Heyo! Happy Wednesday! Hope your week is going well so far! This week I thought why not talk about one of the true parasocial loves of my life, Joe Jonas. I say that jokingly. Of course this is just another excuse to write about Joe, not that I need much of an excuse to do so. He is best known more for his music career fronting DNCE and the Jonas Brothers as well as his solo career Did you know he also acts? His acting credits are few, but that doesn't mean they don't deserve recognition. So today, I am breaking down my favorite roles of his.
5. Himself, The Righteous Gemstones
This role is more of a cameo in a couple episodes. I believe he only showed up in two episodes, but his cameos are iconic, hence why it made this list. The Righteous Gemstones is a comedy about a megachurch run by the Gemstones family. Joe's role is as an investor in a Christian resort. His first appearance is a performance. Dressed in what can only be described as "wannabe cowboy" garb, Joe performs "God Blessed Texas". The song is perfectly comedic, and he even puts on a faux Texan accent. In a later scene he tells one of the main character, Jesse Gemstone, that he'd always wanted to get involved in the hotel business having stayed in so many during his career. This version of Joe is a comedic Christianized version of himself. In his final appearance on the show, he is dressed from head to toe in orange, accessorized with a fuzzy matching bucket hat and an oversized gold cross chain. This small role made my top favorite roles of his purely for his performance of "God Blessed Texas" and the horrendous orange outfit.
4. Himself, A Very Jonas Christmas Movie
For this slot, I was between playing himself in A Very Jonas Christmas Movie or Joe Lucas in the Disney Channel show, JONAS. Both roles are very similar since they're both fictionalized versions of himself, but I enjoyed his more recent role just a tad bit more. A Very Jonas Christmas Movie is a Disney+ original Christmas film starring the eponymous Jonas Brothers as slightly fictionalized versions of themselves trying to get home for Christmas with their respective families. I sat slightly because the film also stars their parents, younger brother Franklin, wives, and children. Except for Joe. His daughters did not play themselves in the film, and it seems that they aged them up using older actors to play his children. In the film, Joe is single and reconnects with an old childhood friend, Lucy, played by Chloe Bennett. Joe and Lucy make a connection and sing one of my favorite songs from the film "Feel Something" about wanting to give love a chance, but being afraid to having both gotten out of relationships recently. Joe's performance is over the top, but on brand for a Disney Channel-esque performance. He's charming while also being able to portray some of his insecurities. My favorite song of the whole film is "Best Night" where he briefly portrays Elton John, Daniel Radcliffe, and David and Victoria Beckham in a daydream type scenario. Joe posted a TikTok while they were shooting in drag as Victoria Beckham and I need the man in drag more. That is all I'm saying. His performance, while not Oscar worthy, was still fun and enjoyable to watch.
3. Will Moretti, Hot in Cleveland
Will Moretti, my beloved. This fictional man who was only in two episodes of the entire series has lives rent free in my head since I watched those episodes nearly three years ago. Keep in mind, I have only ever watched the two episodes he is in, so I don't know if his character is mentioned off screen in any other episode, but I loved the two plots they had for him. First time we see him he is visiting his mom for the first time in her new home after she divorced his dad. He is a clueless college student always on his phone, dealing with a clingy girlfriend which causes some conflict, but all is well by the end of the episode. The next time we see him a few seasons later, he is engaged to Emmy, played by Jennifer Love Hewitt, who happens to be the daughter of one of his mom's friends and roommates. There a scene between Will and his soon to be mother-in-law which is my favorite Will Moretti scene where he tells her, "I'm poor and unfamous and I'll probably always be poor and unfamous, but I can guarantee that every night when she gets home she'll have a man with a sympathetic ear, a glass of wine and a foot rub. Now what woman doesn't deserve that?". You can see why I fell in love with him. The engagement is quick and quite a whirlwind. Unfortunately, Will and Emmy's engagement ends when they have a disagreement about their plans for a family. I think Will dodged a bullet, but I still feel bad for the guy. I can't remember what episode it's said, but it is revealed that Will is on the road to become a social worker which wins him even more brownie points with me. Despite it being one of the smallest roles, Will Moretti has become one of my favorite fictional characters. We love and support minor character Will Moretti in this household.
2. Shane Gray, Camp Rock & Camp Rock 2: Final Jam
If anyone has anything negative to saw about the Camp Rock films, I will fight tooth and nail. Camp Rock is the perfect Disney Channel Original Movie and that is the hill I will die on. During my original Jonas Brothers fixation, I watched Camp Rock every single day for months. No joke. Joe's performance as Shane is flawless. Absolutely no notes. Shane Gray is an entitled whiney rock star. Let's not forget how beautifully he pulled off the hip hop dance instructor. Not only was Joe's performance stellar, but he played Shane with such beautiful confidence, which couldn't be easy and it's very much shown in that scene. Let's be real, Joe isn't a dance in real life. Don't let his band DNCE fool you. But you never saw a doubt in his mind when he pulled off those dance moves. Daniel Day Lewis - who I absolutely adore and admire - could NEVER! In the first film we get to see him play an absolute diva which is why he is so iconic and then in the second film we get to see absolutely lovesick puppy eyes Shane who just wants to spend time with Mitchie. Shane Gray 2.0 was so soft and despite how he just wanted to spend the summer with his girlfriend doing cute dates, he still helped her get the camp in shape for Final Jam. Even if he disagreed with some of the decisions and steps she was taking. We love a loving a supportive boyfriend especially when he's as cute as Shane Gray. I cannot wait to see what he has in store for us in Camp Rock 3.
1. Marty Goode, Devotion
Of course, the history nerd is putting a film about a time in history as number one on their list. When I first watched Devotion, it was before Joe waltzed his way back into his head. I watched it as soon as it hit Paramount+ for Glen Powell but as soon as Joe showed up on screen, I immediately said, "I know those eyebrows anywhere". I was pleasantly surprised by his appearance. Man looks good in uniform, I won't lie. The reason this role gets the top spot over Shane Gray which I know is shocking to some people is because of how well he performed in this role. He played Marty Goode, an aviator in the Korean War. He was more of a supporting character, but he did perform when he had to. Joe brought his real-life charm to the character, even portraying Marty as a flirtatious lady's man. Ensign Martin Goode was a real aviator in the Navy, but there wasn't much I could find when I researched him to compare to Joe's portrayal. Overall, I enjoyed his performance and the character. He didn't take attention from the story being told but rather added to it. He was able to capture the emotion of the role, and this film has plenty of emotional moments. I really would love to see him act more in dramas.
Let me know if you agree with my ranking, or you feel like other roles Joe has played deserved to be on the list!
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