Biography
Joseph Chrest is an American academic and actor. He has had roles in numerous films and television shows including 21 Jump Street, 22 Jump Street, Oldboy, Lee Daniels' The Butler, The Perfect Date, and as Ted Wheeler in Stranger Things.
Known For
Complete Filmography

Fly Me to the Moon
2024
as Senator Vanning
Sparks fly in all directions as marketing maven Kelly Jones, brought in to fix NASA's public image, wreaks havoc on Apollo 11 launch director Cole Dav...

Lisa Frankenstein
2024
as Dale Swallows
In 1989, a misunderstood teenager has a high school crush — who just happens to be a handsome corpse! After a set of playfully horrific circumstances ...

Killers of the Flower Moon
2023
as Lawyer Freeling
When oil is discovered in 1920s Oklahoma under Osage Nation land, the Osage people are murdered one by one—until the FBI steps in to unravel the myste...

Ganymede
2023
as Big Lee
After a small-town wrestling star develops a crush on an openly gay classmate, he is stalked by a grotesque creature that invades his thoughts as he n...

Quiz Lady
2023
as Mr. Walters
A brilliant but tightly wound, gameshow-obsessed young woman, Anne, and her estranged, train-wreck of a sister, Jenny, must work together to help cove...

The Cran
2022
as Isaac
After reconnecting with his unstable high-school ex, a failed comedian becomes complicit in an absurd revenge crusade that puts him in the crosshairs ...

Where the Crawdads Sing
2022
as Dr. Cone
Abandoned by her family, Kya raises herself all alone in the marshes outside of her small town. When her former boyfriend is found dead, Kya is instan...

Turducken
2020
as Bob Miller
When a passionless family man eats turducken for the first time, he becomes dangerously obsessed with putting objects into progressively larger object...

The Lovebirds
2020
as Red Robe Man
A couple experiences a defining moment in their relationship when they are unintentionally embroiled in a murder mystery. As their journey to clear th...

The Perfect Date
2019
as Jerry Lieberman
No beau? No problem! To earn money for college, a high schooler creates a dating app that lets him act as a stand-in boyfriend.

The Dirt
2019
as David
The story of Mötley Crüe and their rise from the Sunset Strip club scene of the early 1980s to superstardom.

The Front Runner
2018
as Ira Wyman
Gary Hart, former Senator of Colorado, becomes the front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1987. Hart's intelligence, charisma and ...

Assassination Nation
2018
as Lawrence
After an anonymous hacker begins leaking the private data of thousands living in a small American town, the townspeople spiral into madness, with four...

LBJ
2017
as McGeorge Bundy
The story of U.S. President Lyndon Baines Johnson from his young days in West Texas to the White House.

Gifted
2017
as Kevin Larsen
Frank, a single man raising his child prodigy niece Mary, is drawn into a custody battle with his mother.

Cold Moon
2016
as Charlres Darrish
Cold Moon takes place in tiny Babylon, Fla., where the granddaughter of Clark’s character is murdered by a mysterious assailant, her body sunk into th...

Killing Reagan
2016
as Jerry Parr
Killing Reagan explores the events surrounding the assassination attempt on president Ronald Reagan by John Hinckley Jr. Based on the best-selling boo...

Deepwater Horizon
2016
as David Sims
A story set on the offshore drilling rig Deepwater Horizon, which exploded during April 2010 and created the worst oil spill in U.S. history.
Like Son
2016
as Jeff Rugger
A local Sheriff decides to right the wrongs in the small town prior to his demise, unbeknownst to him, the Deputy, his son is hot on his heels in purs...

Free State of Jones
2016
as Amos Deason
In 1863, Mississippi farmer Newt Knight serves as a medic for the Confederate Army. Opposed to slavery, Knight would rather help the wounded than figh...

Showing Roots
2016
as Fuzzy Canaday
Set in the year 1977, two women look to integrate their small town, inspired by the miniseries "Roots" as it hits the airwaves.

I Saw the Light
2016
as Oscar Davis
Singer and songwriter Hank Williams rises to fame in the 1940s, but alcohol abuse and infidelity take a toll on his career and marriage to fellow musi...

The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2
2015
as Mitchell
With the nation of Panem in a full scale war, Katniss confronts President Snow in the final showdown. Teamed with a group of her closest friends – inc...

Ant-Man
2015
as Frank
Armed with the astonishing ability to shrink in scale but increase in strength, master thief Scott Lang must embrace his inner-hero and help his mento...

Focus
2015
as Jeweler (uncredited)
Nicky, an accomplished con artist, gets romantically involved with his disciple Jess but later ends their relationship. Years later, she returns as a ...

American Heist
2014
as Captain Sullivan
Two brothers, both with troubled paths, find themselves in the middle of one last bank job.

Black or White
2014
as Dave
A grieving widower is drawn into a custody battle over his granddaughter, whom he helped raise her entire life.

22 Jump Street
2014
as David Schmidt
After making their way through high school (twice), big changes are in store for officers Schmidt and Jenko when they go deep undercover at a local co...

King of Herrings
2014
as The Professor
An offbeat look at four Crescent City layabouts, who dream big in a 'small change' world of cards, women and endless cups of coffee. Their passionate ...

Barefoot
2014
as Trooper
The "black sheep" son of a wealthy family meets a young psychiatric patient who's been raised in isolation her entire life. He takes the naive young w...

Oldboy
2013
as Johnny / Schizophrenic Man
A man has only three and a half days and limited resources to discover why he was imprisoned in a nondescript room for 20 years without any explanatio...

Homefront
2013
as DEA Agent #1
Phil Broker is a former DEA agent who has gone through a crisis after his action against a biker gang went horribly wrong and it cost the life of his ...

The Butler
2013
as White Usher
A look at the life of Cecil Gaines, who served eight presidents as the White House's head butler from 1952 to 1986, and had a unique front-row seat as...

The Hot Flashes
2013
as Millie's Dad
An unlikely basketball team of unappreciated middle-aged Texas women, all former high school champs, challenge the current high school girls’ state ch...

Now You See Me
2013
as Elkhorn Janitor Agent
An FBI agent and an Interpol detective track a team of illusionists who pull off bank heists during their performances and reward their audiences with...

G.I. Joe: Retaliation
2013
as Chief of Staff
Framed for crimes against the country, the G.I. Joe team is terminated by Presidential order. This forces the G.I. Joes into not only fighting their m...

The Last Exorcism Part II
2013
as Pastor
As Nell Sweetzer tries to build a new life, the evil force that once possessed her returns with an even more horrific plan.

Playing for Keeps
2012
as Referee
A former sports star who's fallen on hard times starts coaching his son's soccer team in an attempt to get his life together.

Butter
2012
as Butter Fan
An adopted girl discovers her talent for butter carving and finds herself pitted against an ambitious local woman in their Iowa town's annual contest.

The Baytown Outlaws
2012
as ATF Agent
When three redneck brothers agree to help a woman save her son from an abusive father, they become targets on the run from an odd cast of characters.

The Campaign
2012
as Rainbowland Audience Member
Two rival politicians compete to win an election to represent their small North Carolina congressional district in the United States House of Represen...

Killing Them Softly
2012
as Business Suit Agent
Jackie Cogan is an enforcer hired to restore order after three dumb guys rob a Mob protected card game, causing the local criminal economy to collapse...

On the Road
2012
as Virginia Cop
Dean and Sal are the portrait of the Beat Generation. Their search for "It" results in a fast paced, energetic roller coaster ride with highs and lows...

The Lucky One
2012
as Deputy Moore
A Marine travels to Louisiana after serving three tours in Iraq and searches for the unknown woman he believes was his good luck charm during the war.

Battleship
2012
as JPL Controller
When mankind beams a radio signal into space, a reply comes from ‘Planet G’, in the form of several alien crafts that splash down in the waters off Ha...

Jeff, Who Lives at Home
2012
as Paul
Dispatched from his basement room on an errand for his mother, slacker Jeff might discover his destiny (finally) when he spends the day with his broth...

21 Jump Street
2012
as David Schmidt
When cops Schmidt and Jenko join the secret Jump Street unit, they use their youthful appearances to go undercover as high school students. They trade...

Texas Killing Fields
2011
as Salter
In the Texas bayous, a local homicide detective teams up with a cop from New York City to investigate a series of unsolved murders.

Seeking Justice
2011
as Detective Rudeski
After his wife is assaulted, a husband enlists the services of a vigilante group to help him settle the score.

Love, Wedding, Marriage
2011
A happy newlywed marriage counselor's views on wedded bliss get thrown for a loop when she finds out her parents are getting divorced.

That's What I Am
2011
as Mr. Clear
A coming-of-age story that follows 12-year-old Andy Nichol, a bright student who, like most kids his age, will do anything to avoid conflict for fear ...

Mask Maker
2011
as Electrician
A lucky couple hits the jackpot when they purchase a 19th century plantation home for pennies on the dollar. Determined to get rich quick, they invite...

Battle: Los Angeles
2011
as 1st Sgt. John Roy
When once distant UFOs become a terrifying threat and an alien invasion force begins attacking Earths major costal and riverside cities, a U.S Marine ...

Drive Angry
2011
as Passenger
Milton is a hardened felon who has broken out of Hell, intent on finding the vicious cult who brutally murdered his daughter and kidnapped her baby. H...

Hound Dogs
2011
as Trainer
Drawing from Ron Shelton's own experiences as a baseball player, Hound Dogs is set in the world of minor league baseball. It centers on minor league t...

Welcome to the Rileys
2010
as Jerry
Years after their teenage daughter’s death, Lois and Doug Riley, an upstanding Indiana couple, are frozen by estranging grief. Doug escapes to New Orl...

Knucklehead
2010
as Child Services Inspector
A fight promoter deeply in debt to his crooked rival and desperate for a new fighter catches a break when a 450 pound church handyman who has spent hi...

RED
2010
as Retirement Home Detective
After surviving an assault from a squad of hit men, retired CIA black ops agent Frank Moses reassembles his old team for an all-out war. Frank reunite...

Secretariat
2010
as Sports Broadcaster
Housewife and mother Penny Chenery agrees to take over her ailing father's Virginia-based Meadow Stables, despite her lack of horse-racing knowledge. ...

I Love You Phillip Morris
2010
as Steven's Dad
Steven Russell leads a seemingly average life – an organ player in the local church, happily married to Debbie, and a member of the local police force...

House of Bones
2010
as Benjamin
Psychic Heather Burton and a team of TV ghost hunters travel to investigate a haunted house surrounded by rumors of paranormal activity.

Louis
2010
as Tom Anderson
A silent film about Louis Armstrong as a young boy and how he acquired his first cornet.

The Blind Side
2009
as Clemson Coach
The story of Michael Oher, a homeless and traumatized boy who became an All American football player and first round NFL draft pick with the help of a...

The Informant!
2009
as Visiting Client
A rising star at agri-industry giant Archer Daniels Midland (ADM), Mark Whitacre suddenly turns whistleblower. Even as he exposes his company’s multi-...

Kink
2009
as Ed
Short from Wayne Pére

Front of the Class
2008
as Jim Ovbey
A boy with Tourette's syndrome overcomes criticism and discrimination to achieve his dream of becoming a teacher.

The Secret Life of Bees
2008
as Mr. Forrest
Set in South Carolina in 1964, this is the tale of Lily Owens a 14 year-old girl who is haunted by the memory of her late mother. To escape her lonely...

Miracle at St. Anna
2008
as MP Doyle Ellis
Miracle at St. Anna chronicles the story of four American soldiers who are members of the all-black 92nd "Buffalo Soldier" Division stationed in Tusca...

Who Do You Love
2008
as Malcolm Chisholm
Who Do You Love is the life story of legendary record producer Leonard Chess, founder of Chess Records in Chicago, IL, the label that helped populariz...

Ocean's Thirteen
2007
as Fender Roads' Manager
Danny Ocean's team of criminals are back and composing a plan more personal than ever. When ruthless casino owner Willy Bank doublecrosses Reuben Tish...

The Skeleton Key
2005
as Paramedic
A hospice nurse working at a spooky New Orleans plantation home finds herself entangled in a mystery involving the house's dark past.

Faith of My Fathers
2005
as Craner
Faith of My Fathers is based on the story of Lieutenant Commander John McCain's experiences as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam for five and a half ...

The Aviator
2004
as HELL'S ANGELS Director of Photography
A biopic depicting the life of filmmaker and aviation pioneer Howard Hughes from 1927 to 1947, during which time he became a successful film producer ...

3: The Dale Earnhardt Story
2004
as Jake Elder
A biopic of NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt, Sr., documenting the driver's career from his earliest days onward and also looking at the family he built a...

Nikki and Nora
2004
as Charlie
Nora Delaney and Nikki Beaumont are partners in the NOPD Special Crimes Unit in New Orleans police department. However, they are also more than partne...

Runaway Jury
2003
as Owens
After a workplace shooting in New Orleans, a trial against the gun manufacturer pits lawyer Wendell Rohr against shady jury consultant Rankin Fitch, w...

The Ring
2002
as Doctor
Rachel Keller is a journalist investigating a videotape that may have killed four teenagers. There is an urban legend about this tape: the viewer will...

Full Frontal
2002
as Sex Shop Man #1
A day in the life of a group of men and women in Hollywood, in the hours leading up to a friend's birthday party.

Auggie Rose
2000
as Rhineback (uncredited)
An insurance salesman's humdrum existence takes a turn when a stranger, ex-con Auggie Rose, unexpectedly dies in his arms. Assuming the identity of th...

Erin Brockovich
2000
as Tom Robinson
A twice-divorced mother of three who sees an injustice, takes on the bad guy and wins -- with a little help from her push-up bra. Erin goes to work fo...

Hefner: Unauthorized
1999
as Ed Gunn
The unauthorized biography of Hugh Hefner and the birth of the Playboy empire.

Lush
1999
as Greg
Among the rich in New Orleans, it's the lush life for Lionel Exley, a golf hustler and heavy drinker. Released from an Arkansas jail, "Ex" returns to ...

Out of Sight
1998
as Andy
Meet Jack Foley, a smooth criminal who bends the law and is determined to make one last heist. Karen Sisco is a federal marshal who chooses all the ri...

Dangerous Proposition
1998
as Mark
A woman, believing that her husband is having an affair, gets a stranger to proposition him so she can record the encounter.
Solitude Point
1998
as Michael
Yukie is a romance story about an American veteran (Bo Swenson) of the Korean War veteran and his undying love for a beautiful Japanese nurse named Yu...

Clockwatchers
1997
as Detective
The relationship between four female temps all working for the same credit company is threatened with the arrival of a new hire, who lands a permanent...

Schizopolis
1997
as Man in Parking Lot
A man works for the unpleasant guru of a Scientology-like movement.

The Lottery
1996
as Deputy Jeff Simmons
Returning to his small hometown of Icara, Maine, a man discovers its horrible secret -- a bizarre, clandestine ritual that led to his mother's early d...

The Underneath
1995
as Mr. Rodman
A recovering gambling addict attempts to reconcile with his family and friends but finds trouble and temptation when caught between feelings for his e...

Kingfish: A Story of Huey P. Long
1995
as Carl Weiss
A Louisiana governor becomes a controversial political kingpin during the Depression.

Cries from the Heart
1994
as Brandon Richards
Michael, a young autistic boy who has trouble with verbalization but a real talent for technology, uses a computer to plead for help after being moles...

House of Secrets
1993
as Batist
Marion Ravinel is trapped in an abusive spousal relationship. She forms a plan with her husband's former lover to kill him. However, the outcome turns...

The Pelican Brief
1993
as Song and Dance Man from Bar
A law student's theory about the recent deaths of two Supreme Court justices embroils her in a far-reaching web of murder, corruption, and greed.

King of the Hill
1993
as Ben
Based on the Depression-era bildungsroman memoir of writer A. E. Hotchner, the film follows the story of a boy struggling to survive on his own in a h...