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Joel Pelletier: Acting

Joel Pelletier Voiceover Demo (6.8MB MP3)

In 2012 I began pursuing a second (third/fourth/fifth?) career as an actor. Starting with music videos and bit parts as a featured extra in a couple of films and commercials, I now have theatrical and commercial agents for film, television, commercial, voiceover, dubbing and online projects.

The randomness and (at this point) mystery of all of this is fascinating, and like all Art it forces you to try to better understand yourself (I need to smile more). My commercial agency expects me to be "commercial" (industry-speak for generic and attractive), but I am also very interested in pursuing more character parts (a bit less attractive and hopefully way less generic), and I am getting more confidence in future filmmaking possibilities the more theatrical acting I do. There are many roles I could never do (being the wrong body/facial type, etc), and some I will never do, including anything with a gun (seemingly half of all available roles) as well as low life psychopaths (also sadly an unsurprisingly common combination). But the "work" of an actor is to do free auditions and occasionally get paid to say or do things in front of a camera, and since I have my weekdays off and live in the heart of Hollywood (where 80% of all casting offices seem to be walking or Vespa distance from my house) it seems to be "working" for me. My only regret (regarding acting, I suppose) is that I cannot do theatre, being booked many weekends as a musician (I certainly don't regret playing music, only miss out on the training and discipline theatre offers a performer).


Open wide, this may be a little uncomfortable...


As the Mid-Century photographer in The Cheerleader's music video


As the "Chessmaster" beaten by his grand daughter in the 2019 Marriott Bonvoy ad (video below),
directed by French master and AMELIE and ALIEN: RESSURECTION (my fav Alien film) director Jean-Pierre Jeunet,
and photographed by Academy Award winning DP Janusz Kaminski (quite an experience, albiet very quick).
A pleasure to watch them work so effortlessly.


As a Scottish Elvis impersonator for Apple's Group Facetime App.


As an 1860-era portrait artist in the short film VERONA


"Creepy Landlord" with French music artist Marina Kaye, and a dream come true - MSNBC Reporter in a Ludacris music video


Some stills as the teacher (and bad dancer) from STONED ON EASTER by Matt Jaffe & The Distractions (video below). I get in touch with my inner David Byrne for some dance moves

I have created a voiceover audio demo, featuring some reading, some acting, some voices, and comedic threads (most improv).
I grew up listening to Firesign Theatre, National Lampoon Radio Hour and Monty Python, which can't help but
infringe on what I suppose should be a "standard voiceover demo" - whatever that is.
Joel Pelletier Voiceover Demo (6.8MB MP3)

November 2020 ad for Banfield Pet Hospitals, not a stretch for me in ANY way.

2020 ad for Dallas Pets Alive, a pet rescue/adoption org.

In this 2015 REELZ series premier I am "DR. FEELGOOD" Dr. Max Jacobson, the renowned physician and drug pusher.
I do love doing period stuff (esp. 1950's-60's), and I supplied all my own vintage wardrobe.

Here a rough edit of a short film "Los Angeles Immigration" with me as the "Immigration Officer":

2019 ad for Consensys Blockchain, where I show off my glasses collection.

2019 Marriott Bonvoy ad, directed by Jean-Pierre Jeunet (with DP Janusz Kaminski), premiering on the 91st Oscars telecast.

2018 ad for Apple's Group Facetime App; I'm the Scottish blue jumpsuit Elvis.

2018 ad for California Proposition 10, as the father of a grown daughter who can't move out of the house.

Here's a 2018 ad for Kendall Motor Oil where I get in touch with my inner Stingray.

Back in 2014 I shot a short entitled SORRY TO BUG YOU from director Martin Rivera, about a recluse model train builder encountering computer animated bugs.
As with some projects, this one has never been completed (as far as I know), which is a shame. These are two short animation tests from the film.

2020 Voiceover/Puppeteering sketch.

In this 2015 short, "Audition" by Laura Bray, I play a casting director:

Here I am as the dad in the new All Def Digital web sketch "If Dads Talked Like Jaden Smith":

Here's a short improv I did as "Trump's Hairdresser" (originally recorded in March 2016 - simpler times):

The 14 Feb 2017 music video "Heroe Favorito" from online superstar Romeo Santos; I play the bad boyfriend's dad, and get to do the mannequin challenge:

Here's a video from AOL on finding your dream job - I'm the office manager at your NOT dream job:

In this clip from TruTV's series SIX DEGREES OF EVERYTHING I play a singing Beauty Contestant host (featuring my actual singing voice and lots of bronzer):

Here the full video as the "Photographer" in The Cheerleader's new 2015 video for the song THE SUNSHINE OF YOUR YOUTH, which you may have to click thru and watch on YouTube (directed and shot by Alexander Alexandrov):

Here I am as the bearded reporter in the 2015 music video BEAST MODE by Ludacris; expect some clever but rather colorful use of the English language:

May 2015 music video for Matt Jaffe & The Distractions - STONED ON EASTER (as the teacher and bad dancer):

In this 2014 music video for Russian singer Alexander Kogan I am the EMT in the desert race sequence:

I'm the geeky glasses guy (go figure) in this 2013 music video WHEN A FIRE STARTS TO BURN from Brit EDM sibling duo Disclosure:

In this 2013 video from the band Heaven and Earth (directed by Glen Wexler) I'm the guy in the Bunny mask, as well as a general voyer in a few very quick shots:

In 1999 I directed this music video for my song TOUCH (from my CHAMBER POP album; more towards the bottom of the Music page). Shot in 16mm, mostly slow mo in B/W, it features many now dead and dearly missed pets of mine at the time:

You can see more videos of me as an actual musician on the Music page.

I'm trying to work my way up the professional media food chain, with an eventual goal of shooting my own shorts and films. I do like the retro thing, and have provided much of my own wardrobe for 1940s-1960s period pieces (Mad Men and Masters of Sex take note!). Since so much media is about stereotyping, I have focused on intellectual middle-aged male characters, including Doctors, Professors, Musicians and Artists. Fortunately, that's already me, so very little acting seems to be required.

This isn't my first time at the rodeo. Back in the late 1990s-early 2000s I sometimes appeared as a background or "sideline" musician in some films and TV programs, including including Jim Carey's "The Man In The Moon", Star Trek Voyager, VH1's Meatloaf Bio, Family Matters, Celine Dion Special (CBS), INK, Fame LA, Murphy Brown and Columbo.

© 2023 Joel Pelletier, The Way Home Media/Music, Hollywood, CA
email: joelp@joelp.com

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