No one can say with any certainty what made David want to be an actor. Maybe the brightness of the lights in the delivery room at Sewickley Hospital all those years ago actually triggered the instinct.

Regardless, he began his life as a performer when he was just a small child, pretending to be the different heroes (and villains) from his favorite cartoons in the back yard of his parents’ home. As he grew into adulthood, he realized (much to his delight) that not only was it OK for him to keep pretending, but that people might actually be willing to pay to see him to do it!

Since then, David has dedicated his life to the pursuit of excellence in dramatic performance.

David as “David Ackerman” with star Kurt Angle in
End Game
Courtesy – John Iwanonkiw, North Shore Pictures

He studied theatrical performance and script analysis at Indiana University Pennsylvania under the tutelage of Ed Simpson, Dr. Donald Eisen, and Patrick McCreary, among others, ultimately earning a theatre minor. He furthered studied under Tom Gaydos at Robert Morris College (now University) where he was a recipient of the Ellen Petterson Memorial Scholarship for Performing Arts.

From there, David has gone on to build an impressive list of film and theatrical credits. He has had featured roles in such films as End Game, Strange Girls, and the award-winning Doing Therapy, as well as numerous television, radio, and print ads. He has also appeared on many prestigious stages, including the Pittsburgh Public Theatre, the Open Stage Theatre of Pittsburgh, and the Pittsburgh New Works Festival, where he earned a nomination for “Best Performance by a Lead Actor”.

But David is not just regularly appearing as characters in stories created by others; he is also actively crafting and telling his own tales. His stage plays have seen production throughout the Northeast by companies from Pittsburgh, PA, to New Haven, CT. And his various screenplays have been recognized by the likes of WriteSafe.com and Acclaim Pictures.