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