Stephen Harold Tobolowsky (born May 30, 1951) is an American character actor and writer. 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 has a monthly audio podcast, The Tobolowsky Files, of autobiographical stories of his acting and personal life. He has also authored three books: The Dangerous Animals Club, Cautionary Tales, and My Adventures with God.
Early life and education
Tobolowsky was born on May 30, 1951, in Dallas. He and his family are of Russian descent. Tobolowsky grew up creating imaginative games with his brother, and his story The Dangerous Animals Club paints a picture of how unsupervised children in the 20th century could amuse themselves. He showed talent at baseball, but a serious childhood illness ended his career as an athlete before it began. He graduated from Justin F. Kimball High School and Southern Methodist University. He received a master's degree from the University of Illinois in 1975.
Tobolowsky is a cousin of Dallas attorney Ira Tobolowsky, who was murdered in his home in 2016 by a disgruntled former litigant. George Tobolowsky, Ira's brother and Stephen's cousin, is a sculptor.
Career
Tobolowsky has appeared in over 200 films, plus many television projects. He has also worked in the theater, directing and acting in plays in New York City, San Francisco and Los Angeles. He directed one film, Two Idiots in Hollywood, based on his play of the same name. He also co-wrote the film True Stories with David Byrne and Beth Henley. While writing True Stories, he told Byrne about his supposed psychic abilities, which inspired Byrne to write the song "Radio Head" for the film. Tobolowsky was nominated for a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play for the 2002 revival of Morning's at Seven.
On October 29, 2009, Tobolowsky started a new podcast on /Film called The Tobolowsky Files, where he tells stories, in a similar fashion to Stephen Tobolowsky's Birthday Party (2005). The show was picked up by Public Radio International in 2012.
Filmography
Film
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
|1977 || Keep My Grave Open || Robert ||
|-
| rowspan="2" |1984 || The Philadelphia Experiment || Barney ||
|-
| Swing Shift || French deMille, Documentary Narrator ||
|-
|1986 || Nobody's Fool || Kirk ||
|-
|1987 || Spaceballs || Captain of the Guard ||
|-
| rowspan="2" |1988 || Mississippi Burning || Clayton Townley ||
|-
| Two Idiots in Hollywood || Prosecuting Attorney || Also writer and director
|-
| rowspan="4" |1989 || Checking Out || Pharmacist ||
|-
| Breaking In || District Attorney ||
|-
| Great Balls of Fire! || Jud Phillips ||
|-
| In Country || Pete ||
|-
| rowspan="5" |1990 || Bird on a Wire || Joe Weyburn ||
|-
| Funny About Love || Hugo ||
|-
| Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael || Mayor Bill Klepler || Credited as Stephen Tobolowski
|-
| The Grifters || Jeweler ||
|-
| Mirror, Mirror || Mr. Anderson ||
|-
| 1991 || Thelma & Louise|| Max ||
|-
| rowspan="8" |1992 || Wedlock || Warden Holliday ||
|-
|Basic Instinct || Dr. Lamott ||
|-
| Where the Day Takes You || Charles ||
|-
| Hero || Wallace ||
|-
| Memoirs of an Invisible Man || Warren Singleton ||
|-
| Single White Female || Mitchell Myerson ||
|-
| Roadside Prophets || Ranger Bob ||
|-
| Sneakers || Dr. Werner Brandes ||
|-
| rowspan="4" |1993 || Josh and S.A.M. || Thom Whitney ||
|-
| Calendar Girl || Antonio Gallo ||
|-
| The Pickle || Mike Krakower ||
|-
| Groundhog Day || Ned Ryerson ||
|-
| rowspan="3" |1994 || Trevor || Father Jon ||
|-
| My Father the Hero || Mike ||
|-
| Radioland Murders || Max Applewhite ||
|-
| rowspan="2" |1995 || Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde || Oliver Mintz ||
|-
| Murder in the First || Mr. Henkin ||
|-
| rowspan="3" |1996 || The Glimmer Man || Christopher Maynard ||
|-
| Power 98 || Rick Harris ||
|-
| Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco || Bando (voice) ||
|-
| rowspan="3" |1997 || Boys Life 2 || Father John ||
|-
| The Curse of Inferno || Lonnie Martin ||
|-
| Mr. Magoo || Agent Chuck Stupak ||
|-
| rowspan="5" |1998 || An Alan Smithee Film: Burn Hollywood Burn || Bill Bardo ||
|-
| Black Dog || McClaren ||
|-
| The Jungle Book: Mowgli's Story || Tabaqui (voice) ||
|-
| Monsters At Large || Mr. Phillips ||
|-
|2019|| Fractured || Dr. Berthram ||
|-
| rowspan="2" |2023|| Candy Cane Lane || Mr. Benedetto ||
|-
| Poolman || Stephen Toronkowski/Blanche ||
|-
| rowspan="2" |2025 || Freakier Friday || Mr. Elton Bates ||
|-
| Mimics || ||
|}
Television
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Role
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
|1983 || Cocaine and Blue Eyes || TV Clerk || Television film
|-
| rowspan="6" |1985 || Alice || Caveman Carl || Episode: "Vera, the Nightbird"
|-
| Knots Landing || Steve Comiskey || Episode: "A Man of Good Will"
|-
| Falcon Crest || Doctor || Episode: "The Phoenix"
|-
| Cagney & Lacey || Russell Phelps || Episode: "Ordinary Hero"
|-
| Stir Crazy || Salesman || Episode: "Where's Mary?"
|-
| Crazy Like a Fox || Hotel Clerk || Episode: "Sunday in the Park with Harry"
|-
| rowspan="2" |1986 || Designing Women || Boyd || Episode: "Design House"
|-
| 227 || Professor || Episode: "We the People"
|-
|1987 || The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd || Alex || Episode: "Here's Why You Should Never Wear High Heels to the Bank"
|-
| rowspan="3" |1989 || Roe vs. Wade || Darryl Horwath || Television film
|-
| L.A. Law || Dr. Michael Segal || Episode: "Lie Down and Deliver"
|-
| Lifestories || Josh Gant || Episode: "Art Conforti"
|-
|1990 || Last Flight Out || Doctor Timothy Brandon || Television film
|-
| rowspan="7" |1991 || Seinfeld || Tor || Episode: "The Heart Attack"
|-
| Tagget || Al Hentz || Television film
|-
| Down Home || Honis || Episode: "Mail Order Tran"
|-
| Baby Talk || Dr. Ezra Farr || Episode: "The Whiz Kid"
|-
| The Marla Hanson Story || Defense Attorney || Television film
|-
| Deadly Medicine || Ron Sutton || Television film
|-
| Perry Mason: The Case of the Maligned Mobster || Sergeant Phil Baranski || Television film
|-
| rowspan="5" |1993 || Picket Fences || Ben Sasha || Episode: "Be My Valentine"
|-
| Civil Wars || Eugene Paxton || Episode: "A Liver Runs Through It"
|-
| When Love Kills: The Seduction of John Hearn || Detective Keefe || Television film
|-
| Café Americain || Roger || Episode: "Toast of the Town"
|-
| Against the Grain || Niles Hardeman || Recurring role
|-
| rowspan="2" |1994 || Harts of the West || Dave's former boss || Episode: "Back in the Panties Again"
|-
| Blue Skies || Oak || Main role
|-
| rowspan="3" |1995 || Dweebs || Karl || Main role
|-
| A Whole New Ballgame || Dr. Warner Brakefield || 2 episodes
|-
| Chicago Hope || Dr. Ted Joseph || 2 episodes
|-
| rowspan="4" |1996 || The Home Court || Jeffrey Solomon || Episode: "Touched by an Anger"
|-
| The Pretender || Dr. Alan Trader || Episode: "Pilot"
|-
| Night Visitors || Taylor || Television film
|-
| Buffy the Vampire Slayer || Principal Flutie || Unaired pilot
|-
|1996–1997 || Mr. Rhodes || Ray Heary || Main role
|-
| rowspan="4" |1997 || The Drew Carey Show || The Councilman || Episode: "The Dog and Pony Show"
|-
| The Naked Truth || Vincent Hartford || Episode: "The Birds"
|-
| Murder One || Dr. Andross || 3 episodes
|-
| Promised Land || Fred Argyle || Episode: "Par for the Course"
|-
| rowspan="4" |1998 || The Closer || Phil || Episode: "Morality Bites"
|-
| Hercules || Numericles (voice) || Episode: "Hercules and the Techno Greeks"
|-
| Suddenly Susan || Dr. Gerken || Episode: "Don't Tell"
|-
| Vengeance Unlimited || Mayor Bob Laird || Episode: "Eden"
|-
|1998–2000 || Any Day Now || Mr. Brinkman || 2 episodes
|-
| rowspan="7" |1999 || Mad About You || Principal Hocksacker || Episode: "Uncle Phil Goes Back to High School"
|-
| The Practice || Clyde Burrows || Episode: "Closet Justice"
|-
| Don't Look Under the Bed || Michael McCausland || Television film
|-
| That '70s Show || The Professor || Episode: "Laurie and the Professor"
|-
| Two Guys and a Girl || Father Viteri || Episode: "Berg's New Roommate"
|-
| Odd Man Out || Alan Carlson || Episode: "In the Name of the Father"
|-
| Snoops || Michael Bench || 3 episodes
|-
| rowspan="4" |2000 || Manhattan, AZ || Dr. Bob || Recurring role
|-
| Alien Fury: Countdown to Invasion || B.J. McQueen || Television film
|-
| Buzz Lightyear of Star Command || Gil (voice) || Episode: "Mindwarp"
- Featured on the track "Loser" (also released as a digital single) of the 2010 cast album Glee: The Music, Volume 3 Showstoppers
- Featured on the tracks "Loser" and "I Wanna Sex You Up" of the 2010 compilation downloadable cast album Glee: The Music, The Complete Season One
Stage appearances
Selected stage appearances
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! Venue
! Role
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
|1976 || Meredith Monk Dance Company's Paris || Royce Hall || Man with a clipboard ||
|-
|1982 || Beth Henley's The Wake of Jamie Foster || Eugene O'Neill Theatre || Leon ||
|-
|1985 || Chekhov's The Three Sisters || Los Angeles Theatre Center || Baron Tuzenbach ||
|-
|1986 || Michel de Ghelderode's Barabbus || Los Angeles Theatre Center || Pontius Pilate and The Watcher ||
|-
|1987 || Tennessee Williams' The Glass Menagerie || Los Angeles Theatre Center || Gentleman caller ||
|-
|1989 || Christopher Durang's The Marriage of Bette and Boo || Los Angeles Theatre Center || Father Donnally and The Doctor ||
|-
|2002 || Paul Osborn's Mornings at Seven || Lyceum Theater and Ahmanson Theatre || Homer ||
|-
|2002 || Shaw's Heartbreak House || Theater 40 || Capt. Shotover ||
|-
|2003 || Sally Nemeth's Holy Days || Theater 40 || Gant ||
|-
|2019 || Angela J. Davis' The Spanish Prayer Book || Road Theater Los Angeles || Alexander ||
|}
Writing credits
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
|1984 || Two Idiots in Hollywood || Stage play and film
|-
|1986 || True Stories || Film
|}
Directing credits
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year
! Title
! class="unsortable" | Notes
|-
|1984 || Two Idiots in Hollywood || Stage play at Theatre Los Angeles
|-
|1984 || Beth Henley's The Miss Firecracker Contest || Stage play at Manhattan Theatre Club
|-
|1987 || Beth Henley's The Lucky Spot || Film
|-
|1988 || Two Idiots in Hollywood || Film
|-
|2003 || Jim McLure's Blue Silence || Stage play at Theater 40
|}