Josh Gad, the American actor known for voicing Olaf in Disney's Frozen franchise, was born on 23 February 1981 in Hollywood, Florida, to Sam (Shmuel) Gad and Susan Gad. His father was born into a Jewish family in Afghanistan, while his mother was born in Germany in 1946 to Holocaust survivors. Gad has two older biological brothers, Jeff and Jason, and two stepsiblings from his mother's second marriage.
Josh Gad's Father: Sam (Shmuel) Gad
Sam Gad was born into a Jewish family in Afghanistan and moved to Israel as a teenager. He later relocated to Colombia, where he worked in the emerald mining business. During an appearance on Jonah Platt's podcast Being Jewish, Josh Gad described his father's background, saying: "My father is a Sephardic Jew who was born and raised in Afghanistan."
When Josh was six years old, his mother learned that Sam had another family while they were still married. His parents divorced, and Sam left. Josh and his father were estranged for about 20 years. On the same podcast, Josh said: "I had sort of a tricky relationship with Judaism growing up, because when I was about 5 years old, I found out that my dad had cheated on my mom; he had another family. And he was an Orthodox person; he was the one who bestowed this on us."
Reconnection in 2023
In 2023, at age 42, Josh reconnected with his father after Sam contacted him and asked to watch him perform in Gutenberg! The Musical! on Broadway. During the January 16 episode of SiriusXM's The Spotlight with Rebecca Shaw, Josh Gad said the reunion gave him a sense of closure. As reported by People magazine, the actor said: "I hadn't seen [my dad] for 20 years, and he called me up. He was in New Jersey and said, 'I want to come see your show.' And I said, 'Okay, it's going to be on my terms.' Like, he never saw me. Even as a kid doing shows at school or in high school or in college or on Broadway, he had never seen me onstage. And that was kind of crazy — that at 42, it was the first time that I could share this experience."
He added: "It was very cathartic. I felt like I finally had closure that I didn't even know I needed. And it was amazing to have that opportunity to just sit with him, and we just talked, and a lot of what we discussed ended up in the book."
Josh Gad's Mother: Susan
Josh Gad's mother, Susan, was born in Germany in 1946 to Ashkenazi Jewish parents who survived the Holocaust. Her parents, Joseph and Evelyn Greenblatt, survived wartime concentration camps but lost most of their families during the Holocaust. Susan later grew up in New York before moving to Florida, where she worked as a real estate agent.
Josh frequently credits his mother as the reason he became a comedian. After her divorce from Sam, Susan struggled with severe depression, and Josh discovered he could use humour to heal her. In a 2011 interview with The Wall Street Journal, Josh said: "I was a product of a divorced family, and I used humour as a weapon to combat sadness. I used comedy to make my mother laugh in light of the darkness that she faced, and to me it became a very powerful tool at a very young age, at six."
Josh Gad's mother later married an investment advisor and built a successful career as a real estate agent.
Josh Gad's Siblings: Jeff, Jason, and Stepsiblings
Josh Gad has two older biological brothers, Jeff and Jason Gad, who have largely stayed out of the public eye. Josh has described them as his mentors, best friends, and major influences. He has credited Jeff with helping spark his love of comedy and performing.
On 25 October 2020, via an Instagram post, Josh Gad shared a touching tribute to his older brother Jeff, captioning: "Happy birthday to my brother Jeff, who gave me my love of sports, music and history. I also owe him my career in some ways, because he used to tell me that if I didn’t get my life in order as a kid, I was going to end up being the guy who put the pimentos in each olive. And while that would have been a lovely career, I’m grateful for the one I got instead. Love you @jeffreygad."
Through his mother's remarriage to an investment advisor, Josh also gained a stepbrother, whose name has not been made public, and a stepsister named Monica, whom he has occasionally featured on his Instagram account. On 27 June 2020, Josh expressed his appreciation for his stepsister Monica and her family, highlighting their close bond in a heartfelt Instagram post. He wrote: "My brothers have gotten a lot of attention lately off of #ReunitedApart. But, I am the luckiest person in the world to not only have two amazing brothers but an incredible step sister, @queen__zi_ with three amazing kids as well. Family, especially right now is everything and I am blessed to call Monica a sister. And to call Brianna, Antonio and Carmelo my nieces and nephews."
Josh Gad comes from a family with a rich multicultural background that spans Afghanistan, Germany, Israel, and the United States. While the actor has openly shared details about his parents' heritage and the role they played in his life, his brothers have largely stayed out of the spotlight.
