Joseph Purcell (actor)

Joseph Purcell
Born (1999-08-12) 12 August 1999
OccupationActor
Parent(s)Dominic Purcell (father)
Tish Cyrus (stepmother)
RelativesTrace, Noah, Brandi, and Miley Cyrus (stepsiblings)

Joseph Purcell (born 8 August 1999) is an Australian and American actor best known for acting in vertical dramas. He first gained attention for his acting on the vertical drama His Nerd on CandyJar, and has since starred in numerous other vertical dramas on the same platform. He is the son of Dominic Purcell and stepbrother of Miley Cyrus.

Biography

Purcell was born in Australia. He originally wanted to become a professional athlete, but was inspired to become an actor after watching The Dark Knight, and dropped out of community college.[1]

Purcell studied the Meisner technique at a theater for two and a half years before starting to act in microdramas in February 2025 after hearing that the jobs were steady. Despite submitting for a supporting role with CandyJar in His Nerd, he was instead offered the lead role; Purcell has since remained with CandyJar.[2][1] He soon went viral on social media for his role in that series.[3][4] He has become one of the most popular male leads in vertical drama.[5]

Purcell has also starred in The Bad Boy Wants Me,[6] Club of Desire,[7] and Falling for my Bodyguard.[3] These shows all received positive reviews from reviewers including Fangirlish.[7][6][8]

He has also played the lead role in the Tubi Original film Glamping (2025).[8][9] He has stated his dream role would be in a dark and gritty film.[2]

Personal life

Purcell is the son of Dominic Purcell, stepson of Tish Cyrus, and stepsibling of Miley Cyrus, Noah Cyrus, Brandi Cyrus, and Trace Cyrus. He is reportedly close with his stepmother. During an appearance on her podcast, they recounted how during the wedding of his dad and stepmother, his speech began: "I never, ever wanted my dad to get remarried. Then I met Tish."[10]

References

  1. 1 2 French, Kennedy (11 February 2026). "Microdramas' Breakout Star: How Joseph Purcell Found Success Amid the Billion-Dollar Boom of Vertical TV". Variety. Retrieved 23 June 2026.
  2. 1 2 Thomas, Carly (21 May 2026). "Microdramas Are Only the Beginning for Joseph Purcell". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 23 June 2026.
  3. 1 2 Gross, Erin E. (23 March 2026). "Falling For My Bodyguard Review: If Joseph Purcell Is In It, We Will Watch It". Fangirlish. Retrieved 23 June 2026.
  4. ↑ "Dominic Purcell's Son Joe Goes Viral for Starring Role in His Nerd Short, Reacts to Success with Stepmom Tish Cyrus". People. Retrieved 23 June 2026.
  5. ↑ D'Agnese, Melissa (16 January 2026). "Meet The Hunks Behind CandyJar: From Joseph Purcell to Nick Skonberg!". Woman's World. Retrieved 23 June 2026.
  6. 1 2 Gross, Erin E. (28 December 2025). "The Bad Boy Wants Me Vertical Series Review: That Voice, Those Tropes, Those Misunderstandings, & That WTF". Fangirlish. Retrieved 23 June 2026.
  7. 1 2 Gross, Erin E. (27 April 2026). "Club Of Desire Review: In The Club Or In The Streets Vertical Fans All Desire Joseph Purcell". Fangirlish. Retrieved 23 June 2026.
  8. 1 2 Pryor, Morgan. "All About Joseph Purcell, the 'Falling for My Bodyguard' Breakout". Swooon. Retrieved 23 June 2026.
  9. ↑ "Review: Niki Koss' "GLAMPING"". Horror Society. 25 October 2025. Retrieved 23 June 2026.
  10. ↑ "Tish Cyrus recalls sweet thing stepson said at Dominic Purcell wedding". Geo News. 4 July 2025. Retrieved 17 August 2026.