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Joel Grey

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Joel Grey
Grey in 2014
Born
Joel David Katz

(1932-04-11) April 11, 1932 (age 92)
Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.
Occupation(s)Actor, dancer, singer, photographer
Years active1951–present
Spouse
Jo Wilder
​
​
(m. 1958; div. 1982)​
Children2, including Jennifer
ParentMickey Katz

Joel Grey (born Joel David Katz; April 11, 1932) is an American actor, singer, dancer, director, and photographer. He is best known for portraying the Master of Ceremonies in the Kander & Ebb musical Cabaret on Broadway as well as in the 1972 film adaptation. He has won an Academy Award, a Tony Award, two Grammy Awards and a Golden Globe Award.

He also originated the role of George M. Cohan in the musical George M! in 1968 and the Wizard of Oz in the musical Wicked. He also starred as Moonface Martin and Amos Hart in the Broadway revivals of Anything Goes and Chicago, respectively.

Early life

Grey was born in Cleveland, Ohio, the son of Goldie "Grace" (née Epstein) and Mickey Katz, a Jewish actor, comedian, and musician.[1][2][3] He attended Alexander Hamilton High School in Los Angeles, California.[4]

Career

He started his career 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.[5][6] By 1952, at age 20, he was appearing as a featured performer at the Copacabana nightclub in New York.

Grey in a publicity photo in 1955

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).

Grey originated the role of the Master of Ceremonies in the Broadway musical Cabaret in 1966 for which he won a Tony Award. Additional Broadway credits include Come Blow Your Horn (1961), Stop the World - I Want to Get Off (1962), Half a Sixpence (1965), George M! (1968), Goodtime Charley (1975), The Grand Tour (1979), Chicago (1996), Wicked (2003), and Anything Goes (2011).[7] 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.[8]

Grey with Don Porter and Ann Sothern on The Ann Sothern Show, 1960

Grey won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in March 1973 for his performance as the Master of Ceremonies in the 1972 film version of Cabaret.[9] His victory was part of a Cabaret near-sweep, which saw Liza Minnelli win Best Actress and Bob Fosse win Best Director, although it lost the Best Picture Oscar to The Godfather.[10] 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,[9] 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.[11]

He has performed at The Muny in St. Louis, Missouri, in roles such as George M. Cohan in George M! (1970 and 1992),[12] the Emcee in Cabaret (1971), and Joey Evans in Pal Joey (1983).[1] At the Williamstown Theatre Festival, Grey played the title role in their production of Platonov (1977).

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. He was the guest star for the third episode of The Muppet Show in its first season in 1976, singing "Razzle Dazzle" from Chicago and "Willkommen" from Cabaret. He also played Master of Sinanju Chiun, Remo's elderly Korean martial arts master in the movie Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins (1985), a role that garnered him a Saturn Award and a second Golden Globe 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. In 1991, he played Adam, a devil, in the final episode of the television series Dallas (1991).[13] That same year, Grey also appeared in the American Repertory Theatre's production of When We Dead Awaken at the Sao Paulo Biennale. In 1993 he starred in New York Stage & Film's production of John Patrick Shanley's A Fool and Her Fortune and received an "Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series" Emmy nomination for his recurring role as Jacob Prossman on the television series Brooklyn Bridge. In 1995, he made a guest appearance on Star Trek: Voyager as an aging rebel seeking to free his (deceased) wife[14] from prison.[15] In 1999, he starred in Brian Friel's Give Me Your Answer, Do! mounted by Roundabout Theatre Company.

Grey at the 45th Emmy Awards, 1993

In 2000, Grey played Oldrich Novy in the film Dancer in the Dark and had recurring television roles on Buffy the Vampire Slayer (as the evil reptilian demon Doc, 2001), Oz (as Lemuel Idzik, 2003) and Alias (as "Another Mr. Sloane", 2005). He played a wealthy, paroled ex-convict on Law & Order: Criminal Intent (episode "Cuba Libre", 2003). Grey also originated the role of the Wizard of Oz in the hit Broadway musical Wicked. He also appeared on the shows House 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).[15][16][17][18]

Grey returned to Broadway in spring 2011 as Moonface Martin in the Roundabout Theatre Company revival of Anything Goes at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre.[19] He also played Ned in the 1985 Off-Broadway production of Larry Kramer's The Normal Heart, and went on to co-direct the Tony Award-winning revival in 2011.[20]

Personal life

Grey with then-wife Jo Wilder in 1979

In 1958, Grey married Jo Wilder; they divorced in 1982. Together, they had two children: actress Jennifer (star of the film Dirty Dancing) and chef James.[1][21]

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.[22] His third book, 1.3 – Images from My Phone, a book of photographs taken with his camera phone, was published in 2009.[23] 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."[24] His fourth book, The Billboard Papers: Photographs by Joel Grey, came out in 2013 and depicts the many-layered billboards of New York City.[25]

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."[26] Grey writes about his family, his acting career, and the challenges of being gay in his 2016 memoir, Master of Ceremonies.[27]

Work

Joel Grey film work
Year Title Role Notes
1952 About Face Bender
1957 Calypso Heat Wave Alex Nash
1961 Come September Beagle
1972 Cabaret Master of Ceremonies
1974 Man on a Swing Franklin Wills
1976 The Seven-Per-Cent Solution Lowenstein
1976 Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson Nate Salsbury
1985 Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins Chiun "Master of Sinanju"
1991 Kafka Burgel
1992 Tom and Jerry: The Movie Narrator
1992 The Player Himself Cameo
1993 The Music of Chance Willy Stone
1994 The Dangerous Flea
1995 Venus Rising Jimmie
1996 The Empty Mirror Joseph Goebbels
1996 My Friend Joe Simon
2000 The Fantasticks Amos Babcock Bellamy
2000 Dancer in the Dark Oldrich Novy
2001 Reaching Normal Dr. Mensley
2008 Choke Phil
Joel Grey television work
Year Title Role Notes
1951 The Colgate Comedy Hour Young Talent Guest Host: Eddie Cantor, April 1, 1951
1954 Ponds Theatre Performer Episode: Forty Weeks of Uncle Tom
1956 Jack and the Beanstalk Jack Producers' Showcase
1957 Telephone Time Ray Episode: "The Intruder"
1957 December Bride Jimmy 3 episodes
1957 The Pat Boone Chevy Showroom Himself 4 episodes
1958 The Court of Last Resort Floyd Todd Episode: "The Todd-Loomis Case"
1958 Little Women Theodore "Laurie" Laurence Television film
1959 Maverick Billy the Kid Episode: "Full House"
1960 Bronco Samson 'Runt' Bowles Episode: "Masquerade"
1960 The Ann Sothern Show Billy Wilton Episode: "Billy"
1960 Surfside 6 Willy Episode: The Clown
1960–61 Lawman Owny O'Reilly 3 episodes
1961 Westinghouse Playhouse Herbie Episode: "Nanette's Teenage Suitor"
1961 77 Sunset Strip Joey Kellogg Episode: "Open and Close in One"
1966 My Lucky Penny Freddy Rockefeller Pilot
1966 Vacation Playhouse Freddy Rockfeller Episode: My Lucky Penny
1970 George M! George M. Cohan Television movie
1971 Ironside Mike Jaeger Episode: "A Killing at the Track"
1972 Night Gallery Andrew MacBane Episode: "There Aren't Any More MacBanes"
1972 Man on a String Big Joe Brown Television film
1973 The $10,000 Pyramid Himself / Celebrity Guest Season One: August 13–17, 1973
Peggy Cass vs. Joel Grey[28]
1974 Twas the Night Before Christmas Narrator / Mr. Trundel (voice) Television film
1974 The Carol Burnett Show Gary Segment: "Carol and Sis"
1976 The Muppet Show Himself (guest) Episode: "Joel Grey"
1981 Paddington Himself Host
1982 Alice Himself 2 episodes
1982 The Yeomen of the Guard Jack Point Television film
1987 Queenie Aaron Diamond 2 episodes
1991 Matlock Tommy DeLuca Episode: "The Critic"
1991 Dallas Adam Episode: "Conundrum"
1992–93 Brooklyn Bridge Jacob Prossman 2 episodes
1995 The Wizard of Oz in Concert:
Dreams Come True 		Narrator/The Wizard
Various roles 		Television benefit performance
for the Children's Defense Fund
1995 Star Trek: Voyager Caylem Episode: "Resistance"
1999–00 The Outer Limits Dr. Neil Seward / Gideon Banks 2 episodes
1999 A Christmas Carol Ghost of Christmas Past Television film
2001 Buffy the Vampire Slayer Doc 3 episodes
2001 Touched by an Angel Ronald 2 episodes
2001 Further Tales of the City Guido 3 episodes
2003 Oz Lemuel Idzik 6 episodes
2003 Law & Order: Criminal Intent Milton Winters Episode: "Cuba Libre"
2005 Alias Another Mr. Sloane 3 episodes
2005 Crossing Jordan Carl Meisner, Amnesia Victim Episode: "Forget Me Not"
2006 House Dr. Ezra Powell Episode: "Informed Consent"
2007 Brothers & Sisters Dr. Jude Bar-Shalom Episode: "Love Is Difficult"
2008 Phineas and Ferb Beppo (voice) Season 1 - Episode 22
2009 Private Practice Dr. Alexander Ball Episode: "Nothing to Fear"
2009 Grey's Anatomy Dr. Singer Episode: "New History"
2012 Nurse Jackie Dick Bobbitt Episode: "Day of the Iguana"
2013 Warehouse 13 Monty the Magnificent Episode: "The Sky's the Limit"
2014 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Hank Kasserman Episode: "Keep Calm and Carry On"
2014 Park Bench with Steve Buscemi Himself Episode: Benchmark
Joel Grey theatre work
Year Title Role Notes/Venue
1951 Borscht Capades Performer Credited as Joel Kaye
Royale Theatre, Broadway
1956 The Littlest Revue Performer Phoenix Theatre, Broadway
1961 Come Blow Your Horn Buddy Baker Brooks Atkinson Theatre, Broadway
1962 Stop the World - I Want to Get Off Littlechap Shubert Theatre, Broadway
1965 Half a Sixpence Arthur Kipps Broadhurst Theatre, Broadway
1966 Cabaret Master of Ceremonies
1968 George M! George M. Cohan Palace Theatre, Broadway
1975 Goodtime Charley Charley
1977 Marco Polo Sings a Solo Stony McBride The Public Theatre, Off-Broadway
1979 The Grand Tour S. L. Jacobowsky Palace Theatre, Broadway
1985 The Normal Heart Ned Weeks The Public Theatre, Off-Broadway
1987 Cabaret Master of Ceremonies Imperial Theatre, Broadway
1991 When We Dead Awaken Performer American Repertory Theatre
1996 Chicago Amos Hart Richard Rodgers Theatre, Broadway
1999 Give Me Your Answer, Do! Jack Donovan Roundabout Theatre Company
2003 Wicked The Wizard of Oz George Gershwin Theatre, Broadway
2011 Anything Goes Moonface Martin Stephen Sondheim Theatre, Broadway
2011 The Normal Heart — Director
John Golden Theatre, Broadway
2016 The Cherry Orchard Firs American Airlines Theatre, Broadway
2018 Fiddler on the Roof (Fidler Afn Dakh) — Director; American premiere of the play in Yiddish
National Yiddish Theatre Folksbiene

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Work Result Ref(s)
1973 Academy Awards Best Supporting Actor Cabaret Won [29]
1973 British Academy Film Awards Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles Won
1975 Drama Desk Awards Outstanding Actor in a Musical Goodtime Charley Nominated [30]
1979 The Grand Tour Nominated
1988 Cabaret: The Musical Nominated
1997 Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical Chicago Won
2000 Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play Give Me Your Answer, Do! Nominated
2011 Outstanding Director of a Play The Normal Heart Won
2019 Outstanding Director of a Musical Fiddler on the Roof (Fidler Afn Dakh) Nominated
1973 Golden Globe Awards Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture Cabaret Won [29]
1986 Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins Nominated
1968 Grammy Awards Best Musical Theater Album Cabaret: The Musical Won
1998 Chicago Won
2012 Anything Goes Nominated
1972 National Board of Review Awards Best Supporting Actor Cabaret Won
1972 National Society of Film Critics Awards Best Supporting Actor Won
1993 Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series Brooklyn Bridge Nominated
1967 Tony Awards Best Featured Actor in a Musical Cabaret: The Musical Won [30]
1969 Best Actor in a Musical George M! Nominated
1975 Goodtime Charley Nominated
1979 The Grand Tour Nominated
2011 Best Direction of a Play The Normal Heart Nominated

For his continued support of Broadway, Grey was named a Givenik Ambassador.[31]

He was presented with a lifetime achievement award on June 10, 2013 by The National Yiddish Theatre – Folksbiene.[32]

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."[33]

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.[34]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "Joel Grey Biography (1932–)". Film Reference. Retrieved February 23, 2014.
  2. ^ Stratton, Bert (July 25, 2012). "MICKELE : Mickey Katz lives". Cleveland Jewish News.
  3. ^ "KATZ, MEYER MYRON – The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History". Case Western Reserve University. July 17, 1997.
  4. ^ Katz, Mickey (1977). Papa, play for me. Hannibal Coons, foreword by Joel Grey, introduction by Josh Kun. Middletown, Connecticut: Wesleyan University Press. p. 105. ISBN 0-8195-6433-8. Retrieved November 5, 2011.
  5. ^ Prideaux, Tom (August 23, 1968). "The Birth of Yankee Doodle Joel". Life. New York City. pp. 58–59.
  6. ^ Oldenburg, Chloe (1985). Leaps of Faith: History of the Cleveland Play House, 1915–85. Cleveland.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  7. ^ Internet Broadway Database listing ibdb.com. Retrieved December 21, 2009
  8. ^ Zad, Martie. "Stars in Concert With Music of 'Oz'", The Washington Post, p. Y04, November 19, 1995
  9. ^ a b Internet Movie Database listing, Awards IMDb. Retrieved December 21, 2009
  10. ^ Internet Movie Database listing, Cabaret, Awards IMDb. Retrieved December 21, 2009
  11. ^ "Tony Facts and Trivia". TonyAwards.com. Retrieved September 4, 2017.
  12. ^ Kowarsky, Gerry (August 5, 1992). "Joel Grey Is A Charismatic 'George M!'". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. St. Louis, Missouri. p. 5F.
  13. ^ Carter, Bill (May 6, 1991). "So 'Dallas' is Finally Over. Or Is It?". The New York Times. New York City. p. C14.
  14. ^ Resistance, retrieved October 23, 2019
  15. ^ a b Internet Movies Database listing, roles IMDb. Retrieved December 21, 2009
  16. ^ "Love is Difficult" episode summary tv.com. Retrieved December 27, 2009
  17. ^ "New History" episode summary tv.com. Retrieved December 27, 2009
  18. ^ "Cuba Libre" summary tv.com. Retrieved December 27, 2009
  19. ^ "Bon Voyage! Anything Goes, With Sutton Foster and Joel Grey, Opens on Broadway" Archived June 13, 2011, at the Wayback Machine playbill.com
  20. ^ Gans, Andrew. "'Normal Heart', with Joe Mantello, Ellen Barkin, John Benjamin Hickey, Will Play Broadway's Golden" Archived February 26, 2011, at the Wayback Machine playbill.com, February 23, 2011
  21. ^ Laufenberg, Norbert B. Entertainment Celebrities, p. 274. Trafford Publishing, 2005.
  22. ^ Joel Grey Looking Hard at Unexamined Things. Joel Grey Photographer.
  23. ^ Samelson, Judy. SHELF LIFE: "American Theatre Reader," Photos by Joel Grey, New Looks at Bernstein and Horne Playbill, May 30, 2009
  24. ^ ""Joel Grey/A New York Life" Exhibition Will Open at Museum of the City of New York in April". Playbill. Archived from the original on March 1, 2011. Retrieved September 4, 2017.
  25. ^ "The Billboard Papers by Joel Grey" Archived December 19, 2015, at the Wayback Machine Musée Magazine, September 19, 2013
  26. ^ McNeil, Liz. "Broadway Legend Joel Grey Opens Up About His Sexuality" People, January 28, 2015
  27. ^ Bayard, Louis (February 3, 2016)."Joel Grey takes center stage in 'Master of Ceremonies'". The Washington Post.
  28. ^ TV.com. "$10,000 Pyramid: Peggy Cass & Joel Grey". TV.com. Retrieved September 4, 2017.
  29. ^ a b "Joel Grey". IMDb. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
  30. ^ a b "Joel Grey". Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
  31. ^ Gioia, Michael. "Joel Grey, Reeve Carney, Rory O'Malley Are Givenik Ambassadors (Video)". Playbill. Archived from the original on May 19, 2011.
  32. ^ Purcell, Carey. "Joel Grey to Be Honored by National Yiddish Theatre June 10" Playbill, June 7, 2013. Retrieved December 7, 2016
  33. ^ Gans, Andrew. "Bernadette Peters, Sutton Foster, Christine Ebersole, and More Honor Joel Grey December 5" Playbill, December 5, 2016
  34. ^ "Nikki Haley to be honored by World Jewish Congress – Breaking News – Jerusalem Post". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved October 27, 2019.

Sources

  • Parrish, James Robert; Vincent Terrace (1989). The Complete Actors' Television Credits, 1948–1988. Vol. 1. p. 212. ISBN 0-8108-2204-0.
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