Bob Balaban
Acting
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.
Fantasy Life
Lenny
Bad Actors
Desperate Souls, Dark City and the Legend of Midnight Cowboy
Self
Asteroid City
Larkings Executive
80 for Brady
Mark
How Dare You Want More: The Short Film
The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun
Uncle Nick
How Moving
Uncle Aaron
Carl Laemmle
Himself
An L.A. Minute
Shelley
Isle of Dogs
King (voice)
Spielberg
Self
Mascots
Sol Lumpkin
I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House
Mr. Waxcap
Eva Hesse
Wilhelm Hesse (voice)
Starring Austin Pendleton
Self
Mike Nichols: An American Master
Self
Everything Is Copy
Self
Exploring the Set of 'Moonrise Kingdom'
Self / The Narrator
Hitchcock/Truffaut
Narrator (voice)
The Grand Budapest Hotel
M. Martin
The Monuments Men
Pvt. Preston Savitz
Muhammad Ali's Greatest Fight
Lawyer (uncredited)
Fading Gigolo
Sol
Girl Most Likely
Maxwell
Do You Like to Read?
The Narrator
Moonrise Kingdom
The Narrator
Thin Ice
Leonard Dahl
The Five Stages of Grief
Voice of Daniel's father
Howl
Judge Clayton Horn
F--k
Bob
Rage
Mr. White
The Windmill Movie
Self
Recount
Ben Ginsberg
Dedication
Arthur Planck
License to Wed
Jewelry Store Clerk (uncredited)
No Reservations
Therapist
Prince of the City: The Real Story
Self / Santimassino
For Your Consideration
Philip Koontz
Lady in the Water
Harry Farber
Controversy and Acclaim: The Timelessness of a Groundbreaking Film
Self
Capote
William Shawn
Trust the Man
Tobey's Therapist
Kramer vs. Kramer: Kenny to Cosmo
Self
Scene Stealers
Jonathan Crouch Esq.
Marie and Bruce
Roger
A Mighty Wind
Jonathan Steinbloom
The Tuxedo
Winton Chalmers (uncredited)
The Making of Gosford Park
Self
Plan B
James Foster
Gosford Park
Morris Weissman
The Majestic
Elvin Glyde
Ghost World
Enid's Dad
The Making of 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind'
Self
The Mexican
Bernie Nayman
Best in Show
Dr. Theodore W. Millbank, III
Tex, the Passive/Aggressive Gunslinger
Tex
Cradle Will Rock
Harry Hopkins
Three to Tango
Decker
Jakob the Liar
Kowalsky
Swing Vote
Justice Eli MacCorckle
The Monster Hunter
Dr. William Powell
Giving Up the Ghost
Bob
Deconstructing Harry
Richard
The Definite Maybe
Wolfe Rollins
Clockwatchers
Milton Lasky
Conversation with the Beast
Mr. Webster
Waiting for Guffman
Lloyd Miller
The Late Shift
Warren Littlefield
Pie in the Sky
Paul Entamen
George Romero's Golden Tales 2
City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold
Dr. Jeffrey Sanborn (uncredited)
Greedy
Ed
For Love or Money
Ed Drinkwater
Amos & Andrew
Dr. R. A. (Roy) Fink
Bob Roberts
Cutting Edge Producer
Unnatural Pursuits
Lou Finkleberg
Little Man Tate
Quizmaster
Alice
Sid Moscowitz
The Face of Fear
Ira Preduski
Dead Bang
Elliott Webley
Funny
Self
End of the Line
Warren Gerber
2010
Dr. R. Chandra
Nothing Lasts Forever
Guy with Sunglasses in Espresso Bar
2010 : The Odyssey Continues
Himself
Whose Life Is It Anyway?
Carter Hill
Absence of Malice
Elliott Rosen
Prince of the City
Santimassino
Altered States
Arthur Rosenberg
Girlfriends
Martin
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
David Laughlin
Report to the Commissioner
Joey Egan
The Bank Shot
Victor Karp
Marriage: Year One
Bernie
Making It
Wilkie
The Strawberry Statement
Elliot
Catch-22
Capt. Orr
Me, Natalie
Morris
Midnight Cowboy
The Young Student