Actor Stephen Tobolowsky on 35 Years in Hollywood
There’s some actors that have starred in more films than you can possibly count. Today I’m excited to interview one of them. Stephen Tobolowsky is best known for his roles in Groundhog Day, Space Balls, Deadwood and many many others.
Working alongside the likes of Stevie Ray Vaughan, Christopher Nolan, Jim Beaver, and Powers Boothe, Stephen’s got amazing few stories to tell.
He gives me a great insight into what it’s like living in the acting world and explains to me what ‘The Bible of a Show’ is.
He also tells me funny stories about the shoots he’s been on, what it’s like to have amnesia, and the hit podcast he hosts himself...
“Memento, even though it was not a huge part, it was the most difficult role I ever played, to recapture the real feeling of amnesia.” - Stephen Tobolowsky
Time Stamps:
02:19 - The films Stephen’s most famous for starring in.
08:20 - Our ‘Bet you didn’t know that’ section, starring pigs, donkeys, hard-boiled eggs and Texas grapes!
16:01 - Where Stephen grew up and the folk-rock group he played in with Stevie Ray Vaughan.
24:10 - Shooting ‘Great Balls of Fire!’ and how Stevie tragically died in a helicopter crash.
35:25 - Stephen's initial thoughts on the film ‘Memento’, how he got the role for Sammy Jankis.
40:41 - What it’s like to have amnesia.
46:30 - What it’s like on set with Christopher Nolan as the director.
48:18 - The reason Stephen doesn’t enjoy night shoots, and the difference a director can make to how enjoyable a shoot is.
53:56 - Shooting the bizarre sci-fi movie ‘Night Visitors’ and how Stephen had to make up parts of the script mid-shoot.
59:52 - Working with Jim Beaver and Powers Boothe, and what made shooting ‘Deadwood’ such a unique experience.
1:09:24 - The small community there is among actors, especially at Texas University SMU.
1:14:02 - The amount of attention Stephen gets from his role in Groundhog Day, and how he ended up shooting a Super Bowl commercial with Bill Murray.
1:20:50 - What Stephen’s podcast is about and how he came up with the idea for his show.
Resources:
Great Balls of Fire!
Memento
Night Visitors
Deadwood
Southern Methodist University (SMU)
Tobolowsky Files
Jim Beaver: 15 Years of Supernatural
Texas Real Food