Originally from Chicago, Aris Mendoza fell in love with performing while studying dance and movement as a child. She trained in ballet, jazz, and hip-hop and soon ventured into the world of theater. She moved to Los Angeles with her mother when she was sixteen. After playing the role of Adelaide in the Fairfax High School production of "Guys and Dolls," Aris knew that being an actress was her calling. She began her professional acting career in "Quinceanera", which won both the Audience Award and the Grand Jury Prize at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival (it was later distributed by Sony Pictures Classics). In 2007, she returned to Sundance as a member of the ensemble cast of "Weapons" starring Paul Dano and Nick Cannon. In the feature film "Cyrus," a psychological thriller/horror, she plays "the smart one" Tina.
Her television credits include the critically acclaimed CW series "Everybody Hates Chris" and NBC shows "Life" and "Crossing Jordan".
In 2014, Aris was awarded a rare scholarship to study improvisational acting at the legendary Groundlings school in Los Angeles. Always dedicated to her craft, Aris studies regularly with an acting coach and is as she puts it, "addicted to learning."
Look for Aris playing Vicky-TIna (a role she created) in the upcoming project "The Adventures of Bobby Love."
