---
name: "Bob Balaban"
canonical: "https://film.one/person/bob-balaban"
fi1m_id: "bob-balaban"
imdb_id: "nm0000837"
tmdb_id: 12438
wikidata_id: "Q621490"
roles: ["Actor","Director","Producer"]
born: "16 August 1945"
reviewed_on_fi1m: 22
average_fi1m_score: 79
average_as: "actor"
average_over: 19
updated: "2026-10-07T15:06:59.080646+00:00"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Bob Balaban

## Identity

Bob Balaban

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/person/bob-balaban
- **Type:** Person
- **Fi1m ID:** bob-balaban
- **IMDb ID:** nm0000837
- **TMDB ID:** 12438
- **Wikidata ID:** Q621490
- **Same entity:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Balaban, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q621490, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000837/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/12438

Actor and director. Born 16 August 1945 in Chicago, Illinois, USA.

## Details

- **Work:** Actor, Director, Producer
- **Born:** 16 August 1945, Chicago, Illinois, USA
- **Active:** 1969–present
- **Also known as:** Robert Elmer Balaban, Robert Balaban, 鮑勃・巴拉班
- **Titles on Fi1m:** 22: 19 acting, 2 directing, 1 producing
- **Frequently works with:** [Steve Buscemi](https://film.one/person/steve-buscemi.md), [Adam Bernstein](https://film.one/person/adam-bernstein.md), [Alan Taylor](https://film.one/person/alan-taylor.md), [Bill Murray](https://film.one/person/bill-murray.md), [Catherine Keener](https://film.one/person/catherine-keener.md), [Edward Norton](https://film.one/person/edward-norton.md), [Melinda Dillon](https://film.one/person/melinda-dillon.md), [Scott Rudin](https://film.one/person/scott-rudin.md)
- **Academy Awards:** 1 Oscar nomination
- **Average Fi1m score:** 79, as actor, over 19 titles
- **Fi1m score by decade:** 1960s 85 (1), 1970s 85 (1), 1980s 73 (1), 1990s 79 (4), 2000s 78 (6), 2010s 82 (6), 2020s 75 (3)
- **Fi1m against the critics:** 79 to 76 across 18 titles
- **Score spread:** 11 at 80+, 7 at 60–79, 1 under 60
- **Lead roles:** 1 of 11 acting credits billed first or second
- **Genres:** Drama 15, Comedy 11, Crime 4, Romance 3, Mystery 2, Action 1
- **Screen time:** 26 hours of reviewed films
- **Box office:** $1,113m across 13 films with figures
- **Elsewhere:** https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Balaban, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q621490, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000837/, https://www.themoviedb.org/person/12438

## Streaming the US now

- **Amazon Prime Video:** [*Close Encounters of the Third Kind*](https://film.one/film/close-encounters-of-the-third-kind.md) (85), [*Ghost World*](https://film.one/film/ghost-world.md) (84), [*Absence of Malice*](https://film.one/film/absence-of-malice.md) (73), [*Nurse Jackie*](https://film.one/tv/nurse-jackie.md) (72), [*Deconstructing Harry*](https://film.one/film/deconstructing-harry.md) (72)
- **HBO Max:** [*Oz*](https://film.one/tv/oz.md) (80), [*Isle of Dogs*](https://film.one/film/isle-of-dogs.md) (78)
- **The Roku Channel:** [*Capote*](https://film.one/film/capote.md) (84)
- **Apple TV:** [*Best in Show*](https://film.one/film/best-in-show.md) (84)
- **Hulu:** [*Show Me a Hero*](https://film.one/tv/show-me-a-hero.md) (78)

For United States; add `?region=XX` for another country.

## Fi1m on Bob Balaban

> Bob Balaban’s soft-spoken professionals make room for the louder people around them. We value his deadpan ensemble work, especially for Christopher Guest, though the familiar casting can make separate characters seem too much alike.

Balaban often appears behind spectacles, speaking softly and looking as though he understands the matter in hand. There is comic value in that appearance of competence, especially when other actors are making more fuss. We rate his willingness to fit into a cast without competing for its biggest moment. The reservation is that the intelligent professional has become such a familiar assignment that we can start recognising the casting before considering the person he is playing.

The early screen parts include the young student in *Midnight Cowboy* (1969) and David Laughlin in *Close Encounters of the Third Kind* (1977), the latter a breakthrough supporting role. By the mid-1990s he was becoming a regular in Christopher Guest’s mockumentary ensemble, which gave that unshowy manner a more particular comic use. Guest’s format suits an actor whose deadpan can help the comedy without drawing attention to the performance. Not everyone needs to signal that a joke is being made.

*Best in Show* (2000) gives us good reason to value this approach, with Balaban as Dr. Theodore W. Millbank, III in Guest’s dog-show comedy. We felt unexpectedly fond of its difficult people because Guest makes them funny without treating them with contempt. Fred Willard supplies the biggest laughs, and our enthusiasm for the film should not be mistaken for a claim that Balaban dominates it. His effectiveness in this kind of comedy lies in helping the ensemble work; he need not be the person we remember first. Some routines settle into repetition, a useful warning that even this well-matched company needs a firmer limit occasionally.

His later work includes *Gosford Park* (2001), where he played Morris Weissman and also served as a producer. Wes Anderson found another use for his quiet authority in *Moonrise Kingdom* (2012), their first collaboration, casting him as the Narrator. Narration is a sensible use of an actor so associated with intelligence, though it hardly challenges the habit of casting him as the person who knows things. Start with *Best in Show*, and pay some attention to the people who are not getting the biggest laughs.

## Biography

Bob Balaban is an American actor, director, producer and author. Born on 16 August 1945 in Chicago, Illinois, he began his career in the theatre, originating the role of Linus in the 1967 Off-Broadway production of *You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown* and receiving Tony Award nominations for later Broadway roles.

He is known for his appearances in Christopher Guest's mockumentary comedies *Waiting for Guffman* (1996), *Best in Show* (2000), *A Mighty Wind* (2003) and *For Your Consideration* (2006). Other film roles include *Midnight Cowboy* (1969), *Close Encounters of the Third Kind* (1977), *Capote* (2005) and several Wes Anderson films. He produced *Gosford Park* (2001), which was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture. Balaban has also directed feature films and television episodes, and written children's novels.

*Sources: en.wikipedia.org, imdb.com, watch.plex.tv, themoviedb.org.*

## On Fi1m (22)

### Performed in (19) — the average rests on these

- *Asteroid City* (2023), Fi1m 71, as Larkings Executive — [page](https://film.one/film/asteroid-city.md)
- *Severance* (2022), Fi1m 86, as Mark Wilkins — [page](https://film.one/tv/severance.md)
- *The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun* (2021), Fi1m 68, as Uncle Nick — [page](https://film.one/film/the-french-dispatch-of-the-liberty-kansas-evening-sun.md)
- *Isle of Dogs* (2018), Fi1m 78, as King (voice) — [page](https://film.one/film/isle-of-dogs.md)
- *Show Me a Hero* (2015), Fi1m 78, as Leonard B. Sand — [page](https://film.one/tv/show-me-a-hero.md)
- *The Grand Budapest Hotel* (2014), Fi1m 86, as M. Martin — [page](https://film.one/film/the-grand-budapest-hotel.md)
- *Girls* (2012), Fi1m 82, as Therapist — [page](https://film.one/tv/girls.md)
- *Moonrise Kingdom* (2012), Fi1m 82, as The Narrator — [page](https://film.one/film/moonrise-kingdom.md)
- *Capote* (2005), Fi1m 84, as William Shawn — [page](https://film.one/film/capote.md)
- *Ghost World* (2001), Fi1m 84, as Enid's Dad — [page](https://film.one/film/ghost-world.md)
- *Gosford Park* (2001), Fi1m 85, as Morris Weissman — [page](https://film.one/film/gosford-park.md)
- *The Mexican* (2001), Fi1m 56, as Nayman — [page](https://film.one/film/the-mexican.md)
- *Best in Show* (2000), Fi1m 84, as Dr. Theodore W. Millbank, III — [page](https://film.one/film/best-in-show.md)
- *The West Wing* (1999), Fi1m 86, as Ted Marcus — [page](https://film.one/tv/the-west-wing.md)
- *Deconstructing Harry* (1997), Fi1m 72, as Richard — [page](https://film.one/film/deconstructing-harry.md)
- *Friends* (1994), Fi1m 78, as Frank Sr. — [page](https://film.one/tv/friends.md)
- *Absence of Malice* (1981), Fi1m 73, as Elliott Rosen — [page](https://film.one/film/absence-of-malice.md)
- *Close Encounters of the Third Kind* (1977), Fi1m 85, as David Laughlin — [page](https://film.one/film/close-encounters-of-the-third-kind.md)
- *Midnight Cowboy* (1969), Fi1m 85, as The Young Student — [page](https://film.one/film/midnight-cowboy.md)

### Directed (2)

- *Nurse Jackie* (2009), Fi1m 72, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/nurse-jackie.md)
- *Oz* (1997), Fi1m 80, Director — [page](https://film.one/tv/oz.md)

### Produced (1)

- *Can You Ever Forgive Me?* (2018), Fi1m 84, Executive Producer — [page](https://film.one/film/can-you-ever-forgive-me.md)

## Complete filmography (146)

Every credit, newest first. Titles without a page can be requested for review on the HTML page.

- *Fantasy Life* (2026), as Lenny
- *Brooklyn, Minnesota* (2024), Producer
- *Bad Actors* (2024), Actor
- *Asteroid City* (2023), as Larkings Executive — Fi1m 71, [page](https://film.one/film/asteroid-city.md)
- *80 for Brady* (2023), as Mark
- *How Dare You Want More: The Short Film* (2022), Actor
- *Severance* (2022), series, as Mark Wilkins — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/tv/severance.md)
- *The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun* (2021), as Uncle Nick — Fi1m 68, [page](https://film.one/film/the-french-dispatch-of-the-liberty-kansas-evening-sun.md)
- *The Chair* (2021), series, as Elliot Rentz
- *How Moving* (2021), as Uncle Aaron
- *Space Force* (2020), series, as Ron (voice)
- *The Politician* (2019), series, as Keaton Hobart
- *Can You Ever Forgive Me?* (2018), Executive Producer — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/can-you-ever-forgive-me.md)
- *An L.A. Minute* (2018), as Shelley
- *Summer Camp Island* (2018), series, as Gerald (voice)
- *Condor* (2018), series, as Reuel Abbott
- *Isle of Dogs* (2018), as King (voice) — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/film/isle-of-dogs.md)
- *Wormwood* (2017), series, as Dr. Harold A. Abramson
- *Graves* (2016), series, as Secretary Burns · Director
- *I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House* (2016), as Mr. Waxcap
- *Mascots* (2016), as Sol Lumpkin
- *Eva Hesse* (2016), as Wilhelm Hesse (voice)
- *Hitchcock/Truffaut* (2015), as Narrator (voice)
- *Show Me a Hero* (2015), series, as Leonard B. Sand — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/tv/show-me-a-hero.md)
- *We the Economy: 20 Short Films You Can't Afford to Miss* (2014), Director
- *The Grand Budapest Hotel* (2014), as M. Martin — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/film/the-grand-budapest-hotel.md)
- *The Monuments Men* (2014), as Pvt. Preston Savitz
- *Broad City* (2014), series, as Arthur Wexler — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/tv/broad-city.md)
- *Muhammad Ali's Greatest Fight* (2013), as Lawyer (uncredited)
- *Fading Gigolo* (2013), as Sol
- *Family Tree* (2013), series, as Melvin Schmelff / Tumbleweed Tim
- *Alpha House* (2013), series, as Senator Elliot Robeson · Director
- *Girl Most Likely* (2012), as Maxwell
- *Do You Like to Read?* (2012), as The Narrator
- *Moonrise Kingdom* (2012), as The Narrator — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/film/moonrise-kingdom.md)
- *Girls* (2012), series, as Therapist — Fi1m 82, [page](https://film.one/tv/girls.md)
- *Thin Ice* (2012), as Leonard Dahl
- *China, IL* (2011), series, as (voice)
- *Web Therapy* (2011), series, as Ted Mitchell
- *The Five Stages of Grief* (2011), as Voice of Daniel's father
- *Howl* (2010), as Judge Clayton Horn
- *F--k* (2010), as Bob
- *Rage* (2009), as Mr. White
- *The Good Wife* (2009), series, as Gordon Higgs — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-good-wife.md)
- *Georgia O'Keeffe* (2009), Director
- *Nurse Jackie* (2009), series, Director — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/tv/nurse-jackie.md)
- *Web Therapy* (2008), series, as Ted Mitchell
- *Swingtown* (2008), series, Director
- *Recount* (2008), as Ben Ginsberg
- *Dedication* (2007), as Arthur Planck
- *License to Wed* (2007), as Jewelry Store Clerk (uncredited)
- *No Reservations* (2007), as Therapist
- *For Your Consideration* (2006), as Philip Koontz
- *Bernard and Doris* (2006), Director, Executive Producer
- *The Minor Accomplishments of Jackie Woodman* (2006), series, Producer
- *Lady in the Water* (2006), as Harry Farber
- *The Exonerated* (2006), Director, Executive Producer
- *Capote* (2005), as William Shawn — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/capote.md)
- *Trust the Man* (2005), as Tobey's Therapist
- *Hopeless Pictures* (2005), series, Actor
- *American Dad!* (2005), series, as Glen Hanover (voice)
- *Tom Goes to the Mayor* (2004), series, as Walt Pickle (voice)
- *Entourage* (2004), series, as Doctor — Fi1m 63, [page](https://film.one/tv/entourage.md)
- *Scene Stealers* (2004), as Jonathan Crouch Esq.
- *Marie and Bruce* (2004), as Roger
- *A Mighty Wind* (2003), as Jonathan Steinbloom
- *The Tuxedo* (2002), as Winton Chalmers (uncredited)
- *The Twilight Zone* (2002), series, Director
- *Plan B* (2002), as James Foster
- *Gosford Park* (2001), as Morris Weissman · Producer, Idea — Fi1m 85, [page](https://film.one/film/gosford-park.md)
- *The Majestic* (2001), as Elvin Glyde
- *Ghost World* (2001), as Enid's Dad — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/ghost-world.md)
- *The Mexican* (2001), as Nayman — Fi1m 56, [page](https://film.one/film/the-mexican.md)
- *Best in Show* (2000), as Dr. Theodore W. Millbank, III — Fi1m 84, [page](https://film.one/film/best-in-show.md)
- *Tex, the Passive/Aggressive Gunslinger* (2000), as Tex
- *Cradle Will Rock* (1999), as Harry Hopkins
- *Three to Tango* (1999), as Decker
- *Now and Again* (1999), series, Director
- *The West Wing* (1999), series, as Ted Marcus — Fi1m 86, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-west-wing.md)
- *Jakob the Liar* (1999), as Kowalsky
- *The Wedding Toast* (1999), Director, Producer
- *Swing Vote* (1999), as Justice Eli MacCorckle
- *Strangers with Candy* (1999), series, Director
- *The Monster Hunter* (1999), as Dr. William Powell
- *Giving Up the Ghost* (1998), as Bob
- *Deconstructing Harry* (1997), as Richard — Fi1m 72, [page](https://film.one/film/deconstructing-harry.md)
- *Subway Stories* (1997), Director
- *Oz* (1997), series, Director — Fi1m 80, [page](https://film.one/tv/oz.md)
- *The Definite Maybe* (1997), as Wolfe Rollins
- *Clockwatchers* (1997), as Milton Lasky
- *Conversation with the Beast* (1997), as Mr. Webster
- *Waiting for Guffman* (1997), as Lloyd Miller
- *The Late Shift* (1996), as Warren Littlefield
- *Pie in the Sky* (1996), as Paul Entamen
- *Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist* (1995), series, as Bob (voice), Additional Writing
- *Legend* (1995), series, Director
- *George Romero's Golden Tales 3* (1995), Director
- *George Romero's Golden Tales 2* (1995), Writer
- *The Last Good Time* (1994), Director, Screenplay, Producer
- *Friends* (1994), series, as Frank Sr. — Fi1m 78, [page](https://film.one/tv/friends.md)
- *City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold* (1994), as Dr. Jeffrey Sanborn (uncredited)
- *Greedy* (1994), as Ed
- *For Love or Money* (1993), as Ed Drinkwater
- *My Boyfriend's Back* (1993), Director
- *Amos & Andrew* (1993), as Dr. R. A. (Roy) Fink
- *Stephen King's Golden Tales* (1993), Writer
- *Bob Roberts* (1992), as Cutting Edge Producer
- *Unnatural Pursuits* (1992), as Lou Finkleberg
- *Eerie, Indiana* (1991), series, Director
- *Little Man Tate* (1991), as Quizmaster
- *Alice* (1990), as Sid Moscowitz
- *Tales from the Darkside* (1990), Director
- *The Face of Fear* (1990), as Ira Preduski
- *The Simpsons* (1989), series, as Narrator (voice) — Fi1m 88, [page](https://film.one/tv/the-simpsons.md)
- *Seinfeld* (1989), series, as Russell Dalrymple — Fi1m 90, [page](https://film.one/tv/seinfeld.md)
- *Dead Bang* (1989), as Elliott Webley
- *Parents* (1989), Director
- *Monsters* (1988), series, Writer
- *End of the Line* (1987), as Warren Gerber
- *Penn & Teller's Invisible Thread* (1987), Director
- *Amazing Stories* (1985), series, as Jo-Jo Gillespie · Director
- *2010* (1984), as Dr. R. Chandra
- *Tales from the Darkside* (1984), series, Writer
- *Miami Vice* (1984), series, as Ira Stone — Fi1m 81, [page](https://film.one/tv/miami-vice.md)
- *Nothing Lasts Forever* (1984), as Guy with Sunglasses in Espresso Bar
- *Trick or Treat* (1983), Director
- *The Brass Ring* (1983), Director
- *Whose Life Is It Anyway?* (1981), as Carter Hill
- *Absence of Malice* (1981), as Elliott Rosen — Fi1m 73, [page](https://film.one/film/absence-of-malice.md)
- *Prince of the City* (1981), as Santimassino
- *Altered States* (1980), as Arthur Rosenberg
- *Girlfriends* (1978), as Martin
- *Close Encounters of the Third Kind* (1977), as David Laughlin — Fi1m 85, [page](https://film.one/film/close-encounters-of-the-third-kind.md)
- *Report to the Commissioner* (1975), as Joey Egan
- *The Bank Shot* (1974), as Victor Karp
- *Maude* (1972), series, as Ambrose Riley · Director
- *Marriage: Year One* (1971), as Bernie
- *Making It* (1971), as Wilkie
- *The Strawberry Statement* (1970), as Elliot
- *Catch-22* (1970), as Capt. Orr
- *Love, American Style* (1969), series, as Nick
- *Room 222* (1969), series, Actor
- *Me, Natalie* (1969), as Morris
- *Midnight Cowboy* (1969), as The Young Student — Fi1m 85, [page](https://film.one/film/midnight-cowboy.md)
- *The Mod Squad* (1968), series, Actor
- *Hank* (1965), series, Actor

## Gallery

- ![Bob Balaban](https://film.one/media/person/96994/gallery-dc5d5e6d65ad.jpg) Bob Balaban — David Shankbone, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/22/Bob_Balaban_2012_Shankbone.JPG/1280px-Bob_Balaban_2012_Shankbone.JPG?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Bob Balaban arriving for the press conference of THE MONUMENTS MEN at the Berlinale 2014](https://film.one/media/person/96994/gallery-1045e1a24759.jpg) Bob Balaban arriving for the press conference of THE MONUMENTS MEN at the Berlinale 2014 — Siebbi, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/76/Bob_Balaban_Berlinale_2014.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail_unscaled)
- ![Jim Piddock and Bob Balaban at the premiere of Mascots, 2016 Toronto Film Festival](https://film.one/media/person/96994/gallery-79ba543624e6.jpg) Jim Piddock and Bob Balaban at the premiere of Mascots, 2016 Toronto Film Festival — GabboT, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://thumb.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/ca/Mascots_17_%2829715115771%29.jpg/1280px-Mascots_17_%2829715115771%29.jpg?utm_source=commons.wikimedia.org&utm_campaign=imageinfo&utm_content=thumbnail)
- ![Bob Balaban](https://film.one/media/person/96994/gallery-313c981f3dcd.jpg) Bob Balaban — Image via TMDB
- ![Bob Balaban](https://film.one/media/person/96994/gallery-8752140cca6b.jpg) Bob Balaban — Image via TMDB
- ![Bob Balaban](https://film.one/media/person/96994/gallery-b0ac16e8c664.jpg) Bob Balaban — Image via TMDB
- ![Bob Balaban](https://film.one/media/person/96994/gallery-de04b5ed166e.jpg) Bob Balaban — Image via TMDB
- ![Bob Balaban](https://film.one/media/person/96994/gallery-8e9717ac17d5.jpg) Bob Balaban — Image via TMDB
- ![Bob Balaban](https://film.one/media/person/96994/gallery-29373c372ca9.jpg) Bob Balaban — Image via TMDB

## Awards

### Academy Awards — 0 won, 1 nominated

- 2002: Best Picture (nominated), for *Gosford Park*

### Other awards — 0 won, 1 nominated

- Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play 1979: Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Play (nominated)

*From Wikidata, which records wins more completely than nominations.*

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/person/bob-balaban