Biografia
David Mendenhall began his career at age four with a commercial for Mattel Toys. By his teenage years, he had appeared in over 150 television and radio commercials and had roles on TV shows such as "Our House" (two seasons), "Taxi" (two seasons as Marilu Henner's son), "Diff'rent Strokes," "The Twilight Zone," "The David Copperfield Special" (as young Copperfield), and "The Wayne Newton Special" (as young Wayne Newton).
From 1979 to 1986, David was a regular on ABC's "General Hospital" as Mike Webber, earning a Soap Opera Digest Award for Best Youth Actor in a Daytime Continuing Drama. He also won several Youth in Film Awards during this period, including Best Youth Actor in a Daytime Drama Series. Transitioning to feature films, by the late 1980s, David was featured in major teen magazines and worked with notable entertainment figures such as Danny Kaye, Sammy Davis Jr., Roger Corman, Danny DeVito, Bill Bixby, Janusz Kaminski, Ruth Buzzi, Brock Peters, Burgess Meredith, Demi Moore, and Menahem Golan.
His film credits include starring opposite Christina Applegate in the thriller "Streets" (1990); appearing with Sally Kellerman and Michael Moriarty in "Secret Of The Ice Cave" (1990); "Going Bananas" (1988) alongside Dom DeLuise and Jimmy Walker; playing Sylvester Stallone’s son in "Over The Top" (1987), for which he received two Razzie Awards for Worst New Star and Worst Supporting Actor; starring with Johnny Yune in "They Still Call Me Bruce" (1987); featuring with Shelley Winters in the thriller "Witchfire" (1985); and co-starring with Vince Edwards in Roger Corman's "Space Raiders" (1983).
Throughout the 1980s, David also lent his voice to numerous animated specials, series, and films including "The Cabbage Patch Christmas Special," "Robo Force," "Puff The Magic Dragon," "The Smurf's Christmas Special," "Kangaroo," "Potato Head Kids," "Galtar," "The Berenstain Bears" (as Brother Bear), "G.I. Joe," "Transformers," "The Transformers Movie," and "The Rainbow Brite Movie." Additionally, he recorded several story albums for Disney Records, such as "The Black Stallion," "E.T.," "Gremlins," "Goonies," and "The Swiss Family Robinson."
After a busy decade and coping with his father’s death from cancer, David pursued higher education, graduating Magna Cum Laude from the University of Southern California in 1998 with a Bachelor’s degree in Theatre and Cinema-Television. He continued his studies, earning a Juris Doctor from Southwestern University School of Law in 2001. Equipped with his credentials, David reentered the entertainment industry as a contract attorney for major studio legal departments, including NBC and Universal Studios. A lifelong writer, he also worked as a journalist during the 2000s for publications such as Indie Slate Magazine and the Daily Journal.
In 2008, David returned to entertainment production, initially working behind the scenes for Lock and Key Productions on seasons 3 and 4 of NBC’s "Deal or No Deal." Since then, he has earned producing credits on various prime time network shows.
David has dedicated time to supporting nonprofit organizations, participating in events for the American Cancer Society, The Adam Walsh Foundation, The Just Say No Foundation, The Motion Picture and Television Hospital, the D.A.R.E. program, the March of Dimes, Actors and Others for Animals, the Starlight Children’s Foundation, and Make-A-Wish.
A devoted theatre enthusiast, David has been involved in numerous stage productions in Los Angeles since the early 1990s and is currently a member of Above The Curve Theatre group. As a professional actor, 2016 marked his 40th year as a member of Screen Actors Guild-AFTRA. He recently played a featured role in Bobcat Goldthwait’s dark comedy "God Bless America." He actively serves on the SAG-AFTRA National Young Performers Committee, advocating for the protection of child actors.
David is currently engaged in several productions at various development stages for worldwide digital, television, and theatrical release.
