Bob Balaban
Robert Elmer Balaban, Born: August 16, 1945, Chicago, Illinois, U.S (Height: 5' 5" [1.65 m]). is an American actor, author, comedian, director, and producer. He is best known for his appearances in the Christopher Guest mockumentary comedies Waiting for Guffman (1996), Best in Show (2000), A Mighty Wind (2003), and For Your Consideration (2006), as well as his roles in the films Midnight Cowboy (1969), Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), Altered States (1980), 2010 (1984), Deconstructing Harry (1997), and Capote (2005). Balaban has also directed three feature films, in addition to numerous television episodes and films. He is also an author of children's novels. Balaban began his career in the 1960s, appearing in small roles in films and television shows. He made his breakthrough role in the 1969 film Midnight Cowboy, playing a young hustler who befriends an aging rodeo cowboy. In the 1970s, Balaban appeared in a number of popular films, including Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), Altered States (1980), and 2010 (1984). He also continued to work in television, appearing in recurring roles on the shows Lou Grant and Designing Women. In the 1990s, Balaban began a long and fruitful collaboration with filmmaker Christopher Guest. He appeared in all of Guest's mockumentary comedies, including Waiting for Guffman (1996), Best in Show (2000), A Mighty Wind (2003), and For Your Consideration (2006). Balaban's performances in these films were widely praised, and he earned a reputation as one of the most reliable comedic actors in Hollywood. In addition to his work in film and television, Balaban has also directed three feature films: The Last Shot (1999), Bernie (2011), and A Little Help (2010). He is also a successful author of children's novels, and he has won several awards for his writing. Balaban is a respected and versatile actor who has enjoyed a long and successful career in the entertainment industry. He is known for his sharp wit, his impeccable comedic timing, and his ability to create memorable characters. He is a true Renaissance man, and he is sure to continue to entertain audiences for many years to come. Balaban has been nominated for numerous awards throughout his career. He has won two Primetime Emmy Awards, for his work on the television shows Lou Grant and Designing Women. He has also been nominated for two Tony Awards, for his performances in the Broadway plays The Norman Conquests and The Plough and the Stars. Balaban is a recipient of the American Film Institute's Lifetime Achievement Award. He is also a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Balaban is married to Lynn Grossman, and they have two children together. He is a resident of New York City.
80 for Brady
(Mark)
Ghost World
(Enid's Dad)
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
(David Laughlin)
Jakob the Liar
(Kowalsky)
Midnight Cowboy
(The Young Student)
Conversation with the Beast
(Mr. Webster)
Deconstructing Harry
(Richard)
No Reservations
(Therapist)
2010
(Dr. R. Chandra)
Dead Bang
(Elliott Webley)
Gosford Park
(Morris Weissman)
The Late Shift
(Warren Littlefield)
The Majestic
(Elvin Glyde)
Little Man Tate
(Quizmaster)
Altered States
(Arthur Rosenberg)
The Mexican
(Bernie Nayman)
Whose Life Is It Anyway?
(Carter Hill)
For Love or Money
(Ed Drinkwater)
Carl Laemmle
(Himself)
Rage
(Mr. White)
Lady in the Water
(Harry Farber)
Scene Stealers
(Jonathan Crouch Esq.)
Best in Show
(Dr. Theodore W. Millbank, III)
Dedication
(Arthur Planck)
Recount
(Ben Ginsberg)
The Windmill Movie
(Self)
Report to the Commissioner
(Joey Egan)
For Your Consideration
(Philip Koontz)
Howl
(Judge Clayton Horn)
Waiting for Guffman
(Lloyd Miller)
Funny
(Self)
End of the Line
(Warren Gerber)
Absence of Malice
(Elliott Rosen)
The Strawberry Statement
(Elliot)
Girl Most Likely
(Maxwell)
Clockwatchers
(Milton Lasky)
Asteroid City
(Larkings Executive)
Unnatural Pursuits
(Lou Finkleberg)
The Grand Budapest Hotel
(M. Martin)
The Monster Hunter
(Dr. William Powell)
The Monuments Men
(Pvt. Preston Savitz)
An L.A. Minute
(Shelley)
Me, Natalie
(Morris)
Making It
(Wilkie)
Fading Gigolo
(Sol)
How Dare You Want More: The Short Film
Moonrise Kingdom
(The Narrator)
Girlfriends
(Martin)
Exploring the Set of 'Moonrise Kingdom'
(Self / The Narrator)
Nothing Lasts Forever
(Guy with Sunglasses in Espresso Bar)
City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold
(Dr. Jeffrey Sanborn (uncredited))
Giving Up the Ghost
(Bob)
Swing Vote
(Justice Eli MacCorckle)
A Mighty Wind
(Jonathan Steinbloom)
Trust the Man
(Tobey's Therapist)
A Monster in Paris
(Pâté)
The Definite Maybe
(Wolfe Rollins)
Desperate Souls, Dark City and the Legend of Midnight Cowboy
(Self)
Thin Ice
(Leonard Dahl)
Three to Tango
(Decker)
Greedy
(Ed)
Mascots
(Sol Lumpkin)
The Bank Shot
(Victor Karp)
Marriage: Year One
(Bernie)
Cradle Will Rock
(Harry Hopkins)
Pie in the Sky
(Paul Entamen)
Eva Hesse
(Wilhelm Hesse (voice))
The Five Stages of Grief
(Voice of Daniel's father)
Isle of Dogs
(King (voice))
Catch-22
(Capt. Orr)
The Face of Fear
(Ira Preduski)
I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House
(Mr. Waxcap)
George Romero's Golden Tales 2
Prince of the City
(Santimassino)
Mike Nichols: An American Master
(Self)
Bob Roberts
(Cutting Edge Producer)
The Making of 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind'
(Self)
Spielberg
(Self)
Everything Is Copy
(Self)
Capote
(William Shawn)
The Tuxedo
(Winton Chalmers (uncredited))
Amos & Andrew
(Dr. R. A. (Roy) Fink)
Controversy and Acclaim: The Timelessness of a Groundbreaking Film
(Self)
Plan B
(James Foster)
Starring Austin Pendleton
(Self)
Hitchcock/Truffaut
(Narrator (voice))
Marie and Bruce
(Roger)
Do You Like to Read?
(The Narrator)
The French Dispatch
(Uncle Nick)
License to Wed
(Jewelry Store Clerk (uncredited))
F--k
(Bob)
Tex, the Passive/Aggressive Gunslinger
(Tex)
Alice
(Sid Moscowitz)
The Making of 'Gosford Park'
(Self)
Muhammad Ali's Greatest Fight
(Lawyer)
How Moving
(Uncle Aaron)
Prince of the City: The Real Story
(Self / Santimassino)
Now and Again
The West Wing
(Ted Marcus)
Friends
(Frank Sr.)
Miami Vice
Legend
The Simpsons
(Narrator (voice))
Room 222
The Mod Squad
Hank
The Chair
(Elliot Rentz)
Hopeless Pictures
Maude
(Ambrose Riley)
Amazing Stories
(Jo-Jo Gillespie)
Seinfeld
(Russell Dalrymple)
Broad City
(Arthur Wexler)
Girls
(Therapist)
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
(Self)
Condor
(Reuel Abbott)
Show Me a Hero
(Leonard B. Sand)
Space Force
(Ron (voice))
Tom Goes to the Mayor
(Walt Pickle (voice))
Moguls & Movie Stars: A History of Hollywood
(Self)
Love, American Style
(Nick)
Web Therapy
(Ted Mitchell)
Web Therapy
(Ted Mitchell)
Summer Camp Island
(Gerald (voice))
James Cameron's Story of Science Fiction
(Self)
The Politician
(Keaton Hobart)
Alpha House
(Senator Elliot Robeson)
The Good Wife
(Gordon Higgs)
Wormwood
(Dr. Harold A. Abramson)
Gosford Park
(Producer)
My Boyfriend's Back
(Director)
Parents
(Director)
Bernard and Doris
(Director)
The Last Good Time
(Director)
Georgia O'Keeffe
(Director)
Subway Stories
(Director)
Brooklyn, Minnesota
(Producer)
The Exonerated
(Director)
The Brass Ring
(Director)
Penn & Teller's Invisible Thread
(Director)
We the Economy: 20 Short Films You Can't Afford to Miss
(Director)
The Wedding Toast
(Director)
The Wedding Toast
(Producer)
The Last Good Time
(Screenplay)
The Last Good Time
(Producer)
Bernard and Doris
(Executive Producer)
George Romero's Golden Tales 2
(Writer)
Can You Ever Forgive Me?
(Executive Producer)
Tales from the Darkside
(Director)
Gosford Park
(Idea)
George Romero's Golden Tales 3
(Director)
The Exonerated
(Executive Producer)
Stephen King's Golden Tales
(Writer)
Now and Again
(Director)
Oz
(Director)
Strangers with Candy
(Director)
Eerie, Indiana
(Director)
Amazing Stories
(Director)
Swingtown
(Director)
Tales from the Darkside
(Director)
Maude
(Director)
Legend
(Director)
The Minor Accomplishments of Jackie Woodman
(Producer)
LateLine
(Director)
The Twilight Zone
(Director)
Alpha House
(Director)
Graves
(Director)
Tales from the Darkside
(Writer)