Birth Place: Chicago, IL, USA
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Balaban's first notable role was on stage; he created the role of Linus in the original off-Broadway production of You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown in 1967.
One of his earliest appearances in film was in Midnight Cowboy (1969). In the 1970s, he appeared as Grady Garrett on an episode of Room 222, Orr in Catch-22, Elliot the Organizer in The Strawberry Statement, and the interpreter David Laughlin in the 1977 Steven Spielberg science fiction film Close Encounters of the Third Kind. In 1979, he received a Tony Award nomination for his role in The Inspector General. During the 1980s he appeared in films including Ken Russell's Altered States (1980) and the 1984 2001: A Space Odyssey sequel 2010 (as Dr Chandra, the creator of HAL 9000). He also directed the Randy Quaid horror comedy film Parents, and the Armin Mueller-Stahl drama film The Last Good Time (1994).
Balaban had supporting roles in films such as Absence of Malice, Bob Roberts, Deconstructing Harry, Ghost World, The Majestic, Lady in the Water, and Christopher Guest's Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, A Mighty Wind, and For Your Consideration.
Balaban appeared in Miami Vice as reporter Ira Stone. In the 1990s, Balaban had a recurring role on the fourth season of Seinfeld as Russell Dalrymple, the fictional president of NBC. He also played Warren Littlefield, a real-world NBC executive, in The Late Shift, about the battle between Jay Leno and David Letterman for NBC's The Tonight Show. His tie to Littlefield continued in 2012 when he read the audiobook of Littlefield's autobiography, Top of the Rock: Inside the Rise and Fall of Must See TV. In 1999, Balaban made a guest appearance in the sitcom Friends as Phoebe Buffay's father Frank in "The One With Joey's Bag". In 2010, Balaban appeared as Judge Clayton Horn, the real-life judge who presided over the obscenity trial of Lawrence Ferlinghetti and City Lights Bookstore in the movie Howl.
In 2001, Balaban produced Gosford Park, for which he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Picture. He also appeared in the movie as Morris Weissman, a Hollywood producer. He appeared in an episode of Entourage as a doctor known for writing prescriptions for medical marijuana. He directed the film Bernard and Doris (2006), starring Susan Sarandon; and also the biopic Georgia O'Keeffe (2009), starring Joan Allen and Jeremy Irons. He has directed several episodes of the Showtime series Nurse Jackie.
In September 2011, he was featured with Morgan Freeman and John Lithgow in the Broadway debut of the play, 8—a staged reenactment of the federal trial that overturned California's Prop 8 ban on same-sex marriage—as Judge Vaughn Walker. The production was held at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre to raise money for the American Foundation for Equal Rights.
In January 2016, Balaban appeared in the short play Milton Bradley by Peter Sagal, for Playing On Air, a non-profit organization that "records short plays [for public radio and podcast] written by top playwrights and performed by outstanding actors."
In early 2021, Balaban provided the voice of the narrator in The Simpsons episode “The Dad-Feelings Limited”.
[1969]Me, Natalie Morris
[1969]Midnight Cowboy The Young Student - New York
[1970]Catch-22 Orr
[1970]The Strawberry Statement Elliot - Organizer
[1971]Making It Wilkie
[1974]The Bank Shot Victor Karp
[1977]Close Encounters of the Third Kind David Laughlin
[1978]Girlfriends Martin
[1980]Altered States Arthur Rosenberg
[1981]Whose Life Is It Anyway? Carter Hill
[1981]Absence of Malice Elliott Rosen
[1984]2010: The Year We Make Contact Dr. R. Chandra
[1987]End of the Line Warren Gerber
[1989]Dead Bang Elliot Webly
[1989]Parents director
[1990]Alice Sid Moscowitz
[1992]Bob Roberts Michael Janes
[1993]Amos & Andrew Dr. R.A.RoyFink
[1993]For Love or Money Ed Drinkwater
[1994]The Last Good Time producer
[1994]Greedy Ed
[1995]Pie in the Sky Paul Entamen
[1996]Waiting for Guffman Lloyd Miller
[1996]Conversation with the Beast Mr. Webster
[1997]The Definite Maybe Wolfe Rollins
[1997]Clockwatchers Milton Lky
[1997]Deconstructing Harry Richard
[1999]Three to Tango Decker
[1999]Jakob the Liar Kowalsky
[1999]Natural Selection Dr. William Powell
[1999]Cradle Will Rock Harry Hopkins
[2000]Best in Show Dr. Theodore W. Millbank, III
[2001]Ghost World Enid's Dad
[2001]Gosford Park Morris Weissman
[2001]The Majestic Elvin Clyde
[2001]Plan B James Foster
[2001]The Mexican Bernie Nayman
[2003]A Mighty Wind Jonathan Steinbloom
[2004]Scene Stealers Jonathan Crouch Esq.
[2004]Marie and Bruce Roger
[2005]Capote William Shawn
[2006]For Your Consideration Philip Koontz
[2006]Lady in the Water Harry Farber
[2007]Dedication Arthur Planck
[2007]No Reservations Therapist
[2009]Rage Mr. White
[2010]Howl Judge Clayton Horn
[2011]Thin Ice Leonard Dahl
[2011]A Monster in Paris Pâté
[2012]Moonrise Kingdom The Narrator
[2012]Girl Most Likely Maxwell P. Duncan
[2013]Fading Gigolo Sol
[2014]The Grand Budapest Hotel M. Martin
[2014]The Monuments Men Preston Savitz
[2016]Mascots Sol Lumpkin
[2016]I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House Mr. Waxcap
[2018]An L.A. Minute Shelly
[2018]Isle of Dogs King
[2021]The French Dispatch Uncle Nick
Broad City Arthur Wexler
Condor Reuel Abbott
Girls Dr. Rice
Miami Vice Ira Stone
Mod Squad Tony, Walter
Seinfeld Russell Dalrymple
The Good Wife Gordon Higgs
Bob Balaban, The Exonerated
Bob Balaban , The Inspector General
Bob Balaban has appeared on Broadway in 5 shows.
Bob Balaban has not appeared in the West End
Bob Balaban has been nominated for several awards throughout his career. He was nominated for a Unique Theatrical Experience award at The Lortels for his work in the play "The Exonerated." Additionally, he received a nomination for Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play at the Tony Awards for his performance in "The Inspector General."
Bob Balaban has won the Unique Theatrical Experience award at The Lortels for his work in The Exonerated.