Joel Grey
Birth Place: USA
From Ethel Merman to Liza Minnelli: Revisit the Best of Broadway on THE MUPPET SHOW (Feb 7, 2026)
Bucks County Playhouse to Debut WOMEN OF NOTE Series in 2026 (Feb 5, 2026)
Joel Grey and Phylicia Rashad to be Honored at Center Theatre Group 2026 Gala (Feb 3, 2026)
BIO
Joel Grey began his performing career in the early 1940s with the Cleveland Play House Curtain Pullers children’s theatre program, appearing in productions including Grandmother Slyboots, Jack of Tarts, and On Borrowed Time. He began professional television work on The Colgate Comedy Hour (1951–1954) and appeared in television series including Maverick (1959), Bronco (1960), and Lawman (1960–1961). He made his Broadway debut in Borscht Capades and later appeared in The Littlest Revue (1956), Come Blow Your Horn (1961), Stop the World – I Want to Get Off (1962), and Half a Sixpence (1965).
In 1966, Grey originated the role of the Emcee in the Broadway musical Cabaret. He followed with starring roles in George M! (1968), Goodtime Charley (1975), and The Grand Tour (1979). He reprised the role of the Emcee in the film adaptation of Cabaret (1972). He appeared on What’s My Line? (1967–1968) and guest-starred on The Muppet Show (1976). His regional theater work included performances at The Muny and the Williamstown Theatre Festival between 1970 and 1992.
Grey appeared in the films Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins (1985), Kafka (1991), Tom and Jerry: The Movie (1992), The Player (1992), The Music of Chance (1993), Dancer in the Dark (2000), The Fantasticks (2000), and Choke (2008). His television credits include Dallas (1991), Brooklyn Bridge (1993), Star Trek: Voyager (1995), Buffy the Vampire Slayer (2001), Oz (2003), Law & Order: Criminal Intent (2003), Alias (2005), House (2007), Brothers & Sisters (2007), and Grey’s Anatomy (2009).
He returned to Broadway as Amos Hart in Chicago (1996), appeared in Give Me Your Answer, Do! (1999), originated the role of the Wizard in Wicked (2003), and starred in the revival of Anything Goes (2011). He co-directed the Broadway revival of The Normal Heart (2011). He appeared on Broadway in The Cherry Orchard (2016).
Grey directed the Yiddish-language revival of Fiddler on the Roof (2018–2019), appeared in the film Tick, Tick… Boom! (2021), and had a recurring role on the FX television series The Old Man (2022).
Photos
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STAGE CREDITS
Productions
Movies
[ 1952 ] Bender
[ 1961 ] Beagle
[ 1974 ] Franklin Wills
[ 1976 ] Lowenstein
[ 1976 ] The Producer Nate Salisbury
[ 1985 ] Chiun
[ 1991 ] Burgel
[ 1992 ] Joel Grey
[ 1993 ] Willy Stone
[ 1995 ] Flea
[ 1996 ] Josef Goebbels
[ 1996 ] Simon
[ 2000 ] Bellomy
[ 2000 ] Oldrich Novy
[ 2001 ] Dr. Mensley
[ 2003 ] The Wonderful Wizard of Oz
[ 2008 ] Phil
[ 2010 ] Joseph Goebbels
[ 2021 ] Sunday Legend #4
TV Shows
Jacob Prossman
Gideon Banks, Dr. Nathan Seward
[ 2022-2024 ] Morgan Bote
Awards and Nominations
Joel Grey, Fiddler on the Roof (in Yiddish)
Joel Grey, Fiddler on the Roof (in Yiddish)
winner
Joel Grey, The Normal Heart
winner
Joel Grey, The Normal Heart
Joel Grey, The Normal Heart
Joel Grey , Wicked
winner
Joel Grey, Give Me Your Answer, Do!
winner
Joel Grey, Chicago
winner
Joel Grey, Chicago
Joel Grey Cabaret
Joel Grey, The Grand Tour
Joel Grey, The Grand Tour
Joel Grey, Goodtime Charley
Joel Grey, Goodtime Charley
Joel Grey, George M!
winner
Joel Grey, George M!
winner
Joel Grey, Cabaret
Videos
Video: Watch the Trailer for Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne Theater Documentary THIS PLACE MATTERS! TEN CHIMNEYS
by Josh Sharpe - 2025-10-09 11:57:15
Video: Liza Minnelli Talks About Father Vincente in LIZA: A TRULY TERRIFIC ABSOLUTELY TRUE STORY Clip
by Josh Sharpe - 2025-01-29 12:22:47
Video: Joel Grey and Eddie Redmayne Talk CABARET and The 'Emcee' Legacy
by A.A. Cristi - 2024-04-12 14:54:44
Video: CABARET at the Kit Kat Club Celebrates John Kander and Joel Grey's Lifetime Achievement Tony Awards
by Stephi Wild - 2023-06-12 07:28:00
Video: Bernadette Peters, Joel Grey & More Featured in BEING MARY TYLER MOORE Documentary Trailer
by Michael Major - 2023-05-09 09:14:07
VIDEO: Backstage at the Museum of Broadway on CBS SUNDAY MORNING
by Stephi Wild - 2022-11-07 07:44:51
VIDEO: Broadway's Best Dancers Gather on the Red Carpet at the Chita Rivera Awards
by Red Carpet - 2022-07-16 08:00:20
VIDEO: Broadway Legend Joel Grey Stops In to Celebrate Bryant Park Day!
by A.A. Cristi - 2022-05-11 22:54:46
VIDEO: MJ Cast Hits the Red Carpet to Celebrate Opening Night!
by Opening Night - 2022-02-02 12:27:22
VIDEO: Charlotte D'Amboise Pays Tribute to Ann Reinking at CHICAGO 25th Anniversary Celebration
by A.A. Cristi - 2021-11-16 23:14:04
VIDEO: Original CHICAGO Stars Return for 25th Anniversary Celebration and Mayoral Proclamation
by A.A. Cristi - 2021-11-16 22:36:28
VIDEO: Ben Platt Opens Up About the Honor of Seeing Evan Hansen Through to the End
by Nicole Rosky - 2021-09-23 15:00:20
VIDEO: Joel Grey, Harvey Fierstein, Alex Brightman, and More Perform 'I'm Still Here' to Commemorate One Year Since Broadway Shut Down
by Stephi Wild - 2021-03-12 10:10:26
Broadway Rewind: Watch Scenes from Sutton Foster's Tony-Winning Turn in ANYTHING GOES!
by Nicole Rosky - 2020-06-01 16:31:00
Broadway Rewind: A Very WICKED Backstage Special with Idina Menzel, Kristin Chenoweth & More!
by Nicole Rosky - 2020-03-29 14:01:00
VIDEO: Extended Clip From FIDDLER: A MIRACLE OF MIRACLES Documentary
by Alan Henry - 2019-08-22 16:30:43
BWW Exclusive: First Look At FIDDLER: A MIRACLE OF MIRACLES Documentary
by A.A. Cristi - 2019-08-12 18:29:39
News
by Josh Sharpe - Feb 7, 2026
It's time to meet Broadway's best on The Muppet Show tonight! With the new special now streaming, we have rounded up some of the best of Broadway talent during the show's original run.
by A.A. Cristi - Feb 5, 2026
Bucks County Playhouse will present a new series titled 'Women of Note' starting in 2026, showcasing performances and works by prominent female artists and creators. The series aims to highlight the contributions of women in the arts at the renowned venue.
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Feb 3, 2026
Center Theatre Group will present CTG: The Gala, the not-for-profit's annual event which will be held at The Music Center, featuring cocktails and dinner on the Jerry Moss Plaza and a one-night-only show at the Mark Taper Forum.
by Stephi Wild - Jan 20, 2026
NEC students will showcase their musical talents by performing iconic hits from the 60s and 70s in the upcoming show GENIUS ON THE CHARTS on February 24.
by A.A. Cristi - Jan 16, 2026
Town Hall Theater will present The Hollywood Musical: Part 2, a four-part class and film series led by Director in Residence Doug Anderson. The program examines the evolution of the Hollywood movie musical from the 1950s through the present.
by BWW Awards - Dec 29, 2025
This is the last chance to vote for the 2025 BroadwayWorld Los Angeles Awards! Voting ends on 12/31/2025 at midnight. Don't miss out on making sure that your favorite theatres, stars, and shows get the recognition they deserve!
by BWW Awards - Dec 22, 2025
We're in the final weeks to vote for the 2025 BroadwayWorld Los Angeles Awards! Voting ends on 12/31/2025 at midnight. Don't miss out on making sure that your favorite theatres, stars, and shows get the recognition they deserve!
by Sidney Paterra - Dec 20, 2025
Which reality TV stars have starred in Chicago on Broadway? From Whitney Leavitt, to Ariana Madix and more, BroadwayWorld is rounding up the list of reality TV stars who have starred in Chicago on Broadway.
by BWW Awards - Dec 15, 2025
The latest standings have been released for the 2025 BroadwayWorld Los Angeles Awards! Voting ends on 12/31/2025 at midnight. Don't miss out on making sure that your favorite theatres, stars, and shows get the recognition they deserve!
by Chloe Rabinowitz - Dec 9, 2025
Helicline Fine Art is continuing HIRSCHFELD: STROKES OF GENIUS, a glorious celebration of Al Hirschfeld's artwork. Additional works have been added to the exhibition which includes more than six dozen Hirschfeld original drawings and lithographs
by BWW Awards - Dec 8, 2025
The latest standings have been released for the 2025 BroadwayWorld Los Angeles Awards! Voting ends on 12/31/2025 at midnight. Don't miss out on making sure that your favorite theatres, stars, and shows get the recognition they deserve!
by A.A. Cristi - Dec 4, 2025
The Neighborhood Playhouse School of the Theatre presented an invite-only Red Door Reading of Prodigal Son, the deeply personal and resonant drama by Pulitzer Prize–, Tony Award–, and Academy Award–winning writer John Patrick Shanley. Check out photos of the event.
by BWW Awards - Dec 1, 2025
The first standings have been released for the 2025 BroadwayWorld Los Angeles Awards! Voting ends on 12/31/2025 at midnight. Don't miss out on making sure that your favorite theatres, stars, and shows get the recognition they deserve!
by Jim Munson - Nov 26, 2025
BroadwayWorld chats with Bay Area favorite Heather Orth who is appearing as Cinderella's Stepmother in Stephen Sondheim & James Lapine's 'Into the Woods' at San Francisco Playhouse through January 17th.
by A.A. Cristi - Nov 4, 2025
American Theater Group will host a post-show discussion titled From Classroom to Stage following the Thursday, November 6 performance of Our Town at the Sieminski Theater in Basking Ridge.
by Gillian Blum - Nov 1, 2025
American Theater Group has released official photographs from its production of Thornton Wilder’s Our Town, currently running at the DMK Theater, then moving to the Sieminski Theater.
by A.A. Cristi - Oct 31, 2025
As Wicked celebrates 22 years on Broadway, the production has released a video montage looking back on the extraordinary journey that began with original stars Idina Menzel, Kristin Chenoweth, Joel Grey, and the generations of Ozians who have followed in their footsteps.
by Josh Sharpe - Oct 27, 2025
With the new documentary This Place Matters! Ten Chimneys, CEO Randy Bryant aims to shed light on the rich history of Ten Chimneys and its enduring presence in the theater community.
by A.A. Cristi - Oct 22, 2025
American Theater Group will host a special post-performance discussion, The Enduring Legacy of Our Town, on October 30 following its 7 p.m. performance of Our Town at the DMK Theater in the Union Arts Center.
by A.A. Cristi - Oct 16, 2025
Producer Dominick Balletta’s High Hard Heat will present a national tour of FDR’s Very Happy Hour, an immersive civics experiment conceived by Regan Linton and M. Graham Smith.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Joel Grey has appeared on Broadway in 13 shows.
Joel Grey has not appeared in the West End.
Outstanding Director of a Musical (Drama Desk Awards) for Fiddler on the Roof (in Yiddish), Outstanding Director of a Musical (Outer Critics Circle Awards) for Fiddler on the Roof (in Yiddish), Best Direction of a Play (BroadwayWorld Awards) for The Normal Heart, Outstanding Director of a Play (Drama Desk Awards) for The Normal Heart, Best Direction of a Play (Tony Awards) for The Normal Heart, Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical (Outer Critics Circle Awards) for Wicked, Outstanding Featured Actor - Play (Drama Desk Awards) for Give Me Your Answer, Do!, Best Featured Actor - Musical (Outer Critics Circle Awards) for Chicago , Outstanding Featured Actor - Musical (Drama Desk Awards) for Chicago, Outstanding Lead Actor, Non-Resident Production (Helen Hayes Awards) for Cabaret, Outstanding Actor - Musical (Drama Desk Awards) for The Grand Tour, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical (Tony Awards) for The Grand Tour, Outstanding Actor - Musical (Drama Desk Awards) for Goodtime Charley, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical (Tony Awards) for Goodtime Charley, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical (Tony Awards) for George M!, Best Performance (Outer Critics Circle Awards) for George M! and Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical (Tony Awards) for Cabaret.
Joel Grey has won several prestigious awards, including Best Direction of a Play at the BroadwayWorld Awards for The Normal Heart, Outstanding Director of a Play at the Drama Desk Awards for The Normal Heart, and Outstanding Featured Actor in a Play at the Drama Desk Awards for Give Me Your Answer, Do!. He also received Best Featured Actor in a Musical at the Outer Critics Circle Awards for Chicago, Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical at the Drama Desk Awards for Chicago, Best Performance at the Outer Critics Circle Awards for George M!, and Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical at the Tony Awards for Cabaret.
Videos