Joel McKinnon Miller

Joel McKinnon Miller is an American actor whose career spans over three decades, beginning in the early 1990s and continuing to the present day. Born on February 21, 1960 in the small town of Rockford, Minnesota, he discovered a love for performance early, taking opera singing lessons as a child before turning his focus to theatre. He enrolled at the University of Minnesota Duluth where he studied both theatre and opera, a dual emphasis that honed his vocal and dramatic skills. Although he left the university in 1983 to join The Acting Company, he returned years later, completing his degree in theatre with an acting emphasis in 2007, demonstrating a lifelong commitment to learning his craft. His early professional work included a memorable recurring role as Lyle Nubbin on Las Vegas and a multitude of guest appearances on series such as The X‑Files, Malcolm in the Middle, Deadwood, and American Horror Story, establishing him as a versatile character actor capable of both comedic timing and dramatic depth. Miller’s breakout television roles arrived with the HBO drama Big Love, where he portrayed the earnest farmer Don Embry from 2006 to 2011, and later as the affable yet bumbling Detective Norm Scully on the beloved sitcom Brooklyn Nine‑Nine, a part he inhabited for eight seasons. His filmography also includes supporting roles in high‑profile movies like The Truman Show, Galaxy Quest, Rush Hour 2, and Men in Black II, as well as voice work as Bromley in the animated classic The Swan Princess. Off‑screen, Joel married Tammy McKinnon in 1984, and the couple has two children, Owen and Caitlyn. A dedicated Minnesota Vikings fan, he famously sang the national anthem at a Vikings game in 2018. He maintains his Lutheran faith through affiliation with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and he has lived in Los Angeles since 1991, continuing to add depth and humor to every role he tackles.