365 Days of Columbo: May 26th

Happy birthday Joe Chrest

Joe Chrest, born on May 26, 1963, in Saint Albans, West Virginia, appeared as Detective Mercer in season 12's Undercover. He attended St. Albans High School, later earned his undergraduate degree from Marshall University, and served in the Air Force. In the late 1980s, he earned an MFA in acting from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Chrest has had roles in numerous films and television shows, including 21 Jump Street, 22 Jump Street, Oldboy, Lee Daniels' The Butler, The Perfect Date, and as Ted Wheeler in Stranger Things. He is also an adjunct professor at the School of Theatre in Louisiana State University's College of Music & Dramatic Arts.

Chrest has the unusual distinction of being one of the few people, other than Peter Falk, who got to drive the iconic Peugeot.