Stephen Tobolowsky profile
Actor profile

Stephen Tobolowsky

30th May 1951 Dallas, Texas, USA Acting

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.

147 Movies 107 TV Shows 254 Credits
Filmography

Movies & TV Shows

Mimics poster
Mimics 6th February 2026 as Melvin Reinhold
Poolman poster
Poolman 9th May 2024 as Stephen Toronkowski / Blanche
Loners poster
Loners 30th May 2019 as Mr. Tessman
Mamaboy poster
Mamaboy 3rd September 2016 as Reverend Weld
Buried poster
Buried 24th September 2010 as Alan Davenport (voice)
Robots poster
Robots 10th March 2005 as Bigmouth Executive / Forge (voice)
Ritual poster
Ritual 18th September 2002 as Dr. Javitz (uncredited)
Par 6 poster
Par 6 16th April 2002 as T.T. Riley
Mr. Magoo poster
Mr. Magoo 25th December 1997 as Agent FBI Chuck Stupak
Trevor poster
Trevor 20th January 1994 as Father Joe
Hero poster
Hero 2nd October 1992 as Wallace
Sneakers poster
Sneakers 9th September 1992 as Dr. Werner Brandes
Wedlock poster
Wedlock 10th May 1991 as Warden Holliday
Tagget poster
Tagget 14th February 1991 as Al Hentz
Swing Shift poster
Swing Shift 13th April 1984 as French deMille / Documentary Narrator
Minx poster
Minx 17th March 2022 as Conrad Ross
Hacks poster
Hacks 13th May 2021 as Henry Weeks
Archer poster
Archer 17th September 2009 as Robert (voice)
Community poster
Community 17th September 2009 as Professor Peter Sheffield
Glee poster
Glee 19th May 2009 as Sandy Ryerson
Heroes poster
Heroes 25th September 2006 as Bob Bishop
Entourage poster
Entourage 18th July 2004 as Mayor of Beverly Hills
Reba poster
Reba 5th October 2001 as Judge
Roswell poster
Roswell 6th October 1999 as Julius Walters
Snoops poster
Snoops 26th September 1999 as Michael Bench
Hercules poster
Hercules 31st August 1998 as Numericles (voice)
Arli$$ poster
Arli$$ 10th August 1996 as Craig Levitz
L.A. Law poster
L.A. Law 15th September 1986 as Michael Segal
227 poster
227 14th September 1985