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Josh Mostel

American actor (born 1946)

Image credit is listed at the end of this article.

Joshua Mostel (born December 21, 1946) is an American actor with numerous film and Broadway credits. The son of Zero Mostel, he is best known for his supporting roles in films such as Jesus Christ Superstar (1973), Harry and Tonto (1974), Sophie's Choice (1982), City Slickers (1991), Billy Madison (1995), and Big Daddy (1999).

01Early life

Mostel was born in New York City, the son of Kathryn Celia, née Harkin, an actress, dancer, and writer, and Zero Mostel, a comic actor.

02Career

Mostel started his career as a boy soprano at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. He graduated from Brandeis University. His Broadway debut was in 1971 with Unlikely Heroes. In 1973, Mostel had one of his more notable film performances as Herod in Jesus Christ Superstar. In 1979, Mostel briefly starred in Delta House, the television version of the film Animal House; he played Blotto Blutarsky, the brother of the character Bluto (played by John Belushi in the original film).

On Broadway, he appeared in the 1989 revival of The Threepenny Opera as Money Matthew; as the frazzled head writer in the original 1992 production of My Favorite Year; and in George Furth and Stephen Sondheim's non-musical mystery play Getting Away With Murder, which had a brief run in 1994.

He also played the part of "the best trader on the street", Ollie, one of Gordon Gekko's traders in Wall Street.

03Personal life

Mostel lives in New York, with a summer home on Monhegan Island.

Tobias Mostel, his brother, is a painter, ceramic artist and professor of art, teaching at Florida State University and Tallahassee Community College.

04Acting roles

Film

Josh Mostel film credits
YearTitleRole
1971Going HomeMr. Bonelli
1972The King of Marvin GardensFrank
1973Jesus Christ SuperstarHerod Antipas
1974Harry and TontoNorman Coombes
1976The Money (Atlantic City Jackpot)Wheel-of-fortune operator
Deadly HeroVictor
1981Dead RingerRussell
1982Fighting BackDuster
Sophie's ChoiceMorris Fink
1983Star 80Private Detective
1984The Brother from Another PlanetCasio Vendor
Windy CitySol
1985Almost YouDavid
Compromising PositionsDicky Dunck
StoogemaniaHoward F. Howard
1986The Money PitJack Schnittman
1987Radio DaysAbe
MatewanMayor Cabell Testerman
Wall StreetOllie
1989Animal BehaviorMel Gorsky
1991City SlickersBarry Shalowitz
Naked TangoBertoni the Jeweler
Little Man TatePhysics Professor
City of HopeMad Anthony
1992Nervous TicksSaul Warshow
1993Searching for Bobby FischerChess Club Regular
1994The ChaseOfficer Figus
Bye Bye AmericaAbe
City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's GoldBarry Shalowitz
1995The MaddeningChicky Ross
Billy MadisonPrincipal Max Anderson
The Basketball DiariesCounterman
Let It Be MeJordan
1998Great ExpectationsJerry Ragno
RoundersZagosh
1999The Out-of-TownersDr. Faber
Big DaddyArthur Brooks
2001Knockaround GuysMac McCreadle
2009State of PlayPete
2016The CongressmanBernie Gimpel
2024Bad ShabbosSaul

Television

Josh Mostel television credits
YearTitleRoleNotes
1987 The Equalizer Winston Erdlow Episode: "Beyond Control"
1990 Beverly Hills, 90210 Mr. Ridley Episode: "Class of Beverly Hills"
1998Thicker Than BloodKendallTV movie
2003 Law & Order Harvey Anchin Episode: "Kid Pro Quo"
2012 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Mr. Roth Episode: "Hunting Ground"
2015 Blue Bloods Victor Flores 1 episode
2020 Hunters Rabbi Steckler 3 episodes

Broadway productions

TitleDates of Production
Unlikely HeroesOctober 26, 1971, November 13, 1971
An American MillionaireApril 20, 1974, May 5, 1974
A Texas Trilogy: Lu Ann Hampton Laverty OberlanderSeptember 21, 1976, October 30, 1976
A Texas Trilogy: The Last Meeting of the Knights of the White MagnoliaSeptember 22, 1976, October 31, 1976
Threepenny OperaNovember 5, 1989, December 31, 1989
My Favorite YearDecember 10, 1992, January 10, 1993
The Flowering PeachMarch 20, 1994, April 24, 1994
Getting Away with MurderMarch 17, 1996, March 31, 1996
Watch videos about Josh MostelExplainers and documentaries on YouTube (opens in a new tab)

Sources and credits

This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article Josh Mostel, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.

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