Stephen Tobolowsky Biography
Summary
"Stephen Harold Tobolowsky" (born May 30, 1951) is a Tony Award-nominated American character actor perhaps best known for playing amiable, brainy, and/or clueless characters, in television, stage, and film.
Personal life
Tobolowsky was born in Dallas, Texas, where he grew up in a middle-class neighborhood. Known for his acting and debating skills, he was voted Most Likely to Succeed upon graduation from Justin F. Kimball High School in 1969. While there, he was also lead singer and lead guitarist in the first band formed by musician Stevie Ray Vaughan and his brother Jimmie Vaughan.
He graduated from Southern Methodist University, majoring in theater along with his friend and fellow Dallasite Patricia Richardson. He was once briefly held hostage at gunpoint in a supermarket across the street from the SMU campus.
Career
He started his acting career in 1987 and has appeared in over 200 films and at least as many television projects with mostly minor roles. Throughout his career he has maintained a connection to the theater by directing and acting in plays in New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles. He directed one movie, "Two Idiots in Hollywood", which was based on his play of the same name. He also co-wrote the film "True Stories" with David Byrne. In 2005 he released a documentary film, "Stephen Tobolowsky's Birthday Party", featuring a performance in which he tells stories from his life to a group of friends.
Perhaps through sheer force of repetition, he is best known from his role in 1993's "Groundhog Day", in which he played Bill Murray's annoying high school classmate and insurance salesman, Ned Ryerson, who Murray's character continuously runs into when he repeats February 2. He would later reunite with Murray 11 years later and appeared in the movie version of the comic strip "Garfield" where he played the sinister dog trainer Happy Chapman (Murray himself provided the voice of the orange feline).
He then appears as a gentle sound man with a dark secret in the 1994 film "Radioland Murders". He also has a memorable guest spot on "Seinfeld" as Tor Ackman, Kramer's holistic healer, in the second season episode, 'The Heart Attack'. He is also known for playing Sammy Jankis in 2001's "Memento" starring Guy Pearce. He was nominated for a Tony Award as Best Featured Actor in a Play for the 2002 revival of "Morning's at Seven". He is a member of the cast of NBC's television series "Heroes" for its second season, portraying Bob, the new boss of the Company.
Filmography
Films
"Howl" (2008) as Christopher Cox
"Loveless in Los Angeles" (2007) as Jon Gillece
"Wild Hogs" (2007) as Charley
"National Lampoon's Totally Baked: A Potumentary" (2006) as Jesco Rollins
"Blind Dating" (2006) as Dr. Perkins
"Robots" (2006) Voice
"Pope Dreams" (2006) as Carl
"Stephen Tobolowsky's Birthday Party" (2005) featuring a performance in which he tells stories from his life to a group of friends.
"Garfield" (2004) as Happy Chapman
"Freaky Friday" (2003) as Mr. Bates
"Country Bears" (2002) as Beary's Father
"Freddy Got Fingered" (2001) as Uncle Neil
"Memento" (2000) as Sammy Jankis
"Bossa Nova" (1999) as Trevor
"The Insider" (1999) as Eric Kluster, a network executive on the receiving end of an enraged Mike Wallace (Christopher Plummer)
"Black Dog" (1998) as ATF Agent McClaren
"Mr. Magoo" (1997) as FBI Agent Chuck Stupak
"Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde" (1995) as Oliver Mintz
"Radioland Murders" (1994) as Max Applewhite, the disgruntled studio sound engineer
"Groundhog Day" (1993) as Ned Ryerson, Bill Murray's annoying high school classmate and insurance salesman
"Sneakers" (1992) as hubristic engineer Werner Brandes, duped by the protagonists to gain access to his place of employment
"Single White Female" (1992) as Mitch Myerson
"Thelma and Louise" (1991) as Max
"Great Balls of Fire!" (1989) as Jud Phillips
"Mississippi Burning" (1988) as Clayton Townley
"Spaceballs" (1987) as Captain of the Guards
Television
"Heroes" as Bob
"Entourage" as the Mayor of Beverly Hills
"John From Cincinnati" as Mark Lewinsky, Mercy Hospital's liability attorney
"Big Day" as the Garf, eccentric father of the groom
"Deadwood" as Commissioner Hugo Jarry
"Complete Savages" as Mr. Frehley
"The Drew Carey Show" as Judge
"Seinfeld" as Tor Eckman (the new age healer)
"Will and Grace" as Ned (annoying new neighbor)
The unaired pilot episode of "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" as Principal Flutie
External links
(Interview) - "Now Playing magazine"
Credit
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article about Stephen Tobolowsky.
