After serving in the United States Navy, Estevez began pursuing an acting career starting in the early 1970s. He initially used his mother's maiden name, Phelan, before using his surname, Estevez. Throughout his career, Estevez has appeared in numerous film and television roles in lead, supporting, and minor parts playing protagonists and antagonists, and he frequently appears in moderate and low-budget
independent features and
B-movies. In addition, he has worked as a
voice-over artist and performs in stage productions. He has expressed in an interview that he wants to make movies that make a difference. In 1992, he acted in
Armed for Action and
Blood on the Badge. He plays a villain, Cyrus, in the film
Doonby (2012), which features former
The Dukes of Hazzard star
John Schneider as a mysterious stranger who comes into a small town and falls in love with the spoiled daughter of Estevez's character, the local doctor. He also co-stars with
David Faustino in the feature
Not Another B Movie (2011) released by
Troma Entertainment.
On Cinema Since 2013, Estevez has worked with alternative comedians
Tim Heidecker and
Gregg Turkington on various projects including
On Cinema,
The Tim Heidecker Murder Trial and as President Jason Davidson (and President Davidson Jr.) on the
Adult Swim series
Decker. In all his collaborations, Estevez either plays a fictionalized version of himself or a character being portrayed by a fictionalized version of Joe Estevez. ==Personal life==