By PDX People

Joel David Moore is without a doubt one of the most iconic PDX People and actors to come from Portland in the last 30 years because he’s been in well-known films like Dodge Ball: A True Underdog Story to starring on hit television shows like Bones.

Born in 1977 in Portland Oregon, Joel grew up in the Mount Tabor Neighborhood of Portland and he went to Benson Polytechnic High School.

After graduating high school, he went on to Mt. Hood Community College in Gresham then Southern Oregon University in Ashland where he got the acting bug and would eventually perform in the annual Shakespeare Festival before graduating in 2001.

Film and Television Career

After graduating college, Joel’s career took off almost instantly thanks to his role in Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story.

The sports comedy story is about a group of misfits who enter a Las Vegas dodgeball tournament to save their cherished local gym from the onslaught of a corporate health fitness guru played brilliantly by Ben Stiller.

Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story continues to remain a fan favorite and it’s built a cult following online. The stars of the movie recently reunited in 2017 for charity and proved that they didn’t miss a beat when it came to having the same comic timing as the original.

After starring in Dodgeball, Joel starred in a variety of other high-profile film and television projects including 2009’s Avatar as Dr. Norm Spillman.

Avatar became an instant hit thanks to it’s amazing story / visuals. An Avatar sequel is in the works and Joel is slated to reprise his role in the film.

Moore joins fellow returnees Zoe Saldana, Sam Worthington and Sigourney Weaver, as well as recently announced newcomer Cliff Curtis.

Not much is known about the sequel film’s plot, other than it takes place underwater. Fox has slotted the remaining sequels during the Christmas season of 2021, 2024 and 2025. 2009’s Avatar remains the highest-earning film worldwide with a $2.79 billion gross at the box office.

Moore can currently be seen on the big screen in the Jason Bourque-directed thriller Drone, and his film credits include DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story and Oliver Stone’s Savages. He’s currently in development on a drug crime TV series Sunburn, which he’ll  exec produce along with Imperative Entertainment. As a director, he made his feature debut with the 2005 film Spiral, and is at the helm of the forthcoming drama Timon Of Athens.

Passionate About Portland

Thanks to his success in film and television, Joel has filmed several movies and television projects in Portland and the surrounding area including the 2016 film he directed: Youth in Oregon.

The comedy-drama stars Frank Langella, Christina Applegate and Billy Crudup and it’s about a man who faces the daunting task of driving his elderly father-in-law across the country to be euthanized but along the way his father-in-law rediscovers a reason for living.

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