Josh Gad's family — the Afghan Jewish dad, the German-born mom, and the unknown brothers
Josh Gad’s family includes his parents, Susan, a real estate agent and Sam (Shmuel) Gad, who was born to a Jewish family in Afghanistan before moving to Israel as a teenager. Josh grew up in Florida with two older brothers, Jeff and Jason Gad. He also has a stepbrother and stepsister through his mother's remarriage.
Source: UGC
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Key takeaways
- Josh Gad was born to an Afghan Jewish father, Sam (Shmuel) Gad, and a German-born mother, Susan Gad.
- The American actor has two older brothers named Jeff and Jason Gad, from his parents' marriage.
- Unlike Josh, his brothers maintain completely private lives outside of the entertainment industry
- Following his parents' separation when he was young, his family expanded to include a stepbrother and a stepsister through his mother's remarriage.
Profile summary
Full name | Joshua Ilan Gad |
Gender | Male |
Date of birth | 23 February 1981 |
Age | 45 years old (as of 2026) |
Zodiac sign | Pisces |
Place of birth | Hollywood, Florida, United States |
Current residence | Los Angeles, California, United States |
Nationality | American |
Ethnicity | Mixed |
Religion | Jewish |
Sexuality | Straight |
Height in inches | 5'6'' |
Height in centimetres | 168 |
Weight in pounds | 198 |
Weight in kilograms | 90 |
Hair colour | Dark brown |
Eye colour | Hazel |
Father | Sam (Shmuel) Gad |
Mother | Susan Gad |
Siblings | Two older brothers, one stepbrother, and one stepsister |
Relationship status | Married |
Wife | Ida Darvish |
Children | Ava Tanya Gad, Isabella Eve Gad |
Education | University School of Nova Southeastern University in Florida, Carnegie Mellon University |
Profession | Actor, singer, comedian, writer, producer, voice actor |
Net worth | $20 million |
Social media |
Inside Josh Gad's family
The American actor, comedian, and singer Josh Gad was born in Hollywood, Florida, on 23 February 1981. His unique heritage includes a Sephardic Afghan Jewish father named Sam, an Ashkenazi German-born mother named Susan, two older brothers, and step-siblings.
During an appearance on Jonah Platt’s podcast Being Jewish, Gad spoke about his multicultural background, stating:
My mom was born in Germany at the end of World War II. She was born in 1946 in a place called Verden, Germany. She's an Ashkenazi Jew, born to two Holocaust survivors who met after the war—Evelyn and Joseph Greenblat, my heroes, my true superheroes. My father is a Sephardic Jew who was born and raised in Afghanistan
Here's a closer look at Josh Gad's family and their backgrounds.
Source: Getty Images
Sam Gad (father)
Josh Gad's father, Sam Gad, was born into a Jewish family in Afghanistan before moving to Israel as a teenager. He later moved to Colombia, where he worked in the emerald mining business.
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 Jonah Platt’s podcast Being Jewish, the Frozen star 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.
He continued:
We walked to temple every Saturday, and I went to Hebrew school, and while I didn’t know everything, I knew that he had broken one of the 10 commandments, and I was kind of pissed as a kid.
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.
Susan (mother)
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, Susan, 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.
Who are Josh Gad's siblings?
Josh Gad has two biological brothers, a stepbrother, and a stepsister. His older brothers, Jeff and Jason Gad, have largely stayed out of the public eye, though 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.
FAQs
- Who is Josh Gad? Josh Gad is an American actor, comedian, and singer best known for voicing Olaf in Disney's Frozen franchise and originating the role of Elder Cunningham in the Broadway musical The Book of Mormon.
- What is Josh Gad’s age? The Hollywood actor is 45 years old. He was born on 23 February 1981.
- Who are Josh Gad’s parents? His parents are Sam (Shmuel) Gad and Susan Gad.
- What is Josh Gad's ethnicity? Josh Gad is of Afghan Jewish and Ashkenazi Jewish descent
- Is Josh Gad mixed? The singer is a mix of an Afghan Jewish immigrant father and a German-born Ashkenazi Jewish mother.
- Who is Josh Gad's mother? His mother is Susan, a real estate agent born in Germany to Holocaust survivors.
- Who is Josh Gad's father? His father is Sam, an immigrant born to an Afghan Jewish family who later worked in emerald mining.
- Who are Josh Gad’s siblings? He has two older biological brothers, Jeff and Jason and two stepsiblings from his mother's second marriage.
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.
Legit.ng recently shared an article about Melissa Gilbert's siblings and parents. The actress was adopted shortly after she was born by actor and comedian Paul Gilbert and actress Barbara Cowan. As an adult, Melissa learned about her biological parents, Kathy Wood and David Darlington, who placed her for adoption because they were unable to raise another child.
Melissa grew up with her adopted brother, Jonathan Gilbert, who played Willie Oleson on Little House on the Prairie. She also has a younger adoptive half-sister, actress Sara Gilbert. Later in life, Melissa discovered several biological half-siblings through both her birth mother and birth father after researching her family history.
Proofreading by Kola Muhammed, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
