# Joel Courtney

Joel Courtney (born January 31, 1996) is an American actor known for his role in the 2011 film Super 8 and for his starring role as Lee Flynn in Netflix's The Kissing Booth film series.

## Early life and education

Courtney was born in Monterey, California, on January 31, 1996, and was raised in Moscow, Idaho, where he attended Logos School, a Classical Christian school. While still living in Idaho, Courtney took a trip to Los Angeles during the first week of his summer school break in 2010, where he hoped to be in a commercial and make $100.

## Career

Casting director Patti Kalles advised Courtney to audition for Paramount Pictures' Super 8 (2011). After 11 callbacks, Courtney landed the starring role of Joe Lamb in the film. At the 2012 Saturn Awards, Courtney won the award for Best Performance by a Younger Actor.
In August 2011, Courtney filmed Tom Sawyer & Huckleberry Finn (2014) in Bulgaria, playing the part of Tom Sawyer.
In 2012, Courtney filmed the supernatural thriller Don't Let Me Go (2016), playing a disgruntled teen who joins his father on a camping trip only to have a run-in with otherworldly forces. That same year, he appeared in the Fox TV movie Rogue.
In November 2012, Courtney was cast in the Stephen King film Mercy, which was released direct-to-video in 2014.
In 2013, Courtney was cast in the direct-to-video indie films Dear Eleanor (2016) and Sins of our Youth (2016).
Courtney appeared in the lead ensemble of the CW Television Network series The Messengers, which was cancelled during its single 2014–15 season.
In 2016, Courtney had a one-episode role in the third season of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. as Nathaniel Malick.
Courtney played the lead in the indie project The River Thief (2016), directed by N. D. Wilson. In 2015, Courtney joined the cast of the indie film Replicate and, in 2016, joined the cast of the indie film F the Prom. In 2018, he starred in the Netflix film The Kissing Booth, a role he reprised in the film's 2020 sequel The Kissing Booth 2. Courtney also reprised his Kissing Booth role in the series' third film, The Kissing Booth 3, released in 2021.
In 2020, Courtney was cast in Lionsgate's Jesus Revolution, released in 2023.

## Personal life

On February 14, 2020, he proposed to his longtime girlfriend, Mia Scholink. He married Scholink on September 27, 2020.
Courtney's favorite book series are 100 Cupboards and Ashtown Burials, both by N. D. Wilson, who directed the 2016 film The River Thief, which Courtney starred in.

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role |
| 2011 | Super 8 | Joe Lamb |
| 2012 | Spare Time Killers | Young Tony |
| 2013 | Don't Let Me Go | Nick Madsen |
| 2014 | Mercy | Buddy Bruckner |
| 2014 | Sins of Our Youth | David |
| 2014 | Tom Sawyer & Huckleberry Finn | Tom Sawyer |
| 2016 | Dear Eleanor | Billy Hobgood |
| 2016 | The River Thief | Diz |
| 2017 | F the Prom | Cole Reed |
| 2018 | Assimilate | Zach Henderson |
| 2018 | The Kissing Booth | Lee Flynn |
| 2020 | The Kissing Booth 2 | Lee Flynn |
| 2020 | The Empty Man | Brandon Maibum |
| 2021 | The Kissing Booth 3 | Lee Flynn |
| 2022 | Sick | Tyler Murphy |
| 2023 | Jesus Revolution | Greg Laurie |
| 2024 | Players | Little |
| TBA | On Fire | John O'Leary |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 2011 | The Haunting Hour: The Series | John Westmore | Episodes: "Creature Feature (Part 1)" and "Creature Feature (Part 2)" |
| 2012 | Rogue | Griffin Jones | Television film |
| 2015 | The Messengers | Peter Moore | Main cast |
| 2016 | Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. | Nathaniel Malick | Episode: "Paradise Lost" |
| 2017 | APB | Luke | Episode: "Daddy's Home" |
| 2019 | Double Dare | Himself | Contestant |
| 2020 | Group Chat with Annie & Jayden | Himself | Episode: "Would You Rather Kiss" |

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
| 2011 | Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards | Best Ensemble Acting | Super 8 | Won |
| 2011 | Phoenix Film Critics Society Awards | Best Performance by a Youth in a Lead or Supporting Role - Male | Super 8 | Nominated |
| 2011 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice Movie: Chemistry | Super 8 | Nominated |
| 2011 | Teen Choice Awards | Choice Movie: Male Breakout Star | Super 8 | Nominated |
| 2012 | BAM Awards | Best Performance by a Child Actor | Super 8 | Nominated |
| 2012 | Coming of Age Awards | Best Newcomer | Super 8 | Nominated |
| 2012 | Saturn Awards | Best Performance by a Young Actor | Super 8 | Won |
| 2012 | YouReviewer Awards | Breakthrough Actor | Super 8 | Nominated |
| 2012 | Young Artist Awards | Best Performance in a Feature Film - Leading Young Actor | Super 8 | Nominated |
| 2012 | Young Artist Awards | Best Performance in a Feature Film - Young Ensemble Cast | Super 8 | Nominated |
| 2024 | Movieguide Awards | Best Movie for Mature Audiences | Jesus Revolution | Won |
| 2024 | Movieguide Awards | Epiphany Prize for Most Inspiring Movie | Jesus Revolution | Nominated |