Joel Grey Net Worth 2024: How Much is the ‘Cabaret’ Actor Worth?

Joel Grey net worth is estimated to be around $10 million as of 2024. Joel Grey is an American actor, singer, and director born on April 11, 1932. He is most famous for his role as the Master of Ceremonies in the Broadway musical “Cabaret” and its 1972 film adaptation by Bob Fosse. His impressive career has earned him an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe, and a Tony Award. In 2023, he received the Lifetime Achievement Tony Award.

Grey has been nominated for Tony Awards for his performances in “George M!,” “Goodtime Charley,” and “The Grand Tour.” He played Amos Hart in the 1996 Broadway revival of Chicago, the Wizard of Oz in “Wicked,” and “Moonface Martin” in the 2011 revival of Anything Goes. He also directed the 2011 revival of “The Normal Heart,” earning a Tony nomination for Best Direction of a Play.

In the film, Joel Grey was nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor for “Remo Williams: The Adventure Begins.” He appeared in movies such as “Buffalo Bill and the Indians,” “Kafka, The Music of Chance, “The Fantasticks,” and “Dancer in the Dark.” His TV credits include a 1993 Emmy nomination for Brooklyn Bridge and roles in “Oz,” Alias, House, “Nurse Jackie,” and “The Old Man.”

What is Joel Grey Net Worth in 2024?

Joel Grey is an American actor, singer, and director with a net worth of $10 Million as of 2024, according to Celebrity Net Worth. The main source of Joel Grey’s net worth mainly comes from his successful career as an actor and singer.

He gained fame for his roles in Broadway shows like Cabaret, where he won a Tony Award, and for his appearances in movies such as Cabaret and Chicago. His performances in these productions, along with his work in television and voice acting, have contributed significantly to his wealth.

Additionally, Grey has earned money from various stage and film projects over the years, which has helped build his financial standing.

Joel Grey’s Early Life and Education

Joel Grey was born in Cleveland, Ohio. His parents were Goldie “Grace” and Mickey Katz who was an actor, comedian, and musician. They were both Jewish. Grey went to Alexander Hamilton High School in Los Angeles, California.

Joel Grey’s Career

Early career

Joel Grey began his career as a child actor at the age of 10 performing in the Cleveland Play House’s Curtain Pullers program. He appeared in various plays including “Grandmother Slyboots,” “Jack of Tarts,” and took a leading role in “On Borrowed Time.” By 1952, at just 20 he was performing at the Copacabana nightclub in New York. To avoid ethnic stigma he changed his last name from Katz to Grey early in his career.

Grey made his Broadway debut in “Borscht Capades” under the name “Joel Kaye.” He later returned to Broadway in “The Littlest Revue” and took over roles in “Come Blow Your Horn,” “Stop the World – I Want to Get Off” and “Half a Sixpence.”

He began his television career on “The Colgate Comedy Hour” and appeared in various TV westerns in the late 1950s and early 1960s including “Maverick Bronco” and “Lawman.”

Breakthrough

Joel Grey’s big break came in 1966 when he starred as the Master of Ceremonies in the Broadway musical “Cabaret.” His portrayal of the sinister emcee earned him widespread acclaim and a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical.

In 1967, he was a panelist on “What’s My Line?” and the show’s first Mystery Guest in 1968. He later starred as George M. Cohan in the 1968 musical “George M!” earning a Tony nomination and an Outer Critics Circle Award.

In 1972, Grey reprised his role in the film adaptation of “Cabaret” directed by Bob Fosse. Despite initial conflicts, Grey’s performance won him an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor a BAFTA, and several other awards. He remains one of only ten people to have won both a Tony and an Academy Award for the same role.

The Muppet Show

Grey appeared on “The Muppet Show” in 1976 performing songs from Chicago and Cabaret. He has also performed in various productions at “The Muny” and the Williamstown Theatre Festival and made notable returns to Broadway in “Goodtime Charley” and “The Grand Tour.”

In the 1980s and 1990s, Joel Grey continued to showcase his talents. He played the elderly martial arts master Chiun in “Remo Williams: The Adventure” Begins which earned him a Saturn Award and a Golden Globe nomination. He also appeared in Kafka “Tom and Jerry: The Movie,” and “The Music of Chance.” Grey’s role as Jacob Prossman on “Brooklyn Bridge” earned him an Emmy nomination.

He made a guest appearance on “Star Trek: Voyager” in 1995 and performed as the Wizard in “The Wizard of Oz in Concert: Dreams Come True.” His performance was broadcast on TNT and released on CD and video.

Joel Grey returned to Broadway as Amos Hart in the 1996 revival of Chicago a musical about crime and corruption in the jazz age. The revival was praised and Grey won a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Featured Actor in a Musical. In 1999, he starred in Brian Friel’s “Give Me Your Answer Do!” with the Roundabout Theatre Company.

In 2000, Grey appeared in several notable films and TV shows. He played Oldrich Novy in the “Lars von Trier” movie, Dancer in “The Dark,” and also acted in the musical “The Fantasticks” and the dark comedy “Choke.” His TV roles included the menacing Doc in “Buffy the Vampire Slayer,” Lemuel Idzik in “Oz,” and Another Mr. Sloane in “Alias.”

Brothers & Sisters

He also portrayed a wealthy ex-convict on “Law & Order: Criminal Intent” and appeared on “House” and “Brothers & Sisters” as Dr. Bar-Shalom a marriage counselor. In Grey’s Anatomy, he played a high school teacher needing treatment for dementia.

Grey also starred as the Wizard of Oz in the Broadway musical “Wicked” taking over from Robert Morse. Based on the novel by Gregory Maguire the show featured Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth. Although reviews were mixed, the musical was a financial success. Grey earned a nomination for the Outer Critics Circle Award for his performance.

In 2011, Joel Grey returned to Broadway as Moonface Martin in the revival of “Anything Goes.” He had previously played Ned in “The Normal Heart” and later co-directed its Tony Award-winning revival in 2011. He guest-starred in “Nurse Jackie” opposite Edie Falco and appeared in “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” and “Park Bench.”

Grey’s Broadway comeback in 2016 was in “The Cherry Orchard” alongside Diane Lane and Chuck Cooper. In 2018, he directed a Yiddish production of “Fiddler on the Roof” which was a major hit and won Drama Desk and Outer Critics Circle awards for Best Musical Revival. He made a cameo in “Tick Tick… Boom!” and in 2022 played Morgan Bote in the FX series “The Old Man.”

Joel Grey’s Personal Life

In 1958, Joel Grey married Jo Wilder and they had two children: Jennifer Grey who starred in “Dirty Dancing” and James Grey. They divorced in 1982.

Joel Grey is also a photographer. His first book “Pictures I Had to Take” was published in 2003. He followed it with “Looking Hard at Unexpected Things” in 2006. His third book “1.3 – Images from My Phone” came out in 2009 and features photos taken with his phone.

In April 2011, his work was showcased in an exhibition at the Museum of the City of New York called “Joel Grey/A New York Life.” His fourth book “The Billboard Papers: Photographs by Joel Grey” was released in 2013 and highlights New York City’s billboards.

In January 2015, Grey shared his sexuality in an interview with People saying “I don’t like labels but if you need one I’m a gay man.”

In his 2016, memoir “Master of Ceremonies” Grey writes about his family his acting career, and his experiences as a gay man.