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Josh Mostel

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Josh Mostel
Mostel in 2016
Born (1946-12-21) December 21, 1946 (age 77)
New York City, U.S.
OccupationActor
Years active1971–present
Spouses
Peggy Rajski
​
​
(m. 1983; div. 1998)​
Kim Murdock
​
​
(m. 2016)​
FatherZero Mostel

Joshua Mostel (born December 21, 1946) is an American actor with numerous film and Broadway credits.[1] 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).

Life and career

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.[2]

Tobias Mostel, his brother, is a painter, ceramic artist and professor of art, teaching at Florida State University and Tallahassee Community College.[3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12]

Mostel started his career as a boy soprano at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. He graduated from Brandeis University.[2] 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).[citation needed]

On Broadway, he appeared in the 1989 revival of The Threepenny Opera as Money Matthew and as the frazzled head writer in the original 1992 production of My Favorite Year. He also played the part of "the best trader on the street", Ollie, one of Gordon Gekko's traders in Wall Street.[citation needed]

Mostel lives in New York, with a summer home in Monhegan, Maine.[citation needed]

Filmography

Year Title Role
1971 Going Home Mr. Bonelli
1972 The King of Marvin Gardens Frank
1973 Jesus Christ Superstar Herod Antipas
1974 Harry and Tonto Norman Coombes
1976 The Money Wheel-of-fortune operator
Deadly Hero Victor
1981 Dead Ringer Russell
1982 Fighting Back Duster
Sophie's Choice Morris Fink
1983 Star 80 Private Detective
1984 The Brother from Another Planet Casio Vendor
Windy City Sol
1985 Almost You David
Compromising Positions Dicky Dunck
Stoogemania Howard F. Howard
1986 The Money Pit Jack Schnittman
1987 Radio Days Abe
Matewan Mayor Cabell Testerman
Wall Street Ollie
1989 Animal Behavior Mel Gorsky
1991 City Slickers Barry Shalowitz
Naked Tango Bertoni the Jeweler
Little Man Tate Physics Professor
City of Hope Mad Anthony
1992 Nervous Ticks Saul Warshow
1993 Searching for Bobby Fischer Chess Club Regular
1994 The Chase Officer Figus
Bye Bye America [de] Abe
City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold Barry Shalowitz
1995 The Maddening Chicky Ross
Billy Madison Principal Max Anderson
The Basketball Diaries Counterman
Let It Be Me Jordan
1998 Great Expectations Jerry Ragno
Rounders Zagosh
Thicker Than Blood Kendall
1999 The Out-of-Towners Dr. Faber
Big Daddy Arthur Brooks
2001 Knockaround Guys Mac McCreadle
2009 State of Play Pete
2016 The Congressman Bernie Gimpel
2020 Hunters Rabbi Steckler

Broadway productions

Title Dates of Production
Unlikely Heroes October 26, 1971 – November 13, 1971
An American Millionaire April 20, 1974 – May 5, 1974
A Texas Trilogy: Lu Ann Hampton Laverty Oberlander September 21, 1976 – October 30, 1976
A Texas Trilogy: The Last Meeting of the Knights of the White Magnolia September 22, 1976 – October 31, 1976
Threepenny Opera November 5, 1989 – December 31, 1989
My Favorite Year December 10, 1992 – January 10, 1993
The Flowering Peach March 20, 1994 – April 24, 1994
Getting Away with Murder March 17, 1996 – March 31, 1996

References

  1. ^ Maslin, Janet (September 21, 1984). "Windy City (1984) 'WINDY CITY'". The New York Times.
  2. ^ a b "Peggy Rajski, a Producer, Is Wed to Joshua Mostel". The New York Times. June 25, 1983. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
  3. ^ "Tobias Mostel – Broadway Cast & Staff". IBDB. Retrieved September 1, 2022.
  4. ^ "Frances Winter, an Artist, Is Married to Tobias Mostel". The New York Times. May 2, 1981. Retrieved September 1, 2022.
  5. ^ "Art & Design Library". FSU Department of Art History. Retrieved September 1, 2022.
  6. ^ "Zero and Kate Mostel papers". archives.nypl.org. Retrieved September 1, 2022.
  7. ^ "Adding Up to Zero". Toronto Jewish Film Festival. Retrieved September 1, 2022.
  8. ^ "THE EXPLOSION OF A MYTH mixed media on paper, framed, signed and dedicated on verso - Tobias Mostel". Charlton Hall Galleries. Retrieved September 1, 2022.
  9. ^ "Zero Mostel". tcmdb. Retrieved September 1, 2022.
  10. ^ Art History Department, Florida State University. With special thanks to Tobias and Aileen Mostel.
  11. ^ OLLI Spring 2013 Newsletter by OLLI FSU
  12. ^ "Mary Aileen Mostel October 8, 1950 - April 9, 2018". Abbey Funeral Home and Tallahassee Memory Gardens. Retrieved September 1, 2022.
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