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.
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.
External links
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/nm0000837
Wikipedia: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q621490
Facebook: No data
Instagram: https://instagram.com/bobbalaban4real
Filmography (Movies)
Fantasy Life
Character:
Release Date:27/03/2026
Bad Actors
Character:
Release Date:01/01/2024
Desperate Souls, Dark City and the Legend of Midnight Cowboy
Character:Self
Release Date:23/06/2023
Asteroid City
Character:Larkings Executive
Release Date:08/06/2023
80 for Brady
Character:Mark
Release Date:03/02/2023
How Dare You Want More: The Short Film
Character:
Release Date:14/06/2022
The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun
Character:Uncle Nick
Release Date:21/10/2021
How Moving
Character:Uncle Aaron
Release Date:17/06/2021
Carl Laemmle
Character:Himself
Release Date:15/01/2019
An L.A. Minute
Character:Shelley
Release Date:24/08/2018
Isle of Dogs
Character:King (voice)
Release Date:23/03/2018
Spielberg
Character:Self
Release Date:05/10/2017
Mascots
Character:Sol Lumpkin
Release Date:11/10/2016
I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House
Character:Mr. Waxcap
Release Date:10/09/2016
Eva Hesse
Character:Wilhelm Hesse (voice)
Release Date:27/04/2016
Starring Austin Pendleton
Character:Self
Release Date:01/04/2016
Mike Nichols: An American Master
Character:Self
Release Date:29/01/2016
Everything Is Copy
Character:Self
Release Date:29/09/2015
Exploring the Set of 'Moonrise Kingdom'
Character:Self / The Narrator
Release Date:22/09/2015
Hitchcock/Truffaut
Character:Narrator (voice)
Release Date:05/09/2015
The Grand Budapest Hotel
Character:M. Martin
Release Date:26/02/2014
The Monuments Men
Character:Pvt. Preston Savitz
Release Date:24/01/2014
Muhammad Ali's Greatest Fight
Character:Lawyer (uncredited)
Release Date:04/10/2013
Fading Gigolo
Character:Sol
Release Date:07/09/2013
Girl Most Likely
Character:Maxwell
Release Date:07/09/2012
Do You Like to Read?
Character:The Narrator
Release Date:08/06/2012
Moonrise Kingdom
Character:The Narrator
Release Date:16/05/2012
Thin Ice
Character:Leonard Dahl
Release Date:17/02/2012
The Five Stages of Grief
Character:Voice of Daniel's father
Release Date:01/01/2011
Howl
Character:Judge Clayton Horn
Release Date:26/08/2010
F--k
Character:Bob
Release Date:07/04/2010
Rage
Character:Mr. White
Release Date:24/09/2009
The Windmill Movie
Character:Self
Release Date:17/06/2009
Recount
Character:Ben Ginsberg
Release Date:25/05/2008
Dedication
Character:Arthur Planck
Release Date:24/08/2007
License to Wed
Character:Jewelry Store Clerk (uncredited)
Release Date:04/07/2007
No Reservations
Character:Therapist
Release Date:15/06/2007
Prince of the City: The Real Story
Character:Self / Santimassino
Release Date:01/01/2007
For Your Consideration
Character:Philip Koontz
Release Date:17/11/2006
Lady in the Water
Character:Harry Farber
Release Date:19/07/2006
Controversy and Acclaim: The Timelessness of a Groundbreaking Film
Character:Self
Release Date:21/02/2006
Capote
Character:William Shawn
Release Date:30/09/2005
Trust the Man
Character:Tobey's Therapist
Release Date:01/09/2005
Kramer vs. Kramer: Kenny to Cosmo
Character:Self
Release Date:23/11/2004
Scene Stealers
Character:Jonathan Crouch Esq.
Release Date:04/03/2004
Marie and Bruce
Character:Roger
Release Date:19/01/2004
A Mighty Wind
Character:Jonathan Steinbloom
Release Date:16/04/2003
The Tuxedo
Character:Winton Chalmers (uncredited)
Release Date:27/09/2002
The Making of Gosford Park
Character:Self
Release Date:18/06/2002
Plan B
Character:James Foster
Release Date:22/03/2002
Gosford Park
Character:Morris Weissman
Release Date:26/12/2001
The Majestic
Character:Elvin Glyde
Release Date:21/12/2001
Ghost World
Character:Enid's Dad
Release Date:20/07/2001
The Making of 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind'
Character:Self
Release Date:08/05/2001
The Mexican
Character:Bernie Nayman
Release Date:01/03/2001
Best in Show
Character:Dr. Theodore W. Millbank, III
Release Date:29/09/2000
Tex, the Passive/Aggressive Gunslinger
Character:Tex
Release Date:01/05/2000
Cradle Will Rock
Character:Harry Hopkins
Release Date:10/12/1999
Three to Tango
Character:Decker
Release Date:22/10/1999
Jakob the Liar
Character:Kowalsky
Release Date:16/09/1999
Swing Vote
Character:Justice Eli MacCorckle
Release Date:19/04/1999
The Monster Hunter
Character:Dr. William Powell
Release Date:01/01/1999
Giving Up the Ghost
Character:Bob
Release Date:07/09/1998
Deconstructing Harry
Character:Richard
Release Date:12/12/1997
The Definite Maybe
Character:Wolfe Rollins
Release Date:04/07/1997
Clockwatchers
Character:Milton Lasky
Release Date:12/06/1997
Conversation with the Beast
Character:Mr. Webster
Release Date:20/02/1997
Waiting for Guffman
Character:Lloyd Miller
Release Date:21/08/1996
The Late Shift
Character:Warren Littlefield
Release Date:24/02/1996
Pie in the Sky
Character:Paul Entamen
Release Date:09/02/1996
George Romero's Golden Tales 2
Character:
Release Date:06/02/1995
City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold
Character:Dr. Jeffrey Sanborn (uncredited)
Release Date:10/06/1994
Greedy
Character:Ed
Release Date:04/03/1994
For Love or Money
Character:Ed Drinkwater
Release Date:01/10/1993
Amos & Andrew
Character:Dr. R. A. (Roy) Fink
Release Date:05/03/1993
Bob Roberts
Character:Cutting Edge Producer
Release Date:04/09/1992
Unnatural Pursuits
Character:Lou Finkleberg
Release Date:01/01/1992
Little Man Tate
Character:Quizmaster
Release Date:06/09/1991
Alice
Character:Sid Moscowitz
Release Date:25/12/1990
The Face of Fear
Character:Ira Preduski
Release Date:30/09/1990
Dead Bang
Character:Elliott Webley
Release Date:24/03/1989
Funny
Character:Self
Release Date:01/04/1988
End of the Line
Character:Warren Gerber
Release Date:28/08/1987
2010
Character:Dr. R. Chandra
Release Date:06/12/1984
Nothing Lasts Forever
Character:Guy with Sunglasses in Espresso Bar
Release Date:06/09/1984
2010 : The Odyssey Continues
Character:Himself
Release Date:01/01/1984
Whose Life Is It Anyway?
Character:Carter Hill
Release Date:02/12/1981
Absence of Malice
Character:Elliott Rosen
Release Date:19/11/1981
Prince of the City
Character:Santimassino
Release Date:19/08/1981
Altered States
Character:Arthur Rosenberg
Release Date:25/12/1980
Girlfriends
Character:Martin
Release Date:11/08/1978
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Character:David Laughlin
Release Date:14/12/1977
Report to the Commissioner
Character:Joey Egan
Release Date:05/02/1975
The Bank Shot
Character:Victor Karp
Release Date:31/07/1974
Marriage: Year One
Character:Bernie
Release Date:15/10/1971
Making It
Character:Wilkie
Release Date:21/03/1971
The Strawberry Statement
Character:Elliot
Release Date:28/08/1970
Catch-22
Character:Capt. Orr
Release Date:24/06/1970
Me, Natalie
Character:Morris
Release Date:13/07/1969
Midnight Cowboy
Character:The Young Student
Release Date:25/05/1969
Television Appearances
Severance
Character:Mark Wilkins
The Chair
Character:Elliot Rentz
Space Force
Character:Ron (voice)
The Politician
Character:Keaton Hobart
Summer Camp Island
Character:Gerald (voice)
Condor
Character:Reuel Abbott
James Cameron's Story of Science Fiction
Character:Self
Wormwood
Character:Dr. Harold A. Abramson
Graves
Character:Secretary Burns
Show Me a Hero
Character:Leonard B. Sand
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
Character:Self
Broad City
Character:Arthur Wexler
Family Tree
Character:Melvin Schmelff / Tumbleweed Tim
Alpha House
Character:Senator Elliot Robeson
Girls
Character:Therapist
China, IL
Character:(voice)
Web Therapy
Character:Ted Mitchell
Moguls & Movie Stars: A History of Hollywood
Character:Self
The Good Wife
Character:Gordon Higgs
Web Therapy
Character:Ted Mitchell
Hopeless Pictures
Character:
American Dad!
Character:Glen Hanover (voice)
Tom Goes to the Mayor
Character:Walt Pickle (voice)
Entourage
Character:Doctor
Now and Again
Character:
The West Wing
Character:Ted Marcus
Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist
Character:Bob (voice)
Legend
Character:
Friends
Character:Frank Sr.
The Simpsons
Character:Narrator (voice)
Seinfeld
Character:Russell Dalrymple
Amazing Stories
Character:Jo-Jo Gillespie
Miami Vice
Character:Ira Stone
Fridays
Character:Self
Maude
Character:Ambrose Riley
Love, American Style
Character:Nick
Room 222
Character:
The Mod Squad
Character:
Hank
Character:
The Mike Douglas Show
Character:Self
Images
