Stephen Tobolowsky

Acting

Born May 30, 1951

From Dallas, Texas, USA

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.

Stephen Tobolowsky

Known For

Memento

The Lorax

Basic Instinct

Freakier Friday

Groundhog Day

Robots

Spaceballs

Sneakers

Thelma & Louise

Freaky Friday

Filmography — Acting

Memento

The Lorax

Basic Instinct

Freakier Friday

Groundhog Day

Robots

Spaceballs

Sneakers

Thelma & Louise

Freaky Friday

National Security

Mr. Peabody & Sherman

Garfield

The Time Traveler's Wife

Failure to Launch

Wild Hogs

Mississippi Burning

Fractured

Buried

Black Dog

Single White Female

The Insider

Miss Congeniality 2: Armed and Fabulous

Bird on a Wire

View from the Top

Murder in the First

Hero

The Grifters

Mr. Magoo

Memoirs of an Invisible Man

Candy Cane Lane

Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco

Little Black Book

Freddy Got Fingered

The Glimmer Man

Scooby-Doo! Shaggy's Showdown

The Philadelphia Experiment

Welcome Home, Roxy Carmichael

The Day the World Ended

Swing Shift

My Father the Hero

Wedlock

The Valley of Light

Win a Date with Tad Hamilton!

Blind Dating

The Barber

The Pickle

Ritual

Great Balls of Fire!

Poolman

Love Liza

Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde

Where the Day Takes You

The Country Bears

In Country

Power 98

The Jungle Book: Mowgli's Story

You May Not Kiss the Bride

Hello Ladies: The Movie

Atlas Shrugged: Part III

The Prime Gig

Loners

Beethoven's Big Break

One Man's Hero

The Confirmation

Radioland Murders

Nobody's Fool