Josh Pais

Last updated

Josh Pais
Josh Pais at the 2024 New York Film Festival (cropped).jpg
Pais in 2024
Born
Joshua Atwill Pais

(1958-06-21) June 21, 1958 (age 67)
Occupation(s) Actor
Acting coach
Years active1988–present
Spouses
(m. 1990;div. 2003)
(m. 2006)
Children1
Parent(s) Abraham Pais
Lila Lee Atwill

Joshua Atwill Pais (born June 21, 1964) is an American actor and acting coach. He has appeared in the films Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990), Music of the Heart (1999), Assassination of a High School President (2008), I Saw the Light (2015) and Motherless Brooklyn (2019). He also appeared in nine episodes of Ray Donovan .

Contents

He is also the director of the 2002 documentary 7th Street (the street he grew up on in Alphabet City, Manhattan) depicting various personages living there between the years 1992–2002.

Early life

Pais was born in New York City, and is the son of Lila Lee (née Atwill), a painter and poet, and Dutch-born physicist, professor, and writer Abraham Pais. [1] [2] [3] His father was from a Jewish family of Portuguese descent, and his mother converted to Judaism. [4]

Career

He has appeared in Hollywood films including Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (in which he was both in the costume and was the voice) as Raphael, Music of the Heart , Scream 3 , It Runs in the Family , Phone Booth , Little Manhattan and Find Me Guilty . [5] He played Assistant M.E. Borak in 15 episodes of the series Law & Order , between 1990 and 2002. He also played the Spanish teacher in the film Assassination of a High School President . He had a recurring role as an obnoxious movie producer on the American crime drama series Ray Donovan . He also appeared as a lawyer on 2 Broke Girls .

Personal life

Pais married actress Lisa Emery on August 27, 1990. [1] They are parents of the actor Zane Pais. Pais and Emery divorced in 2003. In 2006 he married entrepreneur Marie Forleo.

Filmography

Film

YearTitleRoleNotes
1989 Jacknife Rick
1990How to Be LouiseMike
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Raphael
1996 I'm Not Rappaport Rodney
1997 Colin Fitz Lives! Cathartic Fan
1998 Safe Men Mitchell
Rounders Weitz
A Civil Action Law Clerk
Karma LocalCharlie
1999 Music of the Heart Dennis
2000 Scream 3 Wallace
Swimming Neil Wheeler
2001 Scotland, PA Douglas McKenna
A Beautiful Mind Princeton Professor
2002 Phone Booth Mario
2003 The Station Agent Carl
It Runs in the Family Barney
2005 Little Manhattan Ronny
Confess Allen Kelner
The Reality TrapTom
2006UnconsciousWarner Wilcott
2007 Teeth Dr. Godfrey
Year of the Dog Robin
Watching the Detectives Andy
Neal CassadyCalbert Holt
2008 Assassination of a High School President Padre Newell
Synecdoche, New York Ophthalmologist
LifelinesIra Bernstein
2009 Adventureland Mr. Lewin
ReunionSaul
Leaves of Grass Ken Feinman
Gentlemen Broncos Todd Keefe
2010 Please Give Adam
2011 The Key Man Dr. Abraham Meyer
Detachment Meredith's Father
2012 Arbitrage John Aimes
Price Check Doug Cain
The Normals Dr. Honeysack
2013 Touchy Feely Paul
Syrup Davidson
2014 That Awkward Moment Fred
5 Flights Up Jackson
2015 I Saw the Light Dore Schary
The Family Fang Freeman
2016 Bakery in Brooklyn Alexander Johnson
2017 Crown Heights D.A. Mengano
Going in Style Chuck Lofton
2018 The Land of Steady Habits Larry Eichner
2019 Motherless Brooklyn William Lieberman
Joker Hoyt Vaughn
2020 The Mimic The Neurotic Lawyer
2021CheckoutDov
2022 Funny Pages Lewis
Spoiler Alert Scott
2023 You Hurt My Feelings Josh Pais
2024 The Friend Jerry
2025 If I Had Legs I'd Kick You Brad

Television

YearTitleRoleNotes
1988 The Cosby Show AndyEpisode: "Waterworks"
1989 Murphy Brown Secretary #18Episode: "Funnies Girl"
Teething with AngerDog GuyTelevision film
1990–2009 Law & Order Various roles16 episodes
1994The Second Greatest Story Ever ToldJoey JoesephsonTelevision film
1996On Seventh AvenueDonny
1997, 1998 Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Gaila2 episodes
1998 Homicide: Life on the Street M.E. #2Episode: "Shaggy Dog, City Goat"
Sex and the City Nick WaxlerEpisode: "Models and Mortals"
The Crow: Stairway to Heaven MyronEpisode: "Death Wish"
2000 The Street Elliot BandoEpisode: "Closet Case"
2000–2016 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Robert Sorensen

Deputy Commissioner Hank Abraham

10 episodes
2001 The Job MarkEpisode: "Anger"
2002 Porn 'n Chicken Prof. HoffmanTelevision film
2003, 2007 Law & Order: Criminal Intent Noah Brezner

Ralph Friedman

2 episodes
2004 Hope & Faith Harvey ZakEpisode: "Hope Gets a Job"
2005 Rescue Me LeonEpisode: "Reunion"
2006 The Sopranos Zev CharneyEpisode: "Mr. & Mrs. John Sacrimoni Request..."
2007 The Bronx Is Burning Phil Pepe 3 episodes
Damages George BerberEpisode: "She Spat at Me"
2009 Michael & Michael Have Issues Jim Biederman7 episodes
2010 Outlaw Doc Levin2 episodes
2011 How to Make It in America GarrettEpisode: "In or Out"
2012 2 Broke Girls LeoEpisode: "And the Drug Money"
NYC 22 Maxwell TannerEpisode: "Jumpers"
2013 Psych Dr. Richard UmmaEpisode: "No Trout About It"
2013–2019 Ray Donovan Stu Feldman9 episodes
2014 The Good Wife Howard LampeyEpisode: "We, the Juries"
Alpha House Owen LefkowitzEpisode: "The Nuptials"
DutyIraTelevision film
2015 Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll Ira Feinbaum8 episodes
2015–2021 Younger Todd Heller5 episodes
2018 High Maintenance IraEpisode: "Ghost"
Maniac Andy3 episodes
I Was A Teenage Pillow QueenDavidTelevision film
2019 Tales of the City DougEpisode: "Rainbow Warriors"
Mrs. Fletcher Barry5 episodes
2020 The Plot Against America Maurice SilvermanEpisode: "Part 5"
2022 The Dropout Wade Miquelon 2 episodes
2023 Paul T. Goldman Ryan Sinclair2 episodes
2024 Power Book III: Raising Kanan Lowell GelfandEpisode: "Home to Roost"
A Man in Full Herb Richman5 episodes

References

  1. 1 2 "Josh Pais Biography (1958–)". filmreference.com. Retrieved November 4, 2017.
  2. Crow, Kelly (November 4, 2017). "Neighborhood Report: Citypeople; For Seventh Street, a Love Letter on Film". New York Times. Retrieved November 4, 2017.
  3. Dollar, Steve (August 16, 2013). "Spotlight Turns to 'That Guy' on TV". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved November 4, 2017.
  4. "How Josh Pais Learned To Be Invisible – The Arty Semite – Forward.com". Blogs.forward.com. September 4, 2013. Retrieved May 23, 2014.
  5. "Josh Pais – Yahoo! Movies" . Retrieved November 4, 2017.