About Nick...      Nick Bender is a versatile performer and loves portraying a variety of characters whether it is in the theatrical realm, on film or television, for a voiceover or for modeling. He is currently SAG and AFTRA eligible. He is a graduate of the School of Theatre at the University of Southern California. He is currently living and working in the Chicago-land area and is willing to travel for any new job or audition opportunity.       Bender co-stars in the webseries, The Rent, which was nominated for a Chicago Emmy. Mr. Bender also has a wide range of short film credits. Most recently he wrapped his part of John in the short film, Hernadez. Prior to that, he co-starred in the short Hypnocus Pocused in which he plays Frank. Hypnocus won Best Acting, Best Short Film and Best Directing at the 2011 Columbia University National Film Festival and won for Best Student Produced Short at the 2011 Naperville Independent Film Festival. Another one of his shorts, Garbage Day! won Best Acting at CUNFF.      Bender has multiple feature film credits. In the feature film The Interrogation, he plays the role of Charlie, a man trying to save himself and avoid life in prison. The Interrogation premiered in December of 2010, hit the festival circuit in 2011 and will be available on Netflix later this year. Bender also stars in the role of the gruesome serial killer, Victor, in the horror film, Murder for Pleasure, coming later this year. A few other roles include Mason, a young autistic man in Jibboo, Squint, the demon in Thinking Speed and the role of 'Euro-trash boyfriend' Zach in Periods of Rain. These three features will all hit the festival circuit in 2012.      Bender's voiceover resume is headed up by his most recent commercial, a national spot for DeVry University. His voiceover for Mario Tricoci aired on WMAQ-TV (NBC), ESPNChicago.com and on WBBM 780AM radio. He has also recorded voiceovers for Cricket Wireless, Universal Technical Institute, Dr. Pepper Snapple Group and the Illinois Education Association, among others.      Bender's most recent theatrical endeavor was with Buffalo Theatre Ensemble in which he portrayed Laurence in Shining City. Prior to working with BTE, Bender worked with Village Theatre Guild where he played Simon in The Real Inspector Hound. He has also worked with Strawdog Theatre where he portrayed Kenny in Fuddy Meers, Jedlicka Performing Arts Center where he played Gilbert in The Muckle Man, and GreenMan Theatre where he portrayed Mr. Kilroy in Woody Allen's Don't Drink the Water. Bender is also a director for the Naperville North High School Theatre Department where he has directed such shows as Backstage, Picasso at the Lapin Agile and Our Town.      Bender enjoys working as an extra on film and television sets to learn more about the process of acting for the camera. He has worked on the feature films Death of a President (2006), The Dilemma (2011) and Contagion (2011). He also enjoyed working on multiple episodes of the television series, The Chicago Code.      In his two years at the University of Southern California, Bender performed in five productions. He was a part of two main stage productions, first as Bob the Saw in The Threepenny Opera and then as Ezekiel Cheever in The Crucible. He had the opportunity to work on an original play by Brian Jones as Tyler in Winner In Life. Bender also performed in a student production of One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest as Aide Williams; and to cap off his run of shows, he played Len Hoch in the B.A. production of Book of Days. He also worked closely with USC's School of Cinematic Arts by acting in over fifteen short films in his duration at the university.      Bender graduated USC with honors after two years on the Dean's List. While at USC, Bender's most informational and inspirational classes came under the instruction of Andrew Robinson, Joseph Hacker, Sharon Carnicke, Mary Joan Negro and Paul Backer. He participated in workshops with Christine Lahti and Andrei Belgrader and even had the chance to meet Jim Belushi and Steven Spielberg.      Prior to his move out to Los Angeles, Bender attended the College of DuPage where he graduated with high honors and was awarded the John Belushi/Second City Memorial Theatre Scholarship for 2005-2006.      Bender is applying his years of training and experience to the business of show business as he lives his dream. He looks forward to the next chapters of this amazing journey.

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