Bob Balaban is an Academy Award-nominated American actor, author and director. One of his earliest appearances was in 1969’s Midnight Cowboy. Among his early roles in the 1970s were Orr in Catch-22, and the interpreter David Laughlin in the Steven Spielberg’s 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 such as 2010, and directed the Randy Quaid picture Parents. In 1980, he also starred as Bruce in the New York premiere of Wallace Shawn’s stage play Marie and Bruce.

Balaban has had supporting roles in films such as Absence of Malice, Bob Roberts, The Majestic, Lady in the Water and all of Christopher Guest’s films: Waiting for Guffman, Best in Show, A Mighty Wind and For Your Consideration. In the 1990s, Balaban had a recurring role as Russell Dalrymple, the fictional president of NBC and eventually Elaine’s love interest on Seinfeld. In 2001 Balaban produced the Robert Altman picture Gosford Park, for which he received a nomination for Best Picture.

Balaban is the author of a series of six children’s novels featuring a bionic dog named “McGrowl”.