Nick Mancuso

Occupation: Actor
Born: 1949, southern Italy
Education: University of Toronto (psychology)

Dark, handsome leading man of TV has also worked in (primarily Canadian) films and theater since the late 1970s. Mancuso convinces as mysterious heroes and explosive ethnic characters. His swarthy complexion garnered him roles portraying Indians, Israelis, Latinos, and eastern Europeans. Mancuso was actually born in southern Italy and as a child emigrated to Toronto Canada with his parents. He abandoned psychology after graduating college and pursued an acting career working extensively on the Canadian stage. Mancuso won the attention of prolific American TV producer Stephen J. Cannell who cast him in his first TV movie stateside, DR. SCORPION (1978) (ABC), and the successful two-hour pilot "Stingray" (NBC, 1985). The latter led to a series in which Mancuso played an enigmatic loner who drove a '65 Corvette and helped folks in distress. His more recent TV credits include "Wild Palms" (ABC, 1993), as an outrageous visual artist who has a fateful run-in with Angie Dickinson. Mancuso's most notable film work was a Genie Award-winning performance in TICKET TO HEAVEN (1981), as a young teacher unwittingly indoctrinated into a religious cult. His subsequent credits include the Brandon Lee vehicle RAPID FIRE (1992), and UNDER SIEGE (1992), starring Steven Seagal.