New York actor Robert Mangiardi was born into a family of nine children, with a father who was a prominent New York heart surgeon. He began his acting career with a high school play, "The Apple Tree", a musical in which he played the role of Adam, admitting that he took the part to meet the leading lady, Janet Murphy, who later became Vice President of Casting for ABC TV in New York.
Robert did not attempt to act again until he came to Los Angeles in his mid-thirties and attended an acting class with the renowned Hollywood director Daniel Mann. The first scene Robert presented in class was met with a complimentary response from Danny, leaving the actor in tears, as he had finally found his calling.
His first television job was a recurring role on the CBS series, "Wiseguy", starring the late Ray Sharkey and Ken Wahl. He then went on to land guest star roles on other network shows, including "Murder She Wrote", "Midnight Caller", and "Jake and the Fat Man".
Robert abruptly quit acting and left for New York, where he recorded a jazz CD, "Deep in the Black", featuring his vocals over standards and original compositions, as a tribute to Chet Baker. He then collaborated with fellow New York actor and director Ric Rogers to create the acclaimed documentary film, "Stay Away a Little Closer", about the life of his mentor and best friend, acclaimed New York playwright John Ford Noonan.
The film won "Best Bio Doc" at the New York International Film Festival in 2006 and has been featured in festivals across the country. Robert revisited acting in 2006 with a starring role in the Toronto Film Festival 2006 Grand Prize winner, the acclaimed faux political documentary, "Death of a President".
He returned to Los Angeles in 2009 to resume acting on a regular basis. That year, he starred in Tommy Carter's play, "Hellz Kitchen Abaze", which had runs at the Pan Andreas and Elephant Theaters, earning critical acclaim and winning critics' picks in virtually every publication in town.
Robert's performance as the frazzled NYPD detective Gino Spucinelli garnered widespread praise from the press and his peers. This was followed by his stage performance in Patty McCarthy Gliniewicz's, "The Birches", which also had runs at two L.A. venues. He then starred alongside Michael Pare and Frank D'Angelo in the mob drama film "Real Gangsters" and has since been featured in various film and TV projects.
In 2018, Robert had a year-long theatrical run in Howard Skora's hit comedy "Damaged Furniture" at the Whitefire in L.A. He then turned his hand to writing, acting, and music composition in Academy Award-winning writer Bobby Moresco's, "Working 2020", also at The Whitefire Theater.
Most recently, Robert was cast in the off-Broadway production of "Woman IN Black" at the eponymous McKittrick Hotel in NYC, featuring an all-English cast, which was unfortunately cut short by the COVID-19 pandemic.
As an accomplished guitarist and singer-songwriter, Robert regularly performs concerts in L.A. of his original music. He is a proud regular member of The Actors Gym in Sherman Oaks.
