Joe Lo Truglio
A versatile comedic character actor whose deeply committed and endearing portrayal of Charles Boyle turned a supporting role on Brooklyn Nine-Nine into a fan-favorite heart.
Born 1970 (age 56)·American actor and comedian·Birthday: December 2·Generation X
Biography
Joe Lo Truglio didn't burst onto the screen; he steadily, hilariously colonized it. A veteran of the groundbreaking MTV sketch show *The State*, he honed an ability to find the profound weirdness and vulnerability in every character. His filmography in the 2000s became a roadmap of cult comedy classics, from *Wet Hot American Summer* to *Superbad*, where he was the reliable scene-stealer. But it was as Detective Charles Boyle on *Brooklyn Nine-Nine* that he found his defining role. Lo Truglio infused Boyle with an unmatched, puppy-dog earnestness and bizarre passions, transforming what could have been a mere quirky sidekick into the emotional core of the precinct. His performance was a masterclass in finding humanity in eccentricity, proving that the most memorable characters are often the ones who love their world, and their friends, the most fiercely.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Joe was born in 1970, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Joe Was Born
The biggest hits of 1970
#1 Movie
Love Story
Best Picture
Patton
#1 TV Show
Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In
Joe's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1970Born
First Earth Day; The Beatles break up
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $17,000Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Bridge over Troubled Water" — Simon & GarfunkelBest Picture: Patton
1975Started school
Fall of Saigon ends the Vietnam War
Gas: $0.57/galHome: $27,600Min wage: $2.10/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Love Will Keep Us Together" — Captain & TennilleBest Picture: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
1983Became a teenager
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1986Could drive
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1988Could vote
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1991Turned 21
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
2000Turned 30
Y2K passes without incident; contested Bush-Gore election
Gas: $1.51/galHome: $119,600Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Breathe" — Faith HillBest Picture: Gladiator
2010Turned 40
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 50
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 56 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Portrayed the beloved, food-obsessed Detective Charles Boyle for all eight seasons of the hit series Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
- Was a founding cast member of the influential 1990s sketch comedy series *The State* on MTV.
- Appeared in a string of defining cult comedy films including *Wet Hot American Summer*, *Superbad*, and *Role Models*.
- Co-wrote and starred in the comedy film *I Love You, Man* alongside Paul Rudd and Jason Segel.
Did You Know?
He is married to actress Beth Dover, who also appeared in *Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp*.
He and his *Brooklyn Nine-Nine* co-star Andy Samberg are longtime friends and collaborated on *The Lonely Island*.
He provided the voice of the character 'Belly' in the animated film *The Bob's Burgers Movie*.
He graduated from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts.
“Comedy lives in the specific details of a person's private chaos.”
