Nelson Leis
- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Nelson Leis is an actor and writer, perhaps best known for his role as Beelzebub in 3 seasons of the hit Netflix series Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (2018). Other high profile projects he's acted in include HBO's The Last of Us (2023), 20th Century Studios' Prey (2022) and FX's Shōgun (2024). He wrote, produced and starred in the award winning comedy A.T.A.C.K. (2022). He has worked alongside some of Hollywood's most recognizable talent: Pedro Pascal, Kiernan Shipka, Kevin Bacon in Story of a Girl (2017) directed by Kyra Sedgwick, Steve Zahn in Valley of the Boom (2019), Rainn Wilson in Backstrom (2015), Freddy Highmore in Bates Motel (2013) and Joel Kinnamen in The Killing (2011). Nelson will next be seen in the horror film Big Baby.
Nelson was born in Kemptville, Ontario to a French mother and Estonian father, and raised in Vancouver, British Columbia. The acting spark was ignited when Leis became involved in high school and community theater, eventually leading him to move to New York City and study at The American Academy of Dramatic Arts. After theatre school he returned to Vancouver and spent a year as part of an education-based theatre tour aimed at high school kids. Nelson helped write this project, which continues to run in British Columbia schools more than 25 years later.
As a writer, Leis co-created the web series The Jim (2010) which won multiple awards at the 2011 L.A. Web Fest, including Best Actor for Nelson, and the top prize which brought the creative team to France for the inaugural Marseilles Web Fest. This was a meaningful event for Nelson as it took him to his mother's homeland for the first time.
On stage Nelson has starred in Lobby Hero, The Toyer, Closer, Lone Star, Take Me Out, The Big Funk, Soldier's Heart and Almost, Maine.
Along with Vanessa Walsh, Nelson is a partner in First Glance Productions which has multiple projects in development.
Nelson was born in Kemptville, Ontario to a French mother and Estonian father, and raised in Vancouver, British Columbia. The acting spark was ignited when Leis became involved in high school and community theater, eventually leading him to move to New York City and study at The American Academy of Dramatic Arts. After theatre school he returned to Vancouver and spent a year as part of an education-based theatre tour aimed at high school kids. Nelson helped write this project, which continues to run in British Columbia schools more than 25 years later.
As a writer, Leis co-created the web series The Jim (2010) which won multiple awards at the 2011 L.A. Web Fest, including Best Actor for Nelson, and the top prize which brought the creative team to France for the inaugural Marseilles Web Fest. This was a meaningful event for Nelson as it took him to his mother's homeland for the first time.
On stage Nelson has starred in Lobby Hero, The Toyer, Closer, Lone Star, Take Me Out, The Big Funk, Soldier's Heart and Almost, Maine.
Along with Vanessa Walsh, Nelson is a partner in First Glance Productions which has multiple projects in development.
