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