Joseph Mendicino, the fourth of five boys from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, believes that it's best to trust in a higher power, as human understanding is limited and there's still much to be discovered. This philosophical outlook was shaped by his upbringing, where he worked with his family in the construction industry and had a highly athletic high school career, earning a partial football scholarship to Gannon University.
However, a back injury during his sophomore year forced him to reevaluate his priorities and shift his focus from sports to the stage. Mendicino soon discovered his passion for acting, taking on roles such as Cripple Billy in "The Cripple of Inishman" and Claudio in "Much Ado About Nothing." His performances earned him recognition, and he was selected to co-star as Michael Just in "Tony and Tina's Wedding" with a local theatre company.
Mendicino's success on stage led him to move to New York City to pursue acting professionally. He joined the prestigious HB Studios and spent six months auditioning and sofa surfing before deciding to relocate to Los Angeles. His big break came when he booked his first television role as Buck, a high school bully, on Nickelodeon's "Drake and Josh." He went on to appear in several television commercials and had guest roles in "South of Nowhere" for MTV/N and "Close to Home" on CBS.
Mendicino's talents also extended to music, as he was chosen to feature as the love interest in the platinum-selling artist Jem's "Wish I" video (SonyBMG). In 2006, he landed his first lead role in the Warner Brothers/Raw Feed feature film "Rest Stop Dead Ahead" and is set to appear in the upcoming sequel.
