Joseph Bottoms is an American actor who in 1975 received the Golden Globe Award in the category "Best New Star of the Year" for his role in the film "The Dove." He is also known for his roles in the television miniseries "Holocaust" and the Disney film "The Black Hole." Bottoms made his screen debut in the television film "Trouble Comes to Town." A year later he played the role of Robin Lee Graham in the film "The Dove," based on real events and telling the story of a teenage sailor's round-the-world voyage. In the 1978 miniseries "Holocaust" he played Rudi Weiss, a German Jew who joins the Jewish partisans. A year later he starred in the science fiction film "The Black Hole," which grossed more than 35 million dollars at the American box office.

In 1981 he made his Broadway debut in the play "The Fifth of July." The play premiered at the New Apollo Theatre on November 5, 1980, directed by Mason, Jeff Daniels reprised the role of Jed, Christopher Reeve played Ken, and Swoosie Kurtz played Gwen. In 1984 he starred alongside Kirstie Alley in the film "Blind Date." From 1985 to 1986 he was a regular actor on the series "Santa Barbara." In 1990 he began appearing in a recurring role on the Canadian television series "Street Legal." In 1991 he played the second Cal Winters on the series "Days of Our Lives." In 1998 he got a role on the series "The Net." His last screen appearance was in 1999 on the television series VIP.