Joel Courtney

Joel Courtney was born on January 31, 1996, in Monterey, California. His early life involved moving to Moscow, Idaho, at the age of five after his father’s retirement from the Navy. There, he attended a classical Christian school where both his parents worked. At 14, a trip to Los Angeles with his brother led to an unexpected audition. His brother’s acting coach suggested he attend a casting call for a J.J. Abrams project. After a series of 11 callbacks, Courtney secured his first acting role, starring as Joe Lamb in Steven Spielberg’s 2011 blockbuster, “Super 8”. This breakout role marked the beginning of his career in the entertainment industry.

Following his success in “Super 8”, Joel Courtney continued to build his filmography with various roles. He appeared in several films including “Sins of Our Youth” (2014), “Mercy” (2014), and “Tom Sawyer & Huckleberry Finn” (2014). In 2015, he secured a starring role as Peter Moore in the CW series “The Messengers”. A notable project for Courtney was “The River Thief” (2016), which allowed him to return to his hometown of Moscow, Idaho, and collaborate with family members, including his brother Josh and sister Chantelle, who also had significant roles in the film. After “The River Thief”, he starred in “F*&% the Prom” (2017).

Courtney achieved renewed public recognition with his role as Lee Flynn in the Netflix hit “The Kissing Booth” (2018). The film became widely watched, and he reprised his role in its sequels, “The Kissing Booth 2” (2020) and “The Kissing Booth 3” (2021). More recently, Courtney has appeared in films such as “Jesus Revolution” (2023), playing Greg Laurie, and “Players” (2024). His upcoming projects include “Soul on Fire” (2025), where he portrays John O’Leary.