Discover
Robert Elmer Balaban is an American actor, author, producer, and director. He was one of the producers nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture for Gosford Park (2001), in which he also appeared. Balaban's other film roles include the drama Midnight Cowboy (1969); the science fiction films Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), Altered States (1980), and 2010 (1984); the Christopher Guest comedies Waiting for Guffman (1996), Best in Show (2000), A Mighty Wind (2003), and For Your Consideration (2006); the dark fantasy film Lady in the Water (2006); and the Wes Anderson films Moonrise Kingdom (2012), The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014), and Isle of Dogs (2018).
Birth Name
Robert Elmer Balaban
Born
Thursday, 16 August 1945
Actor Filmography
Title | Character | Year |
---|
Asteroid City | Larkings Executive | 2023 |
Desperate Souls, Dark City and the Legend of Midnight Cowboy | Self | 2023 |
80 for Brady | Mark | 2023 |
The Harper House | Frederick / Buck Mastiff | 2021 |
The Chair | Elliot Rentz | 2021 |
The French Dispatch | Uncle Nick | 2020 |
Space Force | Ron | 2020 |
The Politician | Keaton Hobart | 2019 |
Carl Laemmle | Self / Himself | 2019 |
An L.A. Minute | Shelly | 2018 |
Actor Filmography
Title | Character | Year |
---|
Asteroid City | Larkings Executive | 2023 |
Desperate Souls, Dark City and the Legend of Midnight Cowboy | Self | 2023 |
80 for Brady | Mark | 2023 |
The Harper House | Frederick / Buck Mastiff | 2021 |
The Chair | Elliot Rentz | 2021 |
The French Dispatch | Uncle Nick | 2020 |
Space Force | Ron | 2020 |
The Politician | Keaton Hobart | 2019 |
Carl Laemmle | Self / Himself | 2019 |
An L.A. Minute | Shelly | 2018 |
Summer Camp Island | Gerald | 2018 |
Condor | Reuel Abbott | 2018 |
James Cameron's Story of Science Fiction | Self | 2018 |
Isle of Dogs | King (voice) / King | 2018 |
Wormwood | Dr. Harold A. Abramson | 2017 |
Spielberg | Self - Segment "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" / Self | 2017 |
I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House | Mr. Waxcap | 2016 |
Graves | Secretary Burns | 2016 |
Mascots | Sol Lumpkin | 2016 |
Pitch | Frank Reid | 2016 |
Eva Hesse | Wilhelm Hesse / Wilhelm Hesse (voice) | 2016 |
Everything Is Copy | Self | 2016 |
Animals. | Bob Balaban (voice) | 2016 |
Hitchcock/Truffaut | Narrator | 2015 |
Show Me a Hero | Judge Leonard B. Sand / Leonard B. Sand, Leonard B. Sand | 2015 |
Last Week Tonight with John Oliver | Crazy Walter, Self - Guest | 2014 |
Approach the Bench | The Judge, Judge | 2014 |
The Grand Budapest Hotel | M. Martin / Monsieur Martin | 2014 |
The Monuments Men | Preston Savitz / Pvt. Preston Savitz | 2014 |
Broad City | Arthur Wexler | 2014 |
Muhammad Ali's Greatest Fight | Lawyer | 2013 |
Celebrity Page | Self | 2013 |
Fading Gigolo | Sol | 2013 |
Family Tree | Melvin Schmelff / Tumbleweed Tim | 2013 |
Alpha House | Senator Elliot Robeson | 2013 |
Girl Most Likely | Maxwell / Maxwell P. Duncan | 2012 |
Moonrise Kingdom | The Narrator | 2012 |
Girls | Dr. Rice | 2012 |
Thin Ice | Leonard Dahl | 2012 |
Welcome to the Basement | Self | 2012 |
A Monster in Paris | Pâté | 2011 |
Web Therapy | Ted Mitchell | 2011 |
Moguls & Movie Stars: A History of Hollywood | Self - Actor, Director | 2010 |
Overheard | Self - Interviewee | 2010 |
Howl | Judge Clayton Horn | 2010 |
The Good Wife | Gordon Higgs | 2009 |
Rage | Mr. White | 2009 |
The Windmill Movie | Himself / Self | 2009 |
Web Therapy | Ted Mitchell | 2008 |
Recount | Ben Ginsberg | 2008 |
Dedication | Arthur Planck | 2007 |
No Reservations | Therapist | 2007 |
License to Wed | Jewelry Store Clerk / Jewellery Store Clerk | 2007 |
For Your Consideration | Philip Koontz | 2006 |
Lady in the Water | Harry Farber | 2006 |
Made in Hollywood | Self | 2005 |
Capote | William Shawn | 2005 |
Trust the Man | Tobey's Therapist | 2005 |
Hopeless Pictures | Sam | 2005 |
Tom Goes to the Mayor | Walt Pickle | 2004 |
Entourage | Doctor | 2004 |
Marie and Bruce | Roger | 2004 |
A Mighty Wind | Jonathan Steinbloom | 2003 |
Jimmy Kimmel Live! | Himself - Guest | 2003 |
The Tuxedo | Winton Chalmers | 2002 |
Gosford Park | Morris Weissman | 2001 |
The Majestic | Elvin Clyde / Elvin Glyde | 2001 |
The Education of Max Bickford | Dr. Lowell Sherman | 2001 |
Ghost World | Enid's Dad | 2001 |
The Mexican | Bernie Nayman | 2001 |
Plan B | James Foster | 2001 |
Best in Show | Dr. Theodore W. Millbank, III | 2000 |
Cradle Will Rock | Harry Hopkins | 1999 |
Three to Tango | Decker | 1999 |
Now and Again | Frederick Lizzard | 1999 |
Jakob the Liar | Kowalsky | 1999 |
The West Wing | Ted Marcus | 1999 |
Swing Vote | Justice Eli MacCorckle | 1999 |
Natural Selection | Dr. William Powell | 1999 |
Deconstructing Harry | Richard | 1997 |
The Definite Maybe | Wolfe Rollins | 1997 |
Clockwatchers | Milton Lasky | 1997 |
Conversation with the Beast | Mr. Webster | 1997 |
Directors on Directors | Self | 1997 |
Waiting for Guffman | Lloyd Miller | 1996 |
The Late Shift | Warren Littlefield | 1996 |
Pie in the Sky | Paul Entamen | 1996 |
Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist | Bob Balaban | 1995 |
Legend | Harry Parver | 1995 |
Friends | Frank Buffay Sr. | 1994 |
City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold | Dr. Jeffrey Sanborn | 1994 |
Greedy | Ed | 1994 |
For Love or Money | Ed Drinkwater | 1993 |
Late Night with Conan O'Brien | Warren Littlefield, Himself - Guest | 1993 |
Amos & Andrew | Dr. R.A. 'Roy' Fink / Dr. R. A. (Roy) Fink | 1993 |
Bob Roberts | Michael Janes | 1992 |
HBO First Look | Elvin Clyde / Self | 1992 |
Little Man Tate | Quizmaster | 1991 |
Alice | Sid Moscowitz | 1990 |
The Simpsons | Narrator | 1989 |
Seinfeld | Russell Dalrymple | 1989 |
Dead Bang | Elliott Webley / Elliot Webly | 1989 |
End of the Line | Warren Gerber | 1987 |
American Masters | Self | 1985 |
Amazing Stories | Jo-Jo Gillespie | 1985 |
2010: The Year We Make Contact | Dr. R. Chandra | 1984 |
Miami Vice | Ira Stone | 1984 |
Nothing Lasts Forever | Guy with sunglasses in espresso bar | 1984 |
In Our Hands | Self | 1984 |
Whose Life Is It Anyway? | Carter Hill | 1981 |
Absence of Malice | Rosen / Elliott Rosen | 1981 |
Prince of the City | Santimassino | 1981 |
Altered States | Arthur Rosenberg | 1980 |
The 33rd Annual Tony Awards | Self - Nominee | 1979 |
Girlfriends | Martin | 1978 |
Close Encounters of the Third Kind | David Laughlin | 1977 |
America at the Movies | Orr | 1976 |
Working in the Theatre | Self | 1976 |
Report to the Commissioner | Joey Egan | 1975 |
The Bank Shot | Victor Karp | 1974 |
Maude | Ambrose Riley | 1972 |
Marriage: Year One | Bernie | 1971 |
Making It | Wilkie | 1971 |
Catch-22 | Capt. Orr / Orr | 1970 |
The Strawberry Statement | Elliot - Organizer | 1970 |
Love, American Style | Nick (segment "Love and the Fuzz") | 1969 |
Room 222 | Grady Garrett | 1969 |
Me, Natalie | Morris | 1969 |
Midnight Cowboy | The Young Student - New York / The Young Student | 1969 |
Mod Squad | Walter, Tony | 1968 |
Hank | Harvey Weatly | 1965 |
This Is Your Life | Self | 1955 |
Director Filmography
Title | Year |
---|
Graves | 2016 |
We the Economy: 20 Short Films You Can't Afford to Miss | 2014 |
Alpha House | 2013 |
Georgia O'Keeffe | 2009 |
Nurse Jackie | 2009 |
Swingtown | 2008 |
Bernard and Doris | 2006 |
The Exonerated | 2005 |
The Twilight Zone | 2002 |
Dead Last | 2001 |
Deadline | 2000 |
Now and Again | 1999 |
Strangers with Candy | 1999 |
SUBWAYStories: Tales from the Underground | 1997 |
Oz | 1997 |
Directors on Directors | 1997 |
Legend | 1995 |
The Last Good Time | 1995 |
My Boyfriend's Back | 1993 |
Eerie, Indiana | 1991 |
Parents | 1989 |
Invisible Thread | 1987 |
Amazing Stories | 1985 |
Tales from the Darkside | 1983 |
The Brass Ring | 1983 |
Maude | 1972 |
Producer Filmography
Title | Year |
---|
Can You Ever Forgive Me? | 2018 |
Bernard and Doris | 2006 |
The Exonerated | 2005 |
Gosford Park | 2001 |
The Definite Maybe | 1997 |
The Last Good Time | 1995 |
Year | Type | Category | Won |
---|
2010 | Emmy | Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special | Nominated |
2008 | Emmy | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie | Nominated |
2008 | Emmy | Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special | Nominated |
2008 | Emmy | Outstanding Made for Television Movie | Nominated |
2002 | Oscar | Best Picture | Nominated |