{{Self-contradictory|about=the year of birth|1=article|date=January 2026}} {{Short description|American actor (born 1964)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}} {{Infobox person | name = Josh Pais | image = File:Josh Pais at the 2024 New York Film Festival (cropped).jpg | caption = Pais in 2024 | birth_name = Joshua Atwill Pais | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1958|06|21}} | birth_place = New York City, U.S. | occupation = Actor <br> Acting coach | years_active = 1988–present | spouse = {{plainlist| * {{marriage|Lisa Emery|1990|2003|end=divorced}} * {{marriage|Marie Forleo|2006}} }} | children = 1 | parents = Abraham Pais <br> 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== 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.<ref name="filmr">{{cite web|url=http://www.filmreference.com/film/50/Josh-Pais.html|title=Josh Pais Biography (1958–)|website=filmreference.com|access-date=November 4, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/01/19/nyregion/neighborhood-report-citypeople-for-seventh-street-a-love-letter-on-film.html|title=Neighborhood Report: Citypeople; For Seventh Street, a Love Letter on Film|first=Kelly|last=Crow|date=November 4, 2017|work=New York Times|access-date=November 4, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/spotlight-turns-to-that-guy-on-tv-1376691858|title=Spotlight Turns to 'That Guy' on TV|first=Steve|last=Dollar|date=August 16, 2013|publisher=Wall Street Journal|access-date=November 4, 2017}}</ref> His father was from a Jewish family of Portuguese descent, and his mother converted to Judaism.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blogs.forward.com/the-arty-semite/183174/how-josh-pais-learned-to-be-invisible/ |title=How Josh Pais Learned To Be Invisible – The Arty Semite – Forward.com |publisher=Blogs.forward.com |date=September 4, 2013 |access-date=May 23, 2014}}</ref>
==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''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://movies.yahoo.com/movie/contributor/1800322063|title=Josh Pais – Yahoo! Movies<!-- Bot generated title -->|access-date=November 4, 2017}}</ref> 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.<ref name="filmr"/> They are parents of the actor Zane Pais. Pais and Emery divorced in 2003. In 2006 he married entrepreneur Marie Forleo.
==Filmography==
=== Film === {| class="wikitable sortable" |+ !Year !Title !Role !Notes |- |1989 |''Jacknife'' |Rick | |- |rowspan="2"|1990 |''How to Be Louise'' |Mike | |- |''Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles'' |Raphael | |- |1996 |''I'm Not Rappaport'' |Rodney | |- |1997 |''Colin Fitz Lives!'' |Cathartic Fan | |- |rowspan="4"|1998 |''Safe Men'' |Mitchell | |- |''Rounders'' |Weitz | |- |''A Civil Action'' |Law Clerk | |- |''Karma Local'' |Charlie | |- |1999 |''Music of the Heart'' |Dennis | |- |rowspan="2"|2000 |''Scream 3'' |Wallace | |- |''Swimming'' |Neil Wheeler | |- |rowspan="2"|2001 |''Scotland, PA'' |Douglas McKenna | |- |''A Beautiful Mind'' |Princeton Professor | |- |2002 |''Phone Booth'' |Mario | |- |rowspan="2"|2003 |''The Station Agent'' |Carl | |- |''It Runs in the Family'' |Barney | |- |rowspan="3"|2005 |''Little Manhattan'' |Ronny | |- |''Confess'' |Allen Kelner | |- |''The Reality Trap'' |Tom | |- |2006 |''Unconscious'' |Warner Wilcott | |- |rowspan="4"|2007 |''Teeth'' |Dr. Godfrey | |- |''Year of the Dog'' |Robin | |- |''Watching the Detectives'' |Andy | |- |''Neal Cassady'' |Calbert Holt | |- |rowspan="3"|2008 |''Assassination of a High School President'' |Padre Newell | |- |''Synecdoche, New York'' |Ophthalmologist | |- |''Lifelines'' |Ira Bernstein | |- |rowspan="4"|2009 |''Adventureland'' |Mr. Lewin | |- |''Reunion'' |Saul | |- |''Leaves of Grass'' |Ken Feinman | |- |''Gentlemen Broncos'' |Todd Keefe | |- |2010 |''Please Give'' |Adam | |- |rowspan="2"|2011 |''The Key Man'' |Dr. Abraham Meyer | |- |''Detachment'' |Meredith's Father | |- |rowspan="3"|2012 |''Arbitrage'' |John Aimes | |- |''Price Check'' |Doug Cain | |- |''The Normals'' |Dr. Honeysack | |- |rowspan="2"|2013 |''Touchy Feely'' |Paul | |- |''Syrup'' |Davidson | |- |rowspan="2"|2014 |''That Awkward Moment'' |Fred | |- |''5 Flights Up'' |Jackson | |- |rowspan="2"|2015 |''I Saw the Light'' |Dore Schary | |- |''The Family Fang'' |Freeman | |- |2016 |''Bakery in Brooklyn'' |Alexander Johnson | |- |rowspan="2"|2017 |''Crown Heights'' |D.A. Mengano | |- |''Going in Style'' |Chuck Lofton | |- |2018 |''The Land of Steady Habits'' |Larry Eichner | |- |rowspan="2"|2019 |''Motherless Brooklyn'' |William Lieberman | |- |''Joker'' |Hoyt Vaughn | |- |2020 |''The Mimic'' |The Neurotic Lawyer | |- |2021 |''Checkout'' |Dov | |- |rowspan="2"|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 === {| class="wikitable sortable" !Year !Title !Role !Notes |- |1988 |''The Cosby Show'' |Andy |Episode: "Waterworks" |- |rowspan="2"|1989 |''Murphy Brown'' |Secretary #18 |Episode: "Funnies Girl" |- |''Teething with Anger'' |Dog Guy |Television film |- |1990–2009 |''Law & Order'' |Various roles |16 episodes |- |1993 |''Roseanne'' |Sean |Episode: "Be My Baby" |- | 1994 | ''The Second Greatest Story Ever Told'' | Joey Joesephson | rowspan="2" |Television film |- |1996 |''On Seventh Avenue'' |Donny |- |1997, 1998 |''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'' |Gaila |2 episodes |- |rowspan="3"|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'' |Robert Sorensen Deputy Commissioner Hank Abraham |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..." |- |rowspan="2"|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 |- |2010 |''Outlaw'' |Doc Levin |2 episodes |- |2011 |''How to Make It in America'' |Garrett |Episode: "In or Out" |- |rowspan="2"|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 |- |rowspan="3"|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 |- |rowspan="3"|2018 |''High Maintenance'' |Ira |Episode: "Ghost" |- |''Maniac'' |Andy |3 episodes |- |''I Was A Teenage Pillow Queen'' |David |Television film |- |rowspan="2"|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 |- |rowspan="2"|2024 |''Power Book III: Raising Kanan'' |Lowell Gelfand |Episode: "Home to Roost" |- |''A Man in Full'' |Herb Richman |5 episodes |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *{{IMDb name|656929}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pais, Josh}} Category:1958 births Category:Living people Category:Male actors from New York City Category:American acting coaches Category:American male film actors Category:American male television actors Category:American male voice actors Category:American people of Dutch-Jewish descent Category:American people of Portuguese-Jewish descent Category:Jewish American male actors Category:20th-century American male actors Category:21st-century American male actors Category:American drama teachers Category:20th-century American Jews Category:21st-century American Jews Category:American people of Portuguese descent