Biography

William 'Billy' Mendola was born of Asian extraction in Manhattan, New York, on March 19, 1968. At two months of age he was adopted by an Italian American family in East New York where he resided through his second year of grade school before moving to Port Jefferson, New York (Long Island).

In 1996 he moved back to downtown New York City where he enjoyed success as a real estate broker for the fashion industry. It was through the encouragement of clients and contacts within the business which would inspire him to pursue a career as an actor.

Billy had a head-shot made and sent it out sans agent. He answered an ad in 'Backstage' newspaper and landed a principle role in The Cut Runs Deep (1999) which also marked the feature debut for director John H. Lee. In addition to his acting stint, he also served as a location scout on the production; even leasing his loft in Tribeca for interior shots.

Billy also made appearances on the popular television sitcom Spin City (1996) as well as national commercials while playing bits in features such as the direct-to-video release Row Your Boat (1999) starring musician/rock star turned actor Jon Bon Jovi.

Upon obtaining the services of Jadin Wong, New York City's top talent agent for Asian performers, Billy soon found himself reading for some very good film roles and was on second call for Anna and the King (1999) and The Corruptor (1999).

When he qualified for his Screen Actors Guild card his agent as well as some casting directors suggested he attend Bill Esper Studios in Manhattan to further hone his skills. Unfortunately, during this time Billy was also battling drug and alcohol addiction. He attended meetings and worked on his sobriety. However, the combination of his recovery and the experience of finding himself through the acting classes proved too overwhelming. Ultimately, he resigned from acting.

Still wishing to entertain, Billy embarked on a new career path as a dee-jay and was soon to become one of downtown Manhattan's top VIP nightclub DJ personalities from the Hamptons to South Beach.

Then in 2000, he relocated to Las Vegas, Nevada where utilizing his already vast knowledge and experience he founded Interstate Records; a music and entertainment company which combined retail, production and DJ schools all-in-one.

Early in 2003, Billy was detained by the Federal Government on charges of conspiracy for drug importation/exportation. He is currently awaiting trial at this time. Despite his current incarceration, he continues to remain optimistic about his future. He recently completed a script entitled "Searchin,'" based loosely on his life story. Upon his release he hopes to produce his screenplay. In the meantime, Billy continues pursuing an education on the technical side of the motion picture industry.
- IMDb mini biography by: Richard A. Harrison <rchunah@yahoo.com>