Joshua Elijah Reese | |
|---|---|
| Born | Joshua Elijah Reese (1984-07-14)July 14, 1984 (age 41) |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 2000s–present |
| Website | www.joshuaelijahreese.com |
Joshua Elijah Reese (born July 14, 1984) is an American actor.
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Joshua Elijah Reese was born and raised inPittsburgh, Pennsylvania. As a child, he enjoyed performing with his elementary and middle school choirs. In high school, he had aspirations of pursuing a variety of 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, he had the opportunity to play increasingly challenging roles, including the character Baker inInto the Woods. The role earned him a Best Actor nomination from thePittsburgh Civic Light Opera’sGene Kelly Awards. Reese is a graduate ofPerry Traditional Academy high school (Pittsburgh Perry) and earned hisBachelor of Fine Arts degree in Theatre fromPoint Park University.
He started his professional acting career while still in college performing in numerous theatrical stage productions inPittsburgh's theatre scene: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;Jitney), andKuntu Repertory Theatre (Sarafina).[1]
In 2007, he attained his first television role inThe Kill Point, an eight episode television series that is distinguished as the first original drama to air onSpike TV.[2][3] He played the key role of Derzius, aUS Marine recently returned from serving inIraq. 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 filmHomecoming starringMischa Barton. The film has become an instantcult classic.[4] In 2009, Reese was named one of the Young Pittsburghers to watch by thePittsburgh Post-Gazette.[5] The same year he filmed two movies, the independent filmTrapped and the Twentieth Century Fox filmUnstoppable starringDenzel Washington.
Reese returned to the stage in 2010, starring in the world premiere of playwright Cori Thomas’When January Feels Like Summer at the Pittsburgh City Theatre which won the Elizabeth Osborn New Play Award for an emerging playwright. In the spring, he took on the role of Darnell aka Youngblood in his first August Wilson production,Jitney, with the Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company. Later that summer, he played the role of Ogun Size in the west coast premiere of playwrightTarell Alvin McCraney’sThe Brothers Size at theMagic Theatre (San Francisco,California).[6][7][8][9][10] It is the second time that Reese will appear in a production ofThe Brothers Size. He played Elegba in the Pittsburgh City Theatre production.
He appeared inVal Kilmer’s independent filmRiddle and the filmOne for the Money starringKatherine Heigl.