Stephen Tobolowsky
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.
Acting
Movie
Memento
as Sammy
2000
TV
The Simpsons
as Merle (voice)
1989
Movie
Groundhog Day
as Ned Ryerson
1993
Movie
Robots
as Bigmouth Executive / Forge (voice)
2005
TV
Malcolm in the Middle
as Mr. Fisher
2000
Movie
Basic Instinct
as Dr. Lamott
1992
Movie
Freaky Friday
as Mr. Bates
2003
Movie
Garfield
as Happy Chapman
2004
TV
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
as Edwin Adelson
1999
TV
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
as Mr. Kayman
1999
Movie
The Lorax
as Uncle Ubb (voice)
2012
Movie
Thelma & Louise
as Max
1991
Movie
Spaceballs
as Captain of the Guard
1987
Movie
Buried
as Alan Davenport (voice)
2010
Movie
Fractured
as Dr. Berthram
2019
Movie
The Time Traveler's Wife
as Dr. Kendrick
2009
TV
Heroes
as Bob Bishop
2006
Movie
Mr. Peabody & Sherman
as Principal Purdy (voice)
2014
Movie
Wild Hogs
as Charley
2007
TV
Seinfeld
as Tor Eckman
1989
Movie
The Insider
as Eric Kluster
1999
TV
Desperate Housewives
as Bud Penrod
2004
TV
Community
as Professor Peter Sheffield
2009
Movie
Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous
as Tom Abernathy
2005