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Joel David Moore

American character actor and director (born 1977)

Summary

American character actor and director (born 1977)

Field	Value
name	Joel David Moore
image	Joel David Moore (Tribeca 2016).jpg
caption	Moore in 2016
birth_date
birth_place	Portland, Oregon, U.S.
education	Mt. Hood Community College
Southern Oregon University (BFA)
years_active	1996–present
occupation	Actor, director
spouse
children	2

Southern Oregon University (BFA)

In 2008, he was cast in the role of Colin Fisher on the Fox series Bones, a guest role he portrayed in sixteen episodes until the series' conclusion in 2017. In 2009, he was cast as Dr. Norm Spellman in James Cameron's Avatar (2009), a role he reprised for the film's sequels, Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) and Avatar: Fire and Ash (2025).

Moore has also starred in several music videos, and directed films: His directorial debut was the psychological thriller Spiral (2007), followed by the drama Youth in Oregon (2016). Moore also directed the film Killing Winston Jones which was shot in 2012 but never released.

Early life

Moore was born on September 25, 1977, in Portland, Oregon, the son of Missy (née Irvine) and John Moore. Moore was raised in Portland, where his family resided in the Mount Tabor neighborhood. He graduated from Benson Polytechnic High School in 1995.

After high school, Moore attended Mt. Hood Community College in Gresham, Oregon, for two years. In 1998, he transferred to Southern Oregon University in Ashland, Oregon, where he earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 2001 and performed for two summers at the Oregon Shakespeare Festival.

Career

2000–2007: Early roles

Before relocating to Hollywood, Moore starred with Gretchen Stouts and Nina Smidt in Tom Monson's Drug Wars, The High Times (1999), a video about underage binge drinking.

In 2000, he moved to Los Angeles, California, and appeared in several television commercials, including ones for eBay, Cingular Wireless, and Best Buy. Moore shot an international campaign for a branch of Siemens cell phones, XELIBRI, which won a Lion Award. Moore made an appearance in the music video for the song "Youth of the Nation" by rap rock band P.O.D.

Moore's first major film role was in 2004's Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story. Between 2004 and 2005, he appeared in a recurring guest role on the NBC series LAX. This was followed by roles in the films Grandma's Boy, and as a jaded art student in Terry Zwigoff's Art School Confidential (both 2006). The same year, he also had a lead role in the independent slasher film Hatchet, a bit part in The Shaggy Dog, and a supporting role in El Muerto, based on the eponymous comic book series. Also in 2007, Moore made directorial debut with the psychological thriller Spiral, which he filmed in his hometown of Portland, and co-starred in with Amber Tamblyn.

2008–present: Acting and directing

In 2008, he was cast in the supporting role of Dr. Norm Spellman in James Cameron's Avatar (2009). a guest role he would portray across 16 episodes until the series' conclusion in 2017. During the fifth season episode "The Gamer in the Grease", his character invites two other characters, Dr.Jack Hodgins (portrayed by T. J. Thyne) and Dr. Lance Sweets (portrayed by John Francis Daley) to attend the Avatar premiere, in which Moore was also cast. Moore also had a supporting role in Beyond a Reasonable Doubt (2009), a remake of the 1956 film of the same name. He also starred alongside Katy Perry in her 2009 music video for "Waking Up in Vegas".

Other film roles included a supporting part in 2012's Savages, directed by Oliver Stone, and in the crime-thriller Gone (2012), opposite Amanda Seyfried. The film was never released.

He would also reprise his role with a cameo appearance in Hatchet III (2013). During 2014–2015, he had a supporting role in the series Forever, and also in the thriller The Guest (2014), and Joey Ramone in the 2013 historical film CBGB.

In 2016, he directed his second feature, Youth in Oregon, starring Frank Langella, Christina Applegate and Billy Crudup. In 2017, it was reported that Moore had signed on to appear in the Avatar sequels, Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) and Avatar: Fire and Ash (2025).

Filmography

Acting roles

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1996	Foxfire	First Geek
2000	Drug Wars, The High Times	Jake
2004	Raising Genius	Rolf
Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story	Owen Dittman
2005	Reel Guerrillas	Nick Walker	The Dukes of Hazzard: The Beginning
2006	Grandma's Boy	J.P.
**	Pound employee
Art School Confidential	Bardo
Miles from Home	Miles	Short film
The Elder Son	Kenny
Hatchet	Ben
2007	American Hustle	3rd Spartan
El Muerto	Issac "Zak" Silver
Spiral	Mason	Also co-director and co-screenwriter
Shanghai Kiss	Joe Silverman
2008	**	Nate Cooper	Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Screen Couple (with Paris Hilton)
Wieners	Greg King
**	Sam Hane	Short film
Fairy Tale Police	Big Bad Wolf
2009	Beyond a Reasonable Doubt	Corey Finley
Bed Ridden	Jay	Short film
Stuntmen	Troy Lebowski
Avatar	Dr. Norm Spellman
2010	**	Peter	Short film
Janie Jones	Dave
2011	Chillerama	Adolf Hitler	Segment: "The Diary of Anne Frankenstein"
Grassroots	Grant Cogswell
Julia X 3D	Sam
Shark Night	Gordon Guthrie
2012	Gone	Nick Massey
Jewtopia	Adam Lipschitz
Savages	Craig
2013	Hatchet III	Ben	Cameo
CBGB	Joey Ramone
2014	The Guest	Craig
#Stuck	Guy
Grace: The Possession	Luke
2015	Divine Access	Nigel
2017	Drone	Gary
2020	Cut Throat City	Peter Felton
The Morning After	Guy
2022	The Immaculate Room	Jason Wright
Daniel's Gotta Die	Daniel Powell
The Baker	Peter
Avatar: The Way of Water	Dr. Norm Spellman
2023	The Retirement Plan	Fitzsimmons
2025	Kinda Pregnant	Mark
Avatar: Fire and Ash	Dr. Norm Spellman

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
2001	City Guys	Hoover	1 episode
2001–2002	Boston Public	Hartzell	2 episodes
2002	Deep Cover	Pete Steinem
Boomtown	Usher #2	Episode: "Insured by Smith & Wesson"
Providence	Howard	Episode: "The Eleventh Hour"
2003	Sabrina, the Teenage Witch	Pete	Episode: "Romance Looming"
Angel	Karl Vamp	Episode: "Salvage"
Six Feet Under	Video Clerk	Episode: "The Opening"
Strong Medicine	Dan	Episode: "Bad Liver"
2004	**		Television film
**	Malcolm Reeves	Episode: "Sparkle"
2004–2005	LAX	Eddie Carson	Recurring role, 9 episodes
2005	Cooked	Mike	Television film
**	Brian Pines	Episode: "Declawed"
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation	Guy in the Yellow Hat	Episode: "Dog Eat Dog"
2005–2006	E-Ring	Greg – NSA Liaison	Recurring role, 5 episodes
2007	**	Cooter Davenport	Television film
House M.D.	Eddie	Episodes: "One Day, One Room", "Act Your Age"
2008	My Name Is Earl	Clyde	Episode: "Quit Your Snitchin'"
2008–2017	Bones	Colin Fisher	Recurring role, 16 episodes
2009–2010	Medium	Keith Bruning	4 episodes
2010	Chuck	Mackintosh	Episode: "Chuck Versus the Couch Lock"
2011	Hawaii Five-0	Sheldon Tunney	Episode: "Kai e'e"
Last Man Standing	Bruce	Episodes: "Pilot", "Grandparents Day"
2014–2015	Forever	Lucas Wahl	Main role
2017	Budding Prospects	Phil	Television film
American Housewife	Captain Beauregard	Episode: "Gala Auction"
2018	Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.	Noah	Episode: "All the Comforts of Home"

Music videos

Year	Song	Artist
2001	"Youth of the Nation"	P.O.D.
2008	"Beat It"	Fall Out Boy
2009	"Waking Up in Vegas"	Katy Perry
2010	"It's Not Christmas Without You"	Katharine McPhee
2025	"The Great Unknown"	Ice Nine Kills

Filmmaking roles

Feature Film

Year	Title	Notes
2007	Spiral
2012	Killing Winston Jones	Cancelled film release
2016	Youth in Oregon
2021	Hide and Seek
2023	Some Other Woman

Short Film

Year	Title	Director	Writer
2006	Miles from Home
2009	Found
2010	Hours Before

Notes

References

"Joel Moore files for divorce". Yahoo.
https://www.instagram.com/p/CHVuJKUhulj/
Baker, Jeff. (April 28, 2014). "18 actors you (maybe) didn't know were from Portland". [[The Oregonian]].
(June 30, 2014). "Actor Joel David Moore". [[KATU]] AM Northwest.
Moore, Phyllis. (January 2010). "Avatar Scientist". The Cherry Pit.
"Drug Wars - The High Times".
Wood, Mark Dundas. (January 30, 2008). "Joel David Moore jumps from supporting standout to leading man with two new films". Backstage.
(2009). "The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 1946-Present". Random House.
Scott, A.O.. (May 5, 2006). "Majoring in Caricature in 'Art School Confidential'". [[The New York Times]].
Chang, Justin. (March 6, 2005). "Joel David Moore". Variety.
Lincoln, Ross A.. (January 30, 2016). "Gersh Signs 'Avatar' Actor & 'Youth In Oregon' Director Joel David Moore". Deadline.
Bierly, Mandy. (December 4, 2009). "'Bones' recap: Cheater, cheater, 'Avatar'". Entertainment Weekly.
Schager, Nick. (September 8, 2009). "Beyond a Reasonable Doubt Film Review". [[Slant Magazine]].
(June 11, 2017). "Katy Perry - Live: Witness World Wide". [[YouTube]].
Fernandez, Jay A.. (June 22, 2011). "Joel David Moore Joins Oliver Stone's 'Savages'". The Hollywood Reporter.
Obenson, Tambay. (November 20, 2012). "Danny Glover Books Role In Dark Comedy 'Killing Winston Jones' From RadioactiveGiant". Indiewire.
Caballero, David. (August 4, 2022). "Batgirl & 8 Other Movies That Will Go Unreleased".
"Joel David Moore Filmography". AllMovie.
Gingold, Michael. (July 8, 2014). "Exclusive photos: Halloween night with Wingard and Barrett's "The Guest"". Fangoria.
Radish, Christine. (October 14, 2013). "Joel David Moore Talks CBGB, Playing Joey Ramone, Finding the Human Being behind the Rock Star, His First Concert and His Latest Directorial Project". Collider.
D'Nuka, Amanda. (May 31, 2017). "Joel David Moore Returning For 'Avatar' Sequels". Deadline.

Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

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