Grey is best known for his stage and screen role as the Master of Ceremonies in Cabaret. He originated the role of George M. Cohan in George M! and the Wizard in Wicked. He starred in Broadway revivals of Anything Goes and Chicago.
Joel Grey originated the role of the Master of Ceremonies in Cabaret in 1966. He won the Tony Award. In 1973, he received the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for the same role in the film version. For that same film, Liza Minelli won for Best Actress and Bob Fosse won Best Director. The film was nominated for Best Picture but lost to The Godfather.
In 1987, I saw Joel Grey in the role of Master of Ceremonies at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. He starred along with Werner Klemperer, best known as Colonel Klink on Hogan’s Heroes.
He is the father of Jennifer Grey known for Dirty Dancing and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.