Josh Radnor
Encyclopedia
Joshua Michael "Josh" Radnor (born July 29, 1974) is an American actor, director, and writer, best known for portraying the main character Ted Mosby
on the popular, Emmy Award
-winning CBS
sitcom How I Met Your Mother
, for which he has received worldwide fame and recognitions.
He made his writing and directorial debut with the 2010 comedy-drama film happythankyoumoreplease
, for which he won the Sundance Film Festival
Audience Award and was nominated the Grand Jury Prize. He is currently producing his second film, entitled Liberal Arts
, which he again wrote and directed.
, the son of Alan Radnor, a medical malpractice lawyer, and Carol Radnor. He has a sister, Joanna Radnor Vilensky. He grew up in Bexley, Ohio
, a suburb of Columbus
, where he attended Jewish day school
s (including the Columbus Torah Academy
) and summer camps. Radnor attended Bexley High School
and later Kenyon College
, where his school's theater department presented him with the Paul Newman
Award, and he graduated with a B.A.
in drama
. Radnor received his Master of Fine Arts
degree in acting from New York University
's Tisch School of the Arts
.
, but the role eventually went to Eddie Kaye Thomas
. In 2002 he made his Broadway
debut in the stage version of The Graduate
, succeeding Jason Biggs
, opposite Kathleen Turner
and Alicia Silverstone
. Since 2005, Radnor has starred in How I Met Your Mother
, his biggest role to date.
In July 2008, he starred opposite Jennifer Westfeldt
in the premiere of the play Finks, written by Joe Gilford and directed by Charlie Stratton for New York Stage and Film. Radnor made his directorial debut with the film happythankyoumoreplease
, in which he was also the writer and star. His second film Liberal Arts
, also starring Elizabeth Olsen
, is currently in pre-production and due for release in 2012.
Ted Mosby
Theodore Evelyn "Ted" Mosby is the titular fictional character of the U.S. television sitcom How I Met Your Mother, portrayed by Josh Radnor...
on the popular, Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
-winning CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
sitcom How I Met Your Mother
How I Met Your Mother
How I Met Your Mother is an American sitcom that premiered on CBS on September 19, 2005, created by Craig Thomas and Carter Bays.As a framing device, the main character, Ted Mosby with narration by Bob Saget, in the year 2030 recounts to his son and daughter the events that led to his meeting...
, for which he has received worldwide fame and recognitions.
He made his writing and directorial debut with the 2010 comedy-drama film happythankyoumoreplease
Happythankyoumoreplease
happythankyoumoreplease is a 2010 comedy-drama film written and directed by Josh Radnor in his directorial debut. The film stars Radnor, Malin Åkerman, Kate Mara, Zoe Kazan, Michael Algieri, Pablo Schreiber, and Tony Hale, and it tells the story of a group of young New Yorkers, struggling to...
, for which he won the Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
Audience Award and was nominated the Grand Jury Prize. He is currently producing his second film, entitled Liberal Arts
Liberal Arts (Film)
Liberal Arts is an upcoming Comedy Drama.The film will the second film directed, written and starring Josh Radnor The film is about a thirty-something named Jesse is invited back to his alma mater, he falls for a young 19-year-old college student and is faced with the powerful attraction that...
, which he again wrote and directed.
Early life
Radnor was born in Columbus, OhioColumbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
, the son of Alan Radnor, a medical malpractice lawyer, and Carol Radnor. He has a sister, Joanna Radnor Vilensky. He grew up in Bexley, Ohio
Bexley, Ohio
Bexley is an affluent suburban city in Franklin County, Ohio. Founded as a village over a hundred years ago, the City of Bexley is an old, tree-lined suburb of Columbus, the state capital of Ohio, situated on the banks of Alum Creek next to Driving Park and Wolfe Park, just east of the Franklin...
, a suburb of Columbus
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
, where he attended Jewish day school
Jewish day school
A Jewish day school is a modern Jewish educational institution that is designed to provide Jewish children with both a Jewish and a secular education in one school on a full time basis, hence its name of "day school" meaning a school that the students attend for an entire day and not on a part time...
s (including the Columbus Torah Academy
Columbus Torah Academy
Columbus Torah Academy is the only Orthodox K-12 school in the Central Ohio Area.-School Quick Facts:Library facility:Students of Color: .6% Hebrew Language and Israel Studies Coordinator: Mrs. Galit Golan....
) and summer camps. Radnor attended Bexley High School
Bexley High School
Bexley High School is a public high school located in Bexley, Ohio, an affluent suburb of Columbus, Ohio. It is in the Bexley City School District. In school year 2008-2009, BHS earned the second highest Performance Index score of any public high school in the state of Ohio. The graduation rate...
and later Kenyon College
Kenyon College
Kenyon College is a private liberal arts college in Gambier, Ohio, founded in 1824 by Bishop Philander Chase of The Episcopal Church, in parallel with the Bexley Hall seminary. It is the oldest private college in Ohio...
, where his school's theater department presented him with the Paul Newman
Paul Newman
Paul Leonard Newman was an American actor, film director, entrepreneur, humanitarian, professional racing driver and auto racing enthusiast...
Award, and he graduated with a B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
. Radnor received his Master of Fine Arts
Master of Fine Arts
A Master of Fine Arts is a graduate degree typically requiring 2–3 years of postgraduate study beyond the bachelor's degree , although the term of study will vary by country or by university. The MFA is usually awarded in visual arts, creative writing, filmmaking, dance, or theatre/performing arts...
degree in acting from New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
's Tisch School of the Arts
Tisch School of the Arts
Tisch School of the Arts is one of the 15 schools that make up New York University ....
.
Career
In 2001 Radnor was cast as the lead in The WB series Off CentreOff Centre
Off Centre is an American sitcom that aired on The WB network from October 14, 2001 to October 31, 2002. Created by Chris Weitz, Paul Weitz, and Danny Zuker, the series was heavily promoted as "from the guys who brought you American Pie".-Synopsis:...
, but the role eventually went to Eddie Kaye Thomas
Eddie Kaye Thomas
Eddie Kaye Thomas is an American film, television, and stage actor who rose to prominence in 1999 as Paul Finch in the American Pie film series.-Early life:Thomas was born in Staten Island, NY...
. In 2002 he made his Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
debut in the stage version of The Graduate
The Graduate
The Graduate is a 1967 American comedy-drama motion picture directed by Mike Nichols. It is based on the 1963 novel The Graduate by Charles Webb, who wrote it shortly after graduating from Williams College. The screenplay was by Buck Henry, who makes a cameo appearance as a hotel clerk, and Calder...
, succeeding Jason Biggs
Jason Biggs
Jason Matthew Biggs is an American actor who is best known for his role as Jim Levenstein in the American Pie series of teen comedy films.-Personal life:...
, opposite Kathleen Turner
Kathleen Turner
Mary Kathleen Turner is an American actress. She came to fame during the 1980s, after roles in the Hollywood films Body Heat, Peggy Sue Got Married, Romancing the Stone, The War of the Roses, Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Prizzi's Honor...
and Alicia Silverstone
Alicia Silverstone
Alicia Silverstone is an American actress, author, and former fashion model. She first came to widespread attention in music videos for Aerosmith, and is perhaps best known for her roles in Hollywood films such as Clueless and her portrayal of Batgirl in Batman & Robin .-Early life:Silverstone...
. Since 2005, Radnor has starred in How I Met Your Mother
How I Met Your Mother
How I Met Your Mother is an American sitcom that premiered on CBS on September 19, 2005, created by Craig Thomas and Carter Bays.As a framing device, the main character, Ted Mosby with narration by Bob Saget, in the year 2030 recounts to his son and daughter the events that led to his meeting...
, his biggest role to date.
In July 2008, he starred opposite Jennifer Westfeldt
Jennifer Westfeldt
Jennifer Westfeldt is an American actress and screenwriter known for the hit 2001 independent film Kissing Jessica Stein, which she co-wrote with Heather Juergensen and in which the two women starred.- Early life :...
in the premiere of the play Finks, written by Joe Gilford and directed by Charlie Stratton for New York Stage and Film. Radnor made his directorial debut with the film happythankyoumoreplease
Happythankyoumoreplease
happythankyoumoreplease is a 2010 comedy-drama film written and directed by Josh Radnor in his directorial debut. The film stars Radnor, Malin Åkerman, Kate Mara, Zoe Kazan, Michael Algieri, Pablo Schreiber, and Tony Hale, and it tells the story of a group of young New Yorkers, struggling to...
, in which he was also the writer and star. His second film Liberal Arts
Liberal arts
The term liberal arts refers to those subjects which in classical antiquity were considered essential for a free citizen to study. Grammar, Rhetoric and Logic were the core liberal arts. In medieval times these subjects were extended to include mathematics, geometry, music and astronomy...
, also starring Elizabeth Olsen
Elizabeth Olsen
Elizabeth Chase Olsen is an American actress and is the younger sister of Mary-Kate Olsen, Ashley Olsen, and Trent Olsen...
, is currently in pre-production and due for release in 2012.
Film, television, and theatre credits
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Not Another Teen Movie Not Another Teen Movie Not Another Teen Movie is a 2001 American comedy film directed by Joel Gallen, released on December 14, 2001 by Columbia Pictures. It is a parody of teen movies which have accumulated in Hollywood over the last few decades... |
Tour Guide | |
| 2004 | Everyday Life | Husband | Television film |
| 2010 | happythankyoumoreplease Happythankyoumoreplease happythankyoumoreplease is a 2010 comedy-drama film written and directed by Josh Radnor in his directorial debut. The film stars Radnor, Malin Åkerman, Kate Mara, Zoe Kazan, Michael Algieri, Pablo Schreiber, and Tony Hale, and it tells the story of a group of young New Yorkers, struggling to... |
Sam | Also director and writer |
| 2012 | Liberal Arts Liberal arts The term liberal arts refers to those subjects which in classical antiquity were considered essential for a free citizen to study. Grammar, Rhetoric and Logic were the core liberal arts. In medieval times these subjects were extended to include mathematics, geometry, music and astronomy... |
Jesse Fisher | Pre-production, also writer and director |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Welcome to New York Welcome to New York Welcome to New York was a television sitcom that aired on CBS. The show starred Jim Gaffigan, who played a weatherman from Fort Wayne, Indiana, who then moved to New York and worked as a meteorologist for fictional morning news show called "AM New York"... |
Doug | Episode: "The Crier" |
| 2002 | Law & Order Law & Order Law & Order is an American police procedural and legal drama television series, created by Dick Wolf and part of the Law & Order franchise. It aired on NBC, and in syndication on various cable networks. Law & Order premiered on September 13, 1990, and completed its 20th and final season on May 24,... |
Robert Kitson | Episode: "Access Nation" |
| 2002 | Dylan Hirsch | Episode: "Life Sentence" Episode: "Due Process" Episode: "Stay" |
|
| 2003 | ER ER (TV series) ER is an American medical drama television series created by novelist Michael Crichton that aired on NBC from September 19, 1994 to April 2, 2009. It was produced by Constant c Productions and Amblin Entertainment, in association with Warner Bros. Television... |
Keith | Episode: "The Advocate" |
| 2003 | Six Feet Under | Will Jaffe | Episode: "The Trap" |
| 2003 | Miss Match Miss Match Miss Match is a 2003 American television series created by Jeff Rake and Darren Star and produced by Twentieth Century Fox, Darren Star Productions and Imagine Entertainment. It aired in the U.S. on NBC, Australia on Network Seven, Arena and FOX8, and in the UK on Living, Channel 4 and is currently... |
Andrew | Episode: "I Got You Babe" |
| 2005 | Judging Amy Judging Amy Judging Amy is an American television drama that was telecast from September 19, 1999, through May 3, 2005, on CBS-TV. This TV series starred Amy Brenneman and Tyne Daly... |
Justin Barr | Episode: "Too Little, Too Late" |
| 2005–present | How I Met Your Mother How I Met Your Mother How I Met Your Mother is an American sitcom that premiered on CBS on September 19, 2005, created by Craig Thomas and Carter Bays.As a framing device, the main character, Ted Mosby with narration by Bob Saget, in the year 2030 recounts to his son and daughter the events that led to his meeting... |
Ted Mosby | Main Protagonist, 141 episodes |
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | "The Paris Letter" | Sam Arlen/ Young Sandy |