Biography
David Preston was born in Santa Monica, California and raised in Hollywood. Rebellious by nature, David was naturally drawn to the surf/skate/music culture of the late 70's which deeply influenced his approach to art and creativity. After graduating from Fairfax High, his father, veteran film publicist, Joel Preston introduced him to good friend and acting teacher Nina Foch where David quickly found his passion for the craft. He went on to study with the incomparable Peggy Feury and William Traylor at the Loft Studio, as well as Howard Fine, Arlene Golonka and Jeffrey Marcus.
David's first television appearance was on The New Gidget (1986) playing the perpetually surfed-out Murph the Surf. Other notable guest appearances include double-agent Jack Teague on the Ke Kanaka I Ha'ule Mai Ka Lewa Mai (2018) episode of Hawaii Five-0 (2010), arsonist and kidnapper Henry Carson on the two-part series finale episode Ashes to Ashes (2024) of Magnum P.I. (2018), as Gerald the snake charmer on The Rookie (2018), as Agent Wilson on Syfy's Stormageddon (2015) and opposite Jeffrey Tambor and Amanda Pays on the cult-favorite Max Headroom (1987) among others.
On film, he has played opposite James Woods in The Boost (1988) directed by Harold Becker, opposite Lucy Liu in Bang (1995) directed by Ash Baron-Cohen and as Jeremy in Higher Power (2018) from producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura to name a few.
His stage credits include memorable performances as Bob Ewell in To Kill A Mockingbird, Carlson in Of Mice And Men, Dr. Adam Stanton in All The King's Men, Prince Escalus in Romeo & Juliet, Armen in Rant Part Deux and as Bobby's Father in Dennis Lehane's Coronado which was noted by StageSceneLA's Steven Stanley "played to scary perfection by David Preston."
David also gave a haunting performance playing the infamous SS Colonel Josef Meisinger in "Fugu" where reviewer Joe Straw wrote, "Preston's work is exceptional and he brings a dark presence to the man who has been called in real life 'The Butcher of Warsaw'."
David has also appeared in numerous short films playing a variety of characters including Jake, a father destroyed by guilt, attempting to re-connect with his daughter in Nightfall (2019). As a jaded E.M.T. in the thriller Ambulance (2016), as the paranoid Teddy, a reclusive trophy hunter in the thriller The Big Five (2019), as terminally-ill Conor determined to die with dignity in the drama Tidelands (2021), and most recently, as Elio Rossi, an Italian mobster with a secret in the dark comedy Made (2022).
