I Love Supporting Actors: Stephen Tobolowsky

You know, this guy:
Notable Roles:

Werner Brandes - "Sneakers"

Sammy Jankis - "Memento"

Ned Ryerson - "Groundhog Day"

Bob Bishop - "Heroes"



Why He's Awesome:



When I came up with the idea of doing a series on supporting actors, he was the first on my list. "Sneakers" has always been one of my favorite movies. In the movie, the good guys chop up tape of his voice to get past a voice authorization lock, and his inflection absolutely makes the phrase "...my. voice. is. my. passport. verify. me." In "Memento" he put that goopy voice of his to good use as the sad, doomed Sammy Jankis. And who could forget Ned? Ned Ryerson? No seriously, you cannot forget him after hearing him over and over again.

I was excited when he showed up on "Heroes." The man has worked consistently in film and TV for like 30 years. He'll never be big, but he'll always find work. Too bad he died so quickly on "Heroes," but maybe one day there will be a solid series role for him.

You'd Be Surprised to Learn:

He played the evil lieutenant guy in "Spaceballs" who proclaimed, "These are not them! You've captured their stunt doubles!"

Check out his imdb page.