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IMDbPro

Stephen Tobolowsky

  • Actor
  • Writer
  • Director
IMDbProStarmeterTop 5,000182
Stephen Tobolowsky
Starring Eric Close, Stephen Tobolowsky, Tony Todd, JuJu Chan Szeto, Cindy Hogan, Kurt Yue, Tom Clark and Angelique Chase.
Play trailer1:57
Inventors (undefined)
46 Videos
99+ Photos
Character actor Stephen Tobolowsky was born on May 30, 1951 in Dallas, Texas. Over the past three decades, Tobolowsky has racked up a lengthy list of roles in movies and television across many different genres.

While Tobolowsky initially attended Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas with the intention of studying geology, he was quickly drawn in to acting there. He later attended the University of Illinois for one year.

Tobolowsky worked primarily in theater during his early career, and wrote and directed a few plays including "Two Idiots in Hollywood" and "True Stories". His film career took off in the 1980s, though, thanks to roles in The Philadelphia Experiment (1984), Nobody's Fool (1986), Spaceballs (1987), and Mississippi Burning (1988). Since then, Tobolowsky has appeared in many popular movies including Bird on a Wire (1990), Basic Instinct (1992), Groundhog Day (1993), Radioland Murders (1994), Murder in the First (1995), Mr. Magoo (1997), The Insider (1999), Memento (2000), Freaky Friday (2003), Garfield (2004) and Wild Hogs (2007). He has also done a substantial amount of voice work, most recently taking on the role of Uncle Ubb in Dr. Seuss' the Lorax (2012).

Tobolowsky has been even more prolific in television over the past few decades. He's appeared on a diverse range of shows including Seinfeld (1989), Mad About You (1992), Chicago Hope (1994), The Practice (1997) and Curb Your Enthusiasm (2000), and has had recurring roles on CSI: Miami (2002), Deadwood (2004), Heroes (2006), Californication (2007) and Glee (2009).

Tobolowsky is married to fellow actor Ann Hearn.
BornMay 30, 1951
  • More at IMDbPro
    • Contact info
    • Agent info
    • Resume
BornMay 30, 1951
IMDbProStarmeterTop 5,000182
  • View contact info at IMDbPro
  • Awards
    • 1 win & 2 nominations

The Greatest Character Actors of All Time

The Greatest Character Actors of All Time

Jesse Plemons, Krysten Ritter, and more familiar faces you've seen in everything.
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Photos

Photos155

Holland Taylor and Stephen Tobolowsky in The Naked Truth (1995)
Stephen Tobolowsky in The Naked Truth (1995)
Stephen Tobolowsky, Lennon Parham, and Ophelia Lovibond in Minx (2022)
Stephen Tobolowsky, Ophelia Lovibond, and Jake Johnson in Minx (2022)
Mary Gross and Stephen Tobolowsky in Off Centre (2001)
Stephen Tobolowsky in Off Centre (2001)
Stephen Tobolowsky in Memento (2000)
Stephen Tobolowsky in Spaceballs (1987)
Stephen Tobolowsky in Basic Instinct (1992)
Valerie Bertinelli, Graham Beckel, and Stephen Tobolowsky in Cafe Americain (1993)
Stephen Tobolowsky in The Sasquatch Gang (2006)
Rita Moreno, Justina Machado, Stephen Tobolowsky, Todd Grinnell, Isabella Gomez, and Marcel Ruiz in One Day at a Time (2017)

Known for:

Bill Murray and Andie MacDowell in Groundhog Day (1993)
Groundhog Day
8.0
  • Ned
  • 1993
Willem Dafoe and Gene Hackman in Mississippi Burning (1988)
Mississippi Burning
7.8
  • Clayton Townley
  • 1988
Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon in Thelma & Louise (1991)
Thelma & Louise
7.5
  • Max
  • 1991
Mel Brooks, Bill Pullman, John Candy, Rick Moranis, and Daphne Zuniga in Spaceballs (1987)
Spaceballs
7.1
  • Captain of the Guard
  • 1987

Credits

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IMDbPro

Actor

  • Adventures in Wonder Park
    • Uncle Tony (voice)
    • Released
    • TV Series
    • 2023
  • Inventors
    • Don Manning (voice)
    • Post-production
  • The Loud House (2014)
    The Loud House
    • Principal Huggins
    • Florist (voice)
    • TV Series
    • 2017–2023
  • Animaniacs (2020)
    Animaniacs
    • Local DJ (voice)
    • TV Series
    • 2023
  • Wolfgang Schaeffer and Jahzir Bruno in The Really Loud House (2022)
    The Really Loud House
    • Walter Phillipini
    • TV Series
    • 2023
  • Lopez vs. Lopez (2022)
    Lopez vs. Lopez
    • Sam Van Bryan
    • TV Series
    • 2023
  • Jeff Garlin, Wendi McLendon-Covey, Troy Gentile, Hayley Orrantia, and Sean Giambrone in The Goldbergs' Excellent Adventure (2021)
    The Goldbergs
    • Principal Ball
    • TV Series
    • 2014–2023
  • Love Virtually (2022)
    Love Virtually
    • Dr. Divine
    • 2022
  • Lacey Chabert and Wes Brown in Haul Out the Holly (2022)
    Haul Out the Holly
    • Ned
    • TV Movie
    • 2022
  • H. Jon Benjamin in Archer (2009)
    Archer
    • Robert (voice)
    • TV Series
    • 2020–2022
  • Ann Hearn and Stephen Tobolowsky in The Golden Years (2022)
    The Golden Years
    • Donald
    • Short
    • 2022
  • Grace and Frankie (2015)
    Grace and Frankie
    • Allen
    • TV Series
    • 2022
  • Dicktown (2020)
    Dicktown
    • John's Dad (voice)
    • TV Series
    • 2020–2022
  • Untold Genius (2022)
    Untold Genius
    • Stephen Tobolowsky
    • TV Series
    • 2022
  • Minx (2022)
    Minx
    • Conrad Ross
    • TV Series
    • 2022
  • Washingtonia
    • (voice)
  • No Activity (2017)
    No Activity
    • (voice)
    • TV Series
    • 2021

Writer

  • The Primary Instinct (2015)
    The Primary Instinct
    • writer
    • 2015
  • Two Idiots in Hollywood (1988)
    Two Idiots in Hollywood
    • play
    • screenplay
    • 1988
  • David Byrne in True Stories (1986)
    True Stories
    • written by
    • 1986

Director

  • A Little Something on the Side
    • Director
    • Short
    • 2012
  • A Host of Trouble
    • Director
    • Short
    • 2005
  • Two Idiots in Hollywood (1988)
    Two Idiots in Hollywood
    • Director
    • 1988

Videos46

The Insider
Clip 1:31
The Insider
The Insider
Clip 1:20
The Insider
Freaky Friday
Clip 1:16
Freaky Friday
Freaky Friday
Clip 1:06
Freaky Friday
Freaky Friday
Clip 1:16
Freaky Friday
Official Trailer
Trailer 0:36
Official Trailer
Official Trailer
Trailer 1:58
Official Trailer
Season 2 Date Announcement
Trailer 1:07
Season 2 Date Announcement
Official Trailer
Trailer 2:01
Official Trailer
Official Trailer
Trailer 2:11
Official Trailer
Official Trailer
Trailer 2:26
Official Trailer
Theatrical Version
Trailer 2:32
Theatrical Version

Personal details

Edit
  • Official sites
    • Cameo
    • Facebook
  • Alternative names
    • Stephen Tobolowski
  • Height
    • 6′ 2″ (1.88 m)
  • Born
    • May 30, 1951
    • Dallas, Texas, USA
  • Spouse
    • Ann HearnDecember 27, 1988 - present (2 children)
  • Parents
      Dave Tobolowsky
  • Other works
    Portrayed Homer Bolton in "Morning's at Seven" play by Paul Osborn on Broadway at the Lyceum Theater, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA.
  • Publicity listings
    • 1 Biographical Movie
    • 2 Print Biographies
    • 2 Articles
    • 1 Pictorial

Did you know

Edit
  • Trivia
    Was almost murdered twice in one week in Hartford, Connecticut by different people. As he admitted, "That's unusual." The first instance occurred when he was in a pub with Beth Henley. After a brawl with a man who was attacking Henley, he was held at gunpoint at the pub. Later that week, when he and Henley went to a pizza parlor next to the pub, where he was stabbed. Fortunately, the knife only partly penetrated his belt buckle.
  • Quotes
    There was a part on Broadway...wow still hurts to talk about it. I flew to New York on my own dime. I had no career. But there was this part. I knew the playwright. He told me the role was perfect for me. I worked on the audition like crazy...I went in and killed on the audition. It was great. I got congrats from a lot of people. I was told I would be called back for final auditions in three weeks. I said I would be there. It meant me buying another plane ticket but I believed in myself and the play. I worked on the part for the next three weeks...then four weeks...then five...no phone call. Finally someone saw me with the script and asked what I was doing. I explained with some pride that I was going back to New York for a final call back on a Broadway show. She broke the news to me that the show had been in rehearsal for the last two weeks...ouch. I guess if I didn't run into that girl I would still be working on that audition! [on losing an important role]
  • Trademarks
      He usually plays annoying business men-types that the heroes or villains loathe to deal with.

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