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Bob Balaban

As a screen actor, Bob Balaban was often seen in character roles as buttoned up and usually bespectacled brains, with his deadpan performances in Christopher Guest films like "Waiting for Guffman" (1996) and "Best in Show" (2000) earning him a following with indie comedy fans. Many of those same fans, as well as ones who enjoyed his recurring role as the network executive who greenlights and then cancels Jerry and George's sitcom project on "Seinfeld" (NBC, 1989-1998), may not have known that Balaban also enjoyed a steady career behind the camera as a director of dark comedies for film and television. A foray into producing, alongside film great Robert Altman, resulted in the pair's Oscar-nominated best picture "Gosford Park" (2001), a period whodunit in which Balaban starred as a 1930s filmmaker. In 2008, his well-rounded career earned him widespread praise and award consideration for his acting in HBO's political drama "Recount" (2008) and for his directing "Bernard and Doris" (2008), the network's biopic about tobacco millionaire Doris Duke. Further accolades followed with his biopic "Georgia O'Keeffe" (Lifetime, 2010), proving that his creativity in front of and behind the camera knew no limits.