Joel Goodness

Joel Goodness (born 22 January 1962; age 50) is an actor who played the Bajoran deputy in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "Chimera".

Goodness was born in Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin and attended Assumption High School. Further education included one semester at Viterbo College in La Crosse, Wisconsin.

Goodness has appeared in several soaps such as One Life To Live, Guiding Light, Port Charles, One Life to Live, General Hospital, All My Children and Loving. He performed in the Kennedy Center Honors, Academy Awards and the 1992 Tony Awards shows. Film work includes the drama Regarding Henry (1991) with Harrison Ford and Annette Bening and The Pickle with Ally Sheedy. He can be seen in several episodes of The Rosie O'Donnell Show, HGTV's House Hunters, as a singing waiter with Hinton Battle on The Jeff Foxworthy Show, and dancing on the 69th Academy Awards Show, the 1992 Kennedy Center Honors, and the 1992 Tony Awards. His commercials have included an award winning digitally altered open mouthed face as an Army Sergeant on billboards for AT&T on Army bases all across the United States, a Japanese commercial with Nicolas Cage, a documentary film with Claudia Schiffer, Polar Beer, Heineken Beer, Milwaukee's Best and Miami's Tourism Board. Goodness also produced a production of Mother & Child Off Broadway.

Goodness was part of a summer touring company production of the musical "The Wiz" through UW-Superior, Wisconsin which lead to a dance scholarship at Gus Giordano Dance School in Chicago, Illinois. Two summers performing at Marriott's Great America in the main stage production shows "Evolution of Rock" and "Salute to the Stars". Goodness graduated from the UW-Stevens Point with a self-created Musical Theater Degree and following graduation, he was hired to appear in an original musical entitled "Sweat" at Milwaukee's Performing Arts Center. During college, he was in demand, choreographing area show choirs and high school theater productions including a critically acclaimed production of "Barnum" at the Appleton, Wisconsin. In addition to summer Theme Parks, Goodness rounded out his earlier performing years in NCL Cruise Ship Musical revue shows working for Jean Ann Ryan Productions. On Land, he also did a Las Vegas style production in Miami entitled "Masquerade", working with gymnast Kurt Thomas and his Gymnastics America Company. He went on to stage two casts in "The Sound of Music" at the Derby Dinner Theater in Louisville, Kentucky, in addition to performing in "Lil Abner", "West Side Story" and "A Chorus Line". Heading to New York City, he performed in a National Tour of "Funny Girl" playing Eddie Ryan, two Productions of "Camelot"; one with David Birney and the other with Noel Harrison, "Jesus Christ Superstar" with Adrian Zmed, "Peter Pan" with Cathy Rigby, and the 20th anniversary production of "Hair" with Tishina Arnold, Danielle Brisebois and Roger Bart. Other productions included "Fiddler on the Roof", "La Cage Aux Follies", "Anything Goes" and "The Boy Friend". Off Broadway shows included "Custody and Georgy". Goodness studied dance with Christine La Blaine-DeHart, James Moore, Lea Theodore of the American Dance Theater and Frank Hatchett.

On Broadway Goodness originated the role of Harry in the 5 year smash hit run of "Crazy for You" between 1992 and 1996 and starring Jodi Benson and Harry Groener, also working with other such greats as Jane Connell, Ann B. Davis, Carlton Carpenter and Pia Zidora. He has worked with such directors and choreographers as Susan Stroman, Jerry Mitchell, Maurice Hines, Otis Sallid and Jimmy Locust. He was also one of the original members of "Broadway Bares" and to date B.B. has raised over 5 million dollars for Broadway Cares/ Equity Fights AIDS.