Joshua Elijah Reese
Joshua Elijah Reese (born July 14, 1984 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) is an American actor.
Early Life
Joshua Elijah Reese was born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. As a child, he enjoyed performing with his elementary and middle school choirs. In high school, he had aspirations of playing sports especially basketball. The dream ended when he failed to make the school’s basketball team. He was disappointed but encouraged by his English teacher to audition for the annual high school musical. He landed a role and has never looked back. Throughout his high school experience, Reese had the opportunity to play increasingly challenging roles, including Baker in Into the Woods. The role earned him a Best Actor nomination from the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera’s Gene Kelly Awards. He is a graduate of Perry Traditional Academy high school (Pittsburgh Perry) and earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Theatre from Point Park University in 2005.
Career
Reese started his professional acting career while still in college performing in numerous theatrical stage productions with theater companies: the Pittsburgh City Theatre (The Brothers Size; Flight) Pittsburgh Public Theater (Ain’t Misbehavin’), Pittsburgh Irish and Classical Theatre (Julius Caesar), Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company (James McBride; Corps Values; A Question of Taste), and Kuntu Repertory Theatre (Sarafina).[1]
In 2007, he obtained his first television role in The Kill Point , an eight episode television series that is distinguished as the first original drama to air on Spike TV.[2][3] He played the key role of Derzius, a US Marine recently returned from serving in Iraq. The series follows the action that ensues when Derzius, along with his marine cohorts, attempt to pull off a major bank heist. The next year, Reese played the character of Billick in the indie-thriller film Homecoming starring Mischa Barton. The film has become an instant cult classic.[4] In 2009 Reese filmed the independent movie Trapped and Unstoppable starring Denzel Washington. The same year, he was named one of the Young Pittsburghers to watch by the Pittsburgh Post Gazette newspaper. [5]
Reese returned to the stage in 2010, starring in the world premiere of playwright Cori Thomas’ When January Feels Like Summer, the Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company’s production of Jitney and at the Magic Theatre (San Francisco, California) for the west coast premiere of playwright Tarell Alvin McCraney’s The Brothers Size.[6][7] [8] It is the second time that Reese will appear in a production of the Brothers Size. He played Elegba in the Pittsburgh City Theatre production and is starring in the role of Ogun Size in the Magic Theatre production. This year, he had roles in Val Kilmer’s independent film Riddle and One for the Money starring Katherine Heigl.
Filmography
The Kill Point (2007) (TV series) as Derzius
Three Rivers (2009) (TV pilot) as EMT
Homecoming (2009) as Billick
Trapped (2009) as Detective Jimmy Ingraham
Unstoppable (2009) as Young Engineer
Riddle (2010) as Deputy Clark
One for the Money (2010) as Deputy
References
- ^ http://www.pittsburghcitypaper.ws/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A55990
- ^ http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2007-07-19-kill-point_N.htm
- ^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0862593/
- ^ http://www.clevelandleader.com/node/10697
- ^ http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09006/939762-51.stm
- ^ http://www.pittsburghcitypaper.ws/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A77554
- ^ http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10134/1057996-325.stm
- ^ http://www.pghplaywrights.com/history
External links
Joshua Elijah Reese at the Internet Movie Database [1]