Stephen Tobolowsky
{{short description|American actor (born 1951)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2018}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Stephen Tobolowsky
| image = Stephen tobolowsky 2012.jpg
| caption = Tobolowsky at the 2012 Texas Book Festival
| birth_name = Stephen Harold Tobolowsky
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1951|05|30}}
| birth_place = Dallas, Texas, U.S.
| years_active = 1975−present
| occupation = {{hlist|Actor|writer}}
| spouse = {{marriage|Ann Hearn|1988}}
| children = 2
| education = Southern Methodist University (BFA)
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (MFA)
| website = {{Official URL}}
}}
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{{cite web|url=http://www.slashfilm.com/2010/05/28/the-tobolowsky-files-ep-29-the-classic|title=The Tobolowsky Files Ep. 29 – The Classic|publisher=slashfilm.com|access-date=June 3, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100618021525/http://www.slashfilm.com/2010/05/28/the-tobolowsky-files-ep-29-the-classic/|archive-date=June 18, 2010|url-status=dead}} 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.{{cite web |url=https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-tobolowsky-files/id339001481|title=iTunes - Podcasts - The Tobolowsky Files by PRI|publisher=iTunes |access-date=April 24, 2013}} 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, Texas.{{cite web |title=Stephen Tobolowsky | website=Turner Classic Movies |url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/person/192444%7C175921/Stephen--Tobolowsky |access-date=July 26, 2023}} He 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.{{cite web|last=Currey|first=Mason|url=http://www.slate.com/articles/life/family/2012/10/stephen_tobolowsky_what_i_learned_in_the_seventh_grade_.single.html|title=Stephen Tobolowsky: What I learned in the seventh grade|date=October 3, 2012|publisher=Slate.com |access-date=April 24, 2013}} He received a master's degree from the University of Illinois in 1975.{{cite web|url=https://uofi150.news-gazette.com/people/stephen-tobolowsky|title=Stephen Tobolowsky|access-date=November 23, 2018}}
Tobolowsky is a cousin of former Dallas attorney Ira Tobolowsky,{{cite news|url=http://forward.com/news/national/340881/who-was-prominent-dallas-lawyer-ira-tobolowsky-and-did-jihad-man-want-him-d/|title=Who Was Prominent Dallas Lawyer Ira Tobolowsky – and Did 'Jihad' Man Want Him Dead?|last=Dolsten|first=Josefin|date=May 18, 2016|work=Forward|access-date=July 6, 2016}} who was murdered in his home in 2016 by a disgruntled former litigant.{{cite web |last1=Keomoungkhoun |first1=Nataly |title=What We Know About the 2016 Slaying of Dallas Lawyer Ira Tobolowsky |url=https://www.dallasnews.com/news/crime/2022/04/27/what-we-know-about-the-2016-slaying-of-dallas-lawyer-ira-tobolowsky/ |website=Dallas Morning News |access-date=22 February 2023 |language=en |date=27 April 2022}} George Tobolowsky, Ira's brother and Stephen's cousin, is a sculptor.{{cite web |last1=Thompson |first1=Jamie |title=A Place Where Something Evil Happened |url=https://www.dmagazine.com/publications/d-magazine/2017/may/ira-tobolowsky-lawyer-murder-something-evil-happened/ |website=D Magazine |date=May 2017 |access-date=22 February 2023}}
Stephen Tobolowsky also played in a band called A Cast of Thousands, which had two songs, "Red, White and Blue" and "I Heard a Voice Last Night", on a compilation of local Dallas bands called A New Hi. Both of these songs featured Steve Vaughan on guitar, who would be later known as Stevie Ray Vaughan.[https://www.discogs.com/Various-A-New-Hi-Dallas-1971-Part-1/release/5828010 A New Hi (Dallas 1971)]
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.{{cite news|last=Phipps |first=Keith|url=https://www.avclub.com/stephen-tobolowsky-1798226783|title=Random Roles Stephen Tobolowsky|work=The A.V. Club|date=August 2, 2011 |access-date=August 3, 2011}} 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).{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/17/opinion/17tobolowsky.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all|title=Op-Ed Contributor - They Had Great Character|first=Stephen|last=Tobolowsky|date=September 16, 2010|work=New York Times|access-date=February 8, 2011}}{{cite web|url=http://www.denofgeek.com/movies/440997/celebrating_stephen_tobolowsky.html|title=Celebrating Stephen Tobolowsky|work=Den of Geek|date=March 16, 2010|first=Glen|last=Chapman|access-date=February 8, 2011|archive-date=September 18, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110918110727/http://www.denofgeek.com/movies/440997/celebrating_stephen_tobolowsky.html|url-status=dead}} The show was picked up by Public Radio International in 2012.[http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/public-radio-international-signs-actor-writer-stephen-tobolowsky-to-create-new-storytelling-series-for-radio-168536246.html Public Radio International® signs actor, writer Stephen Tobolowsky to create new storytelling series for radio], prnewswire.com; accessed April 8, 2015.
Filmography
=Film=
=Television=
| class="wikitable sortable" | |||
| Year
! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Cocaine and Blue Eyes | TV Clerk | Television film |
| rowspan="5" |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?" | |
| 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" | |
| That's Life | Study Advisor Roger Robinson | Episode: "The Screw-Up" | |
| rowspan="7" |2001 | Roswell | Julius Walters | Episode: "Secrets and Lies" |
| Bull | Mr. Siegel | Episode: "Blood, Flopsweat and Tears" | |
| King of the Hill | Dr. Benson, Burt Halverstrom (voice) | Episode: "The Exterminator" | |
| Off Centre | Milt Flack | Episode: "Swing Time" | |
| The Day the World Ended | Principal Ed Turner | Television film | |
| The Lone Gunmen | Adam Burgess | Episode: "Madam, I'm Adam" | |
| Black River | Mayor Tom Thompson | Television film | |
| rowspan="3" |2002 | Malcolm in the Middle | Mr. Fisher | Episode: "Lois' Makeover" |
| Law & Order: Criminal Intent | Jim Halliwell | Episode: "Malignant" | |
| Do Over | Mr. Meyers | Episode: "The Block Party" | |
| rowspan="4" |2003 | Las Vegas | Donny Rollins | Episode: "Donny, We Hardly Knew Ye" |
| Kingpin | Dr. Klein's lawyer | Episode: "Black Magic Woman" | |
| Oliver Beene | Ringmaster Bob | Episode: "Divorce-o-Rama" | |
| The Dead Zone | Dr. Jim Pratt | Episode: "Plague" | |
| 2003–2005 | CSI: Miami | Assistant State Attorney Don Haffman | Recurring role |
| rowspan="6" |2004 | Will and Grace | Ned Weathers | Episode: "Company" |
| It's All Relative | Roy | Episode: "Philip in a China Shop" | |
| The West Wing | Dr. Max Milkman | Episode: "The Stormy Present" | |
| Complete Savages | Mr. Frehley | Episode: "Voodude" | |
| Married to the Kellys | Henry Conway | Episode: "Talk Radio" | |
| According to Jim | Dr. Ted | Episode: "The Marriage Bank" | |
| rowspan="5" |2005 | American Dragon: Jake Long | Stan Lipkowski (voice) | 2 episodes |
| McBride: The Doctor Is Out... Really Out | Harry Evers | Television film | |
| Curb Your Enthusiasm | Len Dunkel | Episode: "The Seder" | |
| The Closer | James Bloom | Episode: "The Butler Did It" | |
| Reba | Judge | Episode: "Grannies Gone Wild" | |
| 2005–2006 | Deadwood | Hugo Jarry | Recurring role |
| rowspan="3" |2006 | Ghost Whisperer | Dr. Edward | Episode: "Dead Man's Ridge" |
| Night Stalker | Titus Berry | Episode: "Timeless" | |
| Desperate Housewives | Bud Penrod | Episode: "No One Is Alone" | |
| 2006–2007 | Big Day | The Garf | Recurring role |
| rowspan="6" |2007 | John From Cincinnati | Mark Lewinsky | 3 episodes |
| Entourage | Mayor of Beverly Hills | Episode: "Sorry, Harvey" | |
| Boston Legal | Dr. Alvin Azinabinacroft | Episode: "The Good Lawyer" | |
| Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip | Joe | Episode: "The Friday Night Slaughter" | |
| The Valley of Light | Littlefield | Television film | |
| Raines | Wally Anderson | Episode: "Stone Dead" | |
| 2007–2008 | Heroes | Bob Bishop | Recurring role |
| rowspan="2" |2008 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Spencer Freiberg | Episode: "Two and a Half Deaths" |
| Rita Rocks | Bill Bowman | Episode: "Get Off Off of My Cloud" | |
| 2009 | The New Adventures of Old Christine | Principal James Merrow | 2 episodes |
| 2009–2011 | Glee | Sandy Ryerson | Recurring role |
| rowspan="3" |2010 | The Sarah Silverman Program | Bill Fantastimart | Episode: "A Fairly Attractive Mind" |
| True Jackson, VP | Lars Balthazar | Episode: "Saving Snackleberry" | |
| Law & Order: Special Victims Unit | Edwin Adelson | Episode: "Bullseye" | |
| rowspan="3" |2011 | Community | Professor Peter Sheffield | Episode: "Competitive Wine Tasting" |
| The Defenders | Judge Gelineau | Episode: "Nevada v. Wayne" | |
| Pound Puppies | Mr. Geekman (voice) | Episode: "Taboo" | |
| 2011–2014 | Californication | Stu Beggs | Main role |
| 2012 | Work It | Dr. David Deutsch | Episode: "Shake Your Moneymaker" |
| 2012–2013 | Justified | FBI Agent Jerry Barkley | 3 episodes |
| 2012–2016 | The Mindy Project | Marc Shulman | 4 episodes |
| 2013 | Toy Story of Terror! | Ron the Hotel Manager (voice) | Television film |
| 2014–2023 | The Goldbergs | Principal Earl Ball | Recurring role |
| rowspan="3" |2014 | Friends with Better Lives | Dr. Adleman | Episode: "Game Sext Match" |
| Hello Ladies: The Movie | Alan | Television film | |
| The Hotwives | Phil | Recurring role | |
| rowspan="3" |2015 | Big Time in Hollywood, FL | Alan Dolfe | Main role |
| Dr. Ken | Joe | Episode: "Pilot" | |
| Another Period | Thomas Edison | Episode: "Rejects Beach" | |
| rowspan="2" |2016 | Fuller House | Mr. Gerald | Episode: "The Not-So-Great Escape" |
| Blunt Talk | Daniel Rudolph | Episode: "Walter Has to Look After Walter" | |
| rowspan="2" |2016–2017 | Silicon Valley | Jack Barker | 13 episodes |
| Justice League Action | Martin Stein (voice) | Recurring role (10 episodes) | |
| rowspan="2" |2017–2020 | The Loud House | Principal Huggins (voice) | Recurring role |
| One Day at a Time | Dr. Berkowitz | Main role | |
| rowspan="2" |2017 | White Famous | Stu Beggs | 3 episodes |
| We Bare Bears | Stephen (voice) | Episode: "Tubin" | |
| rowspan="2" |2018 | DIY | Mister Wonderworm (voice) | Television film |
| Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
|Defense Attorney Kayman |Episode: "The Good Girl” | |||
| rowspan="5" |2019 | Schooled | Earl Ball | Recurring role |
| The Cool Kids | Leonard | Episode: "Margaret Ups Her Game” | |
| Live in Front of a Studio Audience | Harry Bentley | Episode: "Norman Lear's All in the Family and The Jeffersons" | |
| Green Eggs and Ham | Chad (voice) | Episode: "House" | |
| The Epic Tales of Captain Underpants
|Creepy Rattlechains (voice) |Episode: "The Spooky Tale of Captain Underpants Hack-a-Ween" | |||
| 2019–2022 | Puppy Dog Pals | Chip (voice) | 2 episodes |
| 2020 | ThunderCats Roar | Driller (voice) | Episode: "Driller" |
| 2020–2021 | Archer | Robert (voice) | 8 episodes |
| rowspan="2" |2022 | Grace and Frankie | Allen | Episode: "The Horrible Family" |
| Haul Out the Holly | Ned | Television film (Hallmark) | |
| rowspan="4"|2023 | Lopez vs Lopez | Sam Van Bryan | Recurring role |
| The Really Loud House | Walter Phillipini | 2 episodes | |
| Animaniacs | Local DJ (voice) | 2 episodes | |
| Haul Out the Holly: Lit Up | Ned | Television film (Hallmark) | |
| 2024
|Rabbi Cohen |Recurring role | |||
| 2024
| Sam Van Bryan | Episode: "Lopez vs In-Laws" | |||
| 2024
|Don Sloss Sr. | Episode: "Discord" | |||
| 2024
| | Episode: "Join the Club" |
= Video games =
| class="wikitable sortable" | ||
| Year
! Title ! Role ! class="unsortable" | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2013
| rowspan="2" |Ferris Boyle |Cold, Cold Heart DLC | ||
| 2024 | Batman: Arkham Shadow |
Discography
- Featured on two tracks of the 1971 compilation album A New Hi{{px2}}{{cite web |title=Various – A New Hi (Dallas 1971 - Part 1) |website=Discogs |url=https://www.discogs.com/release/5828010-Various-A-New-Hi-Dallas-1971-Part-1 |access-date=2023-10-13}}
- Featured on the track "Loser" (also released as a digital single) of the 2010 cast album Glee: The Music, Volume 3 Showstoppers{{px2}}{{cite web |title=Glee Cast – Glee: The Music, Volume 3 Showstoppers |website=Discogs |url=https://www.discogs.com/master/319543-Glee-Cast-Glee-The-Music-Volume-3-Showstoppers |access-date=2023-10-13}}
- 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{{px2}}{{cite web |title=Glee Cast – Glee: The Music, The Complete Season One |website=Discogs |url=https://www.discogs.com/release/14537971-Glee-Cast-Glee-The-MusicComplete-Season-One |access-date=2023-10-13}}
Stage appearances
Selected stage appearances
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 |
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{commonscat|Stephen Tobolowsky}}
{{Wikiquote|Stephen Tobolowsky}}
- {{Official website}}
- {{IMDb name}}
- {{IBDB name}}
- {{iobdb name}}
- {{Discogs artist}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tobolowsky, Stephen}}
Category:20th-century American dramatists and playwrights
Category:20th-century American Jews
Category:21st-century American Jews
Category:21st-century American dramatists and playwrights
Category:20th-century American male actors
Category:21st-century American male actors
Category:American male film actors
Category:American male stage actors
Category:American male television actors
Category:American male voice actors
Category:American people of Polish-Jewish descent
Category:American people of Russian-Jewish descent
Category:Jewish American male actors
Category:Justin F. Kimball High School alumni
Category:Male actors from Dallas