By 2019, he was still directing award-winning theater productions and releasing intimate photography books. In 2024, the Broadway legend appeared at Sardi’s to honor the latest “Cabaret” cast. At nearly 93, he is still recognized and celebrated by fans.

He spent decades in the spotlight, known for roles that shaped Broadway and defined an era of film. Acclaimed for his talent and versatility, he built a legacy that few could match. Away from the spotlight, he was a husband for over 20 years and raised two children. But one part of his life remained unspoken until his early eighties.

He had already secured his place in entertainment history and had little left to prove. Still, he chose to share something deeply personal, privately understood by those closest to him, but never addressed publicly.

He was born on April 11, 1932, in Cleveland, Ohio, to well-known Jewish musician and comedian Mickey Katz. From a young age, he was surrounded by performance, but also by the strict cultural norms of the time.

He often overheard adults, including his mother, speak harshly about gay men — referred to then as “fairies” — and remembered hearing that some were “dragged off to jail or even worse.” It was during those early years that he began to recognize his own attraction not only to girls, but also to boys.

Still, he kept those feelings to himself. Instead, he turned his focus to the stage, which quickly became his world. He described theater as something he knew would define his life and said, “There was no doubt in my mind that I would not give up.”

But the early part of his career came with challenges. He was often labeled a “song-and-dance man,” a description he firmly rejected. “No, no, no, no,” he said. “I’m an actor first.” His breakthrough came in 1967 when he originated the role of the Emcee in the Broadway production of “Cabaret.”

It was a defining performance, and when he reprised the role for the 1972 film adaptation, it brought him one of the industry’s top honors. In 1973, he won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, beating out “The Godfather”‘s Robert Duvall, James Caan, and Al Pacino. “I was sure Al Pacino would win,” he said later.

In 1958, he married actress Jo Wilder, and they stayed together for 24 years. They had two children: James, who became a chef, and Jennifer, who went on to star in “Dirty Dancing” and “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.” He later described the marriage as “the happiest of my life.”

Though his work was highly visible, his personal identity remained outside public discussion. Over time, he came to understand and accept what he had first recognized as a young boy. As he continued working in theater and film, that part of his identity stayed behind the curtain.

It wasn’t denial, he said, but something that took time to fully embrace. In January 2015, at the age of 82, he publicly came out as a gay man in an interview with People magazine. “I don’t like labels,” he stated, “but if you have to put a label on it, I’m a gay man.”

He explained that coming to terms with his identity had been a long process, shaped by a childhood environment where being gay was treated as something shameful or dangerous. “All the people close to me have known for years who I am,” he said. “Yet it took time to embrace that other part of who I always was.”

Following her father’s public coming out, Jennifer Grey offered her full support. She said she was glad he had reached a place in life where he could speak openly, adding that it was meaningful to see him feel safe enough to share something so personal. She described the moment as an expression of freedom and self-acceptance.

She also reflected on how long it can take to undo ideas formed early in life, especially for someone raised in a time when being gay was considered shameful. According to her, being able to acknowledge one’s identity, no matter how late in life, was a positive step.

She emphasized that love and self-respect should never be limited by age or past fears. Looking at her father’s career, Jennifer noted that his creativity had never been tied to a single role or moment. It was something he continued to explore in everything he did.

His ability to evolve had shaped how Jennifer viewed self-expression and growth. “I’ve learned from my dad’s example that the creative life cannot be limited to the role you were most celebrated for[…] it must be nurtured and courted so you can continue to be sustained by that joy,” she stated.

Well into his eighties, Jennifer’s father, Joel Grey, took on new challenges behind the scenes. One of his most acclaimed efforts was directing a Yiddish-language revival of “Fiddler on the Roof,” which opened at Stage 42 in New York.

What began as a limited run grew into an extended production that lasted over a year, earning both the Drama Desk Award and the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Musical Revival in 2019. The production was performed in Yiddish with English subtitles and drew praise from industry veterans and audiences alike.

Joel had approached the project with a strong sense of purpose, saying he had returned to the original stories to better understand the experiences of its characters.

He explained that the themes of displacement, faith, and identity were still relevant, especially at a time when global conversations around immigration and antisemitism were once again at the forefront.

He said the story of a milkman forced to flee his home for being who he was resonated with people across cultures and backgrounds. “We’re telling a story,” he said. “And it’s personal. It’s about people, family, life.” During this time, he was also actively working as a photographer.

In 2019, he released “The Flower Whisperer,” his fifth photo book, featuring close-up images of flowers taken entirely with his iPhone. The book included a foreword by his daughter, Jennifer, who gave the project its name.

Joel said the idea took shape over several versions, finally settling on an approach that explored the connection between color, form, and sensuality. Inspired by artists like Georgia O’Keeffe and Robert Mapplethorpe, he called flowers “voluptuous, juicy—and hot.”

As he neared his 90th birthday, he remained visible both on screen and in the theater world. In 2021, he appeared briefly in “Tick, Tick… Boom!,” the musical film directed by Lin-Manuel Miranda. Around the same time, he completed work on the FX thriller “The Old Man,” which aired between 2022 and 2024 and starred Jeff Bridges.

Despite the industry’s focus on younger talent, Joel continued to earn new roles, a sign of his lasting presence in entertainment. He turned 90 on April 11, 2022, and marked the milestone with a small gathering of friends. Reflecting on the moment, he said he had never imagined reaching such an age.

Looking back on his long career, he said he had simply kept going, without ever focusing on numbers or milestones. “It’s my passion,” he said of the theater. “It’s my life.” That same year, he was honored with the first-ever Joel Grey Lifetime Achievement Award at Bay Street Theater in Sag Harbor.

Two years later, in September 2024, he made a public appearance at Sardi’s in New York City to celebrate the unveiling of caricatures for “Cabaret at The Kit Kat Club” stars Eddie Redmayne and Gayle Rankin. The event celebrated the current revival, but his presence there held special meaning.

More than fifty years earlier, he had originated the role that helped define the musical — and seeing it reimagined for a new generation brought his legacy full circle.

As he turns 93, his legacy stretches across more than seventy years of performance, direction, and visual art. From his award-winning role in “Cabaret” to his boundary-pushing work in theater and photography, his contributions have left a lasting mark on American culture.

But in addition to his professional achievements, it was his decision to come out at 82 that added a new dimension to how he was seen — not just as an artist, but as someone willing to speak honestly, even after decades of silence. His story continues to resonate with new generations.

Fans still share clips of his Oscar win online, calling it “one of the most deserving wins in Oscar history” and saying, “He is so cute, Joel Grey.” Another comment read, “Great movie and Grey totally deserves this.”

Others remember him from roles in “Buffy the Vampire Slayer” and “Private Practice,” surprised to see him appear in shows so far removed from his early work. Joel’s career never followed a single path, and his life didn’t follow a script.

What he shared at 82 didn’t redefine who he was — it confirmed what had always been true. He had never stopped working, never stopped creating, and never stopped evolving. And now, decades after his first standing ovation, audiences continue to admire him for both his talent and his truth.