1. Theatre, Film, and Television Biographies
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Bob Balaban Biography (1945-)

Full name, Robert Elmer Balaban; born August 16, 1945, in Chicago, IL; son ofElmer (a movie theater chain co-owner) and Eleanor (maiden name, Pottasch) Balaban; married Lynn Grossman (a writer), April 1, 1977; children: Mariah, Hazel. Addresses: Agent: Susan Smith & Associates, 121 N. San Vicente Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA 90211.

Nationality

American

Gender

Male

Occupation

Actor, director, producer, screenwriter

Birth Details

August 16, 1945

Chicago, Illinois, United States

Famous Works

• CREDITS
• Stage Appearances
• (Off-Broadway debut) Linus, You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown,Theatre 80 St. Mark's, New York City, 1967
• Bellhop, "Visit from Mamaroneck," and Borden Eisler, "Visitor from ForestHills," Plaza Suite, Plymouth Theatre, 1968
• Oak Bainbridge, Up Eden, Jan Hus Playhouse, New York City, 1968
• Weems, The White House Murder Case, Circle in the Square, New YorkCity, 1970
• Title role, The Basic Training of Pavlo Hummel, New York Shakespeare Festival, Public Theatre, New York City, 1971
• Who Wants to Be the Lone Ranger?, Center Theatre Group, NewTheatre for Now, Los Angeles, 1971
• Christopher, The Children, New York Shakespeare Festival, Public Theatre, 1972
• Lawrence Mumford, Some of My Best Friends, Longacre Theatre, New York City, 1977
• Ossip (Khlestakov's servant), The Inspector General, Circle inthe Square, 1978
• Bruce, Marie and Bruce, New York Shakespeare Festival, Public Theatre, 1980
• Baron Nicolai Tuzenbach, The Three Sisters, Manhattan Theatre Club, New York City, 1982
• Arnold Wiggins, The Boys Next Door, McCarter Theatre, Princeton, NJ, 1986
• Speed the Plow, Broadway production, 1991
• Some Americans Abroad, off-Broadway production, 1991
• Title role, "Mr. Happiness," The Water Engine & Mr. Happiness(double bill), Atlantic Theater Company, New York City, 1999
• Stage Director
• Girls, Girls, Girls, New York Shakespeare Festival, Public Theatre, 1980
• Vick's Boy, Theater Off Park, New York City, 1999
• Y2K, Humana Theatre Festiville, 1999 , then Lucille Lortel Theatre, New York City, 1999-2000
• Also directed Tennessee and Me, Ensemble Studio Theatre, New YorkCity.
• Film Appearances
• (Film debut) Homosexual student in theater, Midnight Cowboy, United Artists, 1969
• Morris, Me Natalie, National General, 1969
• Elliot (the organizer), The Strawberry Statement, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, 1970
• Captain Orr, Catch 22, Paramount, 1970
• Wilkie, Making It, Twentieth Century-Fox, 1971
• Julie, Day for Night (also known as La Nuit americaine), Columbia, 1973
• (As Rob Balaban) Victor Karp, Bank Shot, United Artists, 1974
• Joey Egan, Report to the Commissioner (also known as OperationUndercover), United Artists, 1975
• Interpreter David Laughlin, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Columbia, 1977
• Martin, Girlfriends, Warner Bros., 1978
• Narrator, First Love, 1979
• Arthur Rosenberg, Altered States, Warner Bros., 1980
• Elliot Rosen, Absence of Malice, Columbia, 1981
• Santimassino, Prince of the City, Warner Bros., 1981
• Carter Hill, Whose Life Is It, Anyway?, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists, 1981
• Himself, In Our Hands (documentary), Almi Classics, 1984
• (Uncredited) Himself, 2010: The Odyssey Continues, 1984
• R. Chandra, 2010 (also known as 2010: The Year We Make Contact), Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer/United Artists, 1984
• Warren Gerber, End of the Line, Orion Classics, 1987
• Actor/director, "Buy Your Slippers" and "The Whale Sandwich," Funny, 1988
• Elliot Webly, Dead Bang (also known as Dead-Bang), 1989
• Sid Moscowitz, Alice, 1990
• (Uncredited) Quizmaster, Little Man Tate, 1991
• Cutting Edge producer Michael Janes, Bob Roberts, 1992
• Mr. Drinkwater, For Love or Money, 1993
• Dr. R.A. (Roy) Fink, Amos & Andrew, 1993
• Ed, Greedy, 1994
• (Uncredited) Radio shrink, City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly'sGold, 1994
• Paul Entamen, Pie in the Sky, Fine Line, 1996
• Lloyd Miller, Waiting for Guffman, Sony Pictures Classics, 1996
• Mister Webster, Conversation with the Beast (also known as Gespraech mit dem Biest), 1996
• Milton Lasky, Clockwatchers, Artistic License, 1997
• Richard, Deconstructing Harry, Fine Line, 1997
• Wolfe Rollins, The Definite Maybe, 1997
• Himself, The Making of "Close Encounters of the Third Kind," 1998
• Harry Hopkins, Cradle Will Rock, 1999
• Kowalsky, Jakob the Liar (also known as Jakob le menteur),Buena Vista, 1999
• Decker, Three to Tango, Warner Bros., 1999
• Dr. William Powell, Natural Selection, 1999
• Dr. Theodore W. Millbank III, Best in Show, Warner Bros., 2000
• Title role, Tex, the Passive-Aggressive Gunslinger, 2000
• Film Work
• Director, Parents, Samuel Goldwyn Films, 1989
• Director, My Boyfriend's Back (also known as Johnny Zombie), 1993
• Producer and director, The Last Good Time, Samuel Goldwyn Films, 1994
• Executive producer, The Definite Maybe, 1997
• Television Appearances
• Movies
• Bernie, Marriage: Year One, NBC, 1971
• Detective Ira Preduski, The Face of Fear, CBS, 1990
• Unnatural Pursuits, Arts and Entertainment, 1994
• Warren Littlefield, The Late Shift, HBO, 1996
• Bob Shadyyac, Giving Up the Ghost, Lifetime, 1998
• Justice Eli "The Cork" MacCorkle, Swing Vote, ABC, 1999
• Episodic
• Vietnam-related journalist, "Back in the World," Miami Vice, 1985
• Journalist, "Stone's War,' Miami Vice, 1986
• Jo-Jo Gillespie, "Gershwin's Trunk," Amazing Stories, 1987
• Russell Dalrymple, "The Pitch," Seinfeld, NBC, 1992
• Russell Dalrymple, "The Ticket," Seinfeld, NBC, 1992
• Russell Dalrymple, "The Watch: Part 2," Seinfeld, NBC, 1992
• Russell Dalrymple, "The Shoes," Seinfeld, NBC, 1993
• Russell Dalrymple, "The Pilot," Seinfeld, NBC, 1993
• Harry Parver, Legend, UPN, 1995
• Frank, Sr., "The One with Joey's Bag," Friends, NBC, 1999
• Ted Marcus, movie executive, "20 Hours in L.A.," The West Wing, NBC, 2000
• Frederick Lizzard, "Lizzard's Tale," Now and Again, 2000
• Made television debut in The Mod Squad, ABC; also appeared as Ambrose Riley, "Maude's Ex-Convict," Maude.
• Specials
• Invisible Thread (also known as Penn & Teller's Invisible Thread), PBS, 1987
• Television Director
• Movies
• The Brass Ring, 1983
• "The 5:24," Subway Stories: Tales from the Underground, HBO, 1997
• Episodic
• "Trick or Treat," Tales from the Darkside, syndicated, 1983
• "Fine Tuning," Amazing Stories, NBC, 1985
• Eerie, Indiana, 1991
• Legend, UPN, 1995
• "Great Men," Oz, HBO, 1997
• Lateline, ABC, 1999
• Now and Again, ABC, 1999
• Strangers with Candy, Comedy Central, 1999
• Deadline, 2000
• Specials
• Penn and Teller's Invisible Thread, PBS, 1987
• RECORDINGS
• Albums
• Appeared on the original cast album for You're a Good Man, CharlieBrown.
• WRITINGS
• Screenplays
• The Last Good Time, 1994
• Nonficton
• Close Encounters Diary, 1977

Further Reference

OTHER SOURCES

Periodicals:

• Backstage, October 29, 1999, p. 19.
• Entertainment Weekly, March 22, 1996, p. 12.
• The New York Times, April 2, 1995, p. H17.