Joel David Moore Biography

Joel David Moore was born and raised in Portland, Oregon to Missy and John Moore. He graduated from Southern Oregon University in Ashland, Oregon, where he earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 2001.

After graduating, Joel moved to Los Angeles where he began his career by appearing in a variety of television commercials as well as a music video for the song "Youth of the Nation" by rap rock band P.O.D.

He began booking guest appearances on television shows. In 2001 he appeared on the first season of Boston Public as the character Hartzell. He reprised his role in an episode during the second season. In 2003 he guest-starred on Sabrina the Teenage Witch, Angel, Six Feet Under, and Strong Medicine.

His breakthrough role came a year later when he appeared in the film Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (2004) starring Ben Stiller and Vince Vaughn. He also appeared in Grandma's Boy (2006) with Linda Cardellini and Art School Confidential (2006) with John Malkovich.

In 2007, Joel made his feature directorial debut with the film Spiral (2007), a psychological thriller filmed in his hometown of Portland in which he also starred alongside Amber Tamblyn. The film received mixed reviews, but won the Gold Vision Award at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival, which is given to films that demonstrate innovative filmmaking.

In 2008 he was cast in the supporting role of Dr. Norm Spellman in James Cameron's Avatar (2009) as well as in a recurring role on the Fox series Bones as Colin Fisher.

Joel has established himself as an actor who works consistently. Since the release of Avatar in 2009 he has appeared in Oliver Stone's film Savages (2012), Gone (2012) with Amanda Seyfried and The Guest (2014).

In 2016 he directed his second film, Youth in Oregon (2016), starring Frank Langella, Billy Crudup, and Christina Applegate.

In 2022, Joel reprised his role as Norm Spellman in James Cameron’s sequel Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) and will appear in the third film, Avatar: Fire and Ash (2025). ~Ryan Donahue

Filmography (Acting):

The Retirement Plan (2023)
The Morning After (2023)
Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)
The Baker (2022)
Daniel’s Gotta Die (2022)
The Immaculate Room (2022)
Cut Throat City (2020)
Drone (2017)
Divine Access (2015)
Grace: The Possession (2014)
#Stuck (2014)
The Guest (2014)
CBGB (2013)
Hatchet III (2013)
Savages (2012)
Grassroots (2012)
Jewtopia (2012)
Gone (2012)
Ticket Out (2012)
Julia X (2011)
Shark Night (2011)
Chillerama (2011)
Janie Jones (2010)
Avatar (2009)
Stuntmen (2009)
Beyond a Reasonable Doubt (2009)
Wieners (2008)
Shanghai Kiss (2007)
The Dead One (2007)
Spiral (2007)
The Elder Son (2006)
Hatchet (2006)
The Shaggy Dog (2006)
Art School Confidential (2006)
Grandma’s Boy (2006)
Confessions of an Action Star (2005)
Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (2004)
Raising Genius (2004)
Foxfire (1996)

Filmography (Director):

Some Other Woman (2023)
Hide and Seek (2021)
Youth in Oregon (2016)
Spiral (2007)