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.
Acted in
Desperate Souls, Dark City and the Legend of Midnight Cowboy
2023
as Self
Asteroid City
2023
as Larkings Executive
80 for Brady
2023
as Mark
How Dare You Want More: The Short Film
2022
The French Dispatch
2021
as Uncle Nick
The Chair
2021
as Elliot Rentz
How Moving
2021
as Uncle Aaron
Space Force
2020
as Ron (voice)
The Politician
2019
as Keaton Hobart
Carl Laemmle
2019
as Himself
An L.A. Minute
2018
as Shelley
Summer Camp Island
2018
as Gerald (voice)
Condor
2018
as Reuel Abbott
James Cameron's Story of Science Fiction
2018
as Self
Isle of Dogs
2018
as King (voice)
Spielberg
2017
as Self
Mascots
2016
as Sol Lumpkin
I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House
2016
as Mr. Waxcap
Eva Hesse
2016
as Wilhelm Hesse (voice)
Starring Austin Pendleton
2016
as Self
Mike Nichols: An American Master
2016
as Self
Everything Is Copy
2015
as Self
Exploring the Set of 'Moonrise Kingdom'
2015
as Self / The Narrator
Hitchcock/Truffaut
2015
as Narrator (voice)
Show Me a Hero
2015
as Leonard B. Sand
The Grand Budapest Hotel
2014
as M. Martin
The Monuments Men
2014
as Pvt. Preston Savitz
Broad City
2014
as Arthur Wexler
Muhammad Ali's Greatest Fight
2013
as Lawyer
Fading Gigolo
2013
as Sol
Alpha House
2013
as Senator Elliot Robeson
Girl Most Likely
2012
as Maxwell
Do You Like to Read?
2012
as The Narrator
Moonrise Kingdom
2012
as The Narrator
Girls
2012
as Therapist
Thin Ice
2012
as Leonard Dahl
A Monster in Paris
2011
as Pâté
Web Therapy
2011
as Ted Mitchell
The Five Stages of Grief
2011
as Voice of Daniel's father
Moguls & Movie Stars: A History of Hollywood
2010
as Self
Howl
2010
as Judge Clayton Horn
F--k
2010
as Bob
Rage
2009
as Mr. White
The Windmill Movie
2009
as Self
Web Therapy
2008
as Ted Mitchell
Recount
2008
as Ben Ginsberg
Dedication
2007
as Arthur Planck
License to Wed
2007
as Jewelry Store Clerk (uncredited)
No Reservations
2007
as Therapist
Prince of the City: The Real Story
2007
as Self / Santimassino
For Your Consideration
2006
as Philip Koontz
Lady in the Water
2006
as Harry Farber
Controversy and Acclaim: The Timelessness of a Groundbreaking Film
2006
as Self
Capote
2005
as William Shawn
Trust the Man
2005
as Tobey's Therapist
Hopeless Pictures
2005
Tom Goes to the Mayor
2004
as Walt Pickle (voice)
Scene Stealers
2004
as Jonathan Crouch Esq.
Marie and Bruce
2004
as Roger
A Mighty Wind
2003
as Jonathan Steinbloom
The Tuxedo
2002
as Winton Chalmers (uncredited)
The Making of 'Gosford Park'
2002
as Self
The Majestic
2001
as Elvin Glyde
Gosford Park
2001
as Morris Weissman
Ghost World
2001
as Enid's Dad
The Making of 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind'
2001
as Self
The Mexican
2001
as Bernie Nayman
Plan B
2001
as James Foster
Best in Show
2000
as Dr. Theodore W. Millbank, III
Tex, the Passive/Aggressive Gunslinger
2000
as Tex
Cradle Will Rock
1999
as Harry Hopkins
George Romero's Golden Tales 2
1999
Three to Tango
1999
as Decker
Now and Again
1999
The West Wing
1999
as Ted Marcus
Jakob the Liar
1999
as Kowalsky
Swing Vote
1999
as Justice Eli MacCorckle
The Monster Hunter
1999
as Dr. William Powell
Giving Up the Ghost
1998
as Bob
Deconstructing Harry
1997
as Richard
The Definite Maybe
1997
as Wolfe Rollins
Clockwatchers
1997
as Milton Lasky
Conversation with the Beast
1997
as Mr. Webster
Waiting for Guffman
1996
as Lloyd Miller
The Late Shift
1996
as Warren Littlefield
Pie in the Sky
1996
as Paul Entamen
Legend
1995
Friends
1994
as Frank Sr.
City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold
1994
as Dr. Jeffrey Sanborn (uncredited)
Greedy
1994
as Ed
For Love or Money
1993
as Ed Drinkwater
Amos & Andrew
1993
as Dr. R. A. (Roy) Fink
Bob Roberts
1992
as Cutting Edge Producer
Unnatural Pursuits
1992
as Lou Finkleberg
Little Man Tate
1991
as Quizmaster
Alice
1990
as Sid Moscowitz
The Face of Fear
1990
as Ira Preduski
The Simpsons
1989
as Narrator (voice)
Seinfeld
1989
as Russell Dalrymple
Dead Bang
1989
as Elliott Webley
Funny
1988
as Self
End of the Line
1987
as Warren Gerber
Amazing Stories
1985
as Jo-Jo Gillespie
2010
1984
as Dr. R. Chandra
Miami Vice
1984
Nothing Lasts Forever
1984
as Guy with Sunglasses in Espresso Bar
Whose Life Is It Anyway?
1981
as Carter Hill
Absence of Malice
1981
as Elliott Rosen
Prince of the City
1981
as Santimassino
Altered States
1980
as Arthur Rosenberg
Girlfriends
1978
as Martin
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
1977
as David Laughlin
Report to the Commissioner
1975
as Joey Egan
The Bank Shot
1974
as Victor Karp
Maude
1972
as Ambrose Riley
Marriage: Year One
1971
as Bernie
Making It
1971
as Wilkie
The Strawberry Statement
1970
as Elliot
Catch-22
1970
as Capt. Orr
Love, American Style
1969
as Nick
Room 222
1969
Me, Natalie
1969
as Morris
Midnight Cowboy
1969
as The Young Student
The Mod Squad
1968
Hank
1965