Joel Grey Biography

Joel Grey is an American actor, singer, dancer, director, and photographer. He is well known for portraying the Master of Ceremonies in Kander and Ebb musical Cabaret. He has won an Academy, Tony, and Golden Globe Awards.

Joel Grey Early Life and Education

Grey was born in Cleveland, Ohio, the son of Goldie “Grace” (née Epstein) and Mickey Katz, a Jewish actor, comedian, and musician. He attended Alexander Hamilton High School in Los Angeles, California.

Joel Grey Age

Joel David Katz was born on 11 April 1932 in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. He is 87 years old as of 2019.

Joel Grey Family

Parents

Mickey Katz‎,  father of actor Joel Grey and grandfather of actress Jennifer was an American comedian and musician who specialized in Jewish humor  Grey. Grace Epstein, was the mother of Joel Grey.

Joel Grey Wife

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. In January 2015 he made his homosexuality public in an interview with People magazine.

Children

Grey has two children with Jo Wilder her divorced wife, actress Jennifer Grey  (star of the film Dirty Dancing) and Chef James.

Joel Grey Body Measurements

• Height: 5′ 5″
• Weight: Not Available
• Shoe Size: Not Available
• Body Shape: Not Available
• Hair Colour: Not Available
• Eye Colour: Not Available

Joel Grey Career

He began his career in the early 1940s in the Cleveland Play House’s Curtain Pullers children’s theater program, appearing in productions like Grandmother Slyboots, Jack of Tarts, and a leading role in their On Borrowed Time production.

Grey originated in 1966 as the Master of Ceremonies ‘ role in the Broadway musical cabaret for which he won a Tony Award. 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). He performed as the Wizard in The Wizard of Oz in Concert: Dreams Come True in November 1995 to benefit the Children’s Defense Fund as a staged concert of the popular story at Lincoln Center. Originally broadcast in November 1995 on Turner Network Television (TNT), the performance was released on CD and video in 1996.

Grey with Don Porter and Ann Sothern on The Ann Sothern Show, 1960, for his performance as the Master of Ceremonies in Cabaret’s 1972 film version, Grey won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor in March 1973. His victory was part of a near-sweep cabaret that saw Liza Minnelli win Best Actress and Bob Fosse win Best Director, despite losing The Godfather’s Best Picture, Oscar. 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, 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.

He has performed in roles like George M. Cohan in George M! at The Muny in St. Louis, Missouri. (1970 and 1992), the Cabaret Emcee (1971), and the Pal Joey Evans (1983). Grey played the title role in their Platonov (1977) production at the Williamstown Theater Festival.

He has performed in roles like George M. Cohan in George M! at The Muny in St. Louis, Missouri. (1970 and 1992), the Cabaret Emcee (1971), and the Pal Joey Evans (1983). Grey played the title role in their Platonov (1977) production at the Williamstown Theater Festival.

Grey appeared as a TV game show panelist What is My Line? In the season of 1967, and during its syndication in 1968, he was the first Mystery Guest. In his first season in 1976, he was the guest star for the third episode of The Muppet Show, singing Chicago’s “Razzle Dazzle” and Cabaret’s “Willkommen.” He also played Sinanju Chiun’s Master, Remo’s elderly Korean martial arts master in Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins (1985), a role that won him a Saturn Award and a second Golden Globe Best Supporting Actor nomination. The character of Chiun was popular from the movie for the lines “Meat of cow kills” and “You move like a pregnant yak.”  In 1999, he starred in Brian Friel’s Give Me Your Answer, Do! mounted by Roundabout Theatre Company.

In 2000, in the film Dancer in the Dark, Grey played Oldrich Novy with recurring TV 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 on Law & Order a wealthy, paroled ex-convict: Criminal Intent (“Cuba Libre” episode, 2003). The Wizard of Oz’s role in the hit Broadway musical Wicked was also originated by Grey. He also appeared on the House and Brothers & Sisters shows (2007), where he played the role of Dr. Bar-Shalom, Sarah and the marriage counselor for Joe. He appeared as Izzie’s high school teacher in Grey’s Anatomy (2009) who needs dementia treatment.

In spring 2011, Grey returned to Broadway as Moonface Martin to revive Anything Goes at the Stephen Sondheim Theatre at the Roundabout Theater Company. He also played Ned in Larry Kramer’s The Normal Heart’s Off-Broadway production in 1985 and co-directed the 2011 Tony Award-winning revival.

Grey was named an ambassador of Givenik for his continued support of Broadway. The National Yiddish Theater-Folksbiene presented him with a lifetime achievement award on June 10, 2013. Grey was presented by the York Theater Company in New York City with the Oscar Hammerstein Award for Lifetime Achievement at Musical Theatre on December 5, 2016. In part, the theater said: “We are thrilled to celebrate the extraordinary Joel Grey, whose art has become an indelible part of Broadway history for more than half a century.

Joel Grey Salary

Details about Joel’s salary are not yet disclosed. However, information about how much he makes will be updated as soon as it is available.

Joel Grey Net Worth

The award-winning actor, Joel, has an estimated net worth of $10million which he has earned through his successful career as an actor, singer, dancer, and photographer.

Joel Grey Photography

He is a photographer; his first book of images was released in 2003 under the name, Images I Had to Take; followed by Looking Hard at Unexpected Things, published in 2006. In 2009 he released his third book, 1.3–Pictures from My Camera, a series of photos taken with his camera phone. His work was shown at the Museum of the City of New York in April 2011, entitled “Joel Grey / A New York Life.” His fourth book, The Billboard Papers: Joel Grey’s photos, was published in 2013.

Joel Grey Wicked

Grey Joel replaced Robert Morse in the key role of the Wizard of Oz

Joel Grey Gay

In January 2015 Grey opened up about his sexuality saying that he is a gay in an interview with People magazine, the book, written with Rebecca Paley, may surprise readers with the extent of his candor about his past relationships and his many years of hiding, both inwardly and in public, the true nature of his sexual identity. Many people who knew Mr. Grey as the father of Jennifer Grey, the actress and “Dirty Dancing” star, may have presumed that he was heterosexual. The truth is more complicated.

Joel Grey Chicago

He also starred as Moonface Martin in the Broadway revivals of Anything Goes and as Amos Hart in Chicago.

Joel Grey Movies

• 2008 Choke as Phil
• 2001 Dancer in the Dark as Oldrich Novy
• 2001 Reaching Normal as Dr. Mensley
• 2000 The Fantasticks as Amos Babcock Bellamy
• 1996 The Empty Mirror as Joseph Goebbels
• 1996 My Friend Joe as Simon
• 1995 Venus Rising as Jimmie
• 1994 The Dangerous as Flea
• 1993 The Music of Chance as Willy Stone
• 1992 Tom and Jerry: The Movie as Narrator
• 1992 The Player as Himself
• 1991 Kafka as Burgel
• 1985 Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins as Chiun “Master of Sinanju”
• 1976 The Seven-Per-Cent Solution as Lowenstein
• 1976 Buffalo Bill and the Indians, or Sitting Bull’s History Lesson as Nate Salsbury
• 1974 Man on a Swing as Franklin Wills
• 1972 Cabaret as Master of Ceremonies
• 1961 Come September as Beagle
• 1957 Calypso Heat Wave as Alex Nash
  1952 About Face as Bender

Joel Grey Tv Shows

• 2014 CSI: Crime Scene Investigation as Hank Kasserman
• 2013 Warehouse 13 as Monty the Magnificent
• 2012 Nurse Jackie as Dick Bobbitt
• 2009 Private Practice as Dr. Alexander Ball
• 2009 Grey’s Anatomy as Dr. Singer
• 2008 Phineas and Ferb as Beppo (voice)
• 2007 Brothers & Sisters as Dr. Jude Bar-Shalom
• 2006 House as Dr. Ezra Powell
• 2005 Alias as Another Mr. Sloane
• 2005 Crossing Jordan as Carl Meisner, Amnesia Victim
• 2003 Oz as Lemuel Idzik
• 2003 Law & Order: Criminal Intent as Milton Winters
• 2001 Touched by an Angel as Ronald
• 2001 Further Tales of the City as Guido
• 2000 Buffy the Vampire Slayer as Doc
• 1999–2000 The Outer Limits as Dr. Neil Seward / Gideon Banks
• 1999 A Christmas Carol as Ghost of Christmas Past
• 1995 The Wizard of Oz in Concert: Dreams Come True
• Narrator of Kansas / Professor Marvel / Gatekeeper of Emerald City / Coachman of “Horse of a Different Color” / Doorman to the Wizard’s Palace / The Wizard
• 1995 Star Trek: Voyager as Caylem
• 1992–1993 Brooklyn Bridge as Jacob Prossman
• 1991 Matlock as Tommy DeLuca
• 1991 Dallas as Adam
• 1987 Queenie as Aaron Diamond
• 1982 Alice as Himself
• 1982 The Yeomen of the Guard as Jack Point
• 1981 Paddington as Himself
• 1976 The Muppet Show as Himself (guest)
• 1974 Twas the Night Before Christmas as Narrator / Mr. Trundel (voice)
• 1974 The Carol Burnett Show as Gary
• 1973 The $10,000 Pyramid as Himself / Celebrity Guest
• 1972 Night Gallery as Andrew MacBane
• 1972 Man on a String Big Joe Brown
• 1971 Ironside as Mike Jaeger
• 1966 My Lucky Penny Freddy Rockefeller
• 1961 Westinghouse Playhouse as Herbie
• 1961 77 Sunset Strip as Joey Kellogg
• 1960 Bronco as Samson ‘Runt’ Bowles
• 1960 The Ann Sothern Show as Billy Wilton
• 1960–1961 Lawman as Owny O’Reilly
• 1959 Maverick as Billy the Kid
• 1958 The Court of Last Resort as Floyd Todd
• 1957 Telephone Time as Ray
• 1957 December Bride as Jimmy

Joel Grey Awards

• 1973 Academy Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role
• 1973 Golden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture
• 1967 Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical
• 1972 National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Supporting Actor 1997 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical
• 1973 BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles
• 2011 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Play
• 2008 Grammy Hall of Fame
• 2015 Drama League Award Special Recognition Award – Distinguished Achievement in Musical Theater
• 1997 Outer Critics Circle Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical
• 1968 Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Performances.

Joel Grey Cabaret Broadway

Cabaret is a musical, drama revival starring Joel Grey, The Emcee. He also starred as Moon face Martin in the Broadway revivals of Anything Goes.

Joel Grey Book

Master of Ceremonies is a memoir of a life lived in and out of the limelight, but it is also the story of the man behind the stage makeup. The Tony and Academy Award-winning Master of Ceremonies in Cabaret finally tells his remarkable life story. Coming of age in a time when being yourself was not only difficult but also dangerous, Joel has to act both on and off the stage. He spends most of his high school years sleeping with girls-next-door and carrying on an affair with an older man. Romances with to-die-for Vegas Showgirls are balanced with late-night liaisons with like-minded guys, until finally Joel falls in love and marries a talented and elegant woman, starts a family, and has a pretty perfect life. After 24 years the marriage dissolves, Joel has to once again find his place in a world that has radically changed.

Frequently Asked Questions About Grey Joel

Who is Joel?

Grey is an American entertainer, more specifically an actor, singer, dancer, and photographer

How old is Grey?

Joel is 87 years old as of 2019. He was born in 1932.

How tall is Joel?

Grey Stands at a height of 5′ 5″

Is Grey married?

In 1958, Grey married Jo Wilder; they divorced in 1982. Currently he is gay.

How much is Joel worth?

Grey has an estimated net worth of $ 10 million.

How much does Grey make?

Not Available

Is Joel dead or alive?

Grey is still alive and in good health.

Where does Grey live?

Not Available

Where is Joel now?

Entertainer, more specifically an actor, singer, dancer, and photographer

Grey Joel The Muppet Show