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.
Known for
The Simpsons
Narrator (voice)
American Dad!
Glen Hanover (voice)
Seinfeld
Russell Dalrymple
The West Wing
Ted Marcus
Friends
Frank Sr.
The Good Wife
Gordon Higgs
Love, American Style
Nick
Summer Camp Island
Gerald (voice)
Miami Vice
Severance
Mark Wilkins
Web Therapy
Ted Mitchell
Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist
Bob (voice)
Broad City
Arthur Wexler
Amazing Stories
Jo-Jo Gillespie
The Mod Squad
Girls
Therapist
Maude
Ambrose Riley
Space Force
Ron (voice)
Room 222
Tom Goes to the Mayor
Walt Pickle (voice)
Show Me a Hero
Leonard B. Sand
Condor
Reuel Abbott
Web Therapy
Ted Mitchell
Alpha House
Senator Elliot Robeson
China, IL
(voice)
James Cameron's Story of Science Fiction
Self
The Chair
Elliot Rentz
The Politician
Keaton Hobart
Hank
Legend
Hopeless Pictures
The Grand Budapest Hotel
M. Martin
Now and Again
Wormwood
Dr. Harold A. Abramson
Isle of Dogs
King (voice)
Moguls & Movie Stars: A History of Hollywood
Self
Asteroid City
Larkings Executive
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
David Laughlin
Moonrise Kingdom
The Narrator
Midnight Cowboy
The Young Student
The Tuxedo
Winton Chalmers (uncredited)
The French Dispatch
Uncle Nick
Jakob the Liar
Kowalsky
The Monuments Men
Pvt. Preston Savitz
2010
Dr. R. Chandra
Capote
William Shawn
No Reservations
Therapist
Family Tree
Melvin Schmelff / Tumbleweed Tim
80 for Brady
Mark
The Mexican
Bernie Nayman
Gosford Park
Morris Weissman
Deconstructing Harry
Richard
License to Wed
Jewelry Store Clerk (uncredited)
Ghost World
Enid's Dad
Catch-22
Capt. Orr
Lady in the Water
Harry Farber
The Majestic
Elvin Glyde
Little Man Tate
Quizmaster
Alice
Sid Moscowitz
For Love or Money
Ed Drinkwater
Absence of Malice
Elliott Rosen
Altered States
Arthur Rosenberg
For Your Consideration
Philip Koontz
Spielberg
Self
Fading Gigolo
Sol
Greedy
Ed
Best in Show
Dr. Theodore W. Millbank, III
Girl Most Likely
Maxwell
Muhammad Ali's Greatest Fight
Lawyer (uncredited)
I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House
Mr. Waxcap
Clockwatchers
Milton Lasky
A Mighty Wind
Jonathan Steinbloom
Mascots
Sol Lumpkin
Three to Tango
Decker
Prince of the City
Santimassino
Whose Life Is It Anyway?
Carter Hill
City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold
Dr. Jeffrey Sanborn (uncredited)
Hitchcock/Truffaut
Narrator (voice)
The Late Shift
Warren Littlefield
Howl
Judge Clayton Horn
Bob Roberts
Cutting Edge Producer
Waiting for Guffman
Lloyd Miller
Recount
Ben Ginsberg
Cradle Will Rock
Harry Hopkins
Amos & Andrew
Dr. R. A. (Roy) Fink
Rage
Mr. White
The Strawberry Statement
Elliot
Thin Ice
Leonard Dahl
Everything Is Copy
Self
Dead Bang
Elliott Webley
Trust the Man
Tobey's Therapist
Starring Austin Pendleton
Self
Desperate Souls, Dark City and the Legend of Midnight Cowboy
Self
Marie and Bruce
Roger
Mike Nichols: An American Master
Self
Dedication
Arthur Planck
Me, Natalie
Morris
Swing Vote
Justice Eli MacCorckle
The Bank Shot
Victor Karp
Girlfriends
Martin
Report to the Commissioner
Joey Egan
Do You Like to Read?
The Narrator
The Making of 'Gosford Park'
Self
End of the Line
Warren Gerber
Plan B
James Foster
Exploring the Set of 'Moonrise Kingdom'
Self / The Narrator
Funny
Self
The Windmill Movie
Self
Marriage: Year One
Bernie
Controversy and Acclaim: The Timelessness of a Groundbreaking Film
Self
An L.A. Minute
Shelley
The Making of 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind'
Self
The Five Stages of Grief
Voice of Daniel's father
Nothing Lasts Forever
Guy with Sunglasses in Espresso Bar
The Definite Maybe
Wolfe Rollins
Pie in the Sky
Paul Entamen
The Monster Hunter
Dr. William Powell
F--k
Bob
Prince of the City: The Real Story
Self / Santimassino
George Romero's Golden Tales 2
Making It
Wilkie
Giving Up the Ghost
Bob
Carl Laemmle
Himself
Tex, the Passive/Aggressive Gunslinger
Tex
Conversation with the Beast
Mr. Webster
The Face of Fear
Ira Preduski
Fantasy Life
Scene Stealers
Jonathan Crouch Esq.
Unnatural Pursuits
Lou Finkleberg
2010 : The Odyssey Continues
Himself
Eva Hesse
Wilhelm Hesse (voice)
How Moving
Uncle Aaron
How Dare You Want More: The Short Film
Bad Actors
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
Self