
Bob Balaban
Bob Balaban, a diminutive titan of screen and stage, has built a career marked by versatility and wit since the 1960s. Early roles in Midnight Cowboy and Close Encounters of the Third Kind established him as a reliable presence in serious cinema, while collaborations with Christopher Guest in mockumentary comedies like Waiting for Guffman and Best in Show showcased his comedic brilliance. Balaban's range extends to directing three feature films and writing acclaimed children's novels, securing his status as a multifaceted artist. His sharp timing and nuanced performances have earned him two Primetime Emmy Awards and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Film Institute.
Known For
The roles that explain the career.








Filmography
76 credits across 3 departments.
| Year | Title | Role | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Desperate Souls, Dark City and the Legend of Midnight Cowboy | Self | Film |
| 2021 | The Chair | Elliot Rentz | TV |
| 2021 | The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun | Uncle Nick | Film |
| 2018 | Isle of Dogs | King (voice) | Film |
| 2018 | Condor | Reuel Abbott | TV |
| 2015 | Show Me a Hero | Leonard B. Sand | TV |
| 2015 | Hitchcock/Truffaut | Narrator (voice) | Film |
| 2014 | The Grand Budapest Hotel | M. Martin | Film |
| 2014 | The Monuments Men | Pvt. Preston Savitz | Film |
| 2013 | Fading Gigolo | Sol | Film |
| 2012 | Thin Ice | Leonard Dahl | Film |
| 2012 | Girl Most Likely | Maxwell | Film |
| 2012 | Moonrise Kingdom | The Narrator | Film |
| 2010 | Howl | Judge Clayton Horn | Film |
| 2009 | The Windmill Movie | Self | Film |
| 2009 | Rage | Mr. White | Film |
| 2009 | Georgia O'Keeffe | Director | Film |
| 2008 | Recount | Ben Ginsberg | Film |
| 2007 | Dedication | Arthur Planck | Film |
| 2007 | License to Wed | Jewelry Store Clerk (uncredited) | Film |
| 2007 | No Reservations | Therapist | Film |
| 2006 | For Your Consideration | Philip Koontz | Film |
| 2006 | Lady in the Water | Harry Farber | Film |
| 2006 | Bernard and Doris | Director | Film |
| 2006 | Bernard and Doris | Executive Producer | Film |
| 2006 | The Minor Accomplishments of Jackie Woodman | Producer | TV |
| 2005 | Capote | William Shawn | Film |
| 2005 | Trust the Man | Tobey's Therapist | Film |
| 2004 | Kramer vs. Kramer: Kenny to Cosmo | Self | Film |
| 2004 | Marie and Bruce | Roger | Film |
| 2003 | A Mighty Wind | Jonathan Steinbloom | Film |
| 2002 | Plan B | James Foster | Film |
| 2001 | Ghost World | Enid's Dad | Film |
| 2001 | Gosford Park | Morris Weissman | Film |
| 2001 | The Majestic | Elvin Glyde | Film |
| 2001 | The Mexican | Bernie Nayman | Film |
| 2001 | Gosford Park | Producer | Film |
| 2000 | Best in Show | Dr. Theodore W. Millbank, III | Film |
| 1999 | Cradle Will Rock | Harry Hopkins | Film |
| 1999 | Three to Tango | Decker | Film |
| 1999 | The Monster Hunter | Dr. William Powell | Film |
| 1999 | Jakob the Liar | Kowalsky | Film |
| 1997 | Deconstructing Harry | Richard | Film |
| 1997 | Conversation with the Beast | Mr. Webster | Film |
| 1997 | Waiting for Guffman | Lloyd Miller | Film |
| 1997 | Clockwatchers | Milton Lasky | Film |
| 1997 | Subway Stories | Director | Film |
| 1996 | The Late Shift | Warren Littlefield | Film |
| 1996 | Pie in the Sky | Paul Entamen | Film |
| 1994 | City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold | Dr. Jeffrey Sanborn (uncredited) | Film |
| 1994 | Greedy | Ed | Film |
| 1994 | The Last Good Time | Director | Film |
| 1994 | The Last Good Time | Producer | Film |
| 1993 | For Love or Money | Ed Drinkwater | Film |
| 1993 | Amos & Andrew | Dr. R. A. (Roy) Fink | Film |
| 1993 | My Boyfriend's Back | Director | Film |
| 1991 | Little Man Tate | Quizmaster | Film |
| 1990 | Alice | Sid Moscowitz | Film |
| 1990 | The Face of Fear | Ira Preduski | Film |
| 1989 | Dead Bang | Elliott Webley | Film |
| 1989 | Parents | Director | Film |
| 1987 | End of the Line | Warren Gerber | Film |
| 1984 | 2010 | Dr. R. Chandra | Film |
| 1981 | Whose Life Is It Anyway? | Carter Hill | Film |
| 1981 | Prince of the City | Santimassino | Film |
| 1981 | Absence of Malice | Elliott Rosen | Film |
| 1980 | Altered States | Arthur Rosenberg | Film |
| 1978 | Girlfriends | Martin | Film |
| 1977 | Close Encounters of the Third Kind | David Laughlin | Film |
| 1975 | Report to the Commissioner | Joey Egan | Film |
| 1974 | The Bank Shot | Victor Karp | Film |
| 1971 | Making It | Wilkie | Film |
| 1970 | The Strawberry Statement | Elliot | Film |
| 1970 | Catch-22 | Capt. Orr | Film |
| 1969 | Me, Natalie | Morris | Film |
| 1969 | Midnight Cowboy | The Young Student | Film |
Community Curation
This page is community-maintained. Know something we don't?
← All person · Wikidata Q621490