David Roya

Short Biography

Besides David Roya`s acting career, he has been an intense exerciser and health food enthusiast for more than 50 years. Most people don`t know that David is a 4th Degree Black Belt instructor in Tae Kwon Do, and a Certified Yoga Instructor, who was trained in India. He`s a lover of nature, history, physics and being in the moment. Peace in the body and peace in the mind. It`s most important to him.David began his acting career doing college plays at Brooklyn College. After graduating, he did summer stock for a while. After graduating, he did summer stock with Karen Black and then was off-BWAY with Eli Mintz, who was a star of Yiddish theatre. Some of you might remember that Eli played "Uncle David" on the Molly Goldberg TV show in the early 1950s. At 23, David relocated to Los Angeles to pursue acting. He did a lot of low budget horror movies. While doing one of them, someone suggested he send an 8x10 to Tom Laughlin. Tom contacted him - David remembers having about 5 auditions at Tom`s house for "Billy Jack". After "Billy Jack", David guest-starred on a lot of the popular television shows of the 70s, like "Mod Squad", Mission Impossible", "The Rookies", "Cannon", "Toma", "The Smith Family", "Black Sheep Squadron", "Chips", and "Police Squad". He was always cast as a villain. But he wanted to be a "movie star", so he started to turn down the TV shows he was offered. Not a great decision. The well known and powerful casting director Joyce Selznick, told David that he was one of the best actors in town and he wasn`t getting work because he had a bad reputation. But she believed in him and gave him a small part in "King Kong" - the version with Jessica Lange. The job lasted about a month but most of his part was cut out of the film. Then Joyce cast David in "The White Buffalo", with Charles Bronson and Clint Walker. Joyce was the most powerful of all the casting directors in town. David hoped that with her help, this would be an opportunity for a comeback. Sadly, she passed away in 1981. David wasn`t getting enough work to stay in LA. And he was married at this point with a daughter Amber. So, they moved to New York in 1981 and he became a NYC teacher to support his young family. David acted sporadically and also taught Tae Kwondo and yoga, and trained people in physical fitness. His son Louis was born in 1983. David got divorced in the late 80s and soon after, his children came to live with him. They are his greatest joy. David spends time exercising, playing flamenco guitar, drawing, painting, doing crossword puzzles, reading and contemplating nature. David has had some guest spots on "Law & Order" over the past several years. And he would now like to pursue an acting career more seriously and expects to release an exercise/fitness DVD in 2010.