliver Mintz
Boxboarders!
dr.james
Black River
Mayor Tom Thompson
Love Liza
Tom Bailey
The Prime Gig
Mick
Funny About Love
Hugo
Where the Day Takes You
Charles
The Grifters
Jeweler
Josh and S.A.M.
Thomas 'Thom' Whitney
Black Dog
McClaren
The Country Bears
Norbert Barrington
The Day the World Ended
Ed Turner
Don't Look Under the Bed
Michael McCausland
Deadly Medicine
Ron Sutton
Mr. Peabody & Sherman
Principal Purdy (voice)
You May Not Kiss the Bride
Plumber
Sleep Easy, Hutch Rimes
Dewey Wise
Living 'til the End
Dr. Shaw
The Lorax
Uncle Ubb (voice)
The Last Ride
Ray
Love Virtually
Dr. Divine
Stephen Tobolowsky's Birthday Party
Self
Power 98
Rick Harris
Promise Me Tomorrow
Carl Venable
Trevor
Father Joe
Haul Out the Holly: Lit Up
Ned
Par 6
T.T. Riley
Peep World
Ephraim
Hard Breakers
Max
On the Edge
Tom (wraparound segments)
The Face is Familiar
Night Visitors
Taylor
The Operator
Doc
Two Idiots in Hollywood
Prosecuting Attorney
Roe vs. Wade
Darryl Horwath
The Philadelphia Experiment
Barney
Frankie and Johnny Are Married
Murray Mintz
Sneakers
Dr. Werner Brandes
Atlas Shrugged: Part III
Dr. Hugh Akston
Candy Cane Lane
Mr. Benedetto (uncredited)
Tagget
Al Hentz
Hello Ladies: The Movie
Alan
Christian Mingle
Douglas McCarver
The Time Traveler's Wife
Dr. Kendrick
Haul Out the Holly
Ned
Guys and Girls Can't Be Friends
Andy
The Barber
Chief Hardaway
The Primary Instinct
Himself
Thelma & Louise: The Last Journey
Self
Failure to Launch
Bud
The Glimmer Man
Christopher Maynard
One Man's Hero
Captain Gaine
The Confirmation
Father Lyons
Hollywood Signs
Self
Bossa Nova
Trevor
Cocaine and Blue Eyes
TV Clerk
Last Flight Out
Doctor Timothy Brandon
Roadside Prophets
Ranger Bob
Stanley's Gig
Abe Cohen
Debating Robert Lee
Debate Judge
Poolman
Stephen Toronkowski / Blanche
Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco
Bando (voice)
Wild Hogs
Charley
McBride: The Doctor is Out...Really Out
Harry Evers
The Valley of Light
Littlefield
National Security
Billy Narthax
Freaky Friday
Mr. Bates
Mirror Mirror
Mr. Anderson
Spaceballs
Captain of the Guard
Where is Rocky II?
Byron (segment: "Monument One")
Say It Ain't Solo
Himself
Magnificat
Neighbor
Freakier Friday
Mr. Bates
Hero
Wallace
Scooby-Doo! Shaggy's Showdown
Andy Gunderson (voice)
Butterfly in the Typewriter
The Abbot
Alien Fury: Countdown to Invasion
B.J. McQueen
Mamaboy
Reverend Weld
Nobody's Fool
Kirk
Calendar Girl
Antonio
Keep My Grave Open
Robert
Little Black Book
Carl
Pearblossom Hwy
Rick Lawler
Monsters at Large
Mr. Phillips
Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous
Tom Abernathy
In Country
Pete
Breaking In
District Attorney
Strange Nature
Mayor Paulson
The Marla Hanson Story
Defense Attorney
Fractured
Dr. Berthram
Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear's "All in the Family" and "The Jeffersons"
Mr. Bentley
Loners
Mr. Tessman
The Spooky Tale of Captain Underpants: Hack-a-ween
Creepy Rattlechains (voice)
Fantastic Mr. Murray
Self - Interviewee
To the Moon, Alice
Sitcom Producer
The Curse of Inferno
Lonnie Martin
View from the Top
Frank Thomas (uncredited)
Romeo Is Bleeding
District Attorney (uncredited)
Ritual
Dr. Javitz (uncredited)
The Sasquatch Gang
Dalrymple
Perry Mason: The Case of the Maligned Mobster
Sergeant Phil Baranski
Toy Story of Terror!
Ron (voice)
Swing Shift
French deMille / Documentary Narrator
Robots
Bigmouth Executive / Forge (voice)
The Jungle Book: Mowgli's Story
Tabaqui (voice)
Around the Fire
Doc
Welcome to the Men's Group
Waiting for Yvette
Alan
Boys On Film 4: Protect Me From What I Want
Father Joe (segment "Trevor")
An Alan Smithee Film: Burn, Hollywood, Burn
Bill Bardo
My Father the Hero
Mike
Groundhog Day: The Weight of Time
Self
The Rainbow Tribe
Principal Sands
Six L.A. Love Stories
Professor John Dobler
Checking Out
Pharmacist
Hail Mary
Watching Walter
Walter
Shows
That '70s Show
Professor
Two Guys and a Girl
Father Viteri
Falcon Crest
Doctor
Alice
Mad About You
Principal Hocksacker
Big Day
Seinfeld
Tor Eckman
Deadwood
Hugo Jarry
Glee
Sandy Ryerson
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Spencer Freiberg
Reba
The Closer
James Bloom
Desperate Housewives
Bud Penrod
Designing Women
John from Cincinnati
L.A. Law
Dr. Michael Segal
Ghost Whisperer
Dr. Peltier
CSI: Miami
Don Haffman
Heroes
Bob Bishop
Night Stalker
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
The Pretender
Dr. Alan Trader
According to Jim
Dr. Ted
King of the Hill
Dr. Benson / Burt Halverstrom (voice)
227
Las Vegas
Malcolm in the Middle
Mr. Fisher
Murder One
Silicon Valley
Jack Barker
Any Day Now
Knots Landing
Steve Comiskey
Off Centre
The Practice
Cagney & Lacey
Oliver Beene
Roswell
Julius Walters
Kingpin
The Lone Gunmen
The New Adventures of Old Christine
Principal James Merrow
Raines
Will & Grace
Ned Weathers
Chicago Hope
Married to the Kellys
Boston Legal
Dr. Alvin Azinabinacroft
Law & Order: Criminal Intent
Jim Halliwell
We Bare Bears
Stephen ( voice)
Do Over
Baby Talk
Dweebs
Mr. Rhodes
Shannon's Deal
True Jackson, VP
Lars Balthazar
Against the Grain
Niles Hardeman
Harts of the West
Blue Skies
Oak
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Principal Flutie
Complete Savages
Mr. Frehley
Another Period
Thomas Edison
Frog and Toad
Dragonfly (voice)
Community
Professor Peter Sheffield
The Hotwives of Orlando
Phil
The Goldbergs
Principal Ball
Big Time in Hollywood, Fl
Alan Dolfe
Fuller House
Mr. Gerald
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Len Dunkel
The Mindy Project
Marc Shulman
Dr. Ken
Joe
Pound Puppies
Mr. Geekman (voice)
The Really Loud House
Walter Phillipini
Hercules
Numericles (voice)
One Day at a Time
Dr. Berkowitz
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Edwin Adelson
Dicktown
John’s Dad
Tony Awards
Self - Nominee
Californication
Stu Beggs
Minx
Conrad Ross
Green Eggs and Ham
Chad (voice)
The West Wing
Dr. Max Milkman
Crazy like a Fox
Hotel Clerk
Justified
Jerry Barkley
A Whole New Ballgame
Dr. Warner Brakefield
Buzz Lightyear of Star Command
Gil (voice)
Bad Internet
James
The Cool Kids
Leonard
The Drew Carey Show
Councilman
The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd
Alex
Stars in the House
Self
No Activity
(voice)
ThunderCats Roar
Driller (voice)
Friends with Better Lives
Dr. Adleman
Schooled
Earl Ball
The Naked Truth
Vincent Hartford
The Sarah Silverman Program.
Bill Fantastimart
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Mr. Kayman
Archer
Robert (voice)
Suddenly Susan
Dr. Gerken
Cafe Americain
Roger Livingston
Justice League Action
Professor Stein (voice)
The Defenders
Judge Gelineau
Nobody Wants This
Rabbi Cohen
White Famous
Stu Beggs