Stephen 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). 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.
Movies (143)
Mary the Widow
2026
Woodstockers
2026
Mimics
2026
Haul Out the Halloween
2025
Freakier Friday
2025
The Cowboy Killer
2025
Thelma & Louise: Born to Live
2025
Poolman
2024
Candy Cane Lane
2023
Haul Out the Holly: Lit Up
2023
Love Virtually
2023
Jimmie & Stevie Ray Vaughan: Brothers in Blues
2023
Haul Out the Holly
2022
Hollywood Signs
2022
Fantastic Mr. Murray
2019
The Spooky Tale of Captain Underpants Hack-a-ween
2019
Fractured
2019
Loners
2019
Live in Front of a Studio Audience: Norman Lear's "All in the Family" and "The Jeffersons"
2019
Strange Nature
2018
Monsters at Large
2018
Scooby-Doo! Shaggy's Showdown
2017
Mamaboy
2016
Six L.A. Love Stories
2016
Welcome to the Men's Group
2016
Where is Rocky II?
2016
The Confirmation
2016
The Primary Instinct
2015
The Barber
2015
Hello Ladies: The Movie
2014
Christian Mingle
2014
Atlas Shrugged: Part III
2014
Mr. Peabody & Sherman
2014
Guys and Girls Can't Be Friends
2014
Toy Story of Terror!
2013
Pearblossom Hwy
2012
The Last Ride
2012
The Lorax
2012
Magnificat
2011
Hail Mary
2011
Hard Breakers
2011
You May Not Kiss the Bride
2011
Buried
2010
Peep World
2010
Boys On Film 4: Protect Me From What I Want
2010
The Time Traveler's Wife
2009
The Face is Familiar
2009
Beethoven's Big Break
2008
The Rainbow Tribe
2008
Waiting for Yvette
2008
Boxboarders!
2007
Wild Hogs
2007
The Valley of Light
2007
Loveless in Los Angeles
2007
Blind Dating
2006
Stephen Tobolowsky's Birthday Party
2006
Failure to Launch
2006
The Sasquatch Gang
2006
Promise Me Tomorrow
2006
Living 'til the End
2005
McBride: The Doctor is Out...Really Out
2005
Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous
2005
Robots
2005
Debating Robert Lee
2004
Little Black Book
2004
Garfield
2004
Win a Date with Tad Hamilton!
2004
Frankie and Johnny Are Married
2003
Freaky Friday
2003
View from the Top
2003
Thelma & Louise: The Last Journey
2003
National Security
2003
Love Liza
2002
Ritual
2002
The Country Bears
2002
Par 6
2002
Groundhog Day: The Weight of Time
2002
The Day the World Ended
2001
Black River
2001
On the Edge
2001
The Prime Gig
2001
Freddy Got Fingered
2001
Sleep Easy, Hutch Rimes
2000
Memento
2000
Stanley's Gig
2000
Alien Fury: Countdown to Invasion
2000
The Operator
2000
Bossa Nova
2000
The Insider
1999
Don't Look Under the Bed
1999
One Man's Hero
1999
The Jungle Book: Mowgli's Story
1998
Around the Fire
1998
The Brave Little Toaster Goes to Mars
1998
Black Dog
1998
An Alan Smithee Film: Burn, Hollywood, Burn
1998
Mr. Magoo
1997
The Curse of Inferno
1996
Night Visitors
1996
The Glimmer Man
1996
Power 98
1996
Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco
1996
Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde
1995
Murder in the First
1995
Radioland Murders
1994
My Father the Hero
1994
Trevor
1994
Josh & S.A.M.
1993
Calendar Girl
1993
The Pickle
1993
Groundhog Day
1993
Hero
1992
Where the Day Takes You
1992
Sneakers
1992
Single White Female
1992
Roadside Prophets
1992
Basic Instinct
1992
Memoirs of an Invisible Man
1992
Deadly Medicine
1991
Thelma & Louise
1991
Wedlock
1991
Tagget
1991
Perry Mason: The Case of the Maligned Mobster
1991
The Marla Hanson Story
1991
Mirror Mirror
1990
Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael
1990
Funny About Love
1990
The Grifters
1990
Bird on a Wire
1990
Breaking In
1989
In Country
1989
Great Balls of Fire!
1989
Roe vs. Wade
1989
Mississippi Burning
1988
Checking Out
1988
Two Idiots in Hollywood
1988
Spaceballs
1987
Nobody's Fool
1986
The Philadelphia Experiment
1984
Swing Shift
1984
Cocaine and Blue Eyes
1983
Keep My Grave Open
1977
Butterfly in the Typewriter
TV Shows (107)
Nobody Wants This
2024
Frog and Toad
2023
The Really Loud House
2022
Minx
2022
Hacks
2021
Dicktown
2020
Stars in the House
2020
ThunderCats Roar
2020
Green Eggs and Ham
2019
Schooled
2019
The Cool Kids
2018
No Activity
2017
White Famous
2017
One Day at a Time
2017
Justice League Action
2016
Bad Internet
2016
Fuller House
2016
Dr. Ken
2015
We Bare Bears
2015
Another Period
2015
Big Time in Hollywood, Fl
2015
The Hotwives of Orlando
2014
Silicon Valley
2014
Friends with Better Lives
2014
The Goldbergs
2013
The Mindy Project
2012
Pound Puppies
2010
The Defenders
2010
Justified
2010
Community
2009
Archer
2009
Glee
2009
True Jackson, VP
2008
Californication
2007
John from Cincinnati
2007
Raines
2007
The Sarah Silverman Program.
2007
Big Day
2006
Heroes
2006
Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip
2006
The New Adventures of Old Christine
2006
Night Stalker
2005
Ghost Whisperer
2005
The Closer
2005
Desperate Housewives
2004
Boston Legal
2004
Complete Savages
2004
Entourage
2004
Deadwood
2004
Married to the Kellys
2003
Las Vegas
2003
Oliver Beene
2003
Kingpin
2003
CSI: Miami
2002
Do Over
2002
The Dead Zone
2002
Off Centre
2001
Reba
2001
According to Jim
2001
Law & Order: Criminal Intent
2001
The Lone Gunmen
2001
Curb Your Enthusiasm
2000
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
2000
Buzz Lightyear of Star Command
2000
Malcolm in the Middle
2000
Roswell
1999
Snoops
1999
The West Wing
1999
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
1999
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
1999
Will & Grace
1998
Hercules
1998
That '70s Show
1998
Any Day Now
1998
Two Guys and a Girl
1998
The Practice
1997
King of the Hill
1997
Mr. Rhodes
1996
The Pretender
1996
Suddenly Susan
1996
Arli$$
1996
The Home Court
1995
Dweebs
1995
Murder One
1995
Murder One
1995
The Drew Carey Show
1995
The Naked Truth
1995
Chicago Hope
1994
Chicago Hope
1994
Against the Grain
1993
Harts of the West
1993
Cafe Americain
1993
Mad About You
1992
Baby Talk
1991
Shannon's Deal
1990
The Simpsons
1989
Seinfeld
1989
The Days and Nights of Molly Dodd
1987
Designing Women
1986
L.A. Law
1986
227
1985
Crazy like a Fox
1984
Cagney & Lacey
1982
Falcon Crest
1981
Knots Landing
1979
Alice
1976
Tony Awards
1956