Joe Hursley
Encyclopedia
Joseph Hursley is an actor
and musician
living in Los Angeles, California.
, Texas
. His grandfather, Frank M. Hursley co-created the long running soap General Hospital
. His father Greg Hursley is an architectural photographer and his mother, Kelle, is a nurse. Hursley began his entertainment career after participating in the Schick "Groove n' Smooth" national talent search in 1999. Hursley won the talent search, and went on to start his own karaoke company at the age of 19. Karaoke Joe performed 500 shows over the course of the next few years.
's 2005 reality prankster series You've Got a Friend
. The show was produced by Ashton Kutcher
and Jason Goldberg
. Hursley dove at the chance to play the slightly sinister roles each episode offered. He pushed the limits by getting the contestants to bend to his every whim. The show lended to his talents of improvising realistic, silly, and subversive comedy. His task was to play different "obnoxious friend" personas for hours on end and try to get the unsuspecting contestants to give up. It proved an entertaining but short lived series. After YGAF, Kutcher tapped him to join the Punk'd
cast where he stumped various celebrities.
In late 2004, Hursley started the rock n' roll band The Ringers
who have recently released their second album "Headlocks and Highkicks". He appeared in the Miami Ink episode, "Ruthless and Toothless", where he had the second album name, "Headlocks and Highkicks", tattooed onto the back of his legs.
Although there is a stigma surrounding most actors/musicians, Hursley seems to enjoy doing both and The Ringers were featured in music magazine SPIN. It helped to shake off the stigma as he had previously proved when he played Maurice in the 2006 comedy film Accepted
. The Ringers ended up not only in the film, but, on the soundtrack as well.2007 brought more diverse roles. He portrayed, Otto, in the third installment of the film series Resident Evil: Extinction
; and Rob, a creepy diner patron, alongside Jake Busey in Broken (2007 film)
. Then in 2008, it must have been a culmination of his performing prowess and improv skills when Hursley starred as faux rock god White Gold in California Milk Processor Board
's successful commercial campaign. In 2009, he had a brief cameo as a mechanic in Fast & Furious.
Throughout his career Hursley has had various roles in commercials and TV.
Most recently he is starring as the lead character, Ben Camelino, in the upcoming feature film BALLS TO THE WALL directed by Penelope Spheeris
(Wayne's World and Black Sheep) and produced by Eric Gores, Brett Forbes and Patrick Rizzotti.
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
and musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
living in Los Angeles, California.
Background
Hursley was born in AustinAustin
Austin is the capital of the U.S. state of Texas.Austin may also refer to:-In the United States:*Austin, Arkansas*Austin, Colorado*Austin, Chicago, Illinois*Austin, Indiana*Austin, Minnesota*Austin, Nevada*Austin, Oregon...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. His grandfather, Frank M. Hursley co-created the long running soap General Hospital
General Hospital
General Hospital is an American daytime television drama that is credited by the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest-running American soap opera currently in production and the third longest running drama in television in American history after Guiding Light and As the World Turns....
. His father Greg Hursley is an architectural photographer and his mother, Kelle, is a nurse. Hursley began his entertainment career after participating in the Schick "Groove n' Smooth" national talent search in 1999. Hursley won the talent search, and went on to start his own karaoke company at the age of 19. Karaoke Joe performed 500 shows over the course of the next few years.
Career
After working some odd jobs Hursley made his acting debut starring in MTVMTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
's 2005 reality prankster series You've Got a Friend
You've Got a Friend
"You've Got a Friend" is a song from 1971, originally written and performed by Carole King. It was included in her album Tapestry of 1971, but was made famous by James Taylor's cover version the same year...
. The show was produced by Ashton Kutcher
Ashton Kutcher
Christopher Ashton Kutcher , best known as Ashton Kutcher, is an American actor, producer, former fashion model and comedian, best known for his portrayal of Michael Kelso in the Fox sitcom That '70s Show...
and Jason Goldberg
Jason Goldberg
Jason Goldberg is an American film and television producer. Goldberg is the producer of the films Guess Who and The Butterfly Effect and executive producer of the shows Beauty and the Geek and Punk'd...
. Hursley dove at the chance to play the slightly sinister roles each episode offered. He pushed the limits by getting the contestants to bend to his every whim. The show lended to his talents of improvising realistic, silly, and subversive comedy. His task was to play different "obnoxious friend" personas for hours on end and try to get the unsuspecting contestants to give up. It proved an entertaining but short lived series. After YGAF, Kutcher tapped him to join the Punk'd
Punk'd
Punk'd is an American hidden camera/practical joke reality television series that first aired on MTV in 2003 and was created by Ashton Kutcher and Jason Goldberg, produced and hosted by Ashton Kutcher. It bore a resemblance to both the classic hidden camera show Candid Camera and to TV's Bloopers...
cast where he stumped various celebrities.
In late 2004, Hursley started the rock n' roll band The Ringers
The Ringers
' were a Los Angeles based rock n' roll band. They broke up in 2010, band members Joe Hursley and Patrick Hursley have formed a new band called '. The Ringers were Joe Hursley , Joe Robinson , Joe Stiteler , and Patrick Hursley...
who have recently released their second album "Headlocks and Highkicks". He appeared in the Miami Ink episode, "Ruthless and Toothless", where he had the second album name, "Headlocks and Highkicks", tattooed onto the back of his legs.
Although there is a stigma surrounding most actors/musicians, Hursley seems to enjoy doing both and The Ringers were featured in music magazine SPIN. It helped to shake off the stigma as he had previously proved when he played Maurice in the 2006 comedy film Accepted
Accepted
Accepted is a 2006 American comedy film directed by Steve Pink and written by Adam Cooper, Bill Collage, and Mark Perez. The main plot centers around a group of would-be college freshmen who, after being rejected from all the colleges and universities to which they had applied, proceed to create...
. The Ringers ended up not only in the film, but, on the soundtrack as well.2007 brought more diverse roles. He portrayed, Otto, in the third installment of the film series Resident Evil: Extinction
Resident Evil: Extinction
Resident Evil: Extinction is a Canadian-British 2007 science fiction action horror film also categorized as a doomsday and zombie film, and is the third installment in the Resident Evil film series, which is based on the Capcom survival horror series Resident Evil...
; and Rob, a creepy diner patron, alongside Jake Busey in Broken (2007 film)
Broken (2007 film)
Broken is a 2007 film by director Alan White, starring Heather Graham and Jeremy Sisto. The film had a poor run in theatres and was released to DVD less than two months after its theatrical release.-Plot:...
. Then in 2008, it must have been a culmination of his performing prowess and improv skills when Hursley starred as faux rock god White Gold in California Milk Processor Board
California Milk Processor Board
The California Milk Processor Board is a nonprofit marketing board funded by California dairy processors, and administered by the California Department of Food and Agriculture, most famous for its Got Milk? advertising campaign....
's successful commercial campaign. In 2009, he had a brief cameo as a mechanic in Fast & Furious.
Throughout his career Hursley has had various roles in commercials and TV.
Most recently he is starring as the lead character, Ben Camelino, in the upcoming feature film BALLS TO THE WALL directed by Penelope Spheeris
Penelope Spheeris
Penelope Spheeris is an American director, producer and screenwriter. She is best known as a documentary film director whose works include the trilogy titled The Decline of Western Civilization...
(Wayne's World and Black Sheep) and produced by Eric Gores, Brett Forbes and Patrick Rizzotti.