Bob Balaban
Acting
140
Acting Credits
25
Directed
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...
Known For
Filmography
Fantasy Life
2026
as Lenny
Bad Actors
2024
80 for Brady
2023
as Mark
Asteroid City
2023
as Larkings Executive
Desperate Souls, Dark City and the Legend of Midnight Cowboy
2023
as Self
How Dare You Want More: The Short Film
2022
Severance
2022
as Mark Wilkins
The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun
2021
as Uncle Nick
How Moving
2021
as Uncle Aaron
The Chair
2021
as Elliot Rentz
Space Force
2020
as Ron (voice)
Carl Laemmle
2019
as Himself
The Politician
2019
as Keaton Hobart
An L.A. Minute
2018
as Shelley
Isle of Dogs
2018
as King (voice)
Condor
2018
as Reuel Abbott
Summer Camp Island
2018
as Gerald (voice)
James Cameron's Story of Science Fiction
2018
as Self
Spielberg
2017
as Self
Wormwood
2017
as Dr. Harold A. Abramson
Mascots
2016
as Sol Lumpkin
Eva Hesse
2016
as Wilhelm Hesse (voice)
I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House
2016
as Mr. Waxcap
Mike Nichols: An American Master
2016
as Self
Starring Austin Pendleton
2016
as Self
Graves
2016
as Secretary Burns
Exploring the Set of 'Moonrise Kingdom'
2015
as Self / The Narrator
Everything Is Copy
2015
as Self
Hitchcock/Truffaut
2015
as Narrator (voice)
Show Me a Hero
2015
as Leonard B. Sand
The Grand Budapest Hotel
2014
as M. Martin
The Monuments Men
2014
as Pvt. Preston Savitz
Broad City
2014
as Arthur Wexler
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
2014
as Self
Fading Gigolo
2013
as Sol
Muhammad Ali's Greatest Fight
2013
as Lawyer (uncredited)
Alpha House
2013
as Senator Elliot Robeson
Family Tree
2013
as Melvin Schmelff / Tumbleweed Tim
Girl Most Likely
2012
as Maxwell
Moonrise Kingdom
2012
as The Narrator
Thin Ice
2012
as Leonard Dahl
Do You Like to Read?
2012
as The Narrator
Girls
2012
as Therapist
The Five Stages of Grief
2011
as Voice of Daniel's father
Web Therapy
2011
as Ted Mitchell
China, IL
2011
as (voice)
Howl
2010
as Judge Clayton Horn
F--k
2010
as Bob
Moguls & Movie Stars: A History of Hollywood
2010
as Self
Rage
2009
as Mr. White
The Windmill Movie
2009
as Self
The Good Wife
2009
as Gordon Higgs
Recount
2008
as Ben Ginsberg
Web Therapy
2008
as Ted Mitchell
No Reservations
2007
as Therapist
Dedication
2007
as Arthur Planck
License to Wed
2007
as Jewelry Store Clerk (uncredited)
Prince of the City: The Real Story
2007
as Self / Santimassino
Lady in the Water
2006
as Harry Farber
For Your Consideration
2006
as Philip Koontz
Controversy and Acclaim: The Timelessness of a Groundbreaking Film
2006
as Self
Trust the Man
2005
as Tobey's Therapist
Capote
2005
as William Shawn
Hopeless Pictures
2005
American Dad!
2005
as Glen Hanover (voice)
Scene Stealers
2004
as Jonathan Crouch Esq.
Marie and Bruce
2004
as Roger
Kramer vs. Kramer: Kenny to Cosmo
2004
as Self
Tom Goes to the Mayor
2004
as Walt Pickle (voice)
Entourage
2004
as Doctor
A Mighty Wind
2003
as Jonathan Steinbloom
The Tuxedo
2002
as Winton Chalmers (uncredited)
Plan B
2002
as James Foster
The Making of Gosford Park
2002
as Self
Ghost World
2001
as Enid's Dad
Gosford Park
2001
as Morris Weissman
The Majestic
2001
as Elvin Glyde
The Mexican
2001
as Bernie Nayman
The Making of 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind'
2001
as Self
Best in Show
2000
as Dr. Theodore W. Millbank, III
Tex, the Passive/Aggressive Gunslinger
2000
as Tex
Jakob the Liar
1999
as Kowalsky
The Monster Hunter
1999
as Dr. William Powell
Swing Vote
1999
as Justice Eli MacCorckle
Three to Tango
1999
as Decker
Cradle Will Rock
1999
as Harry Hopkins
Now and Again
1999
The West Wing
1999
as Ted Marcus
Giving Up the Ghost
1998
as Bob
Conversation with the Beast
1997
as Mr. Webster
Deconstructing Harry
1997
as Richard
Waiting for Guffman
1997
as Lloyd Miller
Clockwatchers
1997
as Milton Lasky
The Definite Maybe
1997
as Wolfe Rollins
The Late Shift
1996
as Warren Littlefield
Pie in the Sky
1996
as Paul Entamen
George Romero's Golden Tales 2
1995
Legend
1995
Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist
1995
as Bob (voice)
City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold
1994
as Dr. Jeffrey Sanborn (uncredited)
Greedy
1994
as Ed
Friends
1994
as Frank Sr.
For Love or Money
1993
as Ed Drinkwater
Amos & Andrew
1993
as Dr. R. A. (Roy) Fink
Unnatural Pursuits
1992
as Lou Finkleberg
Bob Roberts
1992
as Cutting Edge Producer
Little Man Tate
1991
as Quizmaster
The Face of Fear
1990
as Ira Preduski
Alice
1990
as Sid Moscowitz
Dead Bang
1989
as Elliott Webley
The Simpsons
1989
as Narrator (voice)
Seinfeld
1989
as Russell Dalrymple
Funny
1988
as Self
End of the Line
1987
as Warren Gerber
Amazing Stories
1985
as Jo-Jo Gillespie
2010
1984
as Dr. R. Chandra
Nothing Lasts Forever
1984
as Guy with Sunglasses in Espresso Bar
2010 : The Odyssey Continues
1984
as Himself
Miami Vice
1984
as Ira Stone
Whose Life Is It Anyway?
1981
as Carter Hill
Absence of Malice
1981
as Elliott Rosen
Prince of the City
1981
as Santimassino
Altered States
1980
as Arthur Rosenberg
Fridays
1980
as Self
Girlfriends
1978
as Martin
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
1977
as David Laughlin
Report to the Commissioner
1975
as Joey Egan
The Bank Shot
1974
as Victor Karp
Maude
1972
as Ambrose Riley
Making It
1971
as Wilkie
Marriage: Year One
1971
as Bernie
The Strawberry Statement
1970
as Elliot
Catch-22
1970
as Capt. Orr
Midnight Cowboy
1969
as The Young Student
Me, Natalie
1969
as Morris
Room 222
1969
Love, American Style
1969
as Nick
The Mod Squad
1968
Hank
1965
The Mike Douglas Show
1961
as Self