Moe Howard (born Moses Harry Horwitz; June 19, 1897 – May 4, 1975) was an American comedian and actor. He is best known as the leader and straight man of The Three Stooges, the farce comedy team who starred in motion pictures, short films, and television for four decades. The group started out as Ted Healy and His Stooges, an act that toured the vaudeville circuit.
