# Joel McKinnon Miller

Joel McKinnon Miller (born February 21, 1960) is an American actor who is best known for portraying Don Embry on Big Love (2006–2011) and Detective Norm Scully on Brooklyn Nine-Nine (2013–2021).

## Early life

Joel McKinnon Miller was born in Rockford, Minnesota, on February 21, 1960. He took opera singing lessons as a child, and later attended the University of Minnesota Duluth, where he studied theatre and opera. He dropped out in 1983 to attend The Acting Company but returned to his alma mater to finish his degree in theatre with an acting emphasis in 2007.

## Career

Prior to Big Love, McKinnon Miller's main television role was that of Lyle Nubbin in three episodes of Las Vegas. He has appeared as a guest star on single episodes of several American television series, including Cold Case, Murphy Brown, The Commish, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Pacific Blue, Dharma & Greg, The X Files, ER, Malcolm in the Middle, Roswell, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Deadwood, Six Feet Under, Desperate Housewives, Boston Legal, Nip/Tuck, American Horror Story, The Closer, and Everybody Loves Raymond. He was a main cast member throughout the TV series Brooklyn Nine-Nine as Detective Norm Scully.
On film, he has played supporting characters in The Truman Show, Galaxy Quest, Rush Hour 2 and Men in Black II, and supplied the voice of Bromley in the animated feature The Swan Princess.
On December 30, 2018, McKinnon Miller sang the national anthem before a Minnesota Vikings at the U.S. Bank Stadium. He identifies himself as a lifelong Vikings fan.

## Personal life

He married Tammy McKinnon in 1984 and has lived in Los Angeles since 1991. He and his wife have two children, Owen and Caitlyn.
McKinnon Miller is a Lutheran and is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).

## Filmography
### Film

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1992 | Forever Young | Man at Picnic | |
| 1993 | Dream Lover | Minister | |
| 1994 | Wagons East | Zack Ferguson | |
| 1994 | The Swan Princess | Bromley | Voice role |
| 1997 | Dead Men Can't Dance | Bearclaw | |
| 1997 | The Maker | Customs Officer | |
| 1998 | The Truman Show | Garage Attendant | |
| 1999 | Galaxy Quest | Warrior Alien | |
| 2000 | The Family Man | Tommy | |
| 2001 | Rush Hour 2 | Tex | |
| 2002 | Men in Black II | MIB Agent | |
| 2002 | Unconditional Love | Barman | |
| 2002 | Friday After Next | Officer Hole | |
| 2004 | After the Sunset | Wendell | |
| 2005 | Guess Who | Security Guard | |
| 2005 | Just like Heaven | Lead Ghostbuster | |
| 2006 | Love Comes to the Executioner | Ben Blesic | |
| 2007 | Delta Farce | Air Force Transport Pilot | |
| 2007 | The Blue Hour | Jimmy | |
| 2010 | Radio Free Albemuth | Berkeley Detective | |
| 2011 | Little Birds | Michael White | |
| 2011 | Atlas Shrugged: Part I | Herbert Mowen | |
| 2011 | Super 8 | Sal Kaznyk | |
| 2013 | Shotgun Wedding | Hank Fletcher | |
| 2013 | Rushlights | Sal Marinaro | |
| 2016 | Soy Nero | Sergeant Frank White | |

### Television

| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
| 1991 | Murphy Brown | Joe Smith | Episode: "The Smiths Go to Washington" |
| 1992 | The Powers That Be | Telephone Repair Guy | Episode: "Bill's Dead... Not" |
| 1993 | Mother of the Bride | Photographer | TV movie |
| 1993 | Dream On | Dick Hermann | Episode: "Depth Be Not Proud" |
| 1994 | Hardball | Fan #1 | Episode: "Pilot" |
| 1994 | Love & War | Burt | Episode: "The Great Escape" |
| 1995 | The Rockford Files: A Blessing in Disguise | Mackie | TV movie |
| 1995 | The Commish | Michael Muldoon | 2 episodes |
| 1995 | Picket Fences | Painter | Episode: "A Change of Season" |
| 1995 | Courthouse | Officer Lucas | Episode: "Conflict of Interest" |
| 1995 | The Crew | Beer | Episode: "Bar Mitzvah Boy" |
| 1996 | The Home Court | Cousin Roy | Episode: "The Importance of Being Ernie" |
| 1996 | Sister, Sister | Bert Walker | Episode: "Reality Really Bites" |
| 1996 | Pacific Blue | Rat Man | Episode: "The Phoenix" |
| 1996 | Boston Common | Manager | Episode: "Everybody's Stalking" |
| 1997 | Prison of Secrets | Dennis | TV movie |
| 1997 | Crisis Center | Bob | Episode: "Someone to Watch Over Me" |
| 1997 | Dharma & Greg | Hooper | Episode: "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Father" |
| 1998 | Blackout Effect | Brian Mack | TV movie |
| 1998 | The Rat Pack | G-Man #1 | TV movie |
| 1998 | Maggie | Mr. Dawson | Episode: "Ka-Boom" |
| 1998 | Rugrats | Dummi Bear | Voice role; Episode: "Raising Dil/No Naps" |
| 1999 | The X-Files | Deputy Greer | Episode: "Agua Mala" |
| 1999 | The Thirteenth Year | Hal | TV movie |
| 1999 | JAG | Gary Sharps | Episode: "Front and Center" |
| 2000 | Malcolm in the Middle | Officer Karl | Episode: "Stock Car Races" |
| 2000 | ER | Mr. Emerson | Episode: "Match Made in Heaven" |
| 2000 | Miracle in Lane 2 | Bill | TV movie |
| 2000 | Spin City | George | Episode: "The Spanish Prisoner" |
| 2001 | Nikki | Mr. Higgins | Episode: "Fallback" |
| 2001 | The Jennie Project | Frank | TV movie |
| 2001 | Any Day Now | Bartender | Episode: "Peace of Mind" |
| 2001 | Curb Your Enthusiasm | Dr. Wiggins | Episode: "Shaq" |
| 2002 | Undeclared | Mr. Nesbitt | Episode: "Parents' Weekend" |
| 2002 | Roswell | Toby | Episode: "Graduation" |
| 2002 | Push, Nevada | Air Charter Company Manager | Episode: "The Letter of the Law" |
| 2002 | Still Standing | Frank | Episode: "Still Cheering" |
| 2003 | CSI: Crime Scene Investigation | Bird Watcher | Episode: "Got Murder?" |
| 2003 | Tremors | Red Landers | Episode: "A Little Paranoia Among Friends" |
| 2003 | Joan of Arcadia | Don 'Wood Man' Bicke | Episode: "The Boat" |
| 2003 | Secret Santa | Harley | TV movie |
| 2004 | Oliver Beene | Cop | Episode: "Dibs" |
| 2004 | Deadwood | Nathan Gordon | Episode: "Reconnoitering the Rim" |
| 2004 | Six Feet Under | Tuttle Friend With Flattop | Episode: "Grinding the Corn" |
| 2004 | Jack & Bobby | Officer Marty Shallock | Episode: "The First Lady" |
| 2004 | Cold Case | Brad Atwater | Episode: "Who's Your Daddy" |
| 2005 | George Lopez | Ed Driscoll | Episode: "George Negoti-ate It" |
| 2005 | Everybody Loves Raymond | George | Episode: "The Faux Pas" |
| 2005 | Boston Legal | Robert Berrin/Zozo the Clown | Episode: "Truly, Madly, Deeply" |
| 2005 | Desperate Housewives | The Counselor | Episode: "Children Will Listen" |
| 2005 | Gone But Not Forgotten | Frank Grimsbo | TV movie |
| 2005–2006 | Las Vegas | Lyle Nubbin | 3 episodes |
| 2006 | In Justice | Detective Lawson | Episode: "Confessions" |
| 2006 | The Jake Effect | Cop | Episode: "Don't Mess with Sloppy" |
| 2006 | The Closer | Hoss - Bailiff | Episode: "Mom Duty" |
| 2006–2011 | Big Love | Don Embry | Main cast (seasons 1–3), recurring role (seasons 4–5) |
| 2007 | Nip/Tuck | Duke Collins | Episode: "Duke Collins" |
| 2009 | The Cleaner | Officer Larkin | Episode: "The Turtle & The Butterfly" |
| 2010 | The New Adventures of Old Christine | Officer Dutton | Episode: "Revenge Makeover" |
| 2011 | Bones | U.S. Border Agent | Episode: "The Feet on the Beach" |
| 2011 | Community | Store announcer | Voice only cameo; episode: "Celebrity Pharmacology" |
| 2011 | Workaholics | Head Cop | Episode: "6 Hours Till Hedonism II" |
| 2012 | Melissa & Joey | Leo Larbeck | 2 episodes |
| 2012 | Glee | Richard Lavender | Episode: "Dance with Somebody" |
| 2012–2013 | American Horror Story: Asylum | Det. Connors | 3 episodes |
| 2012–2013 | Blue | Mr. Weston | 2 episodes |
| 2013 | Good Luck Charlie | Kevin | Episode: "Duncan Dream House" |
| 2013 | Mob City | Sergeant | Episode: "Reason to Kill a Man" |
| 2013–2021 | Brooklyn Nine-Nine | Norm Scully, Earl Scully | Main cast |
| 2017 | Longmire | Ed Nardo | Episode: "The Eagle and the Osprey" |
| 2022 | The Staircase | Larry Pollard | Miniseries, recurring role |
| 2023 | Station 19 | Reggie | 2 episodes: "Never Gonna Give You Up" and "All These Things That I've Done" |

### Video game

| Year | Title | Role |
| 1996 | Star Trek: Klingon | Pakled Trader |