Joseph David Reitman is an American actor, producer, director, screenwriter, and professional poker player. With a career spanning nearly 2 decades, Joseph has proven his mettle in whichever field he has laid his hands on. With a strong background in arts and design, he has performed in various movie and TV projects. Two of his memorable roles are that of ‘Very Bad Santa’ in ‘Happy!’ and ‘Creepy Ed’ in ‘Marvel’s The Punisher.’ His love for poker has made him a familiar face in various poker tournaments. His ex-fiancée, Annie Duke, is also a well-known poker player.
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Childhood & Early Life
Born on May 25, 1968 in Brookline, Massachusetts, US, Joseph David Reitman had developed a passion for acting at an early age.
He grew up in Brookline and graduated from ‘Brookline High School’ in 1986. Soon, his passion for acting served as a catalyst for him to study theater. He graduated with a BA in theater from ‘Pitzer College’ Claremont, California, in 1990, and also completed his theater education from ‘Pomona College.’
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Career
After moving to Los Angeles, California, in pursuit of acting roles, Joseph began working as a bartender, at ‘The Sidewalk Café’ in Venice Beach, California, to sustain himself. His acquaintances recall that he would improvise/imitate the New York and Southern accents of his customers. After his shifts, he would always go for auditions, hoping to make a cut. Eventually, his hard work paid off and he began receiving small film and TV roles.
Joseph first gained recognition with his recurring role in the American TV sitcom 'Married... with Children,' which brought him at the forefront with talented newcomers. This helped him get better roles.
For a while, he and Johnny Vaughan hosted a segment of entertainment news on ‘The Big Breakfast.’
He has worked as a producer for projects such as 'Use Me,’ 'Penn & Teller: Fool Us,' and 'The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.'
He has also appeared in two video games: as ‘Dick’ in 'Mr. Payback: An Interactive Movie' and as ‘Bruno Pantucci’ in 'Blue Heat: The Case of the Cover Girl Murders.'
He wrote the short films 'Survivin′ the Island' (2002) and 'Leo' (2007) and a comic story for ‘Marvel’s ‘Spider-Man Unlimited #14,’ titled 'S.C.U.D.S,' published in 2006.
Joseph has participated in the ‘World Series of Poker’ four times and has won the ‘UltimateBet.com’ $1.0 million ‘Guaranteed Tournament.’ He has also displayed his poker skills at various charity events.
Joseph and his ex-wife, Shannon Elizabeth, are the co-founders of a non-profit organization for animals, 'Animal Avengers,’ geared toward combating the massacre of animals and preventing them from extinction. 'Animal Avengers' began in the US but has now set foot in the African continent, too. Joseph has also served as the personal manager for Shannon.
He has directed the shorts ‘Leo’ and ‘Survivin' the Island’ and the shows ‘Lying for a Living’ and ‘The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson’ (a few episodes).
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Joseph is also the director of ‘Cup O Joe Productions’ and the president of ‘No Talent Films.’
His latest movie was the 2019 short film ‘Ghosted.’ He also provides acting classes to budding actors.
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Major Works
Some of his most notable projects are ‘American Pie 2’ (2001), 'The Perfect Storm' (2001), 'Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back' (2001), ‘Charmed’ (2006), ‘Crank: High Voltage 2’ (2009), 'Money Monster' (alongside George Clooney and Julia Roberts, 2016), ‘Happy!' (2017), 'Bandidas' (2006), 'CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,' 'CSI: Miami,' 'Supernatural,' and 'Marvel's The Punisher.'
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Family & Personal Life
Joseph married fellow actor Shannon Elizabeth at a small beachfront event at ‘Hotelito Desconocido,’ Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, on June 15, 2002. They divorced in 2005. However, they have remained friends and also maintain a professional relationship. Joseph Reitman still serves as a personal manager for Shannon.
He started dating fellow professional poker player Annie Duke in 2006. They got engaged on December 25, 2010. Unfortunately, the couple split in May 2012.
Net worth
As of March 2019, Joseph holds a net worth of nearly $500,000.
Trivia
Joseph is a ‘Boston Red Sox’ fan and an avid video game player. He has publicly supported Bernie Sanders for his presidential candidacy.
He had shared screen space with his ex-wife and fellow actor Shannon Elizabeth in at least three movies.
He has also starred in a music video titled 'Walk in the Sun' by American singer-songwriter Bruce Hornsby in 1995.
He is a dog lover and his favorite holiday is Christmas.
