Bob Balaban is an actor, director, producer and author. He was nominated for an Oscar for producing Robert Altman's "Gosford Park". His New York stage career was launched playing Linus in "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown". He was later nominated for a Tony as Osip in "The Government Inspector". As an actor he has appeared in such films as "Midnight Cowboy", "Catch-22", "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" and "Waiting for Guffman". His directing credits include "Parents", "The Last Good Time", "Bernard & Doris" and "Georgia O'Keefe". He is the author of "McGrowl" a series of children's books abut a bionic dog.