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IMDbPro

Bob Balaban(I)

  • Actor
  • Director
  • Producer
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
Bob Balaban at an event for Jack Goes Boating (2010)
Official Trailer
Play trailer2:05
Desperate Souls, Dark City and the Legend of Midnight Cowboy (2022)
44 Videos
99+ Photos
Bob Balaban was born on 16 August 1945 in Chicago, Illinois, USA. He is an actor and director, known for Gosford Park (2001), A Mighty Wind (2003) and Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977). He has been married to Lynn Grossman since 1 April 1977. They have two children.
BornAugust 16, 1945
  • More at IMDbPro
    • Contact info
    • Agent info
    • Resume
BornAugust 16, 1945
IMDbProStarmeterSee rank
  • View contact info at IMDbPro
  • Nominated for 1 Oscar
    • 11 wins & 20 nominations total

Photos171

Bob Balaban, Fisher Stevens, Michael Maggart, Jeffrey Wright, and Tony Revolori in Asteroid City (2023)
Bob Balaban in A Mighty Wind (2003)
Bob Balaban and Michael Hitchcock in A Mighty Wind (2003)
Bob Balaban, Don Lake, and Deborah Theaker in A Mighty Wind (2003)
Bob Balaban and Deborah Theaker in A Mighty Wind (2003)
Bob Balaban in A Mighty Wind (2003)
Bob Balaban, Henry Winkler, Adrien Brody, Lois Smith, and Tilda Swinton in The French Dispatch (2021)
Don Johnson and Bob Balaban in Miami Vice (1984)
Bob Balaban in Miami Vice (1984)
Bob Balaban, Susie Essman, and Ilana Glazer in Broad City (2014)
Jon Voight and Bob Balaban in Midnight Cowboy (1969)
William Hurt and Bob Balaban in Condor (2018)

Known for:

Gosford Park (2001)
Gosford Park
7.2
  • Morris Weissman
  • 2001
Parker Posey, Christopher Guest, Catherine O'Hara, Paul Dooley, John Michael Higgins, Eugene Levy, Jane Lynch, Michael McKean, Christopher Moynihan, and Harry Shearer in A Mighty Wind (2003)
A Mighty Wind
7.2
  • Jonathan Steinbloom
  • 2003
Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
7.6
  • David Laughlin
  • 1977
Philip Seymour Hoffman in Capote (2005)
Capote
7.3
  • William Shawn
  • 2005

Credits

Edit
IMDbPro

Actor

  • Severance
    • Released
    • TV Series
    • 2022
  • Tom Hanks, Jason Schwartzman, and Scarlett Johansson in Asteroid City (2023)
    Asteroid City
    6.7
    • Larkings Executive
    • 2023
  • Sally Field, Jane Fonda, Rita Moreno, and Lily Tomlin in 80 for Brady (2023)
    80 for Brady
    5.8
    • Mark
    • 2023
  • Past My Bedtime (2022)
    Past My Bedtime
    6.8
    Podcast Series
    • 2022
  • John Malkovich, Steve Carell, Don Lake, Ben Schwartz, Jimmy O. Yang, Tawny Newsome, and Diana Silvers in Space Force (2020)
    Space Force
    6.7
    TV Series
    • Ron (voice)
    • 2022
  • The Harper House (2021)
    The Harper House
    5.3
    TV Series
    • Frederick
    • Buck Mastiff (voice)
    • 2021
  • Sandra Oh in The Chair (2021)
    The Chair
    7.2
    TV Series
    • Elliot Rentz
    • 2021
  • Bill Murray, Willem Dafoe, Frances McDormand, Liev Schreiber, Bob Balaban, Benicio Del Toro, Edward Norton, Henry Winkler, Adrien Brody, Jason Schwartzman, Owen Wilson, Mathieu Amalric, Steve Park, Lois Smith, Tilda Swinton, Christoph Waltz, Wallace Wolodarsky, Jeffrey Wright, Jarvis Cocker, Mohamed Belhadjine, Saoirse Ronan, Tony Revolori, Timothée Chalamet, Lyna Khoudri, and Krishna Bagadiya in The French Dispatch (2021)
    The French Dispatch
    7.1
    • Uncle Nick
    • 2021
  • How Moving (2021)
    How Moving
    7.0
    Short
    • Uncle Aaron
    • 2021
  • Summer Camp Island (2018)
    Summer Camp Island
    7.8
    TV Series
    • Gerald (voice)
    • 2021
  • Julie Kavner, Nancy Cartwright, Dan Castellaneta, and Yeardley Smith in The Simpsons (1989)
    The Simpsons
    8.7
    TV Series
    • Narrator (voice)
    • 2021
  • Condor (2018)
    Condor
    7.7
    TV Series
    • Reuel Abbott
    • 2018–2020
  • Bette Midler, Judith Light, and Ben Platt in The Politician (2019)
    The Politician
    7.5
    TV Series
    • Keaton Hobart
    • 2019
  • Abbi Jacobson and Ilana Glazer in Broad City (2014)
    Broad City
    8.4
    TV Series
    • Arthur Wexler
    • 2015–2019
  • Wolverine (2018)
    Wolverine
    7.7
    Podcast Series
    • Joseph Langrock
    • 2018
  • Animals. (2016)
    Animals.
    7.3
    TV Series
    • Bob Balaban (voice)
    • 2018

Director

  • Directors on Directors
    • Director
    • Released
    • TV Series
    • 1997
  • Nick Nolte in Graves (2016)
    Graves
    6.6
    TV Series
    • Director
    • 2016
  • Fishkill (2016)
    Fishkill
    TV Movie
    • Director
    • 2016
  • John Goodman, Mark Consuelos, Clark Johnson, and Matt Malloy in Alpha House (2013)
    Alpha House
    7.5
    TV Series
    • Director
    • 2013–2014
  • We the Economy: 20 Short Films You Can't Afford to Miss (2014)
    We the Economy: 20 Short Films You Can't Afford to Miss
    6.1
    • Director
    • 2014
  • Edie Falco in Nurse Jackie (2009)
    Nurse Jackie
    7.8
    TV Series
    • Director
    • 2011–2012
  • Georgia O'Keeffe (2009)
    Georgia O'Keeffe
    6.5
    TV Movie
    • Director
    • 2009
  • Molly Parker, Lana Parrilla, and Miriam Shor in Swingtown (2008)
    Swingtown
    7.6
    TV Series
    • Director
    • 2008
  • Bernard and Doris (2006)
    Bernard and Doris
    6.5
    • Director
    • 2006
  • Hopeless Pictures (2005)
    Hopeless Pictures
    7.2
    TV Series
    • Director
    • 2005
  • The Exonerated (2005)
    The Exonerated
    6.6
    TV Movie
    • Director
    • 2005
  • The First Amendment Project: No Joking
    8.0
    TV Movie
    • Director
    • 2004
  • The Twilight Zone (2002)
    The Twilight Zone
    7.2
    TV Series
    • Director
    • 2002–2003
  • Sara Downing, Tyler Labine, and Birkett Turton in Dead Last (2001)
    Dead Last
    7.5
    TV Series
    • Director
    • 2001
  • Lili Taylor, Bebe Neuwirth, Oliver Platt, and Tom Conti in Deadline (2000)
    Deadline
    6.1
    TV Series
    • Director
    • 2000
  • Eric Close, Margaret Colin, and Dennis Haysbert in Now and Again (1999)
    Now and Again
    8.1
    TV Series
    • Director
    • 2000

Producer

  • Rebel Girl
    • executive producer
    • In Production
  • Melissa McCarthy in Can You Ever Forgive Me? (2018)
    Can You Ever Forgive Me?
    7.1
    • executive producer
    • 2018
  • Beautiful Hills of Brooklyn
    6.9
    Short
    • executive producer
    • 2008
  • Bernard and Doris (2006)
    Bernard and Doris
    6.5
    • executive producer
    • 2006
  • Nicholle Tom and Laura Kightlinger in The Minor Accomplishments of Jackie Woodman (2006)
    The Minor Accomplishments of Jackie Woodman
    8.4
    TV Series
    • executive producer
    • 2006
  • Celebrity Charades
    6.4
    TV Series
    • executive producer
    • 2005
  • The Exonerated (2005)
    The Exonerated
    6.6
    TV Movie
    • executive producer
    • 2005
  • The Burbs
    7.0
    TV Movie
    • executive producer
    • 2002
  • Gosford Park (2001)
    Gosford Park
    7.2
    • producer
    • 2001
  • The Wedding Toast
    Short
    • producer
    • 1999
  • The Definite Maybe (1997)
    The Definite Maybe
    4.1
    • executive producer
    • 1997
  • The Last Good Time (1994)
    The Last Good Time
    6.5
    • producer
    • 1994
  • In-development projects at IMDbPro

Videos48

How Sandra Oh and the Cast of "The Chair" Learned to Play College Professors
Clip 2:59
How Sandra Oh and the Cast of "The Chair" Learned to Play College Professors
"Second Opinion"
Clip 0:57
"Second Opinion"
Howl: "Artistic Merit"
Clip 0:55
Howl: "Artistic Merit"
Lady in the Water
Clip 0:49
Lady in the Water
Lady in the Water
Clip 0:57
Lady in the Water
Lady in the Water
Clip 0:58
Lady in the Water
Lady in the Water
Clip 0:50
Lady in the Water
2010: The Year We Make Contact
Clip 2:11
2010: The Year We Make Contact
Interview
Interview 6:49
Interview
Trailer
Trailer 2:11
Trailer
Trailer
Trailer 0:31
Trailer
Trailer
Trailer 3:23
Trailer

Personal details

Edit
  • Alternative name
    • Robert Balaban
  • Height
    • 5′ 5″ (1.65 m)
  • Born
    • August 16, 1945
    • Chicago, Illinois, USA
  • Spouse
    • Lynn GrossmanApril 1, 1977 - present (2 children)
  • Parents
      Elmer Balaban
  • Other works
    Stage: Appeared (as "Linus") in the original off-Broadway production of "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown". He is also on the original cast album
  • Publicity listings
    • 5 Interviews
    • 3 Articles
    • 1 Magazine Cover Photo

Did you know

Edit
  • Trivia
    Played the head of NBC in both Seinfeld (1989) and The Late Shift (1996).
  • Quotes
    God, I'd love to do a big commercial movie that made a lot of money and whose plot was interesting, too.
  • Trademarks
      Frequently cast by Wes Anderson

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