Joel Thomas Hynes

Joel Thomas Hynes (born 1976 in Calvert, Newfoundland and Labrador) is a Canadian writer, performer and actor. He may be credited as Joel Thomas Hynes or as Joel Hynes when acting, but is always credited as Joel Thomas Hynes as a writer. His debut novel Down to the Dirt won the Percy Janes First Novel Award, was shortlisted for the Atlantic Book Award and the Winterset Award, and was longlisted for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award and the ReLit Award. The novel has been translated into numerous international languages and was subsequently adapted into the film Down to the Dirt, in which Hynes also played one of the lead roles. Hynes has also performed numerous lead and leading roles for television, film and theatre. His credits include the television series Hatching, Matching and Dispatching (for which he was also a writer), as well as the films Rabbittown, Crackie, The Con Artist, Messiah from Montreal, Re-Genesis, The Sparky Book, Ashore and numerous others. Hynes was named Artist of the Year by the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council in 2008, has received the Lawrence Jackson Writer's Award, the Summerwork's Theatre Festival's Contra Guys Award, and most recently won the coveted Cuffer Prize. He has also played a recurring character on Republic of Doyle. His book Straight Razor Days was released in September 2011. He wrote the screenplay for and played a supporting character in the 2014 film Cast No Shadow, which also starred his son Percy Hynes-White. He currently lives in Trinity Bay, Newfoundland. He is the nephew of singer-songwriter Ron Hynes.