He was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role as best friend Angie in the 1955 film Marty,[3] which he reprised from the original live teleplay with the same creative team.

Joseph Mantel was born in the Brooklyn borough of New York City to Jewish immigrant parents from the Kingdom of Galicia, a region in Eastern Europe controlled by the Emperor of Austria.

[4] Early in his career, Mantell worked on Paddy Chayefsky teleplays directed by Delbert Mann for The Philco Television Playhouse, including Arnold in The Bachelor Party.

Mantell was featured in the pilot of the crime drama, The Untouchables, starring Robert Stack that originally aired as a 2 part episode of the WDP.

He had a recurring role from 1961 to 1962 as Ernie Briggs in six episodes of the CBS sitcom, Pete and Gladys, starring Harry Morgan and Cara Williams.