Steve Zissis was born and raised in the culturally rich city of New Orleans, Louisiana. He attended Jesuit High School where he first began to act in musicals at the age of sixteen, and went on to New York University where he studied acting and performed in plays. At NYU, Steve garnered a "Best Actor" award for his portrayal of the ferocious Irishman, Mr. Maurrant, in Elmer Rice's "Street Scene." After college, Steve continued working in theater, at one point studying puppetry at The Eugene O'Neill Theater Center, under the mentoring of Richard Termine of the Henson Foundation and Marty Robinson of Sesame Street ("Mr. Snuffleupagus," "Telly Monster"). In 2002, Steve directed his own live-action/puppet adaptation of Peter Shaeffer's "Amadeus" for which he received a "Best Director" award and the play received a "Best Drama" award . Jay Stanley of Vive La Vie! Magazine called the play a "masterpiece of theatrical genius." In 2005, Steve first teamed up with the Duplass Brothers to star in the short film, "The Intervention." Steve's performance astonished critics and audiences alike, and the film ended up sweeping the Berlin Film Festival, winning the Silver Bear and Teddy Award s and winning the grand jury prize at the GEN ART Film Festival in New York. Steve's relationship with the Duplass Brothers continued as he starred in their horror comedy "Baghead" which premiered at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival and was acquired by Sony Pictures Classics. Steve's performance in "Baghead" caught the attention of critics and casting directors, and Steve went on to do work on TV shows such as "The Office," "Parks and Recreations," and FX's "The League." In 2009, Steve would collaborate with the Duplass Brothers again by starring in their epic, sibling rivalry sports film "The Dodeca Pentathlon." The film was acquired by Fox Searchlight, the same studio that produced the Duplass Brothers' "Cyrus" with John C. Reily, Marisa Tomei, and Jonah Hill. Steve makes a brief appearance in that film, too, but make sure you don't blink! At this point known as "the good luck charm" for the Duplass Brothers, Steve played a supporting role in their latest feature "Jeff, Who Lives at Home" along side Jason Segel, Ed Helms, and Judy Greer. The film was shot in New Orleans so Steve was doubly blessed to work and visit with his friends and family. Most recently, Steve directed a comedic short called "Kleshnov" in which he plays a Russian maintenance man obsessed with a girl in his office. The film includes the talents of Rob Maschio ("The Todd" from "Scrubs"), Jessica Morris ("Role Models"), and Jesse Meriwether of comedic commercial fame ("Orbit," "M&M's," "HR Block," "Bridgestone," "Bing," etc.) Steve lives in Los Angeles with his girlfriend and two dogs.