Elliott Gould is a renowned American actor, celebrated for his versatile performances in a wide range of iconic films and television shows.
Born Elliott Goldstein on August 29, 1938, in Brooklyn, New York, to Lucille (Raver) and Bernard Goldstein, a Jewish immigrant family from Romania, Belarus, and Russia.
Gould's breakout role as Trapper John in Robert Altman's M*A*S*H (1970) marked the beginning of a prolific period in his career, highlighted by notable performances in The Long Goodbye (1973) and Capricorn One (1977).
Throughout the 1970s, Gould continued to impress audiences with his versatility, taking on a wide range of roles, including Philip Marlowe in The Long Goodbye (1973) and Robert Caulfield in Capricorn One (1977).
In the 1980s, Gould's television career flourished, with notable roles in E/R (1984),a situation comedy set in Chicago, and Nothing Is Easy (1986),a series about a couple raising an adopted Chinese boy.
Throughout the 1990s and 2000s, Gould appeared regularly on television and in film, including cameos in The Muppet Movie (1979) and The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984). His most prominent recent television role was a recurring part on Friends (1994),where he played Monica and Ross Geller's father Jack.
Gould's notable film appearances include his critically acclaimed portrayal of an older mobster in Warren Beatty's Bugsy (1991) and a noteworthy appearance in American History X (1998).