Josh Pais Biography

Josh Pais made his debut in the show business in 1988 with an appearance in the TV show ‘The Cosby Show’ and later made his film debut in the 1989 drama film ‘Jacknife’. He appeared in the martial arts superhero comedy film ‘Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles’ in 1990. The film was directed by Steve Barron, who gave the audience a film that would shape the future of the superhero adventure genre in the years to come. The film’s fascinating storyline later inspired many filmmakers and TV show-makers. Pais wore the costume of one of the lead characters in the film, ‘Rafael,’ during the shooting and he was the only actor behind the costume to voice his own character. In the ensuing years, many shows, animations, films as well as comic books were created based on the film’s story.

Pais appeared in films like ‘Scream 3’ as ‘Wallace’, ‘Swimming’ as ‘Neil Wheeler’, ‘A Beautiful Mind’ as ‘Princeton Professor’, and ‘Phone Booth’ as ‘’ Mario’ in the early 2000s. He also played some important roles in films like ‘The Station Agent’, ‘Teeth’, and ‘Synecdoche, New York.’ Pais was associated with the crime drama series ‘Ray Donovan’ for five years; he portrayed the role of ‘Stu Feldman’ in seven episodes between 2013 and 2018. He was part of the TV show ‘Law & Order: Special Victims Unit’ for almost 16 years, portraying two characters, ‘Hank Abraham’ and ‘Robert Sorenson’. He also appeared in the show ‘Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll’ as ‘Ira Feinbaum’ in eight episodes.

Josh Pais featured in the highly anticipated 2019 thriller film ‘Joker,’ based on the character of the same name from the DC Comics. The film featured Grammy Award-winner Joaquin Phoenix as the title character, and Pais portrayed the role of ‘Hoyt Vaughn’.

Josh Pais was born as Joshua Atwill Pais, on June 21, 1958, in New York City, to Lila Atwill and Abraham Pais. His mother was a painter and his father was a physicist cum college professor.

Pais married stage actress Lisa Emery in 1990 and had a son, Zane Pais, with her. The couple ended their marriage in 2003. Three years later, Pais married motivational speaker Marie Forleo.