Josh "J. Elvis" Weinstein is an American writer and performer, best known for his roles as Dr. Laurence Erhardt and the original puppeteer/voice for Tom Servo on Mystery Science Theater 3000; he was one of the founding writers/performers of the show in 1988 at the age of 17. He changed his professional name from "Josh" to "J. Elvis" to avoid confusion with former Simpsons writer Josh Weinstein. The two are frequently confused nonetheless.
After leaving Mystery Science Theater 3000, he went on to become a writer for My Guide to Becoming a Rock Star, Malcolm and Eddie, and the critically acclaimed NBC dramedy Freaks and Geeks. He has also been the head writer for NBC's late night show Later with Greg Kinnear, and America's Funniest Home Videos.
Weinstein has an extensive background in stand-up comedy; he has performed over a thousand shows as a stand-up comedian, and has also written material for Garry Shandling, Dennis Miller, Roseanne Barr, Louie Anderson and other comedians. He is currently the president of Stinkburger Inc, and a writer/performer for Cinematic Titanic.
One of the top students in Joel Hodgson's class on "Stand Up and Smartology," Josh Weinstein eagerly stepped aboard when Joel asked him to participate in his TV series "Mystery Science Theater 3000" (1988). Weinstein portrayed the laconic robot Tom Servo, as well as the nerdy henchman Dr. Lawrence Erhardt. However, being a teenager led to friction with his older cast members, which were exacerbated when the series went to national television. Weinstein had loved the easygoing, improvisation friendly atmosphere of a local show and hated having to read other people's material all the time. He left the show after that first season. Since quitting MST3k, he has chosen the professional name J. Elvis Weinstein after many fans mistook the Simpsons writer Josh Weinstein for him. He has had a steady behind the camera career, producing and writing shows like Freaks and Geeks, America's Funniest Home Videos, and My Guide to Becoming a Rock Star.
