Elliott Gould

Elliott Gould (born Elliott Goldstein; August 29, 1938) is an American actor recognized for his versatile portrayals of neurotic, everyman characters in over 140 films spanning more than six decades. Born in Brooklyn, New York, to Jewish parents Lucille Raver, who sold artificial flowers, and Bernard Goldstein, a textiles buyer, Gould began his career as a child model and performer at Catskills resorts before making his Broadway debut in the late 1950s. His breakthrough came with the 1969 film Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice, earning him an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor, a Golden Globe nomination, and establishing him as a leading figure in New Hollywood cinema. Gould frequently collaborated with director Robert Altman in films such as MASH (1970), The Long Goodbye (1973), and California Split (1974), showcasing his improvisational style and contributing to his reputation as a countercultural icon of the era. Later roles in the Ocean's Eleven* series (2001–2007) and numerous television appearances underscored his enduring presence as a prolific character actor into the 21st century.

Gould was raised in a working-class Jewish household of Ashkenazi descent, where his parents instilled a strong sense of Jewish identity despite not being religiously Orthodox.

He underwent a traditional Bar Mitzvah ceremony as a youth, crediting his parents with transmitting core cultural and familial values that shaped his early worldview.