Bob Balaban

Overview

Known for
Acting
Gender
Male
Birthday
Aug 16, 1945 (79 years old)

Bob Balaban

Known For

Fantasy Life
1h 31m
Movie 2025

Fantasy Life

After losing his job as a paralegal, Sam Stein suffers a panic attack and stumbles into a job babysitting his psychiatrist's three granddaughters. The girls' mother, Dianne, is an actor whose once-promising career has stalled; she's in a difficult marriage to David, a rock bassist. When David goes abroad on tour, Dianne and Sam discover an easy rapport as well as a shared history of mental illness. Sam joins Dianne's family to babysit for the summer on Martha's Vineyard, and he ends up in a house with the woman he pines for, her husband, the three kids, and all four grandparents, including his psychiatrist.

Desperate Souls, Dark City and the Legend of Midnight Cowboy
1h 42m
Movie 2023

Desperate Souls, Dark City and the Legend of Midnight Cowboy

This is not a documentary about the making of Midnight Cowboy. It is about a humane and groundbreaking masterpiece and the flawed but gifted people who made it. It is about a troubled era of cultural ferment, social and political change, about broken dreams and strivers, then and now. It is about an era that made a movie and a movie that made an era.

Asteroid City
1h 45m
Movie 2023

Asteroid City

In an American desert town circa 1955, the itinerary of a Junior Stargazer/Space Cadet convention is spectacularly disrupted by world-changing events.

80 for Brady
1h 38m
Movie 2023

80 for Brady

Four lifelong friends set out on an unforgettable journey to see their hero Tom Brady play in Super Bowl LI and witness one of the greatest comebacks in sports history, discovering that it's never too late to live life to the fullest. Inspired by a true story.

How Dare You Want More: The Short Film
0h 24m
Movie 2022

How Dare You Want More: The Short Film

A short film sequel to the six-episode web miniseries “Thank You and Sorry.”

The French Dispatch
1h 48m
Movie 2021

The French Dispatch

The staff of an American magazine based in France puts out its last issue, with stories featuring an artist sentenced to life imprisonment, student riots, and a kidnapping resolved by a chef.

The Chair
TV Show 2021

The Chair

At a major university, the first woman of color to become chair tries to meet the dizzying demands and high expectations of a failing English department.

How Moving
0h 12m
Movie 2021

How Moving

With some apprehension, Jared (Richard Ellis) flew across the country to move in with his boyfriend, Owen (writer-director Owen Thiele). On top of the expected challenges of move-in day, they're faced with a practical one that puts their relationship to the test.

Carl Laemmle
1h 31m
Movie 2019

Carl Laemmle

A documentary about the life of Carl Laemmle, early cinema pioneer and founder of Universal Studios, documenting his life in Hollywood and his efforts in the 1930s to save Jewish families in Nazi Germany.

An L.A. Minute
1h 27m
Movie 2018

An L.A. Minute

Best-selling author Ted Gold faces a moral dilemma when Velocity, an avant-garde performance artist and the living embodiment of integrity, rocks his 1% world.

Biography

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.

Acting

2025
Fantasy Life
2023
Desperate Souls, Dark City and the Legend of Midnight Cowboy
2023
Asteroid City
2023
80 for Brady
2022
How Dare You Want More: The Short Film
2021
The French Dispatch
2021
The Chair
2021
How Moving
2019
Carl Laemmle
2018
An L.A. Minute
2018
Condor
2018
Isle of Dogs
2017
Spielberg
2016
Mascots
2016
I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House
2016
Eva Hesse
2016
Starring Austin Pendleton
2016
Mike Nichols: An American Master
2015
Everything Is Copy
2015
Exploring the Set of 'Moonrise Kingdom'
2015
Hitchcock/Truffaut
2015
Show Me a Hero
2014
The Monuments Men
2012
Thin Ice
2011
The Five Stages of Grief
2010
Moguls & Movie Stars: A History of Hollywood
2010
F--k
2009
Rage
2008
Recount
2007
Dedication
2007
License to Wed
2007
Prince of the City: The Real Story
2006
For Your Consideration
2006
Controversy and Acclaim: The Timelessness of a Groundbreaking Film
2005
Hopeless Pictures
2004
Scene Stealers
2004
Marie and Bruce
2002
The Tuxedo
2002
The Making of 'Gosford Park'
2001
The Majestic
2001
Ghost World
2001
The Making of 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind'
2001
The Mexican
2000
Tex, the Passive/Aggressive Gunslinger
1999
Cradle Will Rock
1999
George Romero's Golden Tales 2
1999
Three to Tango
1999
Swing Vote
1998
Giving Up the Ghost
1997
The Definite Maybe
1997
Conversation with the Beast
1996
Waiting for Guffman
1996
The Late Shift
1994
City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold
1994
Greedy
1993
For Love or Money
1993
Amos & Andrew
1992
Bob Roberts
1991
Little Man Tate
1990
Alice
1990
The Face of Fear
1988
Funny

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