Stephen Tobolowsky
Known for Acting · 256 credits
- Born
- 1951-05-30 (age 75)
- Place of birth
- Dallas, Texas, USA
- Also known as
- Stephen Tobolowski · Steven Tobolowsky · Стивен Тоболовски · Στίβεν Τομπολόβσκι · استیون توبولوسکی · Stephen Harold Tobolowsky
Biography
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).
Known For
TV Shows (107)
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
1999
as Edwin Adelson / Mr. Kayman
The Simpsons
1989
as Merle (voice)
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
2000
as Spencer Freiberg
Law & Order: Criminal Intent
2001
as Jim Halliwell
CSI: Miami
2002
as Don Haffman
Desperate Housewives
2004
as Bud Penrod
King of the Hill
1997
as Dr. Benson / Burt Halverstrom (voice)
Seinfeld
1989
as Tor Eckman
Silicon Valley
2014
as Jack Barker
The West Wing
1999
as Dr. Max Milkman
The Closer
2005
as James Bloom
The Goldbergs
2013
as Principal Ball
Curb Your Enthusiasm
2000
as Len Dunkel
Community
2009
as Professor Peter Sheffield
Ghost Whisperer
2005
as Dr. Peltier
Heroes
2006
as Bob Bishop
Glee
2009
as Sandy Ryerson
Knots Landing
1979
as Steve Comiskey
Malcolm in the Middle
2000
as Mr. Fisher
Chicago Hope
1994
as Dr. Ted Joseph
Boston Legal
2004
as Dr. Alvin Azinabinacroft
The Drew Carey Show
1995
as Councilman
Tony Awards
1956
as Self - Nominee
We Bare Bears
2015
as Stephen ( voice)
Hacks
2021
as Henry Weeks
Entourage
2004
as Mayor of Beverly Hills
That '70s Show
1998
as Professor
Californication
2007
as Stu Beggs
The Practice
1997
as Clyde Burrows
Falcon Crest
1981
as Doctor
Will & Grace
1998
as Ned Weathers
Las Vegas
2003
as Donny Rollins
Justified
2010
as Jerry Barkley
L.A. Law
1986
as Michael Segal
Archer
2009
as Robert (voice)
Alice
1976
According to Jim
2001
as Dr. Ted
The Mindy Project
2012
as Marc Shulman
Deadwood
2004
as Hugo Jarry
Mad About You
1992
as Principal Hocksacker
Arli$$
1996
as Craig Levitz
The Pretender
1996
as Dr. Alan Trader
Cagney & Lacey
1982
The Dead Zone
2002
as Jim Pratt
Fuller House
2016
as Mr. Gerald
Buzz Lightyear of Star Command
2000
as Gil (voice)
Roswell
1999
as Julius Walters
Reba
2001
as Judge
Pound Puppies
2010
as Mr. Geekman (voice)
One Day at a Time
2017
as Dr. Berkowitz
The New Adventures of Old Christine
2006
as Principal James Merrow
Designing Women
1986
Stars in the House
2020
as Self
Justice League Action
2016
as Professor Stein (voice)
Hercules
1998
as Numericles (voice)
Nobody Wants This
2024
as Rabbi Cohen
Murder One
1995
as Dr. Andross
Minx
2022
as Conrad Ross
The Sarah Silverman Program.
2007
as Bill Fantastimart
227
1985
Movies (149)
Memento
2000
as Sammy
Freakier Friday
2025
as Mr. Elton Bates
Basic Instinct
1992
as Dr. Lamott
The Lorax
2012
as Uncle Ubb (voice)
Spaceballs
1987
as Captain of the Guard
Groundhog Day
1993
as Ned Ryerson
Robots
2005
as Bigmouth Executive / Forge (voice)
Thelma & Louise
1991
as Max
Garfield
2004
as Happy Chapman
Sneakers
1992
as Dr. Werner Brandes
Mr. Peabody & Sherman
2014
as Principal Purdy (voice)
Freaky Friday
2003
as Mr. Bates
Failure to Launch
2006
as Bud
Fractured
2019
as Dr. Berthram
Wild Hogs
2007
as Charley
Candy Cane Lane
2023
as Mr. Benedetto (uncredited)
The Time Traveler's Wife
2009
as Dr. Kendrick
Buried
2010
as Alan Davenport (voice)
National Security
2003
as Billy Narthax
Mississippi Burning
1988
as Townley
The Insider
1999
as Eric Kluster
Bird on a Wire
1990
as Joe Weyburn
Scooby-Doo! Shaggy's Showdown
2017
as Andy Gunderson (voice)
Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous
2005
as Tom Abernathy
View from the Top
2003
as Frank Thomas (uncredited)
The Grifters
1990
as Jeweler
The Philadelphia Experiment
1984
as Barney
Single White Female
1992
as Mitch Myerson
Memoirs of an Invisible Man
1992
as Warren Singleton
Hero
1992
as Wallace
Freddy Got Fingered
2001
as Uncle Neil
Mimics
2026
as Melvin Reinhold
The Country Bears
2002
as Norbert Barrington
The Valley of Light
2007
as Littlefield
You May Not Kiss the Bride
2011
as Plumber
Hello Ladies: The Movie
2014
as Alan
The Glimmer Man
1996
as Christopher Maynard
Murder in the First
1995
as Mr. Henkin
Atlas Shrugged: Part III
2014
as Dr. Hugh Akston
Mary the Widow
2026
as Ed
Little Black Book
2004
as Carl
Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco
1996
as Bando (voice)
Win a Date with Tad Hamilton!
2004
as George Ruddy
Where the Day Takes You
1992
as Charles
My Father the Hero
1994
as Mike
Mr. Magoo
1997
as Agent FBI Chuck Stupak
Blind Dating
2006
as Dr. Perkins
An Alan Smithee Film: Burn, Hollywood, Burn
1998
as Bill Bardo
Great Balls of Fire!
1989
as Jud Phillips
The Jungle Book: Mowgli's Story
1998
as Tabaqui (voice)
Don't Look Under the Bed
1999
as Michael McCausland
Black Dog
1998
as McClaren
Woodstockers
2026
as Calvin
Hollywood Signs
2022
as Self
Haul Out the Holly
2022
as Ned
Funny About Love
1990
as Hugo
Swing Shift
1984
as French deMille / Documentary Narrator
The Confirmation
2016
as Father Lyons
Poolman
2024
as Stephen Toronkowski / Blanche
Butterfly in the Typewriter
as The Abbot
Freaks Part II
2026
Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde
1995
as Oliver Mintz
Roe vs. Wade
1989
as Darryl Horwath
The Face is Familiar
2009
Hard Breakers
2011
as Max
Mirror Mirror
1990
as Mr. Anderson
Sleep Easy, Hutch Rimes
2000
as Dewey Wise
Radioland Murders
1994
as Max Applewhite
The Barber
2015
as Chief Hardaway
Wedlock
1991
as Warden Holliday
The Day the World Ended
2001
as Ed Turner
The Sasquatch Gang
2006
as Dalrymple
Calendar Girl
1993
as Antonio
The Marla Hanson Story
1991
as Defense Attorney
To the Moon, Alice
1991
as Sitcom Producer
Beethoven's Big Break
2008
as Sal
Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael
1990
as Mayor Bill Klepler
Christian Mingle
2014
as Douglas McCarver
Debating Robert Lee
2004
as Debate Judge
The Brave Little Toaster Goes to Mars
1998
as Calculator (voice)
Perry Mason: The Case of the Maligned Mobster
1991
as Sergeant Phil Baranski
Around the Fire
1998
as Doc
Ritual
2002
as Dr. Javitz (uncredited)
Cocaine and Blue Eyes
1983
as TV Clerk
The Spooky Tale of Captain Underpants Hack-a-ween
2019
as Creepy Rattlechains (voice)
Six L.A. Love Stories
2016
as Professor John Dobler
Fantastic Mr. Murray
2019
as Self - Interviewee
The Rainbow Tribe
2008
as Principal Sands
Peep World
2010
as Ephraim
One Man's Hero
1999
as Captain Gaine
Where is Rocky II?
2016
as Byron (segment: "Monument One")
Hail Mary
2011
Promise Me Tomorrow
2006
as Carl Venable
Thelma & Louise: Born to Live
2025
as Self
Love Liza
2002
as Tom Bailey
Breaking In
1989
as District Attorney
Checking Out
1988
as Pharmacist
Josh & S.A.M.
1993
as Thomas 'Thom' Whitney
In Country
1989
as Pete
On the Edge
2001
as Tom (wraparound segments)
Bossa Nova
2000
as Trevor
Loveless in Los Angeles
2007
as Jon
Haul Out the Holly: Lit Up
2023
as Ned
Mamaboy
2016
as Reverend Weld
Nobody's Fool
1986
as Kirk
Monsters at Large
2018
as Mr. Phillips
The Cowboy Killer
2025
as God
Roadside Prophets
1992
as Ranger Bob
Two Idiots in Hollywood
1988
as Prosecuting Attorney
The Curse of Inferno
1996
as Lonnie Martin
Haul Out the Halloween
2025
as Ned Broadhead
The Prime Gig
2001
as Mick
Strange Nature
2018
as Mayor Paulson
The Operator
2000
as Doc
The Primary Instinct
2015
as Himself
Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear's "All in the Family" and "The Jeffersons"
2019
as Mr. Bentley
The Last Ride
2012
as Ray
Last Flight Out
1990
as Doctor Timothy Brandon
Say It Ain't Solo
2012
as Self
Thelma & Louise: The Last Journey
2003
as Self
About 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 Dal… With 256 credits spanning from 1956 to 2026, Stephen Tobolowsky has appeared in 149 films and 107 TV shows.
Fans searching for Stephen Tobolowsky movies, Stephen Tobolowsky filmography, or the latest projects starring Stephen Tobolowsky can stream many of these titles on Bowood.TV, free and in HD, with no subscription required.
Most Popular Stephen Tobolowsky Movies
- Memento (2000) — as Sammy
- Freakier Friday (2025) — as Mr. Elton Bates
- Basic Instinct (1992) — as Dr. Lamott
- The Lorax (2012) — as Uncle Ubb (voice)
- Spaceballs (1987) — as Captain of the Guard
Where to Watch Stephen Tobolowsky Films
Most Stephen Tobolowsky movies and series are available to stream on Bowood.TV in full HD, completely free and without signup. Browse the complete filmography above to jump directly to any title. For more films and the latest web series featuring Stephen Tobolowsky, check our movies catalogue and browse page.