Bob Balaban

Acting · 2.4 popularity

Age

Movies

100

Born: August 16, 1945
From: Chicago, Illinois, USA

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.

Works

100 films

The Grand Budapest Hotel

20148.0

Close Encounters of the Third Kind

19777.4

Isle of Dogs

20187.8

The Tuxedo

20025.7

Asteroid City

20236.5

The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun

20217.0

Moonrise Kingdom

20127.7

2010

19846.7

The Monuments Men

20146.1

Gosford Park

20016.8

Catch-22

19706.7

The Mexican

20016.0

Midnight Cowboy

19697.5

No Reservations

20076.7

Deconstructing Harry

19977.3

The Majestic

20016.8

Little Man Tate

19916.6

80 for Brady

20236.2

Lady in the Water

20065.6

Best in Show

20006.9

Altered States

19806.7

Ghost World

20017.1

License to Wed

20075.7

For Love or Money

19936.2

Capote

20057.0

Fading Gigolo

20135.8

Thin Ice

20126.5

Cradle Will Rock

19996.5

Greedy

19946.2

Scene Stealers

20047.0

Jakob the Liar

19996.7

A Mighty Wind

20036.8

Amos & Andrew

19935.5

Whose Life Is It Anyway?

19817.0

Absence of Malice

19816.6

Dead Bang

19896.4

Mike Nichols: An American Master

20166.3

For Your Consideration

20065.8

Spielberg

20177.5

City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold

19945.3

Conversation with the Beast

199710.0

Alice

19906.4

Me, Natalie

19695.6

Three to Tango

19995.7

Clockwatchers

19976.2

End of the Line

19875.3

Kramer vs. Kramer: Kenny to Cosmo

20047.0

Trust the Man

20055.2

Muhammad Ali's Greatest Fight

20136.4

Bob Roberts

19926.6

The Strawberry Statement

19705.9

Waiting for Guffman

19977.0

Girlfriends

19786.7

Starring Austin Pendleton

20166.7

Howl

20106.4

Girl Most Likely

20125.6

Prince of the City

19817.0

Recount

20086.8

Marriage: Year One

19716.0

Mascots

20165.4

I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House

20164.6

F--k

20105.8

The Bank Shot

19745.4

Fantasy Life

20266.2

The Late Shift

19966.4

Nothing Lasts Forever

19846.3

The Making of Gosford Park

20025.3

Hitchcock/Truffaut

20157.2

Carl Laemmle

20194.0

Pie in the Sky

19966.6

Report to the Commissioner

19756.6

George Romero's Golden Tales 2

1995

Plan B

20024.5

Marie and Bruce

20044.4

Everything Is Copy

20157.4

Bad Actors

2024

Swing Vote

19995.8

Dedication

20076.4

The Making of 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind'

20017.1

2010 : The Odyssey Continues

198410.0

Giving Up the Ghost

19986.3

Controversy and Acclaim: The Timelessness of a Groundbreaking Film

2006

The Monster Hunter

19995.0

Prince of the City: The Real Story

2007

Exploring the Set of 'Moonrise Kingdom'

20156.1

The Windmill Movie

20097.0

An L.A. Minute

20182.0

The Definite Maybe

19974.5

Rage

20093.5

Making It

19714.3

The Five Stages of Grief

20117.0

Desperate Souls, Dark City and the Legend of Midnight Cowboy

20235.0

Funny

19888.0

The Face of Fear

19906.9

Unnatural Pursuits

1992

How Moving

2021

How Dare You Want More: The Short Film

2022

Eva Hesse

20166.5

Tex, the Passive/Aggressive Gunslinger

20008.0

Do You Like to Read?

20126.4