Chrest is also an adjunct professor at the School of Theatre in Louisiana State University's College of Music & Dramatic Arts.[7] He teaches a film acting class.[2] Since 1992, he is a founding member of LSU's Swine Palace.[1][8]
^ abBergeron, Judy (13 December 2017). "Baton Rouge actor part of 'Stranger Things' ensemble nominated for SAG Award". The Baton Rouge Advocate. Archived from the original on 16 January 2024. Retrieved 19 January 2023. Chrest, who plays Ted Wheeler on the series, grew up in West Virginia, but in the late 1980s came to LSU to get his master's degree in acting. The longtime character actor teaches a film acting class at LSU.
^Ferrell Smith, Charlotte (14 June 2001). "What's the most fun job Joe Chrest has ever had?". newsbank. Charleston Daily Mail (WV). Archived from the original on 16 January 2024. Retrieved 19 April 2023. Chrest, 38, earned his undergraduate degree from Marshall University and his master's from Louisiana State University.
^Sigur, Matthew (22 November 2016). "'Stranger Things' happened to BR actor *** Joe Chrest racks up roles while teaching at LSU". The Baton Rouge Advocate. Archived from the original on 16 January 2024. Retrieved 19 January 2023. Though Chrest grew up in West Virginia, he landed in Baton Rouge on a whim. In the late 1980s, he came to LSU to get his master's degree in acting. "I was on my way to New York," Chrest said, laughing. "I didn't intend to go to grad school. I had to look on the map to see where Baton Rouge was. I thought I would go audition and get a tune up for the stuff I wanted to do. Because I didn't care about it, it was one of the best auditions I ever gave. I got the full ride down here, and I was like, 'I'll go try it out.' It turned out to be one of the best things I ever did." Chrest now teaches a film acting class at LSU. And, 20 years into his career, his résumé as a character actor continues to grow.
^ abBergeron, Judy (15 October 2019). "Hulu's 'Looking for Alaska' finds Louisiana; series will debut on Friday". The Baton Rouge Advocate. Archived from the original on 16 January 2024. Retrieved 19 January 2023. Walter is portrayed by former Baton Rouge actor Joe Chrest ("Stranger Things"), who lived in the area while earning his master of fine arts degree from LSU, where he helped found Swine Palace Theatre. Shooting the series last spring brought Chrest close to his old stomping grounds, as filming locations included Hammond, Amite, Loranger, Covington and Mandeville, as well as Birmingham, Alabama.
^Bergeron, Judy (28 October 2022). "Bring on the screams, shudders with these 5 Louisiana-shot thriller movies". The Baton Rouge Advocate. Archived from the original on 16 January 2024. Retrieved 19 January 2023. Starring Kate Hudson, Gena Rowlands, Joy Bryant and Peter Sarsgaard. Louisiana cast includes actor Joe Chrest and the Rebirth Brass Band.
^Foil, David (27 October 1986). ""Rimers of Eldritch" a meaningful production". Newsbank. Baton Rouge Advocate. Archived from the original on 16 January 2024. Retrieved 18 April 2023. The audience's close proximity to the action even enhances the performances of Kathryn Green, as the satisfied small-town girl Lena Truit, and Joe Chrest as the deceptively laid-back Josh, her boyfriend.
^Foil, David (30 April 1988). "Shepard's "Fool for Love" achieves seething tension". Newsbank. Baton Rouge Advocate. Retrieved 18 April 2023. "As Martin, the unfortunate fellow who has a date with May, Joe Chrest is superb."
^Ferrell Smith, Charlotte (14 June 2001). "What's the most fun job Joe Chrest has ever had?". newsbank. Charleston Daily Mail (WV). Archived from the original on 16 January 2024. Retrieved 19 April 2023. A few of his stage credits include "Fool for Love" at the Kennedy Center and a Gordon Davison production of "Guns."
^Goldsmith, Sue (3 December 1988). ""The Wild Duck" cast captivates audience. *** Hateable villain leads Ibsen drama". Newsbank. Baton Rouge Advocate. Archived from the original on 16 January 2024. Retrieved 18 April 2023. If ever there were a villain the audience loved to hate, it is Joe Chrest's portrayal of Gregers in the LSU Theatre production that opened Thursday and ends Dec. 9. By the time he made his stage entries in the second act, audience members were whispering such comments as, "Oh, God, shoot him before he can do any more harm!" Gregers takes idealism to idiotic extremes as he sets out to meddle in other people's lives (he is trying to help, not being deliberately malicious).
^Ferrell Smith, Charlotte (14 June 2001). "What's the most fun job Joe Chrest has ever had?". newsbank. Charleston Daily Mail (WV). Archived from the original on 16 January 2024. Retrieved 19 April 2023. Chrest, who now lives in Los Angeles, will spend his summer working with Theatre West Virginia. Aside from his director duties, he also will perform in "The Sound of Music" as Captain Von Trapp.
