Joshua John Miller
Encyclopedia
Joshua John Miller is an American actor, writer, screenwriter, novelist, and filmmaker.
As a child actor, Miller was best known for his role as Homer, the pre-teen vampire in the film Near Dark
, Richtie Miller, the annoying brother in Teen Witch
, and his gripping role as Tim in River's Edge
. Also known for his guest starring roles in numerous 1980's and 1990s television series like Family Ties
, Growing Pains
, 21 Jump Street
, and The Wonder Years
.
Emerging as an adult in the film industry, Miller has gotten back into acting and has written his own novel The Mao Game, turning it into a movie adaption which he directed.
, the son of Irish-American actor and playwright Jason Miller
, and Jewish-American actress and Playboy
pin-up Susan Bernard
. Miller's half-brother is actor Jason Patric
, and his maternal grandfather was photographer Bruno Bernard, a.k.a. "Bernard of Hollywood".
. He would go on to star in such films as River's Edge
, Near Dark
, Class of 1999
, and Teen Witch
. He also made guest appearances on several popular television shows, including 21 Jump Street
, The Wonder Years
, The Greatest American Hero
, Highway to Heaven
(for which he received a Young Artist Award
in 1985), and Growing Pains
(hence a popular misconception that he is a relative of Jeremy Miller
, who was "Ben Seaver" on that series; they are not related). Miller appeared in several plays, and was involved in dance from a very early age. He starred in the Los Angeles Ballet Company's production of The Nutcracker
for three consecutive seasons beginning at age seven, and later appeared as a dancer in Janet Jackson's Grammy Award
-winning Rhythm Nation 1814
video.
Miller attended Yale and Antioch Universities and studied creative writing at UCLA. In 1997, he published a pseudo-autobiographical novel called The Mao Game about a fifteen-year-old child star attempting to cope with heroin addiction, memories of past sexual abuse, and the impending death of his grandmother, who has been diagnosed with cancer. In December 2003 he completed his MFA in creative writing at the University of Iowa. He was awarded the Capote Fellowship, and was also chosen for The Houghton-Mifflin Fellowship Award. He has written articles for Harper's Bazaar
and Playboy
.
In 1999, The Mao Game was adapted into a film, written and directed by Miller, and co-produced by Whoopi Goldberg
. The film starred Miller, Kirstie Alley
, and Piper Laurie
, and featured Miller's mother, Susan Bernard
, in a brief, uncredited cameo. The movie toured the festival circuit, and garnered mixed reviews from critics.
He appears as Jinky in The Wizard of Gore
. He has written a second novel, titled Ash. Miller is collaborating with M.A. Fortin to write the DreamWorks
TV and Fox
production Howl, set in Alaska
.
Young Artist Awards
As a child actor, Miller was best known for his role as Homer, the pre-teen vampire in the film Near Dark
Near Dark
Near Dark is an American vampire/Western horror film, written by Eric Red and Kathryn Bigelow, and directed by Bigelow. The story follows a young man in a small midwestern town who becomes involved with a family of nomadic American vampires...
, Richtie Miller, the annoying brother in Teen Witch
Teen Witch
Teen Witch is a 1989 fantasy teen comedy film starring Robyn Lively. It was originally pitched as a female version of the 1985 Teen Wolf, although it later was reworked and turned into a film of its own...
, and his gripping role as Tim in River's Edge
River's Edge
River's Edge is a 1986 American drama film written by Neal Jimenez and starring Crispin Glover, Keanu Reeves, Ione Skye, Daniel Roebuck, and Dennis Hopper.It was awarded Best Picture from the Independent Spirit Awards in 1986.- Plot :...
. Also known for his guest starring roles in numerous 1980's and 1990s television series like Family Ties
Family Ties
Family Ties is an American sitcom that aired on NBC for seven seasons, from 1982 to 1989. The sitcom reflected the move in the United States from the cultural liberalism of the 1960s and 1970s to the conservatism of the 1980s. This was particularly expressed through the relationship between young...
, Growing Pains
Growing Pains
Growing Pains is an American television sitcom about an affluent family, residing in Huntington, New York, with a working mother and a stay-at-home psychiatrist father raising three children together, which aired on ABC from September 24, 1985 to April 25, 1992.-Synopsis:The show's premise is based...
, 21 Jump Street
21 Jump Street
21 Jump Street is an American police procedural crime drama television series that aired on the Fox Network from April 12, 1987, to April 27, 1991, with a total of 103 episodes. The series focused on a squad of youthful-looking undercover police officers investigating crimes in high schools,...
, and The Wonder Years
The Wonder Years
The Wonder Years is an American television comedy-drama created by Carol Black and Neal Marlens. It ran for six seasons on ABC from 1988 through 1993. The pilot aired on January 31, 1988 after ABC's coverage of Super Bowl XXII....
.
Emerging as an adult in the film industry, Miller has gotten back into acting and has written his own novel The Mao Game, turning it into a movie adaption which he directed.
Personal life
Miller was born in Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, the son of Irish-American actor and playwright Jason Miller
Jason Miller (playwright)
Jason Miller was an American actor and playwright. He received the 1973 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for his play That Championship Season, and was widely recognized for his role as Father Damien Karras in the 1973 horror film The Exorcist...
, and Jewish-American actress and Playboy
Playboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
pin-up Susan Bernard
Susan Bernard
Susan Bernard was Playboy magazine's Playmate of the Month for its December 1966 issue. Her centerfold was photographed by Mario Casilli and her father Bruno Bernard....
. Miller's half-brother is actor Jason Patric
Jason Patric
Jason Patric is an American film, television and stage actor. He may be best-known for his roles in the films The Lost Boys, Sleepers, Your Friends & Neighbors, Narc, The Losers and Speed 2: Cruise Control. His father was actor/playwright Jason Miller...
, and his maternal grandfather was photographer Bruno Bernard, a.k.a. "Bernard of Hollywood".
Career
Miller started appearing in films and television when he was eight years old. His first film role was in Halloween III: Season of the WitchHalloween III: Season of the Witch
Halloween III: Season of the Witch is a 1982 science fiction horror film and the third installment in the Halloween film series. It is the only Halloween where the story does not revolve around Michael Myers. Directed and written by Tommy Lee Wallace, the film stars Tom Atkins as Dr. Dan Challis,...
. He would go on to star in such films as River's Edge
River's Edge
River's Edge is a 1986 American drama film written by Neal Jimenez and starring Crispin Glover, Keanu Reeves, Ione Skye, Daniel Roebuck, and Dennis Hopper.It was awarded Best Picture from the Independent Spirit Awards in 1986.- Plot :...
, Near Dark
Near Dark
Near Dark is an American vampire/Western horror film, written by Eric Red and Kathryn Bigelow, and directed by Bigelow. The story follows a young man in a small midwestern town who becomes involved with a family of nomadic American vampires...
, Class of 1999
Class of 1999
Class of 1999 is a 1990 science fiction film directed by Mark L. Lester. It is the director's follow-up to his 1982 film Class of 1984.-Synopsis:...
, and Teen Witch
Teen Witch
Teen Witch is a 1989 fantasy teen comedy film starring Robyn Lively. It was originally pitched as a female version of the 1985 Teen Wolf, although it later was reworked and turned into a film of its own...
. He also made guest appearances on several popular television shows, including 21 Jump Street
21 Jump Street
21 Jump Street is an American police procedural crime drama television series that aired on the Fox Network from April 12, 1987, to April 27, 1991, with a total of 103 episodes. The series focused on a squad of youthful-looking undercover police officers investigating crimes in high schools,...
, The Wonder Years
The Wonder Years
The Wonder Years is an American television comedy-drama created by Carol Black and Neal Marlens. It ran for six seasons on ABC from 1988 through 1993. The pilot aired on January 31, 1988 after ABC's coverage of Super Bowl XXII....
, The Greatest American Hero
The Greatest American Hero
The Greatest American Hero is an American comedy-drama television series that aired for three seasons from 1981 to 1983 on ABC. Created by producer Stephen J. Cannell, it premiered as a two-hour movie pilot on March 18, 1981...
, Highway to Heaven
Highway to Heaven
Highway to Heaven is an American television drama series which ran on NBC from 1984 to 1989.- Season 1 :- Season 2 :- Season 3 :- Season 4 :- Season 5 :...
(for which he received a Young Artist Award
Young Artist Award
The Young Artist Award is an accolade bestowed by the Young Artist Foundation, a non-profit organization founded in 1978 to recognize and award excellence of youth performers, and to provide scholarships for young artists who may be physically and/or financially challenged.The Young Artist...
in 1985), and Growing Pains
Growing Pains
Growing Pains is an American television sitcom about an affluent family, residing in Huntington, New York, with a working mother and a stay-at-home psychiatrist father raising three children together, which aired on ABC from September 24, 1985 to April 25, 1992.-Synopsis:The show's premise is based...
(hence a popular misconception that he is a relative of Jeremy Miller
Jeremy Miller
Jeremy James Miller is an American actor best known for his portrayal of Ben Seaver on Growing Pains and its two reunion movies...
, who was "Ben Seaver" on that series; they are not related). Miller appeared in several plays, and was involved in dance from a very early age. He starred in the Los Angeles Ballet Company's production of The Nutcracker
The Nutcracker
The Nutcracker is a two-act ballet, originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov with a score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The libretto is adapted from E.T.A. Hoffmann's story "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King". It was given its première at the Mariinsky Theatre in St...
for three consecutive seasons beginning at age seven, and later appeared as a dancer in Janet Jackson's Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
-winning Rhythm Nation 1814
Rhythm Nation 1814
Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 is the fourth studio album by American recording artist Janet Jackson, released on September 19, 1989, by A&M Records. Despite demands from label executives for material similar to her previous album, Control , she insisted on creating a concept album addressing...
video.
Miller attended Yale and Antioch Universities and studied creative writing at UCLA. In 1997, he published a pseudo-autobiographical novel called The Mao Game about a fifteen-year-old child star attempting to cope with heroin addiction, memories of past sexual abuse, and the impending death of his grandmother, who has been diagnosed with cancer. In December 2003 he completed his MFA in creative writing at the University of Iowa. He was awarded the Capote Fellowship, and was also chosen for The Houghton-Mifflin Fellowship Award. He has written articles for Harper's Bazaar
Harper's Bazaar
Harper’s Bazaar is an American fashion magazine, first published in 1867. Harper’s Bazaar is published by Hearst and, as a magazine, considers itself to be the style resource for “women who are the first to buy the best, from casual to couture.”...
and Playboy
Playboy
Playboy is an American men's magazine that features photographs of nude women as well as journalism and fiction. It was founded in Chicago in 1953 by Hugh Hefner and his associates, and funded in part by a $1,000 loan from Hefner's mother. The magazine has grown into Playboy Enterprises, Inc., with...
.
In 1999, The Mao Game was adapted into a film, written and directed by Miller, and co-produced by Whoopi Goldberg
Whoopi Goldberg
Whoopi Goldberg is an American comedian, actress, singer-songwriter, political activist, author and talk show host.Goldberg made her film debut in The Color Purple playing Celie, a mistreated black woman in the Deep South. She received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress and won...
. The film starred Miller, Kirstie Alley
Kirstie Alley
Kirstie Louise Alley is an American actress known for her role in the TV show Cheers, in which she played Rebecca Howe from 1987–1993, winning an Emmy Award and a Golden Globe Award as the Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 1991...
, and Piper Laurie
Piper Laurie
Piper Laurie is an American actress of stage and screen known for her roles in the television series Twin Peaks and the films The Hustler, Carrie, and Children of a Lesser God, all of which brought her Academy Award nominations...
, and featured Miller's mother, Susan Bernard
Susan Bernard
Susan Bernard was Playboy magazine's Playmate of the Month for its December 1966 issue. Her centerfold was photographed by Mario Casilli and her father Bruno Bernard....
, in a brief, uncredited cameo. The movie toured the festival circuit, and garnered mixed reviews from critics.
He appears as Jinky in The Wizard of Gore
The Wizard of Gore (2007 film)
The Wizard of Gore is a 2007 splatter/noir film directed by Jeremy Kasten. It stars Crispin Glover as Montag the Magnificent, Kip Pardue as Ed Bigelow, Bijou Phillips as Ed's girlfriend Maggie, and the Suicide Girls as Montag's victims...
. He has written a second novel, titled Ash. Miller is collaborating with M.A. Fortin to write the DreamWorks
DreamWorks
DreamWorks Pictures, also known as DreamWorks, LLC, DreamWorks SKG, DreamWorks II Distribution Co., LLC, DreamWorks Studios or DW Studios, LLC, is an American film studio which develops, produces, and distributes films, video games and television programming...
TV and Fox
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
production Howl, set in Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
.
Film and television credits
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | The Wizard of Gore The Wizard of Gore The Wizard of Gore is a 1970 film directed by Herschell Gordon Lewis. It stars Ray Sager and Judy Cler. According to crew member Daniel Krogh in his book The Amazing Herschell Gordon Lewis , the film was shot in Chicago, Illinois and a number of surrounding suburbs during the early summer of... |
Jinky | Film (as Joshua Miller) |
| 1999 | The Mao Game | Jordan Highland | Film |
| 1991 | And You Thought Your Parents Were Weird And You Thought Your Parents Were Weird And You Thought Your Parents Were Weird is a 1991 science-fiction family film written and directed by Tony Cookson; foreign language releases were titled RoboDad.-Plot:... |
Josh Carson | Film (as Joshua Miller) |
| 1990 | Death Warrant Death Warrant Death Warrant is a 1990 action movie starring Jean-Claude Van Damme. The film was written by David S. Goyer while a student at USC, and was Goyer's first screenplay to be sold and produced commercially.-Plot summary:... |
Douglas Tisdale | Film |
| 1990 | The Ghost Writer The Ghost Writer The Ghost Writer is the first novel by Philip Roth to be narrated by Nathan Zuckerman, one of Roth's alter egos, and constitutes the first book in his Zuckerman Bound trilogy. The novel touches on themes common to many Roth works, including identity, the responsibilities of authors to their... |
Edgar Strack | TV movie (as Josh Miller) |
| 1990 | Class of 1999 Class of 1999 Class of 1999 is a 1990 science fiction film directed by Mark L. Lester. It is the director's follow-up to his 1982 film Class of 1984.-Synopsis:... |
Angel | Film (as Joshua Miller) |
| 1990 | The Wonder Years The Wonder Years The Wonder Years is an American television comedy-drama created by Carol Black and Neal Marlens. It ran for six seasons on ABC from 1988 through 1993. The pilot aired on January 31, 1988 after ABC's coverage of Super Bowl XXII.... |
Larry Beeman | TV series (Episode: Rock 'n Roll) (as Joshua Miller) |
| 1989 | Meet the Hollowheads Meet the Hollowheads Meet the Hollowheads is a 1989 movie written and directed by special-effects makeup artist Thomas R. Burman. It stars Juliette Lewis, John Glover, Richard Portnow, and Joshua John Miller... |
Joey | Film |
| 1989 | Teen Witch Teen Witch Teen Witch is a 1989 fantasy teen comedy film starring Robyn Lively. It was originally pitched as a female version of the 1985 Teen Wolf, although it later was reworked and turned into a film of its own... |
Richie Miller | Film (as Joshua Miller) |
| 1989 | Rhythm Nation 1814 Rhythm Nation 1814 Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814 is the fourth studio album by American recording artist Janet Jackson, released on September 19, 1989, by A&M Records. Despite demands from label executives for material similar to her previous album, Control , she insisted on creating a concept album addressing... |
B.J. (Boy With Harmonica) | Short Film (as Josh Miller) |
| 1988 | Cagney & Lacey Cagney & Lacey Cagney & Lacey is an American television series that originally aired on the CBS television network for seven seasons from October 8, 1981 to May 16, 1988... |
Henry Gorvel | TV series (Episode: Hello Goodbye) (as Joshua Miller) |
| 1987 | Growing Pains Growing Pains Growing Pains is an American television sitcom about an affluent family, residing in Huntington, New York, with a working mother and a stay-at-home psychiatrist father raising three children together, which aired on ABC from September 24, 1985 to April 25, 1992.-Synopsis:The show's premise is based... |
Friend #1 | TV series (Episode: Not Necessarily The News) (as Joshua Jon Miller) |
| 1987 | 21 Jump Street 21 Jump Street 21 Jump Street is an American police procedural crime drama television series that aired on the Fox Network from April 12, 1987, to April 27, 1991, with a total of 103 episodes. The series focused on a squad of youthful-looking undercover police officers investigating crimes in high schools,... |
Brian Sheffield | TV series (Episode: In the Custody of a Clown)(as Joshua Miller) |
| 1987 | Near Dark Near Dark Near Dark is an American vampire/Western horror film, written by Eric Red and Kathryn Bigelow, and directed by Bigelow. The story follows a young man in a small midwestern town who becomes involved with a family of nomadic American vampires... |
Homer | Film (as Joshua Miller) |
| 1986 | River's Edge River's Edge River's Edge is a 1986 American drama film written by Neal Jimenez and starring Crispin Glover, Keanu Reeves, Ione Skye, Daniel Roebuck, and Dennis Hopper.It was awarded Best Picture from the Independent Spirit Awards in 1986.- Plot :... |
Tim | Film (as Joshua Miller) |
| 1986 | Stoogemania Stoogemania Stoogemania is a 1986 film about a fan of the Three Stooges. It was directed by Chuck Workman, and starred Josh Mostel. The film experienced an extremely small theatrical release and was poorly received by critics. It has been out of print since the 1980s, and has been released on VHS and Beta... |
Young Howard | Film (as Josh Miller) |
| 1985 | Highway to Heaven Highway to Heaven Highway to Heaven is an American television drama series which ran on NBC from 1984 to 1989.- Season 1 :- Season 2 :- Season 3 :- Season 4 :- Season 5 :... |
Jason Winner | TV series (Episodes: A Song for Jason: Part 1 & A Song for Jason: Part 2 (as Joshua Miller) |
| 1984 | The Fantastic World of D.C. Collins | François | TV movie |
| 1984 | Family Ties Family Ties Family Ties is an American sitcom that aired on NBC for seven seasons, from 1982 to 1989. The sitcom reflected the move in the United States from the cultural liberalism of the 1960s and 1970s to the conservatism of the 1980s. This was particularly expressed through the relationship between young... |
Kenneth | TV series (Episode: Go Tigers) (as Joshua Miller) |
| 1982 | Halloween III: Season of the Witch Halloween III: Season of the Witch Halloween III: Season of the Witch is a 1982 science fiction horror film and the third installment in the Halloween film series. It is the only Halloween where the story does not revolve around Michael Myers. Directed and written by Tommy Lee Wallace, the film stars Tom Atkins as Dr. Dan Challis,... |
Willie Challis | Film (as Joshua Miller) |
| 1982 | The Greatest American Hero The Greatest American Hero The Greatest American Hero is an American comedy-drama television series that aired for three seasons from 1981 to 1983 on ABC. Created by producer Stephen J. Cannell, it premiered as a two-hour movie pilot on March 18, 1981... |
Jonathan | TV series (Episode: Good Samaritan) |
Writer
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Howl | TV series (Writer Writer A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images.... ) (announced) |
| 1999 | The Mao Game | (Novel/Screenplay) |
Director
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | The Mao Game | Film (Director Film director A film director is a person who directs the actors and film crew in filmmaking. They control a film's artistic and dramatic nathan roach, while guiding the technical crew and actors.-Responsibilities:... ) |
Awards
Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA| Year | Result | Award | Category/Recipient(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Nominated | Saturn Award | Best Performance by a Younger Actor for: And You Thought Your Parents Were Weird And You Thought Your Parents Were Weird And You Thought Your Parents Were Weird is a 1991 science-fiction family film written and directed by Tony Cookson; foreign language releases were titled RoboDad.-Plot:... (1991) |
| 1988 | Nominated | Saturn Award | Best Performance by a Younger Actor for: Near Dark Near Dark Near Dark is an American vampire/Western horror film, written by Eric Red and Kathryn Bigelow, and directed by Bigelow. The story follows a young man in a small midwestern town who becomes involved with a family of nomadic American vampires... (1987) |
Young Artist Awards
| Year | Result | Award | Category/Recipient(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Nominated | Young Artist Award | Best Young Actor Starring in a Motion Picture for: And You Thought Your Parents Were Weird And You Thought Your Parents Were Weird And You Thought Your Parents Were Weird is a 1991 science-fiction family film written and directed by Tony Cookson; foreign language releases were titled RoboDad.-Plot:... (1991) |
| 1991 | Nominated | Young Artist Award | Best Young Actor Starring in a Motion Picture for: Class of 1999 Class of 1999 Class of 1999 is a 1990 science fiction film directed by Mark L. Lester. It is the director's follow-up to his 1982 film Class of 1984.-Synopsis:... (1990) |
| 1990 | Nominated | Young Artist Award | Best Young Actor Guest Starring in a Television Series for: "The Wonder Years The Wonder Years The Wonder Years is an American television comedy-drama created by Carol Black and Neal Marlens. It ran for six seasons on ABC from 1988 through 1993. The pilot aired on January 31, 1988 after ABC's coverage of Super Bowl XXII.... " (1988) (For episode: "Rock n' Roll") |
| 1990 | Nominated | Young Artist Award | Best Young Actor Starring in a Motion Picture for: Teen Witch Teen Witch Teen Witch is a 1989 fantasy teen comedy film starring Robyn Lively. It was originally pitched as a female version of the 1985 Teen Wolf, although it later was reworked and turned into a film of its own... (1989) |
| 1989 | Nominated | Young Artist Award | Best Young Actor in a Cable Family Series for: "On the Edge" (????) |
| 1988 | Nominated | Young Artist Award | Best Young Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama for: River's Edge River's Edge River's Edge is a 1986 American drama film written by Neal Jimenez and starring Crispin Glover, Keanu Reeves, Ione Skye, Daniel Roebuck, and Dennis Hopper.It was awarded Best Picture from the Independent Spirit Awards in 1986.- Plot :... (1986) |
| 1986 | Won | Young Artist Award | Exceptional Performance by a Young Actor in a Television Special or Mini-Series for: "Highway to Heaven Highway to Heaven Highway to Heaven is an American television drama series which ran on NBC from 1984 to 1989.- Season 1 :- Season 2 :- Season 3 :- Season 4 :- Season 5 :... " (1984) (For episode "A Song for Jason") |