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Joel Grey (born Joel David Katz; April 11, 1932) is an American actor, singer, dancer, photographer, and theatre director. He is best known for portraying the Master of Ceremonies in the musical '' Cabaret'' on Broadway and in Bob Fosse's 1972 film adaptation. He has won an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, a
Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...
, and a Tony Award. He earned the
Lifetime Achievement Tony Award The Special Tony Award category includes the Lifetime Achievement Tony Award and the Special Tony Award. These are non-competitive honorary awards, and the titles have changed over the years. The Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre ...
in 2023. Grey's Tony-nominated roles include for the musical '' George M!'' (1968), '' Goodtime Charley'' (1975), and '' The Grand Tour'' (1979). After portraying Amos Hart in the Broadway revival of '' Chicago'' (1996), he originated the role of the Wizard of Oz in the musical '' Wicked'' (2003) and played Moonface Martin in the 2011 revival of '' Anything Goes''. He directed the 2011 revival of Larry Kramer's '' The Normal Heart'' earning a Tony Award nomination for Best Direction of a Play. He earned a
Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture The Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture is a Golden Globe Award that was first awarded by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association in 1944 for a performance in a motion picture released in the previous year. The formal ...
nomination for his role in '' Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins'' (1985). His other film roles include in ''
Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson ''Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson'' is a 1976 revisionist Western film directed by Robert Altman and based on the 1968 play '' Indians'' by Arthur Kopit. It stars Paul Newman as William F. Cody, alias Buffalo Bi ...
'' (1976), '' Kafka'' (1991), ''
The Music of Chance ''The Music of Chance'' (1990) is an absurdist novel by Paul Auster. It was a 1991 finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction and was later made into a film in 1993; Mandy Patinkin played Nashe and James Spader played Pozzi. Plot summary ...
'' (1993), '' The Fantasticks'' (2000), and ''
Dancer in the Dark ''Dancer in the Dark'' is a 2000 musical drama film written and directed by Danish filmmaker Lars von Trier. It stars Icelandic musician Björk as a factory worker who suffers from a degenerative eye condition and is saving for an operation to p ...
'' (2000). He earned an
Emmy The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...
nomination for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series for ''
Brooklyn Bridge The Brooklyn Bridge is a hybrid cable-stayed/ suspension bridge in New York City, spanning the East River between the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn. Opened on May 24, 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge was the first fixed crossing of the East River ...
'' (1993). He also acted in '' Oz'' (2003), ''
Alias Alias may refer to: * Pseudonym * Pen name * Nickname Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Alias'' (2013 film), a 2013 Canadian documentary film * ''Alias'' (TV series), an American action thriller series 2001–2006 * ''Alias the ...
'' (2005), ''
House A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...
'' (2006), '' Nurse Jackie'' (2011), and '' The Old Man'' (2022).


Early life

Grey was born in Cleveland, Ohio, the son of Goldie "Grace" (née Epstein) and Mickey Katz, an actor, comedian, and musician. Both his parents were Jewish. He attended Alexander Hamilton High School in Los Angeles, California.


Career


Early career

Grey started his career, at age 10, in the Cleveland Play House's Curtain Pullers children's theatre program in the early 1940s, appearing in productions such as ''Grandmother Slyboots'', ''Jack of Tarts'' and a lead role in their mainstage production of '' On Borrowed Time''. By 1952, at age 20, he was appearing as a featured performer at the Copacabana nightclub in New York. He changed his last name from Katz to Grey early in his career due to the stigma associated with having a surname with an obvious ethnicity attached. Grey made his Broadway acting debut in ''Borscht Capades'' where he was credit as "Joel Kaye". He returned to Broadway in ''The Littlest Revue'' in 1956 and acted as a replacement in Neil Simon's ''
Come Blow Your Horn ''Come Blow Your Horn'' is Neil Simon's first play, which premiered on Broadway in 1961 and had a London production in 1962 at the Prince of Wales Theatre. Simon rewrote the script more than two dozen times over several years, resulting in a hit ...
'' in 1961 and the musicals '' Stop the World – I Want to Get Off'' in 1962, and '' Half a Sixpence'' in 1965. He started his professional television career on '' The Colgate Comedy Hour'' from 1951 to 1954. He then took on roles in the late 1950s and early 1960s, Grey appeared in several TV westerns including '' Maverick'' (1959), '' Bronco'' (1960) and '' Lawman'' (3 times in 1960 and 1961).


1966–1979: Breakthrough

Grey gained his breakthrough performance originating the role of the Master of Ceremonies in the Broadway musical '' Cabaret'' by John Kander and Fred Ebb in 1966. He received raves for his role as the malevolent and sinister emcee of the Kit Kat Club. He won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical. Grey appeared as a panelist for the television game show '' What's My Line?'' in the 1967 season, as well as being the first Mystery Guest during its syndication in 1968. His followup role on Broadway was as
George M. Cohan George Michael Cohan (July 3, 1878November 5, 1942) was an American entertainer, playwright, composer, lyricist, actor, singer, dancer and theatrical producer. Cohan began his career as a child, performing with his parents and sister in a vaudev ...
in the 1968 musical '' George M!''. Grey was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical and received the
Outer Critics Circle Award The Outer Critics Circle Awards are presented annually for theatrical achievements both on Broadway and Off-Broadway. They are presented by the Outer Critics Circle (OCC), the official organization of New York theater writers for out-of-town newspa ...
for Outstanding Performance. Grey reprised his role as the Master of Ceremonies in the 1972 Bob Fosse directed film version of ''Cabaret''. Fosse, who was hired to direct the film version because Hal Prince was unavailable, wanted to recast the MC role, but the studio insisted on Grey. Fosse backed down on his “It’s either me or Joel” threat, but relations between them were cool. He won the
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor The Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor is an award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). It is given in honor of an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance in a supporting role while worki ...
in March 1973 for his performance. His victory was part of a ''Cabaret'' near-sweep, which saw
Liza Minnelli Liza May Minnelli ( ; born March 12, 1946) is an American actress, singer, dancer, and choreographer. Known for her commanding stage presence and powerful alto singing voice, Minnelli is among a rare group of performers awarded an Emmy, Grammy ...
win Best Actress and Bob Fosse win
Best Director Best Director is the name of an award which is presented by various film, television and theatre organizations, festivals, and people's awards. It may refer to: Film awards * AACTA Award for Best Direction * Academy Award for Best Director * BA ...
, although it lost the Best Picture Oscar to '' The Godfather.'' For that role, Grey also won a BAFTA award for "The Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles" and Best Supporting Actor awards from the Golden Globes, Kansas City Film Critics Circle, National Board of Review of Motion Pictures, National Society of Film Critics, and a Tony Award for his original stage performance six years prior, making him one of only ten people who have won both a Tony Award and an Academy Award for the same role. He was the guest star for the fifth episode of '' The Muppet Show'' in its first season in 1976, singing "Razzle Dazzle" from '' Chicago'' and "Willkommen" from '' Cabaret''. He has performed at The Muny in
St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis () is the second-largest city in Missouri, United States. It sits near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Missouri Rivers. In 2020, the city proper had a population of 301,578, while the Greater St. Louis, ...
, in roles such as
George M. Cohan George Michael Cohan (July 3, 1878November 5, 1942) was an American entertainer, playwright, composer, lyricist, actor, singer, dancer and theatrical producer. Cohan began his career as a child, performing with his parents and sister in a vaudev ...
in '' George M!'' (1970 and 1992), the Emcee in ''Cabaret'' (1971), and Joey Evans in '' Pal Joey'' (1983). At the Williamstown Theatre Festival, Grey played the title role in their production of ''
Platonov Platonov or Platonaw is a surname. It may refer to: People *Andrei Platonov (1899–1951), pen name of Andrei Platonovich Klimentov, Russian writer of the Soviet period * Dzmitry Platonaw (born 1986), Belarusian footballer *Igor Platonov (1934–19 ...
'' (1977). He returned to Broadway in the play '' Goodtime Charley'' (1975), and the musical '' The Grand Tour'' (1979).


1980–1999

He also played Master of Sinanju Chiun, Remo's elderly Korean
martial arts Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defense; military and law enforcement applications; combat sport, competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; a ...
master in the movie '' Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins'' (1985), a role that garnered him a
Saturn Award The Saturn Awards are American awards presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Films. The awards were created to honor science fiction, fantasy, and horror in film, but have since grown to reward other films be ...
and a second
Golden Globe The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...
nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Chiun's character was popular for the lines "Meat of cow kills", and "You move like a pregnant yak", from the movie. He then acted in
Steven Soderbergh Steven Andrew Soderbergh (; born January 14, 1963) is an American film director, producer, screenwriter, cinematographer and editor. A pioneer of modern independent cinema, Soderbergh is an acclaimed and prolific filmmaker. Soderbergh's direc ...
's mystery thriller '' Kafka'' (1991), starring Jeremy Irons, Theresa Russell and Ian Holm. In 1991, he played Adam, a devil, in the final episode of the television series '' Dallas'' (1991). That same year, Grey also appeared in the American Repertory Theatre's production of ''
When We Dead Awaken ''When We Dead Awaken'' ( no, Når vi døde vågner) is the last Play (theatre), play written by Norwegian dramatist Henrik Ibsen. Published in December 1899, Ibsen wrote the play between February and November of that year. The first performance wa ...
'' at the ''Sao Paulo Biennale''. He narrated the animated film '' Tom and Jerry: The Movie'' (1992), and made a cameo appearance as himself in the
Robert Altman Robert Bernard Altman ( ; February 20, 1925 – November 20, 2006) was an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. He was a five-time nominee of the Academy Award for Best Director and is considered an enduring figure from the New H ...
film '' The Player'' (1992). The following year he starred in the Philip Haas drama film ''
The Music of Chance ''The Music of Chance'' (1990) is an absurdist novel by Paul Auster. It was a 1991 finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction and was later made into a film in 1993; Mandy Patinkin played Nashe and James Spader played Pozzi. Plot summary ...
'' (1993) alongside James Spader, Mandy Patinkin,
M. Emmet Walsh Michael Emmet Walsh (born March 22, 1935) is an American actor who has appeared in over 200 films and television series, including small but important supporting roles in dozens of major studio features of the 1970s and 1980s. He starred in ''Bl ...
, and Charles Durning. The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival. Later that year he starred in New York Stage & Film's production of John Patrick Shanley's ''A Fool and Her Fortune'' and received an Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series nomination for his recurring role as Jacob Prossman on the television series ''
Brooklyn Bridge The Brooklyn Bridge is a hybrid cable-stayed/ suspension bridge in New York City, spanning the East River between the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn. Opened on May 24, 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge was the first fixed crossing of the East River ...
''. In 1995, he made a guest appearance on '' Star Trek: Voyager'' as an aging rebel seeking to free his (deceased) wife from prison. In November 1995, he performed as the Wizard in '' The Wizard of Oz in Concert: Dreams Come True'', a staged concert of the popular story at Lincoln Center to benefit the Children's Defense Fund. The performance was originally broadcast on Turner Network Television (TNT) in November 1995, and released on CD and video in 1996. He returned to Broadway as Amos Hart in the revival of the Bob Fosse musical '' Chicago'' (1996). Set in Chicago in the jazz age, the musical is based on a 1926 play of the same title by reporter
Maurine Dallas Watkins Maurine Dallas Watkins (July 27, 1896? – August 10, 1969) was an American playwright and screenwriter. Early in her career, she briefly worked as a journalist covering the courthouse beat for the ''Chicago Tribune''. This experience gave her th ...
, about actual criminals and crimes on which she reported. The story is a satire on corruption in the administration of criminal justice and the concept of the "celebrity criminal". The revival was well received and Grey earned the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical. In 1999, he starred in Brian Friel's ''Give Me Your Answer, Do!'' mounted by Roundabout Theatre Company.


2000–2010

In 2000, Grey played Oldrich Novy in the Lars von Trier film ''
Dancer in the Dark ''Dancer in the Dark'' is a 2000 musical drama film written and directed by Danish filmmaker Lars von Trier. It stars Icelandic musician Björk as a factory worker who suffers from a degenerative eye condition and is saving for an operation to p ...
'' and acted in the musical film '' The Fantasticks'' and in the dark comedy '' Choke'' (2008). During this time he also appeared extensively on television. He had a recurring role as the evil reptilian demon Doc in The WB horror series ''
Buffy the Vampire Slayer ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer'' is an American supernatural fiction, supernatural drama television series created by writer and director Joss Whedon. It is based on the Buffy the Vampire Slayer (film), 1992 film of the same name, also written by W ...
'' (2001),
Lemuel Idzik The characters of '' Oz'', fictional characters on the television series about prison life, are a diverse mixture of inmates from various gangs and prison staff. Main inmates Key Other inmates The Aryans The Aryans are a f ...
in the
HBO Home Box Office (HBO) is an American premium television network, which is the flagship property of namesake parent subsidiary Home Box Office, Inc., itself a unit owned by Warner Bros. Discovery. The overall Home Box Office business unit is ba ...
prison drama '' Oz'' (2003) and as Another Mr. Sloane in ABC series ''
Alias Alias may refer to: * Pseudonym * Pen name * Nickname Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''Alias'' (2013 film), a 2013 Canadian documentary film * ''Alias'' (TV series), an American action thriller series 2001–2006 * ''Alias the ...
'' (2005). He played a wealthy, paroled ex-convict on ''
Law & Order: Criminal Intent ''Law & Order: Criminal Intent'' is an American police procedural drama television series set in New York City, where it was also primarily produced. Created and produced by Dick Wolf and René Balcer, the series premiered on September 30, 20 ...
'' (episode " Cuba Libre", 2003). He also appeared on the shows ''
House A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...
'' and '' Brothers & Sisters'' (2007), on the latter of which he played the role of Dr. Bar-Shalom, Sarah and Joe's marriage counselor. He appeared as Izzie's high school teacher who needs treatment for dementia in '' Grey's Anatomy'' (2009). Grey originated the role of the Wizard of Oz in the
Stephen Schwartz Stephen Lawrence Schwartz (born March 6, 1948) is an American musical theatre lyricist and composer. In a career spanning over five decades, Schwartz has written such hit musicals as ''Godspell'' (1971), ''Pippin'' (1972), and ''Wicked'' (20 ...
Broadway musical '' Wicked''. Grey took over the role from Robert Morse who previously played the Wizard in the San Francisco tryout run at the
Curran Theatre The Curran Theatre, located at 445 Geary Street between Taylor and Mason Streets in the Theatre District of San Francisco, California opened in February 1922, and was named after its first owner, Homer Curran. As of 2014, the theater is owned by ...
. It is based on the 1995 Gregory Maguire novel '' Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West'', in turn based on
L. Frank Baum Lyman Frank Baum (; May 15, 1856 – May 6, 1919) was an American author best known for his children's books, particularly ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' and its sequels. He wrote 14 novels in the ''Oz'' series, plus 41 other novels (not includ ...
's 1900 novel '' The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' and its 1939 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
film adaptation A film adaptation is the transfer of a work or story, in whole or in part, to a feature film. Although often considered a type of derivative work, film adaptation has been conceptualized recently by academic scholars such as Robert Stam as a dial ...
. Grey acted alongside Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth. The play received mixed reviews from critics but was an immediate financial hit. Grey was nominated for the
Outer Critics Circle Award The Outer Critics Circle Awards are presented annually for theatrical achievements both on Broadway and Off-Broadway. They are presented by the Outer Critics Circle (OCC), the official organization of New York theater writers for out-of-town newspa ...
for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical.


2011–present

Grey returned to Broadway in spring 2011 as Moonface Martin in the Roundabout Theatre Company revival of '' Anything Goes'' at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre. Having previously portrayed Ned in the 1985 Off-Broadway production of Larry Kramer's '' The Normal Heart'', he went on to co-direct the Tony Award-winning revival in 2011. The following year he made a guest appearance in the
Showtime Showtime or Show Time may refer to: Film * ''Showtime'' (film), a 2002 American action/comedy film * ''Showtime'' (video), a 1995 live concert video by Blur Television Networks and channels * Showtime Networks, a division of Paramount Global w ...
series '' Nurse Jackie'' opposite Edie Falco. He also acted in ''
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation ''CSI: Crime Scene Investigation'', also referred to as ''CSI'' and ''CSI: Las Vegas'', is an American procedural forensics crime drama television series that ran on CBS from October 6, 2000, to September 27, 2015, spanning 15 seasons. This wa ...
'' (2014), and ''
Park Bench with Steve Buscemi ''Park Bench with Steve Buscemi'' is an American web series talk show created, directed and hosted by actor Steve Buscemi, distributed by digital network AOL. The series premiered on May 15, 2014. In each episode, Buscemi interviews a famous frien ...
'' (2014). He returned to Broadway in the 2016 revival of the
Anton Chekov Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (; 29 January 1860 Old Style date 17 January. – 15 July 1904 Old Style date 2 July.) was a Russian playwright and short-story writer who is considered to be one of the greatest writers of all time. His career ...
play '' The Cherry Orchard'' starring opposite Diane Lane, and Chuck Cooper. In 2018, Grey directed a
Yiddish Yiddish (, or , ''yidish'' or ''idish'', , ; , ''Yidish-Taytsh'', ) is a West Germanic language historically spoken by Ashkenazi Jews. It originated during the 9th century in Central Europe, providing the nascent Ashkenazi community with a ver ...
-language production of ''
Fiddler on the Roof ''Fiddler on the Roof'' is a musical with music by Jerry Bock, lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, and book by Joseph Stein, set in the Pale of Settlement of Imperial Russia in or around 1905. It is based on ''Tevye and his Daughters'' (or ''Tevye the ...
'', which originated at the
National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene The National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene, commonly known as NYTF, is a professional theater company in New York City which produces both Yiddish plays and plays translated into Yiddish, in a theater equipped with simultaneous superscript translati ...
, then transferred to Stage 42 Off-Broadway. The production became a surprise hit, running for over a year and winning the 2019 Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle awards for Best Musical Revival. He had a cameo role in the Lin-Manuel Miranda directed musical '' Tick, Tick... Boom!'' (2021). In 2022 he acted as Morgan Bote, a recurring character in the FX drama series '' The Old Man'' starring Jeff Bridges and
John Lithgow John Arthur Lithgow ( ; born , 1945) is an American actor. Lithgow studied at Harvard University and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art before becoming known for his work on the stage and screen. He has been the recipient of numerous ...
.


Personal life

In 1958, Grey married
Jo Wilder Jo, jo, JO, or J.O. may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Jo'' (film), a 1972 French comedy * ''Jo'' (TV series), a French TV series *"Jo", a song by Goldfrapp from ''Tales of Us'' *"Jo", a song by Mr. Oizo from ''Lambs Anger'' * Jo a fictio ...
; they divorced in 1982. Together, they had two children: actress Jennifer Grey (star of the film '' Dirty Dancing'') and chef
James Grey James is a common English language surname and given name: *James (name), the typically masculine first name James * James (surname), various people with the last name James James or James City may also refer to: People * King James (disambiguat ...
. He is a photographer; his first book of photographs, ''Pictures I Had to Take'', was published in 2003; its follow-up, ''Looking Hard at Unexpected Things'', was published in 2006. His third book, ''1.3 – Images from My Phone'', a book of photographs taken with his camera phone, was published in 2009. An exhibition of his work was held in April 2011 at the Museum of the City of New York, titled "Joel Grey/A New York Life." His fourth book, ''The Billboard Papers: Photographs by Joel Grey'', came out in 2013 and depicts the many-layered billboards of New York City. In January 2015, Grey discussed his sexuality in an interview with '' People'', stating: "I don't like labels, but if you have to put a label on it, I'm a gay man." Grey writes about his family, his acting career, and the challenges of being gay in his 2016 memoir, ''Master of Ceremonies''.


Acting credits


Film


Television


Theatre


Awards and honors

For his continued support of Broadway, Grey was named a Givenik Ambassador. He was presented with a lifetime achievement award on June 10, 2013, by The National Yiddish Theatre – Folksbiene. Grey won the Oscar Hammerstein Award for Lifetime Achievement in Musical Theatre on December 5, 2016, presented by the York Theatre Company in New York City. The theatre said, in part: "we are thrilled to celebrate the extraordinary Joel Grey, whose artistry — for over half a century — has become an indelible part of Broadway history." Grey was honored as The New Jewish Home's Eight Over Eighty Gala 2015 honoree. Grey was presented with the Teddy Kollek Award by the World Jewish Congress in November 2019.


See also

*
List of LGBT Academy Award winners and nominees This list of LGBT Academy Award winners and nominees details the accomplishments of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people within the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Individuals are identified as LGBT though they ...


Notes


References


Sources

*


External links

* * * * * *
Joel Grey papers, 1904-2001 (bulk 1949-2001)
held by the Billy Rose Theatre Division, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts
Joel Grey
– ''Downstage Center'' interview at American Theatre Wing.org
TonyAwards.com Interview with Joel Grey
{{DEFAULTSORT:Grey, Joel 1932 births 20th-century American male actors 21st-century American Jews 21st-century American male actors Alexander Hamilton High School (Los Angeles) alumni American gay actors American gay musicians American gay artists American LGBT singers American LGBT dancers American LGBT photographers American male dancers American male film actors American male musical theatre actors American male singers American male television actors American male voice actors American photographers Audiobook narrators BAFTA Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles winners Best Supporting Actor Academy Award winners Best Supporting Actor Golden Globe (film) winners Dancers from Ohio Drama Desk Award winners Jewish American male actors Gay dancers Gay singers Gay photographers Gay Jews LGBT people from Ohio Living people Male actors from Cleveland Male actors from Los Angeles Singers from Ohio Tony Award winners Dancers from Cleveland