credits of
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.
Release Date | Title | Character Name | Rating | Your Lists |
|---|---|---|---|---|
March 27th, 2026 | Fantasy Life | Lenny | 6.2 | |
January 1st, 2024 | Bad Actors | TBD | TBD | |
June 23rd, 2023 | Desperate Souls, Dark City and the Legend of Midnight Cowboy | Self | 5.8 | |
June 8th, 2023 | Asteroid City | Larkings Executive | 6.5 | |
February 3rd, 2023 | 80 for Brady | Mark | 6.2 | |
June 14th, 2022 | How Dare You Want More: The Short Film | TBD | TBD | |
October 21st, 2021 | The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun | Uncle Nick | 7 | |
June 17th, 2021 | How Moving | Uncle Aaron | TBD | |
January 15th, 2019 | Carl Laemmle | Himself | 4 | |
August 24th, 2018 | An L.A. Minute | Shelley | 2 | |
March 23rd, 2018 | Isle of Dogs | King (voice) | 7.8 | |
October 5th, 2017 | Spielberg | Self | 7.6 | |
October 26th, 2016 | Mike Nichols: An American Master | Self | 6.3 | |
September 10th, 2016 | Mascots | Sol Lumpkin | 5.4 | |
September 10th, 2016 | I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House | Mr. Waxcap | 4.6 | |
April 27th, 2016 | Eva Hesse | Wilhelm Hesse (voice) | 6.5 | |
April 1st, 2016 | Starring Austin Pendleton | Self | 6.7 | |
September 29th, 2015 | Everything Is Copy | Self | 7.4 | |
September 22nd, 2015 | Exploring the Set of 'Moonrise Kingdom' | Self / The Narrator | 6.1 | |
September 5th, 2015 | Hitchcock/Truffaut | Narrator (voice) | 7.2 | |
February 26th, 2014 | The Grand Budapest Hotel | M. Martin | 8 | |
January 24th, 2014 | The Monuments Men | Pvt. Preston Savitz | 6.1 | |
October 4th, 2013 | Muhammad Ali's Greatest Fight | Lawyer (uncredited) | 6.4 | |
September 7th, 2013 | Fading Gigolo | Sol | 5.8 | |
September 7th, 2012 | Girl Most Likely | Maxwell | 5.6 | |
June 8th, 2012 | Do You Like to Read? | The Narrator | 6.3 | |
May 16th, 2012 | Moonrise Kingdom | The Narrator | 7.7 | |
February 17th, 2012 | Thin Ice | Leonard Dahl | 6.5 | |
January 1st, 2011 | The Five Stages of Grief | Voice of Daniel's father | 7 | |
August 26th, 2010 | Howl | Judge Clayton Horn | 6.4 | |
April 7th, 2010 | F--k | Bob | 5.8 | |
September 24th, 2009 | Rage | Mr. White | 3.5 | |
June 17th, 2009 | The Windmill Movie | Self | 7 | |
May 25th, 2008 | Recount | Ben Ginsberg | 6.8 | |
August 24th, 2007 | Dedication | Arthur Planck | 6.4 | |
July 4th, 2007 | License to Wed | Jewelry Store Clerk (uncredited) | 5.7 | |
June 15th, 2007 | No Reservations | Therapist | 6.7 | |
January 1st, 2007 | Prince of the City: The Real Story | Self / Santimassino | TBD | |
November 17th, 2006 | For Your Consideration | Philip Koontz | 5.8 | |
July 19th, 2006 | Lady in the Water | Harry Farber | 5.6 | |
February 21st, 2006 | Controversy and Acclaim: The Timelessness of a Groundbreaking Film | Self | TBD | |
September 30th, 2005 | Capote | William Shawn | 7 | |
September 1st, 2005 | Trust the Man | Tobey's Therapist | 5.2 | |
November 23rd, 2004 | Kramer vs. Kramer: Kenny to Cosmo | Self | 7 | |
March 4th, 2004 | Scene Stealers | Jonathan Crouch Esq. | 7 | |
January 19th, 2004 | Marie and Bruce | Roger | 4.4 | |
April 16th, 2003 | A Mighty Wind | Jonathan Steinbloom | 6.8 | |
September 27th, 2002 | The Tuxedo | Winton Chalmers (uncredited) | 5.7 | |
June 18th, 2002 | The Making of Gosford Park | Self | 5.3 | |
March 22nd, 2002 | Plan B | James Foster | 4.5 | |
December 26th, 2001 | Gosford Park | Morris Weissman | 6.8 | |
December 21st, 2001 | The Majestic | Elvin Glyde | 6.8 | |
July 20th, 2001 | Ghost World | Enid's Dad | 7.1 | |
May 8th, 2001 | The Making of 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind' | Self | 7 | |
March 1st, 2001 | The Mexican | Bernie Nayman | 6 | |
September 29th, 2000 | Best in Show | Dr. Theodore W. Millbank, III | 6.9 | |
May 1st, 2000 | Tex, the Passive/Aggressive Gunslinger | Tex | 8 | |
December 10th, 1999 | Cradle Will Rock | Harry Hopkins | 6.5 | |
October 22nd, 1999 | Three to Tango | Decker | 5.7 | |
September 16th, 1999 | Jakob the Liar | Kowalsky | 6.7 | |
April 19th, 1999 | Swing Vote | Justice Eli MacCorckle | 5.8 | |
January 1st, 1999 | The Monster Hunter | Dr. William Powell | 5 | |
September 7th, 1998 | Giving Up the Ghost | Bob | 6.3 | |
December 12th, 1997 | Deconstructing Harry | Richard | 7.3 | |
July 4th, 1997 | The Definite Maybe | Wolfe Rollins | 4.5 | |
June 12th, 1997 | Clockwatchers | Milton Lasky | 6.2 | |
February 20th, 1997 | Conversation with the Beast | Mr. Webster | 10 | |
January 31st, 1997 | Waiting for Guffman | Lloyd Miller | 7 | |
February 24th, 1996 | The Late Shift | Warren Littlefield | 6.4 | |
February 9th, 1996 | Pie in the Sky | Paul Entamen | 6.6 | |
February 6th, 1995 | George Romero's Golden Tales 2 | TBD | TBD | |
June 10th, 1994 | City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold | Dr. Jeffrey Sanborn (uncredited) | 5.3 | |
March 4th, 1994 | Greedy | Ed | 6.2 | |
October 1st, 1993 | For Love or Money | Ed Drinkwater | 6.2 | |
March 5th, 1993 | Amos & Andrew | Dr. R. A. (Roy) Fink | 5.4 | |
September 4th, 1992 | Bob Roberts | Cutting Edge Producer | 6.6 | |
January 1st, 1992 | Unnatural Pursuits | Lou Finkleberg | TBD | |
September 6th, 1991 | Little Man Tate | Quizmaster | 6.6 | |
December 25th, 1990 | Alice | Sid Moscowitz | 6.4 | |
September 30th, 1990 | The Face of Fear | Ira Preduski | 6.9 | |
March 24th, 1989 | Dead Bang | Elliott Webley | 6.4 | |
April 1st, 1988 | Funny | Self | 8 | |
August 28th, 1987 | End of the Line | Warren Gerber | 5.4 | |
December 6th, 1984 | 2010 | Dr. R. Chandra | 6.7 | |
September 6th, 1984 | Nothing Lasts Forever | Guy with Sunglasses in Espresso Bar | 6.3 | |
January 1st, 1984 | 2010 : The Odyssey Continues | Himself | 10 | |
December 2nd, 1981 | Whose Life Is It Anyway? | Carter Hill | 7 | |
November 19th, 1981 | Absence of Malice | Elliott Rosen | 6.6 | |
August 19th, 1981 | Prince of the City | Santimassino | 7 | |
December 25th, 1980 | Altered States | Arthur Rosenberg | 6.7 | |
August 11th, 1978 | Girlfriends | Martin | 6.7 | |
December 14th, 1977 | Close Encounters of the Third Kind | David Laughlin | 7.4 | |
February 5th, 1975 | Report to the Commissioner | Joey Egan | 6.6 | |
July 31st, 1974 | The Bank Shot | Victor Karp | 5.4 | |
October 15th, 1971 | Marriage: Year One | Bernie | 6 | |
March 21st, 1971 | Making It | Wilkie | 4.3 | |
August 28th, 1970 | The Strawberry Statement | Elliot | 6 | |
June 24th, 1970 | Catch-22 | Capt. Orr | 6.7 | |
July 13th, 1969 | Me, Natalie | Morris | 5.6 | |
May 25th, 1969 | Midnight Cowboy | The Young Student | 7.5 |