Joel Murphy Shenton was born July 31, 1974, in Ventura, California. In high school he excelled at English and drama and entered the BFA program in theatre arts at the University of Mississippi in the fall of 1993. He begins the 1996-97 school year as a senior and plans to move to New York upon graduation to pursue acting opportunities there.

At the University of Mississippi, Joel appeared in a number of student productions, including "Hamlet," "Dr. Faustus," "Dirty Work," "Blythe Spirit," "Lips Together, Teeth Apart," "H.M.S. Pinafore," and "Anything Goes." He was a member of the fencing club and Mississippi Students for Choice. During college Joel worked evening and night shifts at the J D Williams Library on campus.

Joel's parents, Beth and Murphy Shenton, live in Ventura. Beth is an orthodontist. Murphy is a screenwriter and former actor; writing credits include episodes of the sitcom "Two's a Crowd" and "Rooth Varland, P.I.". Joel has a sister, Elise, 28, who lives in New York City and works as an associate editor at the fashion magazine Chic.