The year is 1976. A tall, light-haired, young man steps out of the car into the sunshine, stretching his long legs after the tedious four-day road trip to Hollywood. The car was as full as a car could be, and as he recalls later in life, reminds him of something that would be in “The Guinness Book of Records.”
The trunk is packed, the backseat is stacked to the roof, the side seat is full and even the driver had to sit with a clothes basket perched precariously on their lap with a stack of magazines all the way up to his or her chin.
His mother had made the journey with him because his right foot was in a cast. After settling into a suitable apartment, he tells his mother farewell. In parting, she hugs him warmly, then looks at him and says, “Son, whatever you do, don’t go into porno.” And there, Stephen Tobolowsky was on his own in the City of Angels. Thus, beginning his acting career.
One might ask, “Who, pray tell, is Stephen Tobolowsky?” This charming man of many talents is a former SMU theater student with a successful acting career of more than 35 years. He has appeared in more movies and TV shows than Tom Cruise, and has recently landed a role in the new top-hit TV series, “Glee.”
Stephen Tobolowsky was born May 30, 1951 in Dallas, Texas. He lived at 2222 Caroline St. during his childhood and into his college days. He is the middle child, having an older brother, who is now a retired doctor, and a younger sister.
At 6 years old, Tobolowsky knew he wanted to be an actor. At the time he thought it was all about flying in rocket ships and fighting off dinosaurs. As he got older, he continued to pursue acting and often participated in one-act plays that the parks in the area put on each year. Tobolowsky’s dad, Dr. Tobolowsky, said, “Stephen always liked to explore. He has a knack of remembering lines really well; more so than most people.” Tobolowsky recalled how he never considered applying to any other college than SMU and was lucky to get in. His dad and other family members had also gone there.
“At one point you either become an actor or a waiter, or you hit the reset button and reinvent yourself,” Tobolowsky said.
He played a lot of small parts his freshman year at SMU. Sophomore year he was fortunate to land some great roles in The Imaginary Invalid and A Man’s a Man. Tobolowsky’s crowning moment of all at SMU was the lead in Ubu the King. Despite these glorious moments, there were hard and discouraging times.
“I could tell I was not a favored child in the department, so I went outside the department and got my Equity card and started working at Theatre Three,” Tobolowsky said.
He loved and thought the world of his professor, Jack Clay, who supported him in ways that no other teacher would. As a student, Tobolowsky learned many things, among which was how to deal with rejection and politics in the department and to keep his own council.
Looking back on those times, Tobolowsky observed that maybe it was a good thing that he wasn’t one of the “favored children” in the SMU theater department. “Most of those students didn’t amount to anything in the showbiz and most never became actors; moving on to pursue other careers,” Tobolowsky said.
Tobolowsky has been in 197 movies and TV shows combined. Movies such as “Blind Dating,” “Wild Hogs,” “Freaky Friday,” “Miss Congeniality 2,” and well-known TV shows like, “Law and Order,” “Will & Grace,” “Seinfeld,” “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” “Heroes” and “Las Vegas.”
Despite the fact that he has played roles in so many TV shows and movies, he loves the theater.
His recent success and favorite television role is that of Sandy Ryerson in the top television series, “Glee.” “Great cast. Fun process,” Tobolowsky said of the experience. He recalls how he obtained that role despite the fact that he walked into that audition with a neck brace on from breaking his neck in a horseback riding accident he had. He proved to the directors and producers that he could take that brace off and perform just as well as ever.
“I’m amazed at the breadth of ‘characters’ he has played. His acting skills are not like immediately recognizable like that of Julia Roberts or Denzel Washington; both of whom I like but are much the same in every role,” said Judith Banes, SMU’s executive director of recreational sports at Dedman Center. “Stephen is only recognizable because of his distinctive appearance. He has acted in the roles of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ guys and makes them all believable.”
Banes knows Tobolowsky through his dad who regularly walks the track at the Dedman Center.
Today, Stephen Tobolowsky lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Ann, of 21 years and his two sons.
