Background and career
Joel Gretsch (born December 20, 1963) is an American actor. His credits include The 4400 (2004–2007), Taken (2002), V (2009–2011), Friends (1995), Saved by the Bell: The New Class (1994), JAG (1999), Silk Stalkings, CSI: Miami, CSI: NY, Burn Notice, NCIS, Law & Order: Criminal Intent, Journeyman, The Legend of Bagger Vance (2000), Minority Report (2002), The Emperor's Club (2002), National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007), The Vampire Diaries (2016–2017), and All Rise (2020).
Gretsch was born in St. Cloud, Minnesota, and grew up in Albany, Minnesota, the son of Russ and Barb. He has a sister, Jane, and a brother, Steve. Gretsch was raised Roman Catholic.
Gretsch studied acting at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis before moving to Los Angeles in 1989. His stage work includes roles in Molière's Tartuffe and John Patrick Shanley's Danny and the Deep Blue Sea. He started his television work in the early 1990s, appearing in episodes of Married... with Children, Melrose Place, Friends and Saved by the Bell: The New Class. Since then he has appeared in episodes of JAG, Silk Stalkings, CSI: Miami, CSI: NY, Burn Notice, and NCIS. In 2006, he played a wealthy advertising executive and husband of a supermodel on an episode of Law & Order: Criminal Intent. In 2007, had two guest appearances playing the father of protagonist Dan Vasser on NBC's Journeyman. Gretsch has also had supporting roles in a number of films including playing Bobby Jones in The Legend of Bagger Vance (2000), Minority Report (2002), The Emperor's Club (2002) and National Treasure: Book of Secrets (2007). In 2008, Gretsch had a recurring role as Pete Raynor, Lindsay Boxer's love interest, on the television series Women's Murder Club. Some of his notable roles include Tom Baldwin on the USA Network series The 4400 in which he starred alongside actress Jacqueline McKenzie, and as Owen Crawford in Steven Spielberg's 2002 science fiction miniseries Taken. Gretsch reunited with Scott Peters (creator of The 4400) on his remake of V. Gretsch played priest and resistance fighter Father Jack Landry in the series. In 2009, he guest starred in the Diablo Cody created Emmy Award nominated Showtime Comedy-Drama The United States of Tara.
Gretsch has been married to actress Melanie Shatner since September 5, 1999. They have two daughters: Kaya (born 2002), and Willow (born July 29, 2005).
Sources
Net-worth figure: Celebrity Net Worth (October 2026), in USD. Biography and career facts: the person's Wikipedia article and linked reporting. Snapshot date for all StarWorth figures: 28 October 2026.
