Bruce Nelson won a Telly Award for his first short film, Tales of Tobacco. His short film Raglin Tales was an official selection of the Arizona Black Film Showcase, Phoenix Film Festival, San Francisco Black Film Festival, Mid-Atlantic Black Film Festival, Rhode Island International Film Festival and received Special Mention Award from the I Filmmaker International Film Festival in Spain. His documentary North Town was an official selection of the Jerome Independent Film & Music Festival, the American Online Film Awards Festival and The Sir Charles Darwin Film Festival (UK) TruDocumentary Film Festival 2016, and Docs Without Borders Film Festival 2016 (Exceptional Merit award winner).
North Town is now on Amazon. His documentary Nile Theater was an official selection of the Jerome Indie Film & Music Festival 2016 and the Long Beach Indie International Film Festival 2016. Gospel Radio Man his third documentary is an official selection of the Christian Film Festival 2016, (Best short Documentary Award) the St Louis Black Film Festival 2016, Twin Cities Black Film Festival 2016, Afro Film Festival “Ananse” 2017, Houston Black Film Festival, Columbus International Black Film Festival, Rendezvous Film Festival, and the Hollywood Black Film Festival. Nelson has produced numerous productions in Arizona and has directed stage productions in Arizona and California. His production of Shades of Blue Jazz, a theater piece, was presented at the Mesa Arts Center to sellout crowds. His recent production of Simply Sammy a musical celebration of Sammy Davis Jr. had great success produced at the Desert Foothill’s Theater. He was nominated for AriZoni Awards for choreographing Fame the Musical, at Desert FootHills Theater and A Dickens of A Fest.
Bruce Nelson began his training at Phoenix Center for the Arts there he studied acting, dance, voice and mime. He strengthened his dramatic training at the Will Geer Theatricum Bontanicum Topanga Canyon, CA he completed five week intensive summer classical professional training program studied disciplines in voice (speaking), speech, rhetoric, Shakespearean verse, monologue, scene study, scansion, period movement, mime, and fencing. At University Of Southern Maine he completed a two-year Teacher Training Certification Program at the University of Southern Maine in affiliation with the National Michael Chekhov Association in the Michael Chekhov Acting Technique.
Bruce began his acting career onstage in Toronto at Toronto Workshop Productions, where he worked in repertory for four seasons under the direction of George Luscombe. Nelson was part of the ensemble in Luscombe’s original productions of Ain’t Lookin’, Hey Rube, The Holiday Show (A one man show), The Medicine Show, and the national tour of Ain’t Lookin’. Luscombe trained his company in the Stanislavski System, (Method Acting) and Laban Efforts. During his five years in Toronto Nelson was part of the famous Second City Company where he performed in the summer stock company, Main Stage, and he was part of the first Second City Toronto national touring company with Michael Meyers.
Nelson’s film acting credits include: Poison Sky, Raising Buchanan, No Code Of Conduct, starring Charlie and Martin Sheen, Blind Eye, starring Robert Culp, Arizona Summer, starring with Morgan Fairchild, Lee Majors, Neatherbeast Incorporated starring Robert Wagner, Jason Mewes, Darryl Hammond, and Judd Nelson, Take Me Home Tonight where he plays opposite Michael Biehn of Terminator.
Nelson has performed nationally and internationally in Off Off-Broadway shows and regional theater in productions of Pippin, The Robber Bridegroom, My Fair Lady, A Christmas Carol, You Can’t Take It With You, Six Degrees of Separation, A Raisin in The Sun, The Good Person of Szechwan, Much Ado About Nothing, Two Gentlemen Of Verona, Hey Rube, The Medicine, and Ain’t Lookin’.
Poison Sky
Judge Bullock
Controversial Pic
Dir Steve Wargo
Raising Buchanan
Det. Hosteller
Chees Board Prod.
Dir Bruce Dellis
Dirty Little Trick
Fred
Ronalds Brother Prod.
Dir Brian Skiba
Everything Must Go
Ron
Lions Gate
Dir. Dan Rush
Take Me Home Tonight
Frank
Universal Studios
Dir. Michael Dowse
Netherbeast Incorporated
Jeff
Shoreline Pictures
Dir. Dean Ronalds
No Code of Conduct
Steve
Miramax
Dir. Bret Michaels
The Salena Incident
Brian
Lion’s Gate
Dir. Dustin Rikert
Numbers
Mr. Callaway
Ronald’s Brothers Prod.
Dir. Annie Wood
Forget About It
FBI Agent
Beverly Hills Studio
Dir. B J. Davis
No Where Man
Detective
Lions Gate Films
Dir. Dustin Rikert
Arizona Summer
Referee
WestPark Prod.
Dir. Joey Trovolta
Blind Eye
Jonas
Red Racer Prod.
Dir John Fedkew
The Borrower
Steve
CBC TV
Dir. Peter McCubbin
Crystallize
Brian
11th Hour Productions
Dir. P. O’Neill
Strange Days
Lamar
20th Century Fox
Dir. K. Bigelow
To Kill A Mockingbird
Rev. Sykes
AZ Theater Company
Dir. Sam Weir
August In April (Fences)
Cory
iCollaborative Theatre
Dir. C. St. Clair
The Good Person of Setzuan
Wong
Sacramento Theater Co.
Dir. T. Ocel
Much Ado About Nothing
Borachio
Hermosa Civic Theater
Dir. T. Ashworth
My Fair Lady
Harry
AZ Theater Company
Dir. G.Gisselman
Two Gentleman of Verona
Launce
SW Shakespeare
Dir. J. Roher
Afternoon of Shakespeare
Othello/Cassius
W. Geer Theatricum
Dir. E. Geer
You Can’t Take It With You
Donald
AZ Theater Comp.
Dir. G. Gissleman
A Solder’s Story
Peterson
Attic Theater
Dir. C. Cook
A Raisin in the Sun
Bobo
Black Theater Canada
Dir. B. Gahsayis
The Robber Bridegroom
Goat
AZ Theater Comp.
Dir. G. Gissleman
Six Degrees of Separation
Paul
Phoenix Theater
Dir. Gary Griffin
The Gift Horse
Willie
AZ Jewish Theater
Dir. B. Sorenson
A Christmas Carol
Fezziwig/Young Scrooge
San Diego Rep. Theater
Dir. W. Schoen
A Slice of Life In Black…
Ensemble
Coronet Theater
Dir. V. Capers
Dear Esther
Man
AZ Jewish Theater
Dir. Colin Ross
To Kill a Mockingbird
Tom
Actor’s Lab
Dir. J Rothman
The All Nite Strut
Baritone/Tenor
Desert Foothill Theater
Dir. D. Dee Wood
Simply Sammy
Man #1
Desert Foothills Theater
Dir. Bruce Nelson
Tostitos
National
Johnny Cash Special
Principal
CFTO TV
SCTV
Mime
CBC TV/Dir. Dave Thomas
Truth In Advertising (Models)
National
Truth In Advertising (Disappearing mom)
National
Sheraton Hotel
National
Power Bar
National
First Federal Bank
Local
Home Entertainment Center
Regional
Dr. O’s Singing Room
Local
Illuma Studios
Website
Illuma Studios
Midtown Sunset
Jazz Poetry CD
Bang the Drum Slowly
Radio Drama
LA Theater Works
The Porch
Audio Drama
Sweet Charity Productions
The Cheshire Cat
Animation
Will Geer Theatricum Bontanicum, Topanga Canyon, CA – Completed a five-week intensive summer professional actor-training program studying disciplines in voice, speech, rhetoric, mask, monologue, and Shakespearean verse.
University of Southern Maine, Gorham, ME—Completed two-year M. Chekhov Acting Teacher Training Certification Program in Affiliation with the National Chekhov Association.
Los Angeles County Counsel, Los Angeles, CA – Three-week training program on child and adolescent development and interviewing techniques.
Mesa Community College
Mesa, AZ
Phoenix Performing Arts Center
Completed two-year theater training program studying acting, voice (singing) pantomime, and dance (ballet/jazz).
Phoenix, AZ
Les Ballet Jazz of Montreal
Studied Modern, Jazz, Ballet, and Modern Jazz.
Toronto, Canada
Dance Companies
Lula Washington Dance Theater, Jazz Antiqua Music and Dance Ensemble, and Karen McDonald: New Age Dance Company.
Los Angeles, CA