If you saw Stephen Tobolowsky on the street, you might think you know him from somewhere. The character actor has appeared in over 100 films and TV shows, with recurring roles in Heroes, Deadwood, Glee and now The Mindy Project.
In his memoir, The Dangerous Animals Club, Toboloswky charts the highs and lows of life as a character actor. Some of his roles have been so small, he says, his characters didn’t even have names — as, for example, with his turn as “Buttcrack Plumber.”
“I was happy to get that part — except when the costumer said, ‘All right, Stephen, could you get down on all fours, please?’ ” he tells Fresh Air‘s Dave Davies. “And I got down on all fours, and he says, ‘I don’t really see a lot of crack there. Uh, Stephen, could you scooch around a little? We’re not getting much crack.’ ”
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