Stephen Tobolowsky
Acting
Born: May 30, 1951 (age 75) · Dallas, Texas, USA
Highest Rated
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
Memento
2000
The Simpsons
1989
Groundhog Day
1993
Robots
2005
Malcolm in the Middle
2000
Basic Instinct
1992
Freaky Friday
2003
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
1999
Garfield
2004
The Lorax
2012
Thelma & Louise
1991
Spaceballs
1987
Photos (3)
Movies (138)
The Lorax
Uncle Ubb (voice)
Memento
Sammy
Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous
Tom Abernathy
Basic Instinct
Dr. Lamott
Robots
Bigmouth Executive / Forge (voice)
Candy Cane Lane
Mr. Benedetto (uncredited)
Freaky Friday
Mr. Bates
Spaceballs
Captain of the Guard
Mr. Peabody & Sherman
Principal Purdy (voice)
The Insider
Eric Kluster
Groundhog Day
Ned
Fractured
Dr. Berthram
Wild Hogs
Charley
Freakier Friday
Mr. Elton Bates
Scooby-Doo! Shaggy's Showdown
Andy Gunderson (voice)
Garfield
Happy Chapman
Murder in the First
Mr. Henkin
Bird on a Wire
Joe Weyburn
The Spooky Tale of Captain Underpants Hack-a-ween
Creepy Rattlechains (voice)
Little Black Book
Carl
Buried
Alan Davenport (voice)
Thelma & Louise
Max
National Security
Billy Narthax
Failure to Launch
Bud
The Time Traveler's Wife
Dr. Kendrick
Sneakers
Dr. Werner Brandes
Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco
Bando (voice)
Hero
Wallace
Haul Out the Holly: Lit Up
Ned
Mississippi Burning
Townley
View from the Top
Frank Thomas (uncredited)
Freddy Got Fingered
Uncle Neil
The Country Bears
Norbert Barrington
Haul Out the Holly
Ned
Memoirs of an Invisible Man
Warren Singleton
In Country
Pete
The Brave Little Toaster Goes to Mars
Calculator (voice)
Single White Female
Mitch Myerson
My Father the Hero
Mike
Where the Day Takes You
Charles
The Glimmer Man
Christopher Maynard
Beethoven's Big Break
Sal
Love Liza
Tom Bailey
Win a Date with Tad Hamilton!
George Ruddy
Great Balls of Fire!
Jud Phillips
The Valley of Light
Littlefield
Atlas Shrugged: Part III
Dr. Hugh Akston
Around the Fire
Doc
The Philadelphia Experiment
Barney
Black Dog
McClaren
The Jungle Book: Mowgli's Story
Tabaqui (voice)
The Grifters
Jeweler
Blind Dating
Dr. Perkins
Josh & S.A.M.
Thomas 'Thom' Whitney
Hello Ladies: The Movie
Alan
Wedlock
Warden Holliday
The Confirmation
Father Lyons
The Prime Gig
Mick
Calendar Girl
Antonio
Poolman
Stephen Toronkowski / Blanche
You May Not Kiss the Bride
Plumber
Don't Look Under the Bed
Michael McCausland
Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde
Oliver Mintz
The Barber
Chief Hardaway
Love Virtually
Dr. Divine
Swing Shift
French deMille / Documentary Narrator
One Man's Hero
Captain Gaine
An Alan Smithee Film: Burn, Hollywood, Burn
Bill Bardo
Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael
Mayor Bill Klepler
Christian Mingle
Douglas McCarver
Peep World
Ephraim
Haul Out the Halloween
Ned Broadhead
Strange Nature
Mayor Paulson
Debating Robert Lee
Debate Judge
Radioland Murders
Max Applewhite
The Last Ride
Ray
Mr. Magoo
Agent FBI Chuck Stupak
On the Edge
Tom (wraparound segments)
The Rainbow Tribe
Principal Sands
Welcome to the Men's Group
2016
Roadside Prophets
Ranger Bob
The Cowboy Killer
God
The Sasquatch Gang
Dalrymple
The Curse of Inferno
Lonnie Martin
Ritual
Dr. Javitz (uncredited)
Power 98
Rick Harris
Two Idiots in Hollywood
Prosecuting Attorney
Roe vs. Wade
Darryl Horwath
Hard Breakers
Max
Monsters at Large
Mr. Phillips
Toy Story of Terror!
Ron (voice)
Mirror Mirror
Mr. Anderson
Breaking In
District Attorney
Cocaine and Blue Eyes
TV Clerk
The Day the World Ended
Ed Turner
The Pickle
Mike Krakower
Checking Out
Pharmacist
The Marla Hanson Story
Defense Attorney
Loveless in Los Angeles
Jon
Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear's "All in the Family" and "The Jeffersons"
Mr. Bentley
Last Flight Out
Doctor Timothy Brandon
Perry Mason: The Case of the Maligned Mobster
Sergeant Phil Baranski
Six L.A. Love Stories
Professor John Dobler
Sleep Easy, Hutch Rimes
Dewey Wise
Trevor
Father Joe
The Face is Familiar
2009
Boys On Film 4: Protect Me From What I Want
Father Joe (segment "Trevor")
Magnificat
Neighbor
Funny About Love
Hugo
Hail Mary
2011
Black River
Mayor Tom Thompson
Mary the Widow
Ed
Woodstockers
Calvin
Mimics
Melvin Reinhold
Alien Fury: Countdown to Invasion
B.J. McQueen
To The Moon, Alice
Sitcom Producer
Bossa Nova
Trevor
Freaks Part II
2026
Living 'til the End
Dr. Shaw
Where is Rocky II?
Byron (segment: "Monument One")
Waiting for Yvette
Alan
McBride: The Doctor is Out...Really Out
Harry Evers
Promise Me Tomorrow
Carl Venable
Nobody's Fool
Kirk
Night Visitors
Taylor
Frankie and Johnny Are Married
Murray Mintz
Pearblossom Hwy
Rick Lawler
Guys and Girls Can't Be Friends
Andy
Deadly Medicine
Ron Sutton
Keep My Grave Open
Robert
Stanley's Gig
Abe Cohen
The Operator
Doc
Mamaboy
Reverend Weld
Boxboarders!
Dr. Stephen James
Par 6
T.T. Riley
Tagget
Al Hentz
Loners
Mr. Tessman
Justice League Mortal
Alfred Pennyworth
TV Shows (105)
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Edwin Adelson · 1 eps
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Mr. Kayman · 1 eps
The Simpsons
Merle (voice) · 1 eps
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Spencer Freiberg · 1 eps
CSI: Miami
Don Haffman · 5 eps
Seinfeld
Tor Eckman · 1 eps
Desperate Housewives
Bud Penrod · 1 eps
Law & Order: Criminal Intent
Jim Halliwell · 1 eps
King of the Hill
Dr. Benson / Burt Halverstrom (voice) · 1 eps
The West Wing
Dr. Max Milkman · 1 eps
We Bare Bears
Stephen ( voice) · 1 eps
Curb Your Enthusiasm
Len Dunkel · 1 eps
Californication
Stu Beggs · 30 eps
Will & Grace
Ned Weathers · 1 eps
Knots Landing
Steve Comiskey · 1 eps
Heroes
Bob Bishop · 11 eps
Glee
Sandy Ryerson · 8 eps
The Closer
James Bloom · 1 eps
Boston Legal
Dr. Alvin Azinabinacroft · 1 eps
The Goldbergs
Principal Ball · 43 eps
Malcolm in the Middle
Mr. Fisher · 1 eps
Falcon Crest
Doctor · 1 eps
Ghost Whisperer
Dr. Peltier · 1 eps
Archer
Robert (voice) · 11 eps
That '70s Show
Professor · 1 eps
Las Vegas
Donny Rollins · 1 eps
The Practice
Clyde Burrows · 1 eps
Chicago Hope
Dr. Ted Joseph
Chicago Hope
Ted Joseph · 2 eps
Mad About You
Principal Hocksacker · 1 eps
Entourage
Mayor of Beverly Hills · 1 eps
L.A. Law
Michael Segal · 1 eps
According to Jim
Dr. Ted · 1 eps
The Drew Carey Show
Councilman · 1 eps
Hacks
Henry Weeks · 1 eps
Justified
Jerry Barkley · 3 eps
Community
Professor Peter Sheffield · 1 eps
The Mindy Project
Marc Shulman · 4 eps
The Dead Zone
Jim Pratt · 1 eps
Silicon Valley
Jack Barker · 17 eps
The Pretender
Dr. Alan Trader · 1 eps
Cagney & Lacey
1 eps
Alice
1 eps
Arli$$
Craig Levitz · 1 eps
Roswell
Julius Walters · 1 eps
Hercules
Numericles (voice) · 1 eps
Buzz Lightyear of Star Command
Gil (voice) · 1 eps
Deadwood
Hugo Jarry · 9 eps
Two Guys and a Girl
Father Viteri · 1 eps
Frog and Toad
Dragonfly (voice) · 3 eps
Minx
Conrad Ross · 1 eps
Murder One
2 eps
Murder One
Dr. Andross · 1 eps
The New Adventures of Old Christine
Principal James Merrow · 2 eps
Reba
Judge · 1 eps
Fuller House
Mr. Gerald · 1 eps
Pound Puppies
Mr. Geekman (voice) · 1 eps
Justice League Action
Professor Stein (voice) · 8 eps
Green Eggs and Ham
Chad (voice) · 1 eps
Nobody Wants This
Rabbi Cohen · 6 eps
The Sarah Silverman Program
Bill Fantastimart · 1 eps
The Naked Truth
Vincent Hartford · 1 eps
The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd
Alex · 1 eps
Dr. Ken
Joe · 1 eps
Designing Women
1 eps
Crazy like a Fox
Hotel Clerk · 1 eps
Another Period
Thomas Edison · 1 eps
227
1 eps
The Really Loud House
Walter Phillipini · 2 eps
ThunderCats Roar
Driller (voice) · 1 eps
One Day at a Time
Dr. Berkowitz · 46 eps
No Activity
(voice) · 1 eps
True Jackson, VP
Lars Balthazar · 1 eps
Off Centre
1 eps
Any Day Now
1 eps
Suddenly Susan
Dr. Gerken · 1 eps
The Lone Gunmen
1 eps
The Defenders
Judge Gelineau · 1 eps
The Cool Kids
Leonard · 1 eps
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
1 eps
Schooled
Earl Ball · 4 eps
Complete Savages
Mr. Frehley · 1 eps
Oliver Beene
Ringmaster Bob · 1 eps
Bad Internet
James · 1 eps
Friends with Better Lives
Dr. Adleman · 1 eps
Do Over
1 eps
Night Stalker
Titus Berry · 1 eps
John from Cincinnati
Mark Lewinsky · 3 eps
Kingpin
1 eps
The Home Court
Jeffrey Solomon · 1 eps
Shannon's Deal
1 eps
Snoops
Michael Bench · 3 eps
Harts of the West
1 eps
Married to the Kellys
Henry Conway · 1 eps
Dicktown
John’s Dad · 2 eps
White Famous
Stu Beggs · 2 eps
Cafe Americain
Roger Livingston · 1 eps
Big Time in Hollywood, Fl
Alan Dolfe · 10 eps
Raines
1 eps
Big Day
5 eps
Mr. Rhodes
19 eps
Against the Grain
Niles Hardeman · 8 eps
The Hotwives of Orlando
Phil · 7 eps
Dweebs
Karl · 10 eps
Baby Talk
1 eps
Self / Appearances (10)
Tony Awards
Self - Nominee · 1 eps
Stars in the House
Self · 1 eps
Hollywood Signs
Self
Thelma & Louise: Born to Live
Self
Fantastic Mr. Murray
Self - Interviewee
Jimmie & Stevie Ray Vaughan: Brothers in Blues
Self
Thelma & Louise: The Last Journey
Self
Groundhog Day: The Weight of Time
Self
Stephen Tobolowsky's Birthday Party
Self
The Primary Instinct
Himself
