Nelson Leis
- Actor
- Producer
- Writer
Nelson Heino Leis is an actor and writer based in Vancouver, Canada.
Nelson most recently appeared in HBO's The Last of Us (2023), 20th Century Studios' Prey (2022) and FX's Shōgun (2024). He has worked alongside some of Hollywood's most recognizable talent: Pedro Pascal, Kiernan Shipka in 3 seasons of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (2018) as the terrifying Demon King Beelzebub, 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 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, resulting in him being brought 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. Most recently he co-wrote, produced and starred in the award winning comedy A.T.A.C.K. (2022).
On stage Nelson starred in Lobby Hero, The Toyer, Closer, Lone Star, Take Me Out, The Big Funk, Soldier's Heart and Almost, Maine. He is a founding member of ARTery Collective, a theatre company in Vancouver, BC.
Along with Vanessa Walsh, Nelson is a partner in First Glance Productions.
Leis and his partner Vanessa Walsh welcomed their first child, Stella, in July 2021.
Nelson most recently appeared in HBO's The Last of Us (2023), 20th Century Studios' Prey (2022) and FX's Shōgun (2024). He has worked alongside some of Hollywood's most recognizable talent: Pedro Pascal, Kiernan Shipka in 3 seasons of Chilling Adventures of Sabrina (2018) as the terrifying Demon King Beelzebub, 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 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, resulting in him being brought 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. Most recently he co-wrote, produced and starred in the award winning comedy A.T.A.C.K. (2022).
On stage Nelson starred in Lobby Hero, The Toyer, Closer, Lone Star, Take Me Out, The Big Funk, Soldier's Heart and Almost, Maine. He is a founding member of ARTery Collective, a theatre company in Vancouver, BC.
Along with Vanessa Walsh, Nelson is a partner in First Glance Productions.
Leis and his partner Vanessa Walsh welcomed their first child, Stella, in July 2021.
