
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
Browse this person's indexed movie and television credits across the ReelSuite catalog.
Movies
49 titles
Asteroid City
80 for Brady
The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun
Isle of Dogs
Spielberg
Mascots
I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House
Hitchcock/Truffaut
The Grand Budapest Hotel
The Monuments Men
Fading Gigolo
Moonrise Kingdom
Girl Most Likely
Thin Ice
Howl
Recount
No Reservations
License to Wed
Dedication
Lady in the Water
For Your Consideration
Capote
Trust the Man
A Mighty Wind
The Tuxedo
Gosford Park
The Majestic
The Mexican
Ghost World
Best in Show
Three to Tango
Deconstructing Harry
Waiting for Guffman
Greedy
City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold
For Love or Money
Amos & Andrew
Bob Roberts
Little Man Tate
Alice
Dead Bang
Parents
2010
Absence of Malice
Prince of the City
Altered States
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
Catch-22
Midnight Cowboy
TV series
18 titles
Severance
The Chair
Space Force
The Politician
Condor
Show Me a Hero
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
Broad City
Girls
The Good Wife
American Dad!
Entourage
The West Wing
Friends
The Simpsons
Seinfeld
Amazing Stories