Mandy Patinkin

Mandy Patinkin began his stage career in 1975 in the New York production of Trelawny of the 'Wells', starring alongside Meryl Streep and John Lithgow. From 1975 to 1976, he appeared in a Broadway revival of Hamlet with Sam Waterston. In 1977 he starred in Michael Cristofer’s play The Shadow Box. Patinkin made his film debut with a small role in The Big Fix (1978), followed by roles in the films French Postcards (1979) and Last Embrace (1979).

He achieved major success on Broadway starring as Che in Evita (1979), opposite Patti LuPone, winning the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical. He then appeared in films including Ragtime (1980) and Daniel (1983). In 1983 he co-starred in Barbra Streisand’s film Yentl. Patinkin returned to Broadway in Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine’s Sunday in the Park with George (1984–1985), playing Georges Seurat and his fictional descendant George, and later appeared in Follies: In Concert at Lincoln Center in 1985.

During the mid-to-late 1980s he appeared in films including Maxie (1985), The Princess Bride (1987), Alien Nation (1988), and The House on Carroll Street (1988). In the early 1990s he acted in films such as Dick Tracy (1990), True Colors (1991), and Impromptu (1991). On Broadway he appeared in The Secret Garden (1991) and later took over the role of Marvin in Falsettos (1993). His film work during the decade included The Doctor (1991), The Music of Chance (1993), Life with Mikey (1993), Squanto: A Warrior’s Tale (1994), and Lulu on the Bridge (1998). He also portrayed Quasimodo in the television film The Hunchback (1997) and appeared in The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland (1999).

Patinkin starred as Dr. Jeffrey Geiger in the CBS television drama Chicago Hope beginning in 1994, winning the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series. He returned to Broadway in The Wild Party (2000), earning a Tony Award nomination. His television work included the Showtime series Dead Like Me (2003–2004). In 2005 he joined the CBS crime drama Criminal Minds as Jason Gideon. He also appeared in an Off-Broadway musical adaptation of The Tempest (2008) and in the London production of Paradise Found (2010). In 2011–2012 he performed the Broadway concert An Evening with Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin.

From 2011 to 2020, Patinkin starred as Saul Berenson in the Showtime series Homeland. During this period he also appeared in films including 4.3.2.1. (2010), The Wind Rises (2013), Wish I Was Here (2014), Wonder (2017), Smurfs: The Lost Village (2017), Life Itself (2018), and Before You Know It (2019). He was announced to appear in the Broadway musical Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 in 2017 but withdrew before performing.

In recent years, Patinkin appeared in the legal drama series The Good Fight (2021), voiced Benjamin Franklin in the PBS documentary series Benjamin Franklin (2022), and narrated the Paramount+ miniseries Indivisible: Healing Hate (2022). In 2024 he starred in the ABC series Death and Other Details. In 2026 he was cast as Odin in Amazon Prime Video’s live-action adaptation of the God of War video game series.