Dave Davis (actor)

Dave Davis
Born
David Randolph-Mayhem Davis[1]

(1989-06-07) June 7, 1989
Princeton, New Jersey, U.S.
EducationTulane University (BFA)
OccupationActor

Dave Davis (born June 7, 1989) is an American actor, musician and producer based in New Orleans.[2] He is best known for his lead roles in the 2017 film Bomb City and the 2019 horror film The Vigil.[3][4]

Early life and education

Davis was born on June 7, 1989 in Princeton, New Jersey, into a Jewish family. He grew up in New Orleans and had his Bar Mitzvah at Touro Synagogue.[2][4][5] He appeared in various productions as a child and attended summer courses in theatre. He graduated from the Lawrenceville School in 2007 following Hurricane Katrina,[5][2] then earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in theatre from Tulane University in 2011.[1][6][5] In fulfillment of his thesis, he starred in Kenneth Lonergan's This Is Our Youth.[2]

Career

Davis spent five years with the New Orleans Shakespeare Festival, culminating with the role of Hamlet in 2012.[7][6][5] After graduation, he worked out of New Orleans, appearing in films including Ghost Shark, Red Clover, Ozark Sharks, and several others.[2][8] He also guest starred in True Detective and The Walking Dead, and acted in The Big Short and Logan.[6][5] For several years, Davis was a member of the comedy group Bare Handed Bear Handlers, releasing a web miniseries, short films, and a number of music videos.[9][10] In 2015, he moved to Los Angeles,[2] where he continued to work with the comedy group from afar.[10]

In 2017, Davis played the lead role in Bomb City, a film about the life and murder of Brian Deneke.[11] This earned him a Best Actor award and the Special Jury Prize for Performance at the 2017 Nashville Film Festival,[12][6][13] followed by a second Best Actor award at the Louisville International Festival of Film.[13][6] Director Keith Thomas chose him to play the lead in his 2019 horror film The Vigil after seeing him in Bomb City.[4] He played a man tasked with watching over a deceased member of an Orthodox Jewish community.[3][14][15] He was nominated for Best Actor in a Horror Movie at the 2nd Critics' Choice Super Awards.[16] Davis returned to New Orleans permanently during the COVID-19 pandemic.[2]

In 2025, he appeared in and was executive producer of the film Hazard.[5]

Personal life

Davis is a descendant of Holocaust survivors and also Jews who escaped earlier from growing antisemitism in Europe. For his role in the 2019 horror film The Vigil, Davis learned to speak Yiddish, immersing himself in an intensive course.[17][18]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Notes Ref
2007 Flakes Stoner #1 Uncredited [8]
2012 Stolen Taylor [8]
2014 Elsa & Fred Photographer [8]
Starve Jiminey [8][19]
2015 The Final Girls 50's Counselor [8]
Demonic Tech 1 [8]
Get Hard Cross Dresser [8]
N.O.L.A Circus Vinny [8]
Nocturna Bobby [8]
The Big Short Burry's Assistant [6][8]
Daddy's Home Panda Singer #1 [8]
2016 The Backup Dancer Rudy Uncredited
2017 Logan Convenience Store Clerk [8]
Bomb City Brian Deneke Won two Best Actor awards and one Special Jury Prize for Performance [12][13]
Dark Meridian Tevi Marek [8]
Jeepers Creepers 3 SWAT Team One [8]
2018 Laundry Day Ethan [8]
The Domestics Flame Gambler [8]
2019 The Vigil Yakov Ronen Nominated for Best Actor in a Horror Movie at the 2nd Critics' Choice Super Awards [3][14][15][16]
The True Don Quixote Trout [8]
Sunday Girl Jack [8]
2020 Greyhound Boatswain's Mate #1 [8][6]
2022 Emancipation Oliver [8]
Presence David Co-producer [8]
2023 Resurrected Father Stanley Martin Associate producer [20][8]
Renfield Mitch [8]
2025 Hazard John Lang Post-production; Executive Producer [21][5]

Television

Year Title Role Notes Ref
2011 Memphis Beat Bryan Episode: "The Things We Carry" [8]
Hide Young Charlie Marvin TV movie [8]
2012 Red Clover Dax Spence [2][8]
American Horror House Lloyd [8]
The Walking Dead Gargulio Episode: "Hounded" [8][5][2]
2013 Heebie Jeebies Mace TV movie [8]
Ladies' Man: A Made Movie Toby Miller [8]
Ghost Shark Blaise [8][2]
2014 True Detective Toby Episode: "After You've Gone" [8][2]
SnakeHead Swamp Chris TV movie [8]
2016 NCIS: New Orleans JJ Taylor Episode: "Help Wanted" [8][2]
Ozark Sharks Harrison TV movie [2]
2018 Bad Stepmother Jonathan Hawking [8][22]
2019 Lucifer Maury Novak Episode: "Somebody's Been Reading Dante's Inferno" [8]
2021 The Rookie Marvin Reynolds Episode: "Hit and Run" [8]
2023 Tiny Beautiful Things Pablo Episode: "The Ghost Ship" [8]
2024 S.W.A.T. Jeremiah Jacobs Episode: "Left of Boom" [8]
2025 The Greatest Marvin Geller 5 episodes [8]

References

  1. ^ a b "Tulane University awards nearly 2,300 degrees today". NOLA.com. May 12, 2011. Retrieved November 18, 2013.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "NOLA's Davis stars in Jewish horror film "The Vigil"". Southern Jewish Life. March 5, 2021. Retrieved August 3, 2025.
  3. ^ a b c Mintzer, Jordan (September 12, 2019). "'The Vigil': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 8, 2020.
  4. ^ a b c Smason, Alan (2021). "Local actor Dave Davis scores major film role in 'The Vigil'". Crescent City Jewish News. Retrieved August 3, 2025.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h Coviello, Will (March 8, 2025). "New Orleans actor Dave Davis stars in Appalachian drama 'Hazard' at Zeitgeist Theatre". NOLA.com. Retrieved August 3, 2025.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g "Dave Davis". Philadelphia Jewish Film + Media. Retrieved August 3, 2025.
  7. ^ "Summer action hero? Tulane Shakespeare Fest opens with a Hamlet out for revenge". NOLA.com. June 28, 2012. Retrieved November 18, 2013.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao "Dave Davis - Credits". TV Guide. Retrieved August 4, 2025.
  9. ^ Woodward, Alex (December 16, 2014). "Watch: Bare Banded Bear Handlers return with a Christmas rap video". NOLA.com. Retrieved August 4, 2025.
  10. ^ a b Taylor, Alex (January 2015). "The Jingle Boyz: Boyz, Beer and Borrowed Time". Antigravity. Retrieved August 4, 2025.
  11. ^ Ramos, Dino-Ray (November 22, 2017). "Gravitas Ventures Acquires Punk Rock Crime Drama 'Bomb City'". Deadline. Retrieved August 3, 2025.
  12. ^ a b "Nashville Film Festival Announces: 2017 Feature Award Winners". Archived from the original on June 16, 2017. Retrieved May 10, 2017.
  13. ^ a b c Self, Brooke (September 20, 2017). "'Bomb City' continues conquering film festival circuit". ABC 7 News. Retrieved August 3, 2025.
  14. ^ a b Kohn, Eric (September 12, 2019). "'The Vigil' Review: 'The Conjuring' With an Orthodox Jewish Twist That Could Birth a Franchise". IndieWire. Retrieved July 8, 2020.
  15. ^ a b Lipsett, Joe (September 13, 2019). "[TIFF Review] 'The Vigil' Introduces a New Kind of Jewish Horror". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved July 8, 2020.
  16. ^ a b "Nominations Announced for 2nd Annual Critics Choice Super Awards Honoring Superhero, Science Fiction/Fantasy, Horror, and Action Movies and Series". Critics Choice Association. February 22, 2022. Retrieved August 4, 2025.
  17. ^ Albert, Maddy (February 26, 2021). "This Groundbreaking Yiddish Film Is Deeply Jewish (and Seriously Scary)". Kveller. Retrieved September 14, 2025.
  18. ^ Bolton-Fasman, Judy (February 16, 2021). "New Jewish Horror Film Steeped in Ancient Jewish Lore and Demonology". Jewish Boston. Retrieved September 14, 2025.
  19. ^ Miska, Brad (September 24, 2014). "Exclusive Poster Debut for 'Starve' (Sitges)". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved August 3, 2025.
  20. ^ Miska, Brad (June 22, 2021). "'Resurrected': The Vatican Bring the Dead to Life in Timur Bekmambetov-Produced Thriller!". Bloody Disgusting. Retrieved August 3, 2025.
  21. ^ Davanzo, Serena (January 16, 2025). "Hazard the Movie helps bring awareness and support with the opioid crisis". ABC 4 WOAY. Retrieved August 3, 2025.
  22. ^ "Bad Stepmother". Lifetime. Retrieved August 4, 2025.
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