Mandy Patinkin

Mandel Bruce Patinkin (born November 30, 1952) is an American actor and singer, known for his work in musical theatre, television, and film.

As a critically acclaimed Broadway performer he has collaborated with Stephen Sondheim and Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Patinkin's leading roles on stage and screen have received numerous accolades including a Tony Award, a Primetime Emmy Award as well as nominations for seven Drama Desk Awards, three Golden Globe Awards, and a Screen Actors Guild Award.

Patinkin was born in Chicago, Illinois, on November 30, 1952, to Doris Lee "Doralee" (née Sinton) (1925-2014), a homemaker, and Lester Don Patinkin (1919-1972), who operated two large Chicago-area metal factories, the People's Iron & Metal Company and the Scrap Corporation of America.

His mother wrote Grandma Doralee Patinkin's Jewish Family Cookbook.

Patinkin's cousins include Mark Patinkin, an author and nationally syndicated columnist for The Providence Journal; Sheldon Patinkin of Columbia College Chicago's Theater Department, a founder of The Second City; Bonnie Miller Rubin, a Chicago Tribune reporter; Laura Patinkin, a New York–based actress; and Louis Rosen, a New York–based composer, and Stacy Oliver née Patinkin, a writer and performer.

Patinkin grew up in an upper-middle-class family, descended from Jewish immigrants (from Russia and Poland), and was raised in Conservative Judaism, attending religious school daily "from the age of seven to 13 or 14" and singing in synagogue choirs, as well as attending the Camp Sura in Michigan.

He attended South Shore High School, Harvard St. George School, and Kenwood High School (later renamed Kenwood Academy, where his teachers included Lena McLin), and graduated in 1970.

His father died of pancreatic cancer in 1972.

He attended the University of Kansas and the Juilliard School (Drama Division Group 5: 1972–1976).

At Juilliard, he was a classmate of Kelsey Grammer.

When the producers of the sitcom Cheers were holding auditions for the role of Dr. Frasier Crane, Patinkin put Grammer's name forward.

After some television-commercial and radio appearances (including on CBS Radio Mystery Theater in 1974), Patinkin started his career on the New York stage in 1975, starring in Trelawny of the 'Wells' as Arthur Gower.

Patinkin starred alongside Meryl Streep, who played Imogen Parrott, and John Lithgow, who played Ferdinand Gadd.

Clive Barnes of The New York Times praised the production writing, "The production looks beautiful and, indeed, still charms".

Patinkin made his theatre debut in 1975 starring opposite Meryl Streep in the revival of the comic play Trelawny of the "Wells" at The Public Theatre's Shakespeare Festival.

From 1975 through 1976, Patinkin played the Player King and Fortinbras, Prince of Norway in a Broadway revival of Hamlet, with Sam Waterston in the leading role.

In 1977 he starred in the play The Shadow Box written by Michael Cristofer.

He had his first film role as a Pool Man in the political comedy The Big Fix (1978) starring Richard Dreyfus, John Lithgow, and F. Murray Abraham.

The following year he acted in the coming of age romantic comedy French Postcards and the neo-noir Last Embrace.

He originated the role of Che in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Evita (1979) earning a Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical as well as the roles of Georges Seurat/George in Stephen Sondheim's Sunday in the Park with George (1984) for which he was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical.

Patinkin had his first success in musical theater when he played Che in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Evita, which starred Patti LuPone, on Broadway in 1979.

Walter Kerr of The New York Times described his performance as "vigorous".

James Lardner of The Washington Post wrote, "Patinkin gives a sympathetic, consistent and rather sweet performance".

Patinkin won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his performance.

He also received a nomination for the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Musical.

Patinkin took film roles in Milos Forman's historical drama Ragtime (1980) playing Tateh and Sidney Lumet's drama Daniel (1983) portraying Paul Isaacson.

Other film credits include Ragtime (1981), Maxie (1985), Dick Tracy (1990), True Colors (1991), Impromptu (1991), Wonder (2017), and Life Itself (2018).

Patinkin noted that both Ragtime (1981) and Daniel (1983) weren't as successful as he had hoped commercially and critically saying, "When you care about the content of a film, you want people to see it".

Patinkin won acclaim for his role as an Orthodox Jewish man Avigdor in Barbra Streisand's romantic drama epic Yentl (1983), which earned him a nomination for the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor – Motion Picture Musical or Comedy.

Richard Corliss of Time praised his performance but criticized Streisand's choice to not have him sing in the film.

Corliss wrote, "For her male co-star she hired Mandy Patinkin, who has wrapped his crystalline Broadway tenor voice around Stephen Sondheim and Andrew Lloyd Webber, then gave him no songs to sing".

Veron Scott of United Press International wrote, "When Patinkin is in a scene it is difficult to focus on anyone else, including Streisand who is at her very best in Yentl. He plays profound, passionate men of action."

He also had film roles portraying Inigo Montoya in Rob Reiner's family adventure film The Princess Bride (1987) and Avigdor in Barbra Streisand's musical epic Yentl (1983) for which he earned a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture Musical or Comedy nomination.

He portrayed Lord Archibald Craven in the original Broadway cast of Lucy Simon's The Secret Garden (1991).

Two years later, he played Marvin in William Finn’s Falsettos replacing Michael Rupert.

Patinkin had leading roles in television shows, playing Dr. Jeffrey Geiger in Chicago Hope (1994–2000), SSA Jason Gideon in the CBS crime-drama television series Criminal Minds (2005–2007), Saul Berenson in the Showtime drama series Homeland (2011–2020), and Rufus Cotesworth in the Hulu mystery series Death and Other Details (2024).

For his work in television he has earned seven Primetime Emmy Award nominations, winning Outstanding Leading Actor in a Drama Series for Chicago Hope in 1995.

Patinkin has had recurring roles in Dead Like Me (2003–2004) and The Good Fight (2021).

Patinkin also voiced roles in Hayao Miyazaki's Castle in the Sky (2003), and The Wind Rises (2013).