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
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Documentary evidence
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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.
Text attribution
Licensing
Text attribution
Part of the biographical narrative on this page reuses licensed material. Its origin, revision and licence are recorded here.
The biographical narrative on this page is based on the Wikipedia article Josh Mostel, revision 1357026128 (EN edition), by its contributors. VALÉORINE has edited that text and built its own documentary record around it. The reused material is available under CC BY-SA 4.0, and this page's reuse of it is offered under the same licence. Everything else on this page — the chronology, the holdings, the evidence, the plates and the connections — is VALÉORINE's own record. Sources and licences.
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
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
reference work
Secondary witnessauthority record
General reference
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 15 August 2026.
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