About Me

Forty years of professional and personal experience gave Bern a mature, evolved edge when he re-entered acting at sixty. 

Growing up in New York City’s Chinatown was a multicultural prelude to the Long Island suburbs and Valley Stream South High School where Bern was introduced to acting and its nuances. He then majored in theater at Adelphi University, earned graduate degrees from Columbia University and City College, and enjoyed success as an actor/director before he went into public education to more fully participate as a parent of two children. 

Highlights from Bern’s prior acting career include work with Mercedes Reuhl, Samuel L. Jackson, Sesame Street, ZOOM, and Rupert Holmes.

Bern returned to acting in 2003, after retiring as a high school principal, and studying with Penny Templeton and Ruth Nerkin.  

Since then, he completed principal roles in more than 40 films, including Doctor Bello with Isaiah Washington and Vivica A. Fox,
Frank vs. God with Henry Ian Cusick and Vivica A. Fox, 
Holy Rollers with Jesse Eisenberg, 27 Dresses with Katherine Heigl, This Must Be The Place with Sean Penn and Project Nim, James Marsh’s recent documentary.  Bern stars in two films currently on the festival circuit: Death of a Pop Star  and Shlomo Pussycat. 

Bern starred as Abbie Hoffman in the one-man show, ABBIE at
New York City's West End Theater and in The Assistant at Turtle Shell Theater (NYC), both of which resulted in positive reviews from Variety, NY TIMES and others.

Poised for a breakthrough as one of films’ acting seniors with the energy, vigor and athleticism of a well-trained sportsman, directors have said, “Bern brings an energy to the set that is uncommon among his age-peers because he’s not burned out like most 30-year veterans and he isn’t upset that he’s not DeNiro or Pacino.”