# Josh Mostel

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).

## 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.
Tobias Mostel, his brother, is a painter, ceramic artist and professor of art, teaching at Florida State University and Tallahassee Community College.
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 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.
Mostel lives in New York, with a summer home in Monhegan, Maine.

## 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 |
| 1976 | Deadly Hero | Victor |
| 1981 | Dead Ringer | Russell |
| 1982 | Fighting Back | Duster |
| 1982 | Sophie's Choice | Morris Fink |
| 1983 | Star 80 | Private Detective |
| 1984 | The Brother from Another Planet | Casio Vendor |
| 1984 | Windy City | Sol |
| 1985 | Almost You | David |
| 1985 | Compromising Positions | Dicky Dunck |
| 1985 | Stoogemania | Howard F. Howard |
| 1986 | The Money Pit | Jack Schnittman |
| 1987 | Radio Days | Abe |
| 1987 | The Equalizer | Winston Erdlow |
| 1987 | Matewan | Mayor Cabell Testerman |
| 1987 | Wall Street | Ollie |
| 1989 | Animal Behavior | Mel Gorsky |
| 1991 | City Slickers | Barry Shalowitz |
| 1991 | Naked Tango | Bertoni the Jeweler |
| 1991 | Little Man Tate | Physics Professor |
| 1991 | City of Hope | Mad Anthony |
| 1992 | Nervous Ticks | Saul Warshow |
| 1993 | Searching for Bobby Fischer | Chess Club Regular |
| 1994 | The Chase | Officer Figus |
| 1994 | Bye Bye America [de] | Abe |
| 1994 | City Slickers II: The Legend of Curly's Gold | Barry Shalowitz |
| 1995 | The Maddening | Chicky Ross |
| 1995 | Billy Madison | Principal Max Anderson |
| 1995 | The Basketball Diaries | Counterman |
| 1995 | Let It Be Me | Jordan |
| 1998 | Great Expectations | Jerry Ragno |
| 1998 | Rounders | Zagosh |
| 1998 | Thicker Than Blood | Kendall |
| 1999 | The Out-of-Towners | Dr. Faber |
| 1999 | 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 |