Biographie
Sam Mandel, an LA native, fell in love with acting as a child. He started his career at the age of nine, but not before embarking on the voyage of a lifetime. From ages 3-7, Sam sailed all over the world with his mom, dad, and older twin sisters on their sailboat. Since that time, which shaped his adventurous spirit and curious nature, he's earned over 40 principal credits in film, television, commercials, theatre, print, and voiceover. Noteworthy credits include: series regular on ABC/Disney pilot "The Big House," recurring guest star on Chris Rock's "Everybody Hates Chris" and Russell Simmons' "Hungry," co-star on DirecTV's "Kingdom," supporting role in the politically-charged feature film "The Last War Crime," featured in David Fincher's "The Social Network" and Bennett Miller's "Moneyball," and lead actor in The Fountain Theatre's West Coast Premiere of "The Chosen"; which grew into a six-month, sold-out run while garnering an Ovation Recommendation, LA Times Critic's Choice, and dozens of rave reviews. Sam has also been the "hero" in many national commercials, including (McDonald's, 23andMe, Bleacher Report, Pokémon, and Discovery Channel) and a pin-up model for the Nice Jewish Guys Calendar 2019 as Mr. July; enough to make any Jewish mother plotz!
Sam has honed his skills to become a versatile actor who shines in both comedy and drama. Having trained at The Groundlings and graduated from the Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB), he's a skilled improviser.
In addition to acting, Sam enjoys writing, producing, and directing. He earned four awards for "Best Director" at international film festivals with his directorial debut of "Charade," a music video he wrote, produced, and directed. He also wrote, produced, directed, and acted in a successful sketch comedy group on YouTube named "Jungle Sketch Comedy" for several years with Groundlings classmates Michael Tomasetti and DB Wilson. The trio amassed a significant fan base by creating satires, parodies, and original short and long-form sketches.
A creative through and through, Sam also enjoys writing poetry, rap, and freestyle rapping.
