Joel Grey
(born April 11, 1932) is an American stage and screen actor, singer, and dancer, best known for his role as the "Master of Ceremonies" in both the stage and film adaptation of the Kander & Ebb musical Cabaret
. He has won the Academy Award, Tony Award, Golden Globe Award, and BAFTA.
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JOEL GREY TICKETS
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Early life
Grey was born
Joel David Katz
in
Cleveland,
Ohio, the son of Grace and
Mickey Katz, an actor, comedian and musician.
[1] He graduated from
Cleveland Heights High School in
Cleveland Heights, Ohio in 1950.
Career
Grey originated the role of the
Master of Ceremonies in the Broadway
musical Cabaret
in 1966 for which he won the
Tony Award. Additional Broadway credits include
Come Blow Your Horn
(1961),
Stop the World - I Want to Get Off
(1962),
Half a Sixpence
(1965),
Goodtime Charley
(1975),
The Grand Tour
(1979),
Chicago
(1996), and
Wicked
(2003). In 1995, he performed in
The Wizard of Oz in Concert: Dreams Come True
a musical performance of the popular story at Lincoln Center to benefit the
Children's Defense Fund. 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 in 1972 for his performance as the
Master of Ceremonies in the
film version of Cabaret
. 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.
Grey beat front-runner
Al Pacino for
Best Supporting Actor while Fosse beat
Francis Ford Coppola for Best Director.
For that role, Grey also won the BAFTA award for "The Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles" and a Tony Award six years prior, making him one of only eight people who have won both a
Tony Award and an
Academy Award for the same role.
He performed at
The Muny in
St. Louis, Missouri many times in roles such as
George M. Cohan in
George M!
(1970 and 1992), the Emcee in
Cabaret
(1971), and Joey Evans in
Pal Joey
(1983).
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, singing "Razzle Dazzle" from
Chicago
and "Willkommen" from
Cabaret
He also played an 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". In 1991, he played an out of this world man, Adam, on the
series finale of
Dallas
. 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
. In 1996, he made a guest appearance on
Star Trek: Voyager
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
and had recurring television roles on
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
(as
Doc, 2001),
Oz
(as
Lemuel Idzik, 2003) and
Alias
(as "Another Mr. Sloane," 2005). He played the role of a demon in the final episode of
Dallas
and was a wealthy, paroled ex-convict on
Law & Order: Criminal Intent
(episode, "Cuba Libre"). He also appeared on the shows
House
and
Brothers & Sisters
, on the latter of which he played the role of Sarah and Joe's marriage counselor.
Personal life
Grey is the father of actress
Jennifer Grey, the star of
Dirty Dancing
, and James, a chef. In 1958 he married Jo Wilder. They divorced in 1982.
Grey is also a
photographer. 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.
[2] His third book,
1.3 – Images from My Phone
, is also a photography book but taken with his camera phone, is published on June 2, 2009 (Powerhouse Books).
[3]
Work
Stage
Year
| Production
| Role
| Notes
|
1951
| Borscht Capades
|
| credited as Joel Kaye
|
1961
| Come Blow Your Horn
| Buddy Baker
| Replacement
|
1962
| Stop the World - I Want to Get Off
| Littlechap
| Replacement
|
1965
| Half a Sixpence
| Arthur Kipps
| Replacement
|
1966
| Cabaret
| Master of Ceremonies
| Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical
|
1969
| George M!
| George M. Cohan
| Nominee: Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical
|
1975
| Goodtime Charley
| Charley
| Nominee: Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical
|
1979
| The Grand Tour
| S. L. Jacobowsky
| Nominee: Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical
|
1987
| Cabaret
| Master of Ceremonies
| Revival
|
1996
| Chicago
| Amos Hart
|
|
2003
| Wicked
| The Wizard of Oz
|
|
Filmography
Year
| Film
| Role
| Notes
|
1952
| About Face
| Bender
|
|
1957
| Calypso Heat Wave
| Alex Nash
|
|
1961
| Come September
| Beagle
|
|
1972
| Cabaret
| Master of Ceremonies
| Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor; BAFTA Award; Golden Globe
|
1974
| Man on a Swing
| Franklin Wills
|
|
1976
| The Seven-Per-Cent Solution
| Lowenstein
|
|
Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull's History Lesson
| Nate Salisbury (Cody's partner)
|
|
1985
| Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins
| Chiun
| Nominee: Golden Globe
|
1991
| Kafka
| Burgel
|
|
1993
| The Music of Chance
| Willy Stone
|
|
1994
| The Dangerous
| Flea
|
|
1995
| Venus Rising
| Jimmie
|
|
1996
| The Empty Mirror
| Joseph Goebbels
|
|
My Friend Joe
| Simon
|
|
1999
| A Christmas Carol
| Ghost of Christmas Past
|
|
2000
| The Fantasticks
| Amos Babcock Bellamy
|
|
2001
| Dancer in the Dark
| Oldrich Novy
|
|
Reaching Normal
| Dr. Mensley
|
|
2008
| Choke
| Phil
|
|
Television
Year
| Production
| Role
|
1956
| Producers' Showcase
|
|
1957
| Telephone Time
|
|
1957
| December Bride
|
|
1958
| Court of Last Resort
|
|
1958
| Little Women (special)
|
|
1959
| Maverick (TV series)
| Billy the Kid
|
1960
| Bronco (TV series)
|
|
1960
| The Ann Sothern Show
|
|
1960, 1961
| Lawman (TV series)
|
|
1961
| Yes, Yes Nanette
|
|
1961
| 77 Sunset Strip
|
|
1966
| My Lucky Penny (pilot)
|
|
1971
| Ironside (TV series)
|
|
1972
| Night Gallery
|
|
1972
| Man on a String (telefilm)
|
|
1974
| 'Twas the Night Before Christmas (special)
| Narrator
|
1976
| The Muppet Show
| Himself / Guest
|
1981
| Paddington Bear
| Host
|
1982
| Alice (TV series)
|
|
1984
| The Yeomen of the Guard (special - Brent Walker productions)
|
|
1987
| Queenie (telefilm)
|
|
1996
| Star Trek: Voyager
| Caylem
|
2000
| Buffy the Vampire Slayer
| Doc
|
2003
| Oz
| Lemuel Idzik
|
2003
| Law & Order: Criminal Intent (TV Series)
| Milton Winters
|
2005
| Alias (TV Series)
| Another Mr. Sloane
|
2006
| House, MD.
| Ezra Powell
|
2009
| Private Practice
| Dr. Alexander Ball
|
References
- Joel Grey Biography
- Grey Looking Hard at Unexamined Things''. Joel Grey Photographer.
- Samelson, Judy.SHELF LIFE: "American Theatre Reader," Photos by Joel Grey, New Looks at Bernstein and Horneplaybill.com, May 30, 2009