Josh Gad

Josh Gad is an American actor, comedian, singer, writer, and producer best known for combining Broadway musical comedy with mainstream film and voice work. Born Joshua Ilan Gad in Hollywood, Florida, on February 23, 1981, he trained in drama at Carnegie Mellon University, graduating with a BFA before moving into theater, television, and film. His early life and education gave him a strong stage foundation, and his career has repeatedly returned to live performance even as his voice roles made him internationally recognizable.

Gad’s major theatrical breakthrough came with The Book of Mormon, the Trey Parker, Robert Lopez, and Matt Stone musical in which he originated the role of Elder Arnold Cunningham on Broadway. The part showcased his comic timing, singing, and ability to make a broadly comic character emotionally accessible. The production became one of the defining Broadway hits of the early 2010s; Gad received a Tony Award nomination for leading actor in a musical, and the cast album won the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album.

At roughly the same time, Gad expanded into film and television. He played Steve Wozniak in Jobs, appeared in comedies including The Internship and Pixels, and took on television projects such as 1600 Penn and The Comedians. His biggest screen role, however, came through animation: he voiced Olaf, the optimistic snowman in Disney’s Frozen. Olaf became one of the franchise’s signature characters, and Gad reprised the role in Frozen II and related shorts and specials. His voice work also includes Chuck in The Angry Birds Movie films and multiple family-oriented animation projects.