Mandel Bruce "Mandy" Patinkin (pronounced /pəˈtɪŋkɨn/; Hebrew: מנחם מנדל‎) (born November 30, 1952) is an American actor of stage and screen and a tenor vocalist. Patinkin is known for his roles in television series such as: Chicago Hope, Dead Like Me and the first two seasons of Criminal Minds. His film credits include The Princess Bride, Alien Nation, Yentl, Men With Guns, Run Ronnie Run and Dick Tracy.

Patinkin was born in Chicago, Illinois, the son of Doris "Doralee" Sinton, a homemaker, and Lester Patinkin, who was the head of the People's Iron & Metal Company and the Scrap Corporation of America. His mother wrote Grandma Doralee Patinkin's Jewish Family Cookbook. Patinkin is a cousin of Mark Patinkin, author and nationally syndicated columnist for The Providence Journal, and Jason "Dink" Patinkin, President of Columbia University's EarthCo. One of his other cousins is Sheldon Patinkin of Columbia College Chicago's Theater Department and a founder of The Second City.

Patinkin grew up in a middle class Jewish family and was raised in Conservative Judaism, attending religion school daily "from the age of seven to 13 or 14" and singing in synagogue choirs. He attended South Shore High School, Kenwood Academy (1970 graduate), the University of Kansas, and Juilliard School of Drama. At Juilliard, he was a classmate of Kelsey Grammer. When the producers of the popular American sitcom Cheers were auditioning for the role of Dr. Frasier Crane, Patinkin was the one who put Grammer's name forward.