
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.

Oz

Strangers with Candy

Eerie, Indiana

Amazing Stories

The Twilight Zone

The Exonerated

Alpha House

Nurse Jackie

The Brass Ring

We the Economy: 20 Short Films You Can't Afford to Miss

Now and Again

Maude

Penn & Teller's Invisible Thread

Tales from the Darkside

Bernard and Doris

Legend

Parents

My Boyfriend's Back

Subway Stories

Swingtown

Graves

Georgia O'Keeffe

The Last Good Time

George Romero's Golden Tales 3

Trick or Treat

フレンズ

セヴェランス

となりのサインフェルド

ザ・ホワイトハウス

グランド・ブダペスト・ホテル

ザ・シンプソンズ

Hopeless Pictures

Summer Camp Island

犬ヶ島

Dr. Katz, Professional Therapist

Last Week Tonight with John Oliver

ムーンライズ・キングダム

グッド・ワイフ

スピルバーグ!

真夜中のカーボーイ

Amazing Stories

Web Therapy

特捜刑事マイアミ・バイス

Everything Is Copy

アントラージュ★オレたちのハリウッド

未知との遭遇

地球は女で回ってる

ヒッチコック/トリュフォー

Alpha House

Broad City

ゴーストワールド

コンドル 〜狙われたCIA分析官〜

Whose Life Is It Anyway?

HERO 野望の代償

フレンチ・ディスパッチ ザ・リバティ、カンザス・イヴニング・サン別冊

Waiting for Guffman

The Windmill Movie

The Five Stages of Grief

プリンス・オブ・シティ

ザ・ポリティシャン

アメリカン・ダッド

カポーティ

China, IL

Tom Goes to the Mayor

Best in Show

ゴスフォード・パーク

Recount

みんなのうた

Now and Again

Maude

ジェームズ・キャメロンのSF映画術

The Making of 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind'

マジェスティック

Web Therapy

聖なる嘘つき/その名はジェイコブ

アルタード・ステーツ/未知への挑戦

Starring Austin Pendleton

幸せのレシピ

キャッチ22

Girlfriends

2010年

Pie in the Sky

Little Man Tate

スクープ 悪意の不在

The Face of Fear

Report to the Commissioner

ザ・チェア ~私は学科長~

ボブ★ロバーツ/陰謀が生んだ英雄

スペース・フォース

パーフェクト・プラン 完全なる犯罪計画

Eva Hesse

Howl

Cradle Will Rock

アステロイド・シティ

Family Tree

GIRLS/ガールズ

アリス

The Late Shift

デディケーション

Do You Like to Read?

サンタモニカ・ダンディ

Mike Nichols: An American Master

Muhammad Ali's Greatest Fight

Wormwood

Nothing Lasts Forever

80 For Brady : エイティ・フォー・ブレイディ

バラ色の選択

The Mod Squad

遺産相続は命がけ!?

恋愛専科

Clockwatchers

À la découverte du tournage de Moonrise Kingdom

ミケランジェロ・プロジェクト

Giving Up the Ghost

Marriage: Year One

Legend

Room 222

いちご白書

ザ・メキシカン

ジゴロ・イン・ニューヨーク

For Your Consideration

Desperate Souls, Dark City and the Legend of Midnight Cowboy

F--K

タキシード

License to Wed

Three to Tango

Girl Most Likely

レディ・イン・ザ・ウォーター

ナタリーの朝

Amos & Andrew

Swing Vote

Moguls & Movie Stars: A History of Hollywood

Mascots

Bank Shot

The Mike Douglas Show

Fridays

City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold

End of the Line

Trust the Man

The Making of Gosford Park

Graves

The Monster Hunter

呪われし家に咲く一輪の花

Plan B

Marie and Bruce

Carl Laemmle

Hank

Rage

Making It

An L.A. Minute

The Definite Maybe

Gespräch mit dem Biest

Scene Stealers

Funny

Unnatural Pursuits

How Dare You Want More: The Short Film

George Romero's Golden Tales 2

Controversy and Acclaim: The Timelessness of a Groundbreaking Film

Tex, the Passive/Aggressive Gunslinger

How Moving

Prince of the City: The Real Story

Fantasy Life

2010 : The Odyssey Continues

Bad Actors