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).
Also recorded as Joshua Mostel · Joshua Elias Mostel
Josh Mostel

Greg2600 · Josh Mostel · CC BY-SA 2.0
- Name
- Josh Mostel
- Born
- 21 December 1946
- Birthplace
- New York City, U.S.
- Occupation
- Actor
- Nationality
- United States
- Education
- Brandeis University · New Lincoln School
VALÉORINE Encyclopedia
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Documentary summary
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).
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Note VALÉORINE
Josh Mostel (born 1946) is an actor, film actor and stage actor, among other activities, of American nationality. The actor was born in New York City. Josh Mostel was educated at Brandeis University and New Lincoln School.
Composed from admitted, traceable facts · 26 September 2026
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wikidata · Q961297 · wikipedia · Josh Mostel
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Josh Mostel • Born — 21 December 1946 • Birthplace — New York City, U.S. • Occupation — Actor • Years Active — 1971–present • Father — Zero Mostel
Early life
Early 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.
Career
Career
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.
Personal life
Personal life
Mostel lives in New York, with a summer home on Monhegan Island. Tobias MostelTobias Mostel, his brother, is a painter, ceramic artist and professor of art, teaching at Florida State University and Tallahassee Community College.
Television
Television
Josh Mostel television credits • Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1987 — The Equalizer — Winston Erdlow — Episode: "Beyond Control" • 1990 — Beverly Hills, 90210 — Mr. Ridley — Episode: "Class of Beverly Hills" • 1998 — Thicker Than Blood — Kendall — TV 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
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
Film
Josh Mostel film credits • 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 (Atlantic City Jackpot) — 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 — 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 • 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 • 2024 — Bad Shabbos — Saul
Primary material
Documents and archives
reference work
- “Josh Mostel”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q961297: Josh Mostel
General reference · Wikidata
Literature
Scholarly footprint
A count of publications is evidence of attention, not of standing, and is given here only as a measure.
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Maslin, Janet. Windy City (1984) 'WINDY CITY'. The New York Times. September 21, 1984.
- 2.Peggy Rajski, a Producer, Is Wed to Joshua Mostel. The New York Times. 1983-06-25. 0362-4331.
- 3.Fiorentino, Anna. Portraits on Monhegan. June 1, 2020.
- 4.Tobias Mostel – Broadway Cast & Staff. IBDB.
- 5.Frances Winter, an Artist, Is Married to Tobias Mostel. The New York Times. 2 May 1981.
- 6.Art & Design Library. FSU Department of Art History.
- 7.Zero and Kate Mostel papers. archives.nypl.org.
- 8.Adding Up to Zero. Toronto Jewish Film Festival.
- 9.THE EXPLOSION OF A MYTH mixed media on paper, framed, signed and dedicated on verso - Tobias Mostel. Charlton Hall Galleries.
- 10.Zero Mostel. tcmdb.
- 11.Art History Department, Florida State University. With special thanks to Tobias and Aileen Mostel.
- 12.OLLI Spring 2013 Newsletter by OLLI FSU
- 13.Mary Aileen Mostel October 8, 1950 - April 9, 2018. Abbey Funeral Home and Tallahassee Memory Gardens.
References
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reference work
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General reference
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