Eloy Méndez
Eloy Mendez is an accomplished actor and producer with broad experience in film, television, theater, and commercial productions.
Eloy made his acting debut in the critically acclaimed film Bread and Roses, directed by Ken Loach and starring Adrien Brody, Elpidia Carrilo and George Lopez. The film was distributed by Lionsgate and made its world premiere at the 2000 Cannes International Film Festival, where it was nominated for a Palme d'Or, the festival's highest prize awarded.
The same year, Eloy booked the lead role in the film Medio Tiempo, which appeared on Showtime for almost 10 years. Other film credits include Dishdogz, The Price of the American Dream, Primo, Bold Native, The Price of Happiness, and Road to Juarez. Two of Eloy's most recent productions include Stealing Las Vegas, which premiered at The Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood in 2012, and Dragon Day, which premiered at The Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival in 2013. Dragon Day will be available on iTunes, video-on-demand and Netflix on July 4, 2014. Eloy made his Sundance debut also in 2013, with the film C.O.G., based on the writings of New York Times best-selling author, David Sedaris. Distributed by Focus Features, C.O.G. opened to stellar reviews across the country and made the list of Top Films of the Year by Variety, The Wrap, and other publications.
Eloy's most current production, Lake Los Angeles, directed by award-winning director, Mike Ott, will have its world premiere at the Los Angles Film Festival in the summer of 2014. Eloy has also appeared in more than 40 short films that have screened in festivals all over the world.
Television and stage performance continue to play an important role in Eloy's career. He has guest-starred in a wide range of TV shows, including ER, Monk, Sleeper Cell, General Hospital, Girlfriends, NCIS, The Shield, and The last Ship, to name a few. He was also a member of the prestigious Latino Theater Company Laboratory for more than three years, where he co-wrote the play Melancholia as an ensemble. He has performed on stage in productions that include Wicked, The Boys Next Door, and Closets.
In early 2014, Eloy formed Mighty Dog Entertainment, an independent production company that is producing a documentary called Return to the Philippines, the story of Leon Cooper, a 94 year-old WW2 veteran who was a Higgins Boat Commander in six missions, ferrying troops onto beaches to do battle. For close to a decade, Cooper has been trying to shine light on the 88,000 MIA's from WW2 who never made it home. Lou Diamond Phillips is attached as the narrator of the film.
While Eloy is better known for his commitment to his art and entertainment, he is just as passionate off-screen in his commitment to a number of charitable causes. His philanthropic endeavors focus on issues like homelessness, education and poverty, social justice and human rights. Some of the charities he supports include Union Rescue Mission, RFK Foundation, Izunome Association, as well as numerous orphanages and schools in Latin America.