Stephen Tobolowsky

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Date of Birth : May 30th 1951

He started his acting career in 1987 and has appeared in over 200 films and at least as many television projects with mostly minor roles. Throughout his career he has maintained a connection to the theater by directing and acting in plays in New York, San Francisco and Los Angeles. He directed one movie, Two Idiots in Hollywood, which was based on his play of the same name. He also co-wrote the film True Stories with David Byrne. In 2005 he released a documentary film, Stephen Tobolowsky’s Birthday Party, featuring a performance in which he tells stories from his life to a group of friends.

Perhaps through sheer force of repetition, he is best known from his role in 1993’s Groundhog Day, in which he played Bill Murray’s annoying high school classmate and insurance salesman, Ned Ryerson, who Murray’s character continuously runs into when he repeats February 2. He would later reunite with Murray eleven years later and appeared in the movie version of the comic strip Garfield where he played the sinister dog trainer Happy Chapman (Murray himself provided the voice of the orange feline).

He then appears as a gentle sound man with a dark secret in the 1994 film Radioland Murders. He also has a memorable guest spot on Seinfeld as Tor Ackman, Kramer’s holistic healer, in the second season episode, “The Heart Attack”. He is also known for playing Sammy Jankis in 2001’s Memento starring Guy Pearce. He was nominated for a Tony Award as Best Featured Actor in a Play for the 2002 revival of Morning’s at Seven. He is a member of the cast of NBC’s television series Heroes for its second season, portraying Bob, the new boss of the Company.