Joseph Cure facts for kids

Joseph O'Connell Cure (born December 10, 1983 – died November 8, 2015) was an American ice hockey player and actor. He was best known for his role in the 2004 Walt Disney Pictures movie Miracle. In the film, Joseph played Mike Ramsey, who was the youngest player on the U.S. ice hockey team. This team famously won at the 1980 Winter Olympics, an event known as the "Miracle on Ice".

Early Life and Learning

Joseph Cure grew up in Bloomington, Minnesota. He was one of three children. Joseph started playing ice hockey when he was five years old. Before high school, he was already playing in a league for young players.

In 2002, Joseph and his hockey team from the Academy of Holy Angels won the state hockey tournament in Minnesota. He graduated from high school that same year. After high school, Joseph moved to Texas to play junior ice hockey. He also attended Baylor University before he was chosen for the movie Miracle.

Later, Joseph earned a bachelor's degree from the University of California, Los Angeles in 2008. He then moved to Bozeman, Montana. There, he studied to prepare for medical school. He was also working on a master's degree in neuroscience at Montana State University.

Acting and Hockey Career

Joseph Cure had no acting experience when he tried out for Disney's movie Miracle. This film was about the amazing "Miracle on Ice" moment at the 1980 Olympics. Joseph was the youngest actor chosen to play a hockey player in the movie. He played Mike Ramsey, who was the youngest player on the real 1980 U.S. ice hockey team.

The movie Miracle came out on February 6, 2004. Joseph once said about his audition, "I'm out in L.A., auditioning and pretending to be an actor, hoping somebody buys it." This movie was his first time acting in a film.

Ten years later, in 2014, Joseph talked about the movie again. He said, "The story of ‘Miracle’ is truly a love story about 20 young boys coming together and taking on the world." He also noted that being part of Miracle changed how he saw the Olympics forever.

His Passing

Joseph Cure passed away on November 8, 2015, at the age of 31. He was in a traffic accident on Montana Highway 287 in Madison County, Montana. The road was slippery, which caused his vehicle to slide and roll over. A passenger in his car, who was also a student, was seriously hurt. Joseph was survived by his parents, Bob and Mary Cure, and his two siblings, Kelly and Randy.