Stephen Tobolowsky
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- May 30, 1951
- Place of birth
- 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.
Movies with Stephen Tobolowsky
- Memento 2000 · ★ 8.2
- Groundhog Day 1993 · ★ 7.6
- Robots 2005 · ★ 6.5
- Basic Instinct 1992 · ★ 7.0
- Freaky Friday 2003 · ★ 6.6
- Garfield 2004 · ★ 5.7
- Thelma & Louise 1991 · ★ 7.6
- The Lorax 2012 · ★ 6.5
- Spaceballs 1987 · ★ 6.9
- Buried 2010 · ★ 6.6
- Fractured 2019 · ★ 6.8
- The Time Traveler's Wife 2009 · ★ 7.0
- Mr. Peabody & Sherman 2014 · ★ 6.7
- Wild Hogs 2007 · ★ 6.0
- The Insider 1999 · ★ 7.5
- Mississippi Burning 1988 · ★ 7.7
- Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous 2005 · ★ 5.7
- Failure to Launch 2006 · ★ 5.9
- Sneakers 1992 · ★ 6.9
- National Security 2003 · ★ 6.0
- Toy Story of Terror! 2013 · ★ 7.3
- Bird on a Wire 1990 · ★ 6.2
- Freakier Friday 2025 · ★ 6.8
- Single White Female 1992 · ★ 6.3
- Memoirs of an Invisible Man 1992 · ★ 5.9
- Murder in the First 1995 · ★ 7.1
- View from the Top 2003 · ★ 5.6
- Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco 1996 · ★ 6.6
- Hero 1992 · ★ 6.3
- Win a Date with Tad Hamilton! 2004 · ★ 5.7
- Candy Cane Lane 2023 · ★ 6.0
- Freddy Got Fingered 2001 · ★ 4.8
- The Grifters 1990 · ★ 6.5
- The Philadelphia Experiment 1984 · ★ 6.1
- The Glimmer Man 1996 · ★ 5.4
- Mr. Magoo 1997 · ★ 4.5
- Little Black Book 2004 · ★ 5.4
- Great Balls of Fire! 1989 · ★ 6.3
- Black Dog 1998 · ★ 6.4
- My Father the Hero 1994 · ★ 5.3
Movies directed by Stephen Tobolowsky
- Two Idiots in Hollywood 1988 · ★ 4.0