Joe Parascand

Joseph Louis Parascand was born on March 2, 1962, in Brooklyn, New York. His father was an electrical engineer and his mother was the owner/instructor of an art school. Joe and his two younger brothers were all exposed to sports and music at an early age. He would eventually become his high school's fastest sprinter as a senior and later a semi-pro baseball pitcher (clocking in as high as 85 mph) until injuries curtailed his involvement in both sports. He also took piano lessons from ages 8-14 and thereafter, learned to play jazz by ear. Although very shy as a youth, he eventually developed the habit of imitating his college professors and, thereafter, his work superiors to amuse his friends and co-workers. However, it took a layoff from Bell Laboratories in late 2002 for him to finally consider pursuing acting the following year at age 41. He signed up with a talent agency, did a couple years of background work while studying the Sanford Meisner technique, and then began to audition for parts. After getting small parts in a few independent films and a couple of commercials in 2004-2005, he temporarily left the field in early 2006. But eventually, as the urge to return proved great, he did so on a part-time basis beginning in 2010. Upon his return, he first played the role for which he's most known: the initially crooked and then later, monstrous, Sheriff Tom Walker in the films of the Mary Horror trilogy: Mary Horror (2011), Sheriff Tom Vs. The Zombies (2013), and Witches Blood (2014). Next, Joe reprised his role as Sheriff Tom Walker in Season 1 of the web/TV series: Zombies Incorporated (2013), a prequel to the Mary Horror trilogy, and then played Sergeant Benton in the Sci-Fi trilogy of films The Soulless (2014), Soulless 2: Sanctuary (2016), and Soulless 3: Revelations (2016). As 2013 came to a close, he played Detective Jack Donnelly in the thriller film, Faces (2014), and then finished off the year by playing Gravedigger Willy in the family-oriented short film, The Legend of Zeke (2014). The combination of a neck injury in late 2013 (which subsequently healed) and a lack of flexibility in his work schedule thereafter made Joe decide to leave acting in the spring of 2015. But before doing so, he reprised his role as Sheriff Tom Walker in Season 2 of the web/TV series: Zombies Incorporated (2013). Next, he played nerdy serial killer Walter Banner in the thriller film, Pretty Fine Things (2016). His final role was that of the evil Father Tom Collins in Season 2, Episodes 5 and 6 of the TV series: Zombie Hunters: City of the Dead (2007).