Bob Balaban is a renowned American actor who is best known for his roles in several popular movies and TV shows. He was born on August 16, 1945, in Chicago, Illinois, USA. Balaban started his career in the entertainment industry in the late 1960s as a stage actor in New York. He then moved to Hollywood and began appearing in several popular TV shows and movies in the 1970s.
Balaban has appeared in many commercial advertisements over the years. He has worked with several popular brands, including IBM, Mastercard, and most notably, Verizon. In the Verizon commercials, Balaban played the role of a bespectacled, quirky "test man" who tested the quality of Verizon's phone service in various locations.
Aside from his commercial work, Balaban has also acted in numerous critically acclaimed movies such as Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), Catch-22 (1970), and Gosford Park (2001), for which he received an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor. He has also appeared in many popular TV shows like Seinfeld, Broad City, and The Good Wife.
Balaban's acting talent has earned him numerous awards and accolades throughout his career. In addition to his Academy Award nomination, he has won a BAFTA Award, a Screen Actors Guild Award, and several Primetime Emmy Awards.
Overall, Bob Balaban has become a well-known and sought-after actor in Hollywood, recognized for his versatile talent and quirky charm both on screen and in commercial advertisements.