Mandy Patinkin

Mandy Patinkin (born November 30, 1952, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.) is an American actor and singer known for his award-winning performances on stage, film, and television. His notable credits include the movies Yentl (1983) and The Princess Bride (1987), the stage musical Sunday in the Park with George (1984–85), and the TV series Homeland (2011–20).

Early life

Patinkin is one of two children born to Doralee (née Sinton) Patinkin, a Jewish cookbook writer, and Lester Patinkin, the operator of a scrap metal business. He grew up on the South Side of Chicago and was a fan of the White Sox baseball team. After attending Shabbat synagogue services on Saturday mornings, he and his father would drive to Comiskey Park to watch a game if the Sox were in town. Patinkin also developed an early interest in singing, and at age seven he joined his synagogue’s choir. He later performed in school plays.

After his bar mitzvah, Patinkin and his father took a trip to New York City, where Patinkin saw his first Broadway play, Walking Happy, and watched the musical Mame starring Angela Lansbury. They also visited Ellis Island, where his ancestors had landed. When Patinkin was 19, his father died of pancreatic cancer.

Patinkin attended the University of Kansas, where he acted in plays, and then transferred to the Juilliard School in New York City. There he became known for his temperamental personality, and he left Julliard before graduating, allegedly because of conflicts with teachers.

1970s and ’80s: Evita, Yentl, and The Princess Bride

In 1975 Patinkin made his Broadway debut, appearing in a production of Trelawny of the “Wells”, which also featured Meryl Streep. Three years later he began acting in feature films and TV series. His notable credits in 1978 include a guest role on the acclaimed TV show Taxi. Patinkin later landed the breakthrough role of Che Guevara in the stage musical Evita. The production—a collaboration between Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice—debuted in 1979, and Patinkin earned a Tony Award the following year.

In 1981 Patinkin appeared in Miloš Forman’s Ragtime, a film adaptation of E.L. Doctorow’s novel of the same name. Two years later the actor won additional fame with his portrayal of yeshiva student Avigdor in the award-winning Yentl, a musical adaptation of a short story by Isaac Bashevis Singer that starred Barbra Streisand, who also served as its director. Variety magazine later wrote that Patinkin “became the thinking woman’s sex symbol, flush with booming big-screen charisma and a beatific voice.” His other credits in 1983 include Sidney Lumet’s Daniel, which was based on Doctorow’s novel inspired by the execution of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg for espionage.

Patinkin was back on Broadway in 1984, playing artist Georges Seurat in the musical Sunday in the Park with George by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine. Sondheim called Patinkin’s voice “a gift from God.” The role helped establish Patinkin, a tenor, as one of musical theater’s leading performers, capable of incredible range. He later recorded a number of albums, including Mandy Patinkin (1989) and Dress Casual (1990).

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Patinkin experienced a setback when he was fired just days into the filming of Mike Nichols’s dramedy Heartburn (1986); he was replaced by Jack Nicholson. However, Patinkin bounced back with Rob Reiner’s 1987 cult comedy The Princess Bride. The actor played flamboyant swordsman Iñigo Montoya, and he uttered the famous line, “Hello. My name is Iñigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.” Other notable credits during this period include Alien Nation (1988), a sci-fi action movie.

1990s and 2000s: Chicago Hope and Criminal Minds

In 1994 Patinkin began playing Dr. Jeffrey Geiger in the TV series Chicago Hope, which was created by David E. Kelley. The following year he won an Emmy Award for his performance. However, in 2000 Patinkin quit the show, which was shot in Los Angeles, because he did not want to be separated from his family in New York. After a recurring role (2003–04) in Dead like Me, he was cast as the lead actor in the series Criminal Minds, about FBI criminal profilers. The show debuted in 2005, but Patinkin left two years later, upset about the violent content.

Patinkin is upfront about reports that he was difficult to work with earlier in his career. In 2013 he told The New York Times:

I struggled with letting in other people’s opinions. During Chicago Hope, I never let directors talk to me, because I was so spoiled. I started off with people like Miloš Forman, Sidney Lumet, James Lapine, unbelievably gifted people. So there I was saying, ‘Don’t talk to me, I don’t want your opinion.’ I behaved abominably. I don’t care if my work was good or if I got an award for it. I’m not proud of how I was then, and it pained me.

Patinkin continued to perform on Broadway, appearing in such productions as The Secret Garden (1991–93) and Falsettos (1992–93). In addition, he gave concert performances in 1997 and 1998, and he later staged the tribute show Celebrating Sondheim (2002–03).

Homeland and later credits

In 2010 Patinkin was cast as the cerebral CIA agent Saul Berenson in the acclaimed thriller Homeland, a role that series cocreator Alex Gansa wrote for the actor. Patinkin was surprised to get a call from his agent about the role—on his birthday, no less—because he did not expect to return to TV. The role of Berenson, a mentor to Carrie Mathison (played by Claire Danes), resonated with Patinkin, but he signed up only for one year at first. However, he ultimately continued with the show until it ended in 2020.

In addition to earning him numerous accolades, the Homeland role had a profound personal effect on Patinkin. In 2020 he told People magazine that he connected with his character, whom he credited with teaching him “to be kinder. He’s taught me to be a better listener. He’s taught me to be more even-keeled. He is loved by my children and my wife because he’s made their father and her husband a better person to live with off camera.”

In 2021 Patinkin had a recurring role on the legal drama The Good Fight. He later lent his voice to the animated film The Magician’s Elephant (2023), which was based on a children’s book by Kate DiCamillo. His later Broadway credits include An Evening with Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin (2011–12).

Personal life

In 1980 Patinkin married Kathryn Grody, a writer and actress, and they later had two sons. Patinkin was diagnosed with prostate cancer when he was 52 years old but made a full recovery. He later received two corneal transplants to deal with the effects of a degenerative disease called keratoconus. Patinkin is a champion of organ donation and has raised money for various groups, including Doctors Without Borders, American Jewish World Service, National Dance Institute, and the ACLU.