Sam Mandel was born in Los Angeles, CA. He discovered a 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. Since their adventure, he's amassed over 30 principal credits in commercials, television, film, voice-over, and theatre; including national commercials (Pokémon, Discovery Channel, McDonald's) a starring role on ABC/Disney pilot "The Big House" with "Flashdance" famed actress Jennifer Beals, recurring guest-star on Chris Rock's sitcom "Everybody Hates Chris", guest-star on Russell Simmons' hit show "Hungry", co-star on DirecTV's drama "Kingdom" starring Matt Lauria, supporting role in politically charged feature film "The Last War Crime", and featured in David Fincher's "The Social Network" starring Jesse Eisenberg and featured in Bennett Miller's "Moneyball" starring Brad Pitt.Sam has been the leading actor in countless independent short films, student thesis at leading film schools (USC, AFI, UCLA, LMU), and series-regular in several popular SAG web-series. He continues to write, produce, direct, and act in sketch comedy group "Gamer Guy and the Guardians", with partners Michael Tomasetti and DB Wilson, releasing new sketches monthly on their YouTube channel "Gamer Guy and the Guardians" to a large, supportive audience.In addition to acting, Sam is a three-time award winning director, recently expanding into the directing world with his debut of Charade the music video in June 2016; which he wrote, produced, and directed. So far he's been honored with three wins for Best Director at international film festivals in the summer of 2016 and has two Official Selections pending as of September 2016. These acknowledgements have given Sam much encouragement to continue directing.A versatile actor who thrives in both comedy and drama, Sam really shines in comedy. Having trained at both The Groundlings and Upright Citizens Brigade (UCB), he's a skilled improviser.In addition to acting and directing, Sam enjoys writing poetry and rap and can be found around town sharing new pieces. Show less «