Joel Grey

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Joel Grey

Joel Grey (born April 11, 1932) is a Tony

Tony Award

Ohio

Ohio is a Midwestern United States U.S. state of the United States. As part of the Great Lakes region , Ohio has long been a cultural and geographical crossroads in North America....
, the son of Grace and Mickey Katz

Mickey Katz

Mickey Katz was a United States Jewish comedian and musician who received his first moments of fame in the 1940s as a member of Spike Jones and His City Slickers where he was most famous for his "glugging" vocal sound effects on tunes like "Cocktails for Two" and others....
, who was an actor, clarinetist, comedian

Comedian

A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain members of an audience, primarily by making them laughter. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy....
and director. He graduated from Beverly Hills High School

Beverly Hills High School

Beverly Hills High School is the only major public high school in Beverly Hills, California. Beverly is part of the Beverly Hills Unified School District and located on on the west side of Beverly Hills, at the border of the Century City, Los Angeles, California area of Los Angeles, California....
in Beverly Hills, California

Beverly Hills, California

Beverly Hills is a city in the western part of Los Angeles County, California, California, United States. Beverly Hills and the neighboring city of West Hollywood, California are together entirely surrounded by the city of Los Angeles, California....
in 1950.

originated the role of the Master of Ceremonies

Master of Ceremonies

Musical

Musical is the adjective form of music. It may also refer to:* Musical theatre: musicals produced on Theatre.* Musical film: musicals produced in Film....
Cabaret
Cabaret (musical)

Cabaret is a Musical theater with a book by Joe Masteroff, lyrics by Fred Ebb, and music by John Kander. The 1966 Broadway theatre production became a hit and spawned an acclaimed 1972 film as well as numerous subsequent productions....
in 1966 for which he won the Tony Award

Tony Award

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Encyclopedia

Joel Grey (born April 11, 1932) is a Tony

Tony Award

Biography

Grey was born Joel David Katz in Cleveland, Ohio

Ohio

Mickey Katz

Comedian

Beverly Hills High School

Beverly Hills, California

Career

Grey originated the role of the Master of Ceremonies

Master of Ceremonies

Musical

Tony Award

The Antoinette Perry Awards for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as the Tony Awards, recognize achievement in live United States theatre and are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City....
. Additional Broadway credits include Come Blow Your Horn
Come Blow Your Horn

Come Blow Your Horn was Neil Simon's first Play , which premiered in the United States in 1961 and had a London production in 1962 at the Prince of Wales Theatre....
(1961), Stop the World - I Want to Get Off
Stop the World - I Want to Get Off

Stop the World - I Want to Get Off is a musical theatre with a book, music, and lyrics by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley.Set against the backdrop of a circus, it focuses on Littlechap, whose first major step towards improving his lot is to marry Evie, his boss' daughter....
(1962), Half a Sixpence
Half a Sixpence

Half a Sixpence is a musical comedy written as a Star vehicle for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland pop star Tommy Steele....
(1965), Goodtime Charley
Goodtime Charley

Goodtime Charley is a musical theatre with a book by Sidney Michaels, music by Larry Grossman , and lyrics by Hal Hackady.A humorous take on actual historical events, it focuses on the Charles VII of France, who evolves from a hedonistic young man enamored of women in general into a regal king while Joan follows her voices to her tragi...
(1975), The Grand Tour
The Grand Tour (musical)

The Grand Tour is a musical theatre with a book by Michael Stewart and Mark Bramble and music and lyrics by Jerry Herman.Based on S. N. Behrman's play Jacobowsky and the Colonel, the story concerns an unlikely pair....
(1979), Chicago
Chicago (musical)

Chicago is a Kander and Ebb musical theatre set in Prohibition in the United States Chicago. The music is by John Kander with lyrics by Fred Ebb and a book by Ebb and Bob Fosse....
(1996), and Wicked
Wicked (musical)

Wicked is a musical theatre with songs and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz and a book by Winnie Holzman. The story is based on the best-selling novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire, a parallel novel of L....
(2003). In 1995, he performed in The Wizard of Oz in Concert: Dreams Come True
The Wizard of Oz in Concert: Dreams Come True

The Wizard of Oz in Concert: Dreams Come True was a 1995 musical performance based on the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz . The Musical theatre#Introduction and definitions and Musical theatre#Introduction and definitions of the film were performed on stage at Lincoln Center to benefit the Children's Defense Fund....
a musical performance of the popular story at Lincoln Center to benefit the Children's Defense Fund

Children's Defense Fund

The Children's Defense Fund is a child advocacy and research group, founded in 1973 by Marian Wright Edelman. Their motto Leave No Child Behind indicates their mission to lobby on behalf of children in the federal government and the states, with the support of private/corporate donations and no government funding....
. The performance was originally broadcast on Turner Network Television (TNT), and issued on CD and video in 1996.

Grey won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor

Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor

Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role is one of the Academy Award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry....
in 1972 for his performance as the Master of Ceremonies

Master of Ceremonies

A Master or Mistress of Ceremonies or MC , sometimes called a comp?re or an MJ for "microphone jockey," is the Host of an official public or private staged event or other performance....
in the film version of CabaretCabaret (film)

Cabaret is a 1972 in film American musical film directed by Bob Fosse and starring Liza Minnelli, Michael York and Joel Grey. The film is set in Berlin during the Weimar Republic in 1931, before the rise of the Nazism under Adolf Hitler....
. His victory was part of a Cabaret near-sweep, which saw Liza Minnelli

Liza Minnelli

Liza May Minnelli is an United Statesn actress and singer. She is the daughter of actress and singer Judy Garland and Garland's second husband, film director Vincente Minnelli....
win Best Actress

Academy Award for Best Actress

Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role is one of the Academy Award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry....
and Bob Fosse

Bob Fosse

Robert Louis ?Bob? Fosse was an American musical theater choreographer and theatre director, and a film director. He won an unprecedented eight Tony Awards for choreography, as well as one for direction....
win Best Director

Academy Award for Directing

The Academy Award for Achievement in Directing is one of the Academy Award presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to Film directors working in the film industry....
, although it lost the Best Picture

Academy Award for Best Picture

The Academy Award for Best Motion Picture is one of the Academy Award presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to artists working in the film industry....
Oscar to The Godfather
The Godfather

The Godfather is an Cinema of the United States crime film film based on the The Godfather by Mario Puzo and directed by Francis Ford Coppola from a screenplay by Puzo, Coppola, and Robert Towne, who was not credited....
. Grey beat front-runner Al Pacino

Al Pacino

Alfredo James "Al" Pacino is an United States film and theatre actor and Film director, widely considered to be one of the most notable and influential actors of his time....
for Best Supporting Actor

Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor

Francis Ford Coppola

Francis Ford "Frank" Coppola is a five-time Academy Award-winning United States film director, Film producer and screenwriter. Away from showbusiness, Coppola is also a vintner, publisher and Hotel manager....
for Best Director.

Grey is one of only nine people who have won both a Tony Award

Tony Award

Academy Awards

The Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize excellence of professionals in the film industry, including directors, actors, and writers....
for the same role. He performed at The Muny

The Muny

The Muny, short for The Municipal Opera Association of St. Louis, is an outdoor musical amphitheatre, located in Forest Park , St. Louis, Missouri....
in St. Louis, Missouri

St. Louis, Missouri

St. Louis is an independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri, located near the confluence of the Mississippi River and the Missouri River. St....
many times in roles such as George M. Cohan

George M. Cohan

George Michael Cohan , known publicly as George M. Cohan, was an United States entertainer, playwright, composer, lyricist, actor, singer, dancer, Film director, and Theatrical producer....
in George M!
George M!

George M! is a musical theatre with a book by Michael Stewart , John Pascal, and Francine Pascal and music and lyrics by George M. Cohan, based on the life of Cohan, the biggest Broadway theatre star of his day....
(1970 and 1992), the Emcee in Cabaret (1971), and Joey Evans in Pal Joey (1983).

Grey appeared frequently as a panelist on the television game show What's My Line?
What's My Line?

What's My Line? is a weekly panel game show which was produced by Mark Goodson and Bill Todman for CBS television. When first sold to CBS, the proposed title was Occupation Unknown....
during its 1968 revival. He was the guest star for the third episode of The Muppet Show
The Muppet Show

The Muppet Show is a television program featuring a cast of The Muppets, which was produced by Jim Henson and his team from Sesame Street....
in its first season, singing "Razzle Dazzle", which is from Chicago
Chicago (musical)

Chicago is a Kander and Ebb musical theatre set in Prohibition in the United States Chicago. The music is by John Kander with lyrics by Fred Ebb and a book by Ebb and Bob Fosse....
and "Willkommen", which is from Cabaret
Cabaret (musical)

Cabaret is a Musical theater with a book by Joe Masteroff, lyrics by Fred Ebb, and music by John Kander. The 1966 Broadway theatre production became a hit and spawned an acclaimed 1972 film as well as numerous subsequent productions....
. In 1982 Grey was the on-camera host and narrator for the PBS special, To Hear. He also played an elderly Korean martial arts

Martial arts

Martial arts are systems of codified practices and traditions of training for combat. While they may be studied for various reasons, martial arts share a single objective: to physically defeat other persons and to defend oneself or others from physical threat....
master in the movie Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins
Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins

Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins, also released as Remo: Unarmed and Dangerous, is a 1985 in film United States film. The action/adventure film featured Fred Ward, Joel Grey and Kate Mulgrew....
(1985), a role that garnered him a Saturn Award

Saturn Award

The Saturn Award is an award presented annually by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films to honor the top works in science fiction, fantasy, and Horror fiction in film, television, and home video....
and a second Golden Globe nomination for "Best Supporting Actor". In 1991, he played an out of this world man, Adam, on the series finale

Series finale

A series finale is the very last installment of a television series, usually a sitcom or drama. The term is typically used to refer to a planned ending, as opposed to an unplanned one when a series is suddenly cancelled by its television network....
of Dallas
Dallas (TV series)

Dallas is a long-running United States prime-time television program soap opera that originally ran from 1978 to 1991. It revolved around the Ewings, a wealthy Texas family in the oil and cattle-ranching industries....
. 1993 saw him receive an "Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series" Emmy nomination for his recurring role as Jacob Prossman on the television series Brooklyn Bridge
Brooklyn Bridge

The Brooklyn Bridge, one of the oldest suspension bridges in the United States, stretches 5,989 feet over the East River, connecting the New York City borough s of Manhattan and Brooklyn ....
. In 1996, he made a guest appearance on Star Trek: Voyager

Star Trek: Voyager

Star Trek: Voyager is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe. The show was created by Rick Berman, Michael Piller, and Jeri Taylor and is the fourth incarnation of Star Trek, which began with the 1960s series Star Trek: The Original Series, created by Gene Roddenberry....
as an aging rebel seeking to free his (deceased) wife from prison.

In 2000, Grey played Oldrich Novy in the film Dancer in the Dark
Dancer in the Dark

Dancer in the Dark is an award-winning musical film drama released in 2000 in film. It was directed by Lars von Trier and stars Bj?rk, Catherine Deneuve, David Morse , Vladica Kostic, Cara Seymour and Peter Stormare....
and had recurring television roles on Buffy the Vampire Slayer (as Doc, 2001), Oz
Oz (TV series)

Oz was an United States television drama series created by Tom Fontana, who also wrote or co-wrote all of the series' 56 episodes. It was the first one-hour dramatic television series to be produced by Home Box Office....
(as Lemuel Idzik

Lemuel Idzik

Lemuel Idzik is a character, played by Joel Grey, on the United States television show Oz ....
, 2003) and Alias
Alias (TV series)

Alias is an United States action movie Television program created by J. J. Abrams which was broadcast on American Broadcasting Company for five seasons, from September 30, 2001 to May 22, 2006....
(as "Another Mr. Sloane," 2005). He played the role of a demon in the final episode of Dallas
Dallas (TV series)

Dallas is a long-running United States prime-time television program soap opera that originally ran from 1978 to 1991. It revolved around the Ewings, a wealthy Texas family in the oil and cattle-ranching industries....
and was a wealthy, paroled ex-convict on Law & Order: Criminal Intent
Law & Order: Criminal Intent

Law & Order: Criminal Intent is an United States television program set in New York City. Criminal Intent premiered on September 30 2001....
(episode, "Cuba Libre"). He also appeared on the shows House
House (TV series)

House, also known as House, M.D., is an American medical drama that debuted on the Fox Broadcasting Company network on November 16, 2004....
and Brothers & Sisters, the latter on which he played the roles of Sarah and Joe's marriage counselor.

Personal life

Grey is the father of actress Jennifer Grey

Jennifer Grey

Jennifer Grey is a Golden Globe nominated United States actor, best known for playing Frances "Baby" Houseman in the 1987 hit film Dirty Dancing and Jeanie Bueller in Ferris Bueller's Day Off....
, the star of Dirty Dancing
Dirty Dancing

Dirty Dancing is a 1987 in film romance film. Written by Eleanor Bergstein and directed byEmile Ardolino, the film features Jennifer Grey, Patrick Swayze, Cynthia Rhodes, and Jerry Orbach....
, and James, a chef. In 1958 he married Jo Wilder. They divorced in 1982.

Grey is also a photographer

Photography

Photography is the process, activity and art of creating still or moving by recording radiation on a sensitive medium, such as a photographic film, or an ....
. His first book of photographs, Pictures I Had to Take, was published in 2003; its follow-up, Looking Hard at Unexpected Things, appeared in the Fall of 2006.

Work

Stage

Filmography

Television

External links

- Downstage Center interview at American Theatre Wing.org
American Theatre Wing

The American Theatre Wing is a New York City-based organization "dedicated to supporting excellence and education in theatre," according to its mission statement....