Bob Balaban
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.
The Tuxedo
as Winton Chalmers (uncredited)Cabbie-turned-chauffeur Jimmy Tong learns there is really only one rule when you work for...
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Asteroid City
as Larkings ExecutiveIn an American desert town circa 1955, the itinerary of a Junior Stargazer/Space Cadet...
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No Reservations
as TherapistMaster chef Kate Armstrong runs her life and her kitchen with intimidating intensity. However, a...
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The Grand Budapest Hotel
as Monsieur MartinThe Grand Budapest Hotel tells of a legendary concierge at a famous European hotel between the...
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Gosford Park
as Morris WeissmanIn 1930s England, a group of pretentious rich and famous gather together for a weekend of...
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After an encounter with UFOs, an electricity linesman feels undeniably drawn to an isolated area...
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In the future, an outbreak of canine flu leads the mayor of a Japanese city to banish all dogs...
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The staff of an American magazine based in France puts out its last issue, with stories...
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Midnight Cowboy
as The Young StudentJoe Buck is a wide-eyed hustler from Texas hoping to score big with wealthy New York City women;...
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The Majestic
as Elvin GlydeSet in 1951, a blacklisted Hollywood writer gets into a car accident, loses his memory and...
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The Mexican
as Bernie NaymanJerry Welbach, a reluctant bagman, has been given two ultimatums: The first is from his mob boss...
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Moonrise Kingdom
as The NarratorSet on an island off the coast of New England in the summer of 1965, Moonrise Kingdom tells the...
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While planet Earth poises on the brink of nuclear self-destruction, a team of Russian and...
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Deconstructing Harry
as RichardWriter Harry Block draws inspiration from people he knows, and from events that happened to him,...
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Best in Show
as Dr. Theodore W. Millbank, IIIThe tension is palpable, the excitement is mounting and the heady scent of competition is in the...
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Ghost World
as Enid's DadTwo quirky, cynical teenaged girls try to figure out what to do with their lives after high...
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Greedy
as EdMeet the McTeagues. They've come to stake a claim in their wealthy uncle's will… only he's not...
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Altered States
as Arthur RosenbergA research scientist explores the boundaries and frontiers of consciousness. Using sensory...
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Catch-22
as Capt. OrrA bombardier in World War II tries desperately to escape the insanity of the war. However,...
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Alice
as Sid MoscowitzAlice Tate, mother of two, with a marriage of 16 years, finds herself falling for the handsome...
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Bob Roberts
as Cutting Edge ProducerMock documentary about an upstart candidate for the U.S. Senate written and directed by actor...
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Capote
as William ShawnA biopic of writer Truman Capote and his assignment for The New Yorker to write the non-fiction...
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Lady in the Water
as Harry FarberApartment building superintendent Cleveland Heep rescues what he thinks is a young woman from...
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80 for Brady
as MarkA quartet of elderly best friends decide to live life to the fullest by taking a wild trip to...
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License to Wed
as Jewelry Store Clerk (uncredited)Newly engaged, Ben and Sadie can't wait to start their life together and live happily ever...
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Recount
as Ben GinsbergIn 2000, the election of the U.S. Presidential boiled down to a few precious votes in the state...
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Amos & Andrew
as Dr. R. A. (Roy) FinkWhen Andrew Sterling, a successful black urbanite writer, buys a vacation home on a resort in...
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Fading Gigolo
as SolFioravante decides to become a professional Don Juan as a way of making money to help his...
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Howl
as Judge Clayton HornIt's San Francisco in 1957, and an American masterpiece is put on trial. Howl, the film,...
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Spielberg
as SelfA documentary on the life and career of one of the most influential film directors of all time,...
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A Monster in Paris
as PâtéParis, 1910. Emile, a shy movie projectionist, and Raoul, a colourful inventor, find themselves...
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Dead Bang
as Elliott WebleyLos Angeles homicide detective Jerry Beck searches for the murderer who killed a police officer...
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Jakob the Liar
as KowalskyIn 1944 Poland, a Jewish shop keeper named Jakob is summoned to ghetto headquarters after being...
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For Love or Money
as Ed DrinkwaterNew York concierge Doug Ireland wants to go into business for himself and refurbish a hotel on...
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Absence of Malice
as Elliott RosenMegan Carter is a reporter duped into running an untrue story on Michael Gallagher, a suspected...
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The Monuments Men
as Pvt. Preston SavitzBased on the true story of the greatest treasure hunt in history, The Monuments Men is an action...
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Little Man Tate
as QuizmasterDede is a sole parent trying to bring up her son Fred. When it is discovered that Fred is a...
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Mitch Robbins' 40th birthday begins quite well until he returns home and finds his brother Glen,...
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Three to Tango
as DeckerOscar and Peter land a career-making opportunity when a Chicago tycoon chooses them to compete...
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Trust the Man
as Tobey's TherapistOverachieving actress Rebecca must come to grips with her failing marriage to stay-at-home dad...
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Girlfriends
as MartinA photographer and her best friend are roommates. She is stuck with small-change shooting jobs...
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Waiting for Guffman
as Lloyd MillerAspiring director Corky St. Clair and the marginally talented amateur cast of his hokey...
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Cradle Will Rock
as Harry HopkinsA true story of politics and art in the 1930s USA, centered around a leftist musical drama and...
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A Mighty Wind
as Jonathan SteinbloomDirector Christopher Guest reunites the team from "Best In Show" and "Waiting for Guffman" to...
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Clockwatchers
as Milton LaskyThe relationship between four female temps all working for the same credit company is threatened...
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Hitchcock/Truffaut
as Narrator (voice)Filmmakers discuss the legacy of Alfred Hitchcock and the book “Hitchcock/Truffaut” (“Le cinéma...
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Prince of the City
as SantimassinoNew York City detective Daniel Ciello agrees to help the United States Department of Justice...
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Mascots
as Sol LumpkinEager contestants don big heads and furry suits to vie for the title of World's Best Mascot.
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Rage
as Mr. WhiteA schoolboy uses his cellphone camera to shoot intimate interviews with people working at a New...
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For Your Consideration
as Philip KoontzThe possibility of Oscar gold holds the cast and crew of an independent film in its grip after...
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The Late Shift
as Warren LittlefieldDavid Letterman vies with Jay Leno and his manager to succeed Johnny Carson, retiring from "The...
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Thin Ice
as Leonard DahlA dishonest insurance salesman's life quickly disintegrates during a Wisconsin winter when he...
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Me, Natalie
as MorrisSince she was a child, Natalie Miller has always thought she was an ugly ducking. Despite her...
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Girl Most Likely
as MaxwellA failed New York playwright stages a suicide in an attempt to win back her ex, only to wind up...
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I Am the Pretty Thing That Lives in the House
as Mr. WaxcapA young nurse takes care of an elderly author who lives in a haunted house.
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Dedication
as Arthur PlanckA modern love story in which a misanthropic, emotionally complex author of a hit children's book...
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Everything Is Copy
as SelfA candid portrait of writer/director Nora Ephron, directed by her son, journalist Jacob Bernstein.
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The Bank Shot
as Victor KarpA bank temporarily housed in a mobile home while a new building is built, looks like an easy...
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Muhammad Ali's Greatest Fight
as LawyerMuhammad Ali’s historic Supreme Court battle from behind closed doors. When Ali was drafted into...
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Plan B
as James FosterA bookkeeper who thinks she killed three mobsters is subsequently promoted by her boss to be a...
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The Strawberry Statement
as ElliotA college student joins a group of revolutionaries to meet girls but ends up committed to their...
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Whose Life Is It Anyway?
as Carter HillKen Harrison is an artist that lives to make sculptures. One day he is involved in a car...
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Report to the Commissioner
as Joey EganPolice officer Patty Butler, alias "Chicklet," is the live-in girlfriend of Thomas 'Stick'...
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Swing Vote
as Justice Eli MacCorckleA newly-appointed Supreme Court Justice must settle a controversial moral and legal dilemma with...
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Unnatural Pursuits
as Lou FinklebergAn English playwright sacrifices his health waiting for his play's make-or-break opening on...
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Scene Stealers
as Jonathan Crouch Esq.Billy Bottomsly, a struggling artist, is plagiarised by a Hollywood mogul. He involves his...
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Starring Austin Pendleton
as uncreditedA quirky and inspirational documentary film on the philosophical approach to the life and work...
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Making It
as WilkieIn this coming of age comedy, a cocky high school student thinks nothing of using the people...
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Mike Nichols: An American Master
as SelfWith charm and wit, Nichols discusses his life and 50-year career as a performer and director.
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End of the Line
as Warren GerberWhen the closure of a railway is announced, employees commandeer a locomotive to get to...
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Carl Laemmle
as HimselfA documentary about the life of Carl Laemmle, early cinema pioneer and founder of Universal...
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Eva Hesse
as Wilhelm Hesse (voice)German American artist Eva Hesse (1936 – 1970) created her innovative art in latex and...
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Nothing Lasts Forever
as Guy with Sunglasses in Espresso BarAn artist fails a test and is required to direct traffic in New York City's Holland Tunnel. He...
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The Making of 'Gosford Park'
as SelfA documentary giving film fans a behind-the-scenes look at the making this Robert Altman film...
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The Monster Hunter
as Dr. William PowellResidents of an East Texas town react strangely when a serial killer invades their small town world.
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Moonrise Kingdom: Welcome to the Island of New Penzance
as SelfNarrator Bob Balaban briefly profiles Murray, Willis, Norton, and Anderson. There's some lovely...
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Marie and Bruce
as RogerA day in the life of a couple trapped in a sadomasochistic relationship. When Marie decides to...
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How Moving
as Uncle AaronWith some apprehension, Jared (Richard Ellis) flew across the country to move in with his...
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An L.A. Minute
as ShelleyBest-selling author Ted Gold faces a moral dilemma when Velocity, an avant-garde performance...
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Do You Like to Read?
as The NarratorThe librarian of the town of New Penzance introduces six animated segments illustrating Suzy's...
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Pie in the Sky
as Paul EntamenA young man obsessed with traffic patterns attempts to reunite with his first love.
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Marriage: Year One
as BernieA medical student marries a millionaire's daughter but insists they live on the money he earns.
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Exploring the Set of 'Moonrise Kingdom'
as Self / The NarratorMartin Scali, who was Wes Anderson's assistant on "Fantastic Mr. Fox", shot this short...
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The Making of 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind'
as SelfA documentary film on the making of 'Close Encounters of the Third Kind'
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The Definite Maybe
as Wolfe RollinsWhen 25-year-old New Yorker Eric Traber gets fired from his job and kicked out of his apartment,...
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Desperate Souls, Dark City and the Legend of Midnight Cowboy
as SelfThis is not a documentary about the making of Midnight Cowboy. It is about a humane and...
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Conversation with the Beast
as Mr. WebsterAn American historian (Mr Webster) comes to Berlin to visit an old man who claims to be the real...
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The Face of Fear
as Ira PreduskiGraham Harris was once one of the world's foremost mountain climbers, until a fall five years...
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How Dare You Want More: The Short Film
as uncreditedA short film sequel to the six-episode web miniseries “Thank You and Sorry.”
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Prince of the City: The Real Story
as uncreditedThe true story behind the Prince of the City.
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Controversy and Acclaim: The Timelessness of a Groundbreaking Film
as SelfDocumentary featuring the contentious news surrounding the movie "Midnight Cowboy" (1969),...
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The Five Stages of Grief
as Voice of Daniel's fatherDaniel's father died yesterday. He seems to be totally fine. Luckily his friends can teach him...
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Tex, the Passive/Aggressive Gunslinger
as TexThe legend of Tex, who never lost a gunfight.
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Giving Up the Ghost
as BobAfter a woman's husband dies while jogging in the park, the young widow's deep grief helps to...
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The Windmill Movie
as SelfFilmmaker Richard P. Rogers tried for twenty years to make a documentary about his own life. He...
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Friends
as Frank Buffay Sr.Six young people from New York City, on their own and struggling to survive in the real world,...
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Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
as SelfA half-hour satirical look at the week in news, politics and current events.
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The Simpsons
as Narrator (voice)Set in Springfield, the average American town, the show focuses on the antics and everyday...
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The West Wing
as Ted MarcusThe West Wing provides a glimpse into presidential politics in the nation's capital as it tells...
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Miami Vice
as uncreditedThe story of the Miami Police Department's vice squad and its efforts to end drug trafficking...
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Love, American Style
as NickAn anthology comedy series featuring a line up of different celebrity guest stars appearing in...
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Seinfeld
as Russell DalrympleA stand-up comedian and his three offbeat friends weather the pitfalls and payoffs of life in...
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Summer Camp Island
as Gerald (voice)Oscar and Hedgehog are dropped off at a strange summer camp, full of fantastical things ranging...
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Girls
as TherapistThe assorted humiliations, disasters and rare triumphs of four very different twenty-something...
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Space Force
as Ron (voice)A four-star general begrudgingly teams up with an eccentric scientist to get the U.S. military's...
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The Mod Squad
as uncreditedThe Mod Squad was the enormously successful groundbreaking "hippie" undercover cop show that ran...
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Tom Goes to the Mayor
as Walt Pickle (voice)Tom Goes to the Mayor is an American animated television series created by Tim Heidecker and...
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Amazing Stories
as Jo-Jo GillespieA truly amazing, fantastical, science fiction, funny and odd, and sometimes scary, sad and...
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Broad City
as Arthur WexlerBroad City follows two women throughout their daily lives in New York City, making the smallest...
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The Chair
as Elliot RentzAt a major university, the first woman of color to become chair tries to meet the dizzying...
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Now and Again
as uncreditedNow and Again is an American television series that aired in the US from September 24, 1999...
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Maude
as Ambrose RileyWell-educated and upper middle class, Maude Findlay is the archetypal feminist of her...
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The Politician
as Keaton HobartPayton has known since childhood that he's going to be president. First he'll have to navigate...
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Show Me a Hero
as Leonard B. SandMayor Nick Wasicsko took office in 1987 during Yonkers' worst crisis when federal courts ordered...
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Room 222
as uncreditedRoom 222 is an American comedy-drama television series produced by 20th Century Fox Television....
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Condor
as Reuel AbbottYoung CIA analyst Joe Turner has his idealism tested when he learns that the CIA has been using...
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Moguls & Movie Stars: A History of Hollywood
as SelfEach installment focuses on a different era of American movie history, from the invention of the...
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Web Therapy
as Ted MitchellFiona Wallice is a therapist with limited patience for others' problems.
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James Cameron's Story of Science Fiction
as uncreditedExplore the evolution of sci-fi from its origins as a small genre with a cult following to the...
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Web Therapy
as Ted MitchellFiona Wallice is a therapist with little patience for her patients. Tired of hearing about...
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Hank
as uncreditedHank is an American situation comedy which is perhaps most notable for being an early example of...
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Legend
as uncreditedThe irresistible and charming Ernest Pratt is a dime-store novelist who is living out the...
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Hopeless Pictures
as uncreditedHopeless Pictures is an American animated comedy series starring the voice of Friends actress...
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