Please Rewind Talent Wall

Bob Balaban

Bob Balaban has built the kind of career that rewards a second look. An actor, director, producer and writer, he brings a precise, quietly comic presence to the screen, often making authority figures, intellectuals and nervous professionals feel more complicated than their job titles suggest. Born in Chicago on August 16, 1945, Balaban grew up in a family closely tied to the movie business. His father, Elmer Balaban, owned movie theatres and later worked in cable television, while his uncles founded the Balaban and Katz theatre circuit. After beginning college at Colgate University, Balaban transferred to New York University and studied acting at HB Studio under Uta Hagen. His first notable role came onstage when he originated Linus in the 1967 off-Broadway production of You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown. Early film appearances included Midnight Cowboy and Catch-22, followed by his role as interpreter David Laughlin in Steven Spielberg's Close Encounters of the Third Kind. In 1979, his performance in The Inspector General earned him a Tony Award nomination. Balaban's film work stretches from Altered States and 2010 to Ghost World, The Majestic and Lady in the Water. He has also been a regular presence in Christopher Guest's ensemble comedies, appearing in Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, A Mighty Wind and For Your Consideration. On television, he played fictional NBC executive Russell Dalrymple in Seinfeld and appeared in Friends as Phoebe Buffay's father, Frank. His work behind the camera is just as varied. Balaban directed Parents, The Last Good Time, Bernard and Doris, Georgia O'Keeffe and episodes of Nurse Jackie. He also co-produced Gosford Park, receiving an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture, while appearing in the film as Hollywood producer Morris Weissman. That combination of performer and filmmaker suits a career defined less by one signature role than by curiosity, range and an evident interest in how stories are assembled.