Sam Mandel

Sam Mandel is a native to Los Angeles. He discovered his love for acting at age 4 and pursued it professionally 5 years later, but not before becoming a world traveler. From ages 3-7, Sam sailed all over the world on a 71-foot yacht with his mom, dad, and older twin sisters. He has amassed over 40 principal credits in film, television, commercials, print, theatre and voice-over; including several national commercials (Pokémon, Discovery Channel, McDonald's, Bleacher Report, 23andMe, and more), as well as series regular on ABC/Disney pilot "The Big House," recurring guest star on "Everybody Hates Chris," and guest star/supporting roles in Russell Simmons' "Hungry," DirecTV's "Kingdom," the politically-charged feature film "The Last War Crime," David Fincher's "The Social Network," and Bennett Miller's "Moneyball."

Sam's roster also includes lead actor in countless independent short films, student thesis at top film schools (USC, AFI, UCLA, LMU), and several popular SAG web-series. A versatile actor who shines in both comedy and drama, Sam really stands out in comedy. Having trained at The Groundlings and graduated from the Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB), he's a skilled improviser. He continues to write, direct, and act in sketch comedy YouTube channel "The Jungle Sketch Comedy" with partners Michael Tomasetti and DB Wilson.

Directing is a new passion of Sam's which was further stoked after he was honored with four wins for "Best Director" at international film festivals with his directorial debut of "Charade," a music video he wrote, produced, and directed. In addition to acting and directing, Sam enjoys writing poetry and rap and can be found around town sharing new pieces.