Tobin Bell

In 1982, Bell had a short uncredited scene in the Sydney Pollack film, Tootsie , playing a waiter at the Russian Tea Room. He worked on The Verdict (1982) for two weeks as a courtroom reporter in the trial.

In 1982 Bell landed his first speaking role in the last few moments of the drama Sophie's Choice , starring Meryl Streep. Bell moved to Los Angeles and was cast in his first feature film, Alan Parker's Mississippi Burning (1988), as a "tough,street smart, FBI agent". Bell played an assassin called "The Nordic Man" in another Pollack film, The Firm (1993). He went on to appear in an episode of the sitcom Seinfeld titled "The Old Man" playing a record store owner. He appeared in two episodes of NYPD Blue playing different characters; he played Donald Selness in a 1993 episode and Jerry the Artist in a 1996 episode.

In 1994, Bell played a hospital administrator in the second episode of the first season of ER and went on to appear in an episode of another medical drama Chicago Hope , playing a terminally ill inmate on death row. That same year, he portrayed the "Unabomber" in the made-for-television film Unabomber: The True Story . In 1997, Bell guest starred in an episode of La Femme Nikita and Nash Bridges . The following year, he guest starred in an episode of Stargate SG-1 and a two-part episode of Walker, Texas Ranger . He also appeared as villain Peter Kingsley during the second season of 24 .