Interview with Bob Balaban

Yesterday's Chicagoist had an interview with Bob Balaban, the well-known actor whose father was one of the Balaban Brothers responsible for the Uptown Theatre. If only he would be an active voice for the Uptown! (His cousin, David Balaban, has written a book about the Balaban and Katz theatre chain in Chicago.)

Interview: Bob Balaban

A native Chicagoan, it's no wonder that Bob Balaban was bitten early on by the movie bug, since his family is the Balaban of the Balaban & Katz movie threater chain. What's more surprising is how many hats he's worn. He's a character actor royale, appearing in films by everyone from Woody Allen and Christopher Guest to Terry Zwigoff and Robert Altman. (But he's probably best known for playing the NBC exec who's obsessed with Elaine in five episodes of "Seinfeld"). He's also a children's book author and a filmmaker.

Since his feature directorial debut, the jet black cannibalism comedy Parents, he's also directed episodes of TV shows like "Strangers with Candy" and "Oz." His newest film Bernard and Doris premieres tomorrow on HBO. It's an imaginary portrait of billionaire Doris Duke, whose will left her entire fortune to her Irish butler Bernard...

Read more at Chicagoist.