(Ask me sometime to go into more detail about character actors.  I’ve always been fascinated by them on several levels.)

Character actors have always fascinated me.  The best ones seem to turn up again and again in movies and TV shows.  But they all share a common trait:  they’re able to completely transform themselves into the different roles and characters they’re asked to play, infusing each with a unique personality and, quite often, a completely different look.

In our time, Stephen Tobolowsky has been my definition of character actor.  From his hilarious portrayal of Tor Eckman, Kramer’s half-bubble-off-plumb holistic healer in Seinfeld to the eccentric Dr. Alvin Azinabinacroft in Boston Legal to the creepy, Josh Groban-obsessed Sandy Ryerson on Glee, he’s made the rounds of a typical character actor and created several unforgettable personas out of supporting characters, not always a simple task

I’ve come to learn that there’s another dimension to Mr. Tobolowsky’s uncommon performing talent.  He is also an incredible storyteller.  The other day, doing some pleasure-surfing of the web, I came across this site:  www.TobolowskyFiles.com.  On it you’ll find the actor musing across a wide range of subjects: the politics he encountered while a student in drama at the University of Illinois, for example; working with director Paul Verhoeven; and the vicissitudes of life’s ups and downs.

His stories are captivating and often hilarious and profound.  They’re not short, either.  Some go on for 40-45 minutes.  But don’t let me scare you off.  Steven Tobolowsky, the storyteller, is worth every minute you can spend with him.  In fact, as soon as my shift is over today, I’m going to click on and listen some more.

Tags: character actor, Glee, Stephen Tobolowsky

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