Joel Courtney stepped onto the red carpet at the 57th Annual GMA Dove Awards on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee.
The annual celebration honors the artists and music shaping Christian and Gospel music. Joel’s appearance was captured by photographer Andrew Nelles for The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK and featured on Reuters Connect.
Joel Courtney recently sat down with Kyle Meredith alongside director Andy Delaney to talk about 40 Dates and 40 Nights, the new romantic comedy starring Joel as Mason opposite Bailee Madison as Leah.
In a new Louisville Public Media interview, Joel and Delaney discuss the film’s approach to the romantic comedy genre, Joel and Bailee’s on-screen chemistry, and the real-life experiences Joel drew on to play Mason.
The story follows Leah, who accepts her grandmother’s challenge to go on 40 dates in exchange for a year’s rent. Mason, played by Joel Courtney, is her longtime friend and a very different possibility from the collection of would-be matches she encounters along the way.
Joel and Bailee knew each other through overlapping Los Angeles social circles before making the film, but 40 Dates and 40 Nights marks their first time working together. Joel told Meredith that their existing familiarity helped create the friendship at the center of the movie, with rehearsals giving them time to develop the smaller moments between Mason and Leah.
Delaney also singled out Joel’s performance, recalling a moment when a simple gesture from Joel reminded him of screen legend Steve McQueen. The director’s goal was to give the actors room to concentrate on character and comedy while keeping the film’s larger-than-life dating premise grounded in recognizable relationships.
The conversation also turned personal when Joel discussed his relationship with his wife, Mia. Their parents were friends before Joel and Mia were born, and Joel described them as the real-life version of two families wondering whether their children might someday grow up and marry.
Although Mia is the only woman Joel has seriously dated, their path included a two-year breakup before they eventually reconciled and married. Joel explained that those experiences with love, heartbreak, connection and conflict gave him real emotions to draw from while playing Mason.
The result is an interesting parallel between Joel’s own story and the romantic comedy at the center of 40 Dates and 40 Nights: sometimes the person you are looking for has been part of your life all along.
Read the full interview and watch Joel Courtney and Andy Delaney’s conversation with Kyle Meredith at Louisville Public Media.
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Joel Courtney has officially signed on to star in and produce the upcoming thriller Echo, an exciting new project that marks the feature directorial debut of filmmaker and content creator Zac Stracener.
The announcement, first reported by Variety, continues Joel's busy 2026 following the theatrical release of 40 Dates and 40 Nights. In Echo, Joel expands his role behind the camera as well, serving as a producer in addition to leading the cast.
While story details remain under wraps, the project brings together Joel's experience in feature films with Zac Stracener's fresh creative vision as he makes the transition into feature filmmaking.
Fans can look forward to more updates as casting, production, and release details are announced.
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Joel Courtney is taking center stage in 40 Dates and 40 Nights, and in a new exclusive interview with Us Weekly, he reflects on making the transition from memorable supporting roles to leading a romantic comedy opposite Bailee Madison.
After winning over audiences as Lee Flynn in Netflix's The Kissing Booth trilogy, Joel now stars as Mason, whose unexpected connection with Leah (Bailee Madison) becomes the emotional heart of 40 Dates and 40 Nights. The film follows Leah as she agrees to go on 40 dates in exchange for a year of free rent, only to discover that love doesn't always follow the plan.
In the interview, Joel credits his experience on The Kissing Booth with preparing him for this next step in his career, saying he learned the rhythms of romantic comedies before finally stepping into the leading role himself. He also praised Bailee Madison as a collaborative scene partner and spoke about the importance of rehearsal in developing the natural chemistry between Mason and Leah.
Joel also discussed working with director Andy Delaney and writer Sarah "Howie" Howard, describing the screenplay as heartfelt and reminiscent of the classic romantic comedies of the early 2000s. He believes audiences are once again embracing stories centered on genuine human connection, making this the perfect moment for a film like 40 Dates and 40 Nights.
40 Dates and 40 Nights opened in select theaters on June 26 and is now available on demand.
You can read the complete Us Weekly interview here.
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Joel Courtney recently spoke with UPI about 40 Dates and 40 Nights, the new romantic comedy starring Joel Courtney and Bailee Madison.
In the film, Bailee Madison plays Leah, a single woman who accepts an unusual offer from her grandmother Gigi, played by Annie Potts: go on 40 dates, and if none of them work out, Gigi will pay Leah’s rent for a year.
Joel Courtney plays Mason, Leah’s date No. 20. Their connection starts with tension after an awkward earlier encounter, but Joel told UPI that the bickering between Mason and Leah helps show the strength of their chemistry. What begins as frustration can become something much deeper when the emotional energy turns in a more honest direction.
The interview gives fans a closer look at Joel’s approach to the romantic comedy, including why the feuding between Mason and Leah was fun to play and why their relationship needed a full emotional arc. Joel also talked about the film’s lighter tone, the challenge of modern dating, and the way 40 Dates and 40 Nights explores connection, empathy, and growth.
40 Dates and 40 Nights is directed by Andy Delaney and written by Sarah “Howie” Howard. The cast includes Bailee Madison, Joel Courtney, Jack Schumacher, Luxy Banner, Eric Nelsen, Jai Rodriguez, and Annie Potts.
The film opened in select theaters on June 26 and arrived on digital video-on-demand on June 30.
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Spectrum Culture has reviewed 40 Dates and 40 Nights, the romantic comedy starring Joel Courtney, Bailee Madison, and Annie Potts.
The review looks at the film’s familiar romantic comedy setup, with Madison playing Leah, a young woman challenged by her grandmother to go on 40 dates in 40 nights. Joel Courtney plays Mason, the romantic lead who keeps crossing paths with Leah through a series of dating app setups, chance encounters, and classic rom-com complications.
While the review is critical of the film’s reliance on romantic comedy tropes and improbable coincidences, it notes that Joel Courtney and Bailee Madison are “reasonably appealing and likable onscreen.” The article also points to the actors’ long careers, with both Joel and Bailee having worked on screen since childhood.
In 40 Dates and 40 Nights, Mason becomes central to Leah’s dating challenge, appearing as one of her app-arranged dates, a fellow dancer at a club, and a potential marketing client for her toy company. Their repeated run-ins form the backbone of the film’s rom-com structure.
Read Joel Copling’s full review at Spectrum Culture.
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Joel Courtney and director Andy Delaney recently spoke with Fangirlish about 40 Dates and 40 Nights, the new romantic comedy starring Joel as Mason opposite Bailee Madison as Leah.
The film follows Leah, a woman exhausted by modern dating, who accepts a challenge from her grandmother to go on 40 dates in 40 nights in exchange for a year’s worth of rent. Along the way, Mason becomes more than just another date, giving the story a gradual, earned romantic arc.
In the Fangirlish interview, Joel Courtney discusses the care required to build Mason’s emotional growth across the film, especially since movies are often shot out of order. He explains how important it is to track where the character has been, what has happened previously, and where the relationship is headed.
That attention to detail is central to Mason’s story. His first date with Leah does not go well, but Mason keeps showing up. Rather than relying on a single grand romantic gesture, 40 Dates and 40 Nights lets the relationship develop through smaller moments of trust, vulnerability, humor, and persistence.
Delaney also talks about directing the film’s romantic comedy tone, including influences from classic early-2000s rom-coms while keeping the movie grounded in the frustrations and emotional walls of modern dating. The interview highlights the collaboration between Joel, Bailee Madison, and Delaney in shaping the film’s chemistry and emotional pacing.
Joel also points to one of the film’s more intimate scenes, where Mason and Leah share a long conversation in her apartment, as a key moment where the relationship deepens. It is the kind of scene that looks effortless on screen but requires careful work from the actors and director to make the emotional shift feel natural.
40 Dates and 40 Nights is out now. Fans can follow Joel Courtney on Instagram, Facebook, X, and YouTube for more updates.
