Josh Radnor
Radnor at the 2013 Comic-Con Convention
Born
Joshua Thomas Radnor

(1974-07-29) July 29, 1974 (age 49)
Columbus, Ohio, U.S.
EducationKenyon College (BA)
New York University (MFA)
Occupation(s)Actor, filmmaker, musician
Years active2000–present
Spouse
Jordana Jacobs
​
(m. 2024)​

Joshua Thomas[1] Radnor (born July 29, 1974)[2] is an American actor, filmmaker, author, and musician. He is best known for portraying Ted Mosby on the Emmy Award–winning CBS sitcom How I Met Your Mother. 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 for the Grand Jury Prize.

In 2012, he wrote, directed and starred in his second film, Liberal Arts, which premiered at the 2012 Sundance Film Festival. In 2014, Radnor portrayed Isaac in the Broadway play Disgraced, which was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Play. He then starred as Dr. Jedediah Foster on the PBS American Civil War drama series Mercy Street, Lou Mazzuchelli in the musical series Rise, and as Lonny Flash in Hunters.

Early life and education

Radnor was born in Columbus, Ohio to a Jewish family, the son of Carol Radnor (née Hirsch), a high school guidance counselor, and Alan Radnor, a medical malpractice lawyer.[3] Radnor has two sisters.[4]

He grew up in Bexley, Ohio, a suburb of Columbus, and was raised in Conservative Judaism.[5] He attended the Orthodox Jewish day school Columbus Torah Academy before going to Bexley High School[6][7][8] and then Kenyon College, where his school's theater department presented him with the Paul Newman Award and during which he spent a semester (Spring 1995) training at the National Theater Institute at the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center in Waterford, Connecticut. He graduated from Kenyon with a Bachelor of Arts in drama in 1996.[9] Radnor received his Master of Fine Arts degree in acting from New York University's graduate acting program at the Tisch School of the Arts in 1999.[9][10] Radnor participated in an Israel experience program in Tzfat with Livnot U'Lehibanot in 1997.[6]

Career

Radnor and Ben Lee performing

Radnor was cast as the lead in The WB series Off Centre. However, the role was re-cast with Eddie Kaye Thomas before the first episode aired.[11] In 2002, he made his Broadway debut in the stage version of The Graduate, succeeding Jason Biggs, opposite Kathleen Turner and Alicia Silverstone. In 2004, Radnor starred in The Paris Letter alongside his future How I Met Your Mother co-star Neil Patrick Harris.[12] From 2005 to 2014, Radnor 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,[13] written by Joe Gilford and directed by Charlie Stratton for New York Stage and Film. Radnor made his directorial debut with the film Happythankyoumoreplease, where he was both the writer and star of the 2010 comedy-drama.[14] His second directorial effort, Liberal Arts, starring himself and Elizabeth Olsen, premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 22, 2012.[15] Radnor appeared in the Broadway production of Disgraced, which opened October 23, 2014, at the Lyceum Theatre.[16][17] He is set to direct the sci-fi thriller film The Leaves.[18] Radnor is currently starring in the Amazon Prime series, Hunters, as Lonny Flash, and on Netflix's Centaurworld, as Durpleton.

In October 2016, Radnor also confirmed he is in a band, Radnor and Lee, with Australian musician Ben Lee. Radnor and Lee had known each other for "twelve or thirteen years after meeting on the set of How I Met Your Mother" eventually writing songs together.[19] Their debut album, Radnor & Lee was released on November 10, 2017,[20] "receiving widespread praise across the board, and cementing the duo as an accomplished pair of artists," stated Rolling Stone.[21] On February 19, 2020, Spin announced Radnor and Lee's sophomore album, Golden State, out on Flower Moon Records, and premiered the first single "Outside In."[22] American Songwriter later premiered the video for the album's 2nd single, "Simple Harmony." Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the album's release date was pushed back to June 2020.[23]

Radnor's debut solo EP, One More Then I'll Let You Go, was released on April 16, 2021, on Flower Moon Records. Rolling Stone premiered the first single, "The High Road," March 10, 2021, calling it a "gently lilting ballad about the breakdown of a friendship on which he sings... which features deep textures of piano, acoustic guitar, organ, and snapping fingers."[24] The EP's 2nd single, "You Feel New," premiered on March 31, 2021, with features in Rolling Stone, NPR, American Songwriter and Paste Magazine.[25]

Personal life

In 2008, Radnor told the Los Angeles Times, "I do Transcendental Meditation, and part of the reason I chose my house is that I thought it would be a great place to meditate."[26]

Radnor is an avid Cloud Cult fan. He collaborated with the band to make the film The Seeker in 2016. Radnor explained, "What's true for me about a lot of music, but especially true for Cloud Cult's music, is that it stirs up the thing that's already in you and calls it out. If this film is able to do that, I'll sleep well at night."[27][28]

Radnor married clinical psychologist Jordana Jacobs on January 6, 2024.[29]

Filmography

Key
† Denotes productions that have not yet been released

Film

Year Title Role Notes
2001 Not Another Teen Movie Tour Guide
2008 The Negotiating Table WGA Negotiator Short film
2010 Happythankyoumoreplease Sam Wexler Also director and writer
2012 Liberal Arts Jesse Fisher Also director, writer and producer
2013 Afternoon Delight Jeff Boyardee
2013 The Galapagos Affair: Satan Came to Eden John Garth (voice) Documentary
2016 The Seeker Father Also executive producer
2018 Social Animals Paul
2023 Three Birthdays Rob
2023 All Happy Families

Television

Year Title Role Notes
2000 Welcome to New York Doug Episode: "The Crier"
2001 Off Centre Mike Platt Unaired pilot
2002 Law & Order Robert Kitson Episode: "Access Nation"
2002 The Court Dylan Hirsch 3 episodes
2003 ER Keith Episode: "The Advocate"
2003 Six Feet Under Will Jaffe Episode: "The Trap"
2003 Miss Match Andrew Gilbert Episode: "I Got You Babe"
2005 Judging Amy Justin Barr Episode: "Too Little, Too Late"
2005–14 How I Met Your Mother Ted Mosby Main role (208 episodes)
2007, 2009 Family Guy Ted Mosby (voice) Episodes: "No Chris Left Behind"
"Peter's Progress"
2013 Malviviendo Himself/cameo Episode: "La cosa está muy negra"
2016–17 Mercy Street Dr. Jedediah Foster Main role (12 episodes)
2018 Rise Lou Mazzuchelli Main role (10 episodes)
2018 Grey's Anatomy John Episode: "Momma Knows Best"
2020–23 Hunters Lonny Flash Main role (18 episodes)
2021 Centaurworld Durpleton (voice) Main role (18 episodes)
2022 Fleishman Is in Trouble Adam Recurring

Music videos

Year Title Artist Notes
2016 "Let Me Be Your Girl" Rachael Yamagata Director[30]
2017 "Be Like the Being" Radnor and Lee Director
2021 "Afternoon" Cinders Director

Stage

Year Title Role Location
2002 The Graduate Benjamin Braddock Plymouth Theatre[31]
2004 The Paris Letter Sam Arlen / Young Sandy Kirk Douglas Theater
2011 She Loves Me Georg Nowack Roundabout Theatre Company[31]
2014–2015 Disgraced Isaac Lyceum Theatre
2016 The Babylon Line Aaron Port Lincoln Center
2018 Little Shop of Horrors Seymour Krelborn Kennedy Center

Awards and nominations

Year Work Award Result
2010 Happythankyoumoreplease Sundance Film Festival Audience Award Won
Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Award Nominated

Discography

Radnor and Lee

Solo

Additional appearances

References

  1. ^ "Josh Radnor on Twitter". December 12, 2012.
  2. ^ "Happy birthday, Josh Radnor: See his star sign and read your horoscope". Hello!. July 29, 2014. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
  3. ^ "Bexley natives to premiere award-winning film at Drexel". ThisWeek Community News. June 30, 2010. Retrieved February 28, 2022.
  4. ^ Weiss, Vered (January 5, 2015). "Josh Radnor May Go on the Road after 'Disgraced' Closes on Broadway". Jewish Business News. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
  5. ^ Williams, Halie (September 25, 2013). "Josh Radnor: 'I love being from Columbus'". The Lantern. Retrieved February 21, 2020.
  6. ^ a b Spence, Rebecca (March 12, 2008). "Radnor: Not Your Average TV Star". The Forward. Retrieved March 13, 2008.
  7. ^ "Josh Radnor on Talmud and 'Liberal Arts'". The Forward. September 13, 2012. Retrieved November 14, 2012.
  8. ^ "Josh Radnor: Heart versus head - 'it's a big theme of my life'". The Jewish Chronicle. October 4, 2012. Retrieved November 14, 2012.
  9. ^ a b "Josh Radnor: How I Met Your Mother on CBS". CBS. Archived from the original on April 3, 2008.
  10. ^ "NYU Graduate Acting Alumni". Archived from the original on May 30, 2012. Retrieved December 1, 2011.
  11. ^ "Josh Radnor Biography". TV.com. CNET Networks, Inc. Archived from the original on February 17, 2008. Retrieved September 19, 2009.
  12. ^ Isherwood, Charles (December 16, 2004). "Theater Review: The Paris Letter". The New York Times. p. 5. Archived from the original on June 22, 2013. Retrieved February 12, 2019.
  13. ^ Cotter, James (July 26, 2008). "article". Times Herald. Archived from the original on February 2, 2009.
  14. ^ Angelo, Megan (February 27, 2011). "How I Met Your City, the Real One". The New York Times. p. 12. Retrieved February 12, 2019.
  15. ^ Kit, Borys (March 23, 2011). "Josh Radnor, Elizabeth Olsen Teaming for Indie 'Liberal Arts'". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
  16. ^ Sobel, Jon (June 10, 2014). "Josh Radnor to Appear in Pulitzer Winner 'Disgraced' on Broadway This Fall". Classicalite.com. Retrieved February 12, 2019.
  17. ^ "'Disgraced' Broadway". Playbill. Brightspot. Retrieved July 23, 2016.
  18. ^ McNary, Dave (June 21, 2016). "'How I Met Your Mother' Star Josh Radnor Directing Sci-Fi Drama 'The Leaves'". Variety. Penske Business Media, LLC. Retrieved February 12, 2019.
  19. ^ D'Souza, Shaad (April 4, 2018). "Ben Lee and Ted from 'How I Met Your Mother' Have a Band, Unfortunately". Vice.
  20. ^ Murphy, Sam (August 19, 2017). "Josh Radnor From 'How I Met Your Mother' And Ben Lee Continue Bromance With New Song". Music Feeds. Retrieved February 12, 2019.
  21. ^ "Radnor & Lee on Their New Album, and Making Music While in Quarantine". July 21, 2020.
  22. ^ "Radnor and Lee Announced Sophomore Album "Golden State"". February 19, 2020.
  23. ^ "Radnor & Lee Ache for Pre-Quarantine Life with New Video, "Simple Harmony"". May 14, 2020.
  24. ^ "'How I Met Your Mother' Star Josh Radnor Previews New EP with Introspective 'The High Road'". Rolling Stone. March 10, 2021.
  25. ^ "'How I Met Your Mother' Star Josh Radnor Drops 'You Feel New'". Rolling Stone. March 31, 2021.
  26. ^ Sachs, Mark (November 28, 2008). "Plenty of spots to meet". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved April 24, 2014.
  27. ^ Jackson, Josh (April 2016). "Cloud Cult Made a Gorgeous One-Hour Movie with Josh Radnor". Paste. Retrieved January 22, 2017.
  28. ^ "Interview: 'How I Met Josh Radnor'". StarPulse. January 15, 2009. Archived from the original on August 31, 2017. Retrieved February 12, 2019.
  29. ^ Rosman, Katherine (January 19, 2024). "A Psychedelic Trip Leads to a 'Cosmic and Divine' Celebration of Love". The New York Times. Retrieved January 19, 2024.
  30. ^ Evatt, Nicole (October 10, 2016). "Allison Janney clowns around in Rachael Yamagata's new video". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved October 12, 2016.
  31. ^ a b "Josh Radnor". Internet Broadway Database. Retrieved January 11, 2012.

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