Photo of Stephen Tobolowsky
Acting

Stephen Tobolowsky

Profession
Acting
Born
May 30, 1951 · 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.

Known for

Memento poster
Memento
Film · 2000 · ★ 8.2
The Simpsons poster
The Simpsons
Series · 1989 · ★ 8.0
Groundhog Day poster
Groundhog Day
Film · 1993 · ★ 7.6
Robots poster
Robots
Film · 2005 · ★ 6.5
Malcolm in the Middle poster
Malcolm in the Middle
Series · 2000 · ★ 8.5
Basic Instinct poster
Basic Instinct
Film · 1992 · ★ 7.0
Freaky Friday poster
Freaky Friday
Film · 2003 · ★ 6.6
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit poster
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Series · 1999 · ★ 8.0
Garfield poster
Garfield
Film · 2004 · ★ 5.7
Thelma & Louise poster
Thelma & Louise
Film · 1991 · ★ 7.6
The Lorax poster
The Lorax
Film · 2012 · ★ 6.5
Spaceballs poster
Spaceballs
Film · 1987 · ★ 6.9

Filmography