As you flick through Josh Gad’s memoir, In Gad We Trust, a few words pop out at you.
Olaf. Nazis. Metamucil. Mormons.
Pretty varied topics. For a pretty varied guy.
Many in the younger generation would know Gad through his voice rather than his face.
In fact, using his real voice to become Olaf in Disney’s Frozen is one of the actor’s regrets in life.
As Gad has explained, sometimes he’s just paying for coffee or shopping in the supermarket, and all it takes is a word or phrase spoken for kids to instantly recognise him. He told The Sydney Morning Herald that the story of Frozen – about two sisters – particularly spoke to his own family dynamic, as Gad has two daughters of his own.
“A story about two sisters in particular speaks on a very personal level to my children, as they navigate their own journey together with, oftentimes, only each other to rely on,” he said.
“I love that I get to be a part of something that can be a part of their lives from their earliest memories onwards. As has been brought to my attention, Frozen is oftentimes the first movie that a lot of kids watch. It’s such an amazing honour and a humbling experience.”
The story of how he became Olaf is just one of the stories shared in In Gad We Trust.
The “tell-some” (rather than a “tell-all”) is a series of essays that share some of the stories behind the entertainer. From the impact of his parents’ divorce, how he struggled with self-image, his first big break (and failure) and his various acting stints.
When asked about the “tell-some”, the actor told Us magazine that it’s more of a joke.
“If anything, I tell all and then some,” he said.
“I looked at the exercise, as I was getting further into it, as if it was therapy in front of a mirror. The more vulnerable I got, the more I allowed myself to go down that path – even though I was hesitant to, scared to and, maybe, resistant.”
Acknowledging that he’s not usually one to share so much publicly, Gad said that he learned a lot about himself in the process of writing his memoir.
“I enjoyed the hell out of writing [the book], and I hope everyone who reads it takes away something that’s useful and inspires them,” he told Us. “At the very least, I hope they have a good laugh.”
In the book, he shares his family story, including how he grew up in a Jewish version of Narcos – his father was an emerald dealer based out of Colombia – and how he learnt to use comedy to help his mother through her divorce-induced depression.
He shares how rejection and failure during his rise to fame shaped him and his career trajectory, including being turned down three times when trying out for Saturday Night Live.
And he details how The Book of Mormon came about, for which he was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical and won the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theatre Album.
But running through the veins of the book is Gad’s Judaism, as he explores how Jewish traditions and values – particularly the concepts of tikkun olam and the importance of questioning – have guided his approach to life.
Gad’s relationship with Judaism has evolved throughout his life, from childhood religious education to adult reexamination of faith.
More recently, he has also taken it upon himself to speak up against antisemitism. When talking to Jonah Platt on his podcast Being Jewish, Gad said in the immediate aftermath of October 7, he was scared to leave his apartment.
“I enjoyed the hell out of writing [the book], and I hope everyone who reads it takes away something that’s useful and inspires them … At the very least, I hope they have a good laugh.”
“I had to have security because I did the thing you’re not supposed to do, which was be Jewish, and it was tough,” Gad shared.
“I made one post after October 7, which is, ‘my heart breaks for the families’. And it’s not a political post; that is not a post that should have any controversy. And I was met with death threats. I was met with rabid antisemitism. And I called it out. I said, this is insanity, the fact that you are making me feel ashamed of giving condolences for people being massacred, that’s a point of no return; that’s a problem. And I felt really uncomfortable in my skin, and I felt scared, and I felt really, really sad that I had to feel those things. My grandparents are Holocaust survivors, and they always said, ‘never forget’. And I just didn’t realise that the warning meant, ‘because it could happen in your lifetime’.”
As antisemitism continues to rise globally, Gad’s voice has become increasingly important. In recent interviews promoting In Gad We Trust, he has spoken about his commitment to continuing this advocacy work alongside his entertainment career.
“This isn’t a temporary passion project for me,” Gad told The New York Times. “Combating hatred – against Jews and all marginalised groups – is now as much a part of my identity as making people laugh.”
In Gad We Trust stands as both a personal memoir and a cultural document. Through its pages, and through his ongoing advocacy, Gad invites readers of all backgrounds to consider how identity shapes perspective – and how humour might just be our most powerful tool for healing and understanding in troubled times.
In Gad We Trust is published by Gallery Books, $34.99 rrp
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