Josh Pais

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Josh Pais
Born
Joshua Atwill Pais

(1958-06-21) June 21, 1958 (age 65)
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, 1958) 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.

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[edit]

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[edit]

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[edit]

Pais married actress Lisa Emery on August 27, 1990.[1] They are parents of the actor Zane Pais.

Filmography[edit]

Film[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
1989 Jacknife Rick
1990 How to Be Louise Mike
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 Local Charlie
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 Trap Tom
2006 Unconscious Warner Wilcott
2007 Teeth Dr. Godfrey
Year of the Dog Robin
Watching the Detectives Andy
Neal Cassady Calbert Holt
2008 Assassination of a High School President Padre Newell
Synecdoche, New York Ophthalmologist
Lifelines Ira Bernstein
2009 Adventureland Mr. Lewin
Reunion Saul
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
2021 Checkout Dov
2022 Funny Pages Lewis
Spoiler Alert Scott
2023 You Hurt My Feelings Josh Pais

Television[edit]

Year Title Role Notes
1988 The Cosby Show Andy Episode: "Waterworks"
1989 Murphy Brown Secretary #18 Episode: "Funnies Girl"
Teething with Anger Dog Guy Television film
1990–2009 Law & Order Various roles 16 episodes
1994 The Second Greatest Story Ever Told Joey Joesephson Television film
1996 On Seventh Avenue Donny / Photo Assistant
1997, 1998 Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Gaila 2 episodes
1998 Homicide: Life on the Street M.E. #2 Episode: "Shaggy Dog, City Goat"
Sex and the City Nick Waxler Episode: "Models and Mortals"
The Crow: Stairway to Heaven Myron Episode: "Death Wish"
2000 The Street Elliot Bando Episode: "Closet Case"
2000–2016 Law & Order: Special Victims Unit Hank Abraham /

Robert Sorensen

10 episodes
2001 The Job Mark Episode: "Anger"
2002 Porn 'n Chicken Prof. Hoffman Television film
2003, 2007 Law & Order: Criminal Intent Noah Brezner /

Ralph Friedman

2 episodes
2004 Hope & Faith Harvey Zak Episode: "Hope Gets a Job"
2005 Rescue Me Leon Episode: "Reunion"
2006 The Sopranos Zev Charney Episode: "Mr. & Mrs. John Sacrimoni Request..."
2007 The Bronx Is Burning Phil Pepe 3 episodes
Damages George Berber Episode: "She Spat at Me"
2009 Michael & Michael Have Issues Jim Biederman 7 episodes
2011 How to Make It in America Garrett Episode: "In or Out"
2012 2 Broke Girls Leo Episode: "And the Drug Money"
NYC 22 Maxwell Tanner Episode: "Jumpers"
2013 Psych Dr. Richard Umma Episode: "No Trout About It"
2013–2019 Ray Donovan Stu Feldman 9 episodes
2014 The Good Wife Howard Lampey Episode: "We, the Juries"
Alpha House Owen Lefkowitz Episode: "The Nuptials"
Duty Ira Television film
2015 Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll Ira Feinbaum 8 episodes
2015–2021 Younger Todd Heller 5 episodes
2018 High Maintenance Ira Episode: "Ghost"
Maniac Andy 3 episodes
I Was A Teenage Pillow Queen David Television film
2019 Tales of the City Doug Episode: "Rainbow Warriors"
Mrs. Fletcher Barry 5 episodes
2020 The Plot Against America Maurice Silverman Episode: "Part 5"
2022 The Dropout Wade Miquelon 2 episodes
2023 Paul T. Goldman Ryan Sinclair 2 episodes
2024 Power Book III: Raising Kanan Lowell Gelfand Episode: "Home to Roost"
A Man in Full Herb Richman 5 episodes

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "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.

External links[edit]