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.
Filmography (52)
Freakier Friday
Candy Cane Lane
Fractured
The Confirmation
Mr. Peabody & Sherman
The Lorax
You May Not Kiss the Bride
Buried
The Time Traveler's Wife
Wild Hogs
Failure to Launch
Blind Dating
Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous
Robots
Garfield
Little Black Book
Win a Date with Tad Hamilton!
Freaky Friday
Frankie and Johnny Are Married
View from the Top
National Security
The Country Bears
Freddy Got Fingered
Memento
The Insider
An Alan Smithee Film: Burn, Hollywood, Burn
Black Dog
Mr. Magoo
Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco
The Glimmer Man
Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde
Murder in the First
Radioland Murders
My Father the Hero
Groundhog Day
Basic Instinct
Single White Female
Memoirs of an Invisible Man
Sneakers
Hero
Where the Day Takes You
Thelma & Louise
Wedlock
The Grifters
Bird on a Wire
In Country
Great Balls of Fire!
Mississippi Burning
Two Idiots in Hollywood
Spaceballs
True Stories
