Major Joel Van Brunt

A husband, a Church volunteer musician, an actor and a Marine Corps Cobra Pilot who supported marines, soldiers and sailors on the ground in Iraq make up just a small part of Joel Van Brunt’s persona. Born in Richmond, Indiana, raised in Rochester, New York, and the oldest of three boys, Joel was the first in his family to volunteer for military service through the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps program at Northwestern University where he studied electrical engineering and acting.

After graduation, Joel trained to become a Cobra Attack Helicopter Pilot – a role which he still fills today as a Reservist. In his eight years of active duty service, Joel deployed three times, serving two tours in Iraq and one tour in Okinawa, Japan. After completing active duty in 2007, Joel moved to Burbank, California, in order to pursue acting. Over his 19 months in Burbank, Joel acted in 15 short films, 6 television shows, 2 feature films and 3 stage plays, making appearances on a variety of shows, including House, Heroes, General Hospital, Race to Witch Mountain, Night Shift and Call 911.

Most recently, Joel completed his first year at the prestigious Kennedy School at Harvard University where he is earning a Master’s degree in public policy. Joel hopes to use his education to combine his desire to serve with his love of performance by going into documentary and narrative film production after graduation.