David Bryan “D.B.” Woodside

NYFA / ALUMNI / FILMMAKING / DAVID BRYAN “D.B.” WOODSIDE

David Bryan

David Bryan “D.B.” Woodside

FILMMAKER | ACTOR
Graduated from NYFA LA Campus in 2005

David Bryan “D.B.” Woodside is an accomplished American actor and filmmaker, best known for his commanding presence in television dramas and action series. He began his television career in the mid-1990s and quickly gained attention with roles such as Melvin “Blue” Franklin in The Temptations and Principal Robin Wood in the final season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

His breakout role came as Wayne Palmer on the hit series 24, where he portrayed the brother of President David Palmer, eventually stepping into the role of president himself. Woodside has since appeared in numerous high-profile shows, including Grey’s Anatomy, Suits, and The Night Agent. Most notably, he starred as the angel Amenadiel in Netflix’s Lucifer, a fan-favorite role he held for six seasons.

In addition to his acting, he enrolled in a NYFA filmmaking program to gain hands-on experience and practical skills in directing, cinematography, and editing, stepping behind the camera to bring his deep understanding of character and story to his work as a filmmaker.

Gain Valuable Hands-on Experience at NYFA

If you are passionate about the art of film and television like D.B. Woodside, we at NYFA offer a variety of academic programs. We offer a variety of degree programs, certificates, and workshops in acting for film, cinematography, filmmaking, producing, screenwriting, and more. To learn more about NYFA’s academic programs, click here!

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Jonathan Jakubowicz

NYFA / ALUMNI / FILMMAKING / JONATHAN JAKUBOWICZ

Jonathan Jakubowicz

Jonathan Jakubowicz

FILMMAKER | DIRECTOR
Graduated from NYFA NYC Campus in 1997

Jonathan Jakubowicz wrote, directed, and produced Resistance (2020). This historical drama tells the story of mime Marcel Marceau (played by Jesse Eisenberg) and how Marceau saved ten thousand orphans during World War II.

He is an award-winning filmmaker from Caracas, Venezuela. Jakubowicz made his directorial debut in 2000 with Ships of Hope, a film he also wrote. In 2002, he wrote, directed, and produced the short film Distance.

Jakubowicz then wrote, directed, and produced Secuestro express (2004), a crime drama starring Mia Maestro, Jean Paul Leroux, and Ruben Blades. From 2011 to 2013, he directed 16 episodes of the TV series Fugitives (originally titled “Prófugos” in Spanish). Notably, the drama stars Nestor Cantillana, Benjamin Vicuña, and Luis Gnecco as the titular characters traveling across Chile from north to south.

In 2016, Jakubowicz wrote, directed, and produced the film Hands of Stone. The sports biography stars Edgar Ramírez as boxer Roberto Durán, Robert De Niro as his legendary trainer Ray Arcel, and Usher as Durán’s legendary rival, Sugar Ray Leonard.

He was the director and writer of the documentary “Soul of a Nation”.
He is currently working on an untitled film starring Robert De Niro and Edgar Ramirez and is the CEO of Epicentral Studios.

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Hannah Lux Davis

NYFA / ALUMNI / FILMMAKING / HANNAH LUX DAVIS

Hannah Lux Davis

Hannah Lux Davis

FILMMAKER | DIRECTOR
Graduated from NYFA LA Campus in 2005

Hannah Lux Davis is an award-winning filmmaker and music video director.

Some of Davis’ most notable achievements include her collaborations with international pop sensation Ariana Grande. Their professional relationship began in 2014 with the release of “Bang Bang,” a powerhouse collaboration featuring Grande, Nicki Minaj, and Jessie J. The music video garnered over 1 billion views and was featured in a Beats commercial. Davis also directed Grande’s iconic “Thank U, Next” video, as well as “Don’t Call Me Angel,” the lead single for the Charlie’s Angels reboot, which featured Grande alongside Miley Cyrus and Lana Del Rey.

In 2020, she was nominated for an MTV Music Video Award for directing Doja Cat’s “Say So” music video. Her other music videos 5 Seconds of Summer’s “Old Me” and Demi Lovato’s “I Love Me” were nominated for Best Cinematography and Best Visual Effects, respectively. Davis also directed the music video for the film Barbie (2023), Nicki Minaj & Ice Spice’s Barbie World (with Aqua).

Get Hands-on Filmmaking Experience at NYFA

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Zaid Abu Hamdan

NYFA / ALUMNI / FILMMAKING / ZAID ABU HAMDAN

Zaid Abu Hamdan

Zaid Abu Hamdan

FILMMAKER | DIRECTOR | PRODUCER
Graduated from NYFA LA Campus in 2010

Zaid Abu Hamdan is a Jordanian-born filmmaker. Zaid served as a writer and director for 52 episodes of Arabic Sesame Street.

His feature film Daughters of Abdul-Rahman premiered to a global audience at the 43rd Cairo International Film Festival, where the film won the ‘Youssef Cherif Rizkallah Award,’ otherwise known as the ‘Audience Award’ and is granted to only one film among the many within the international competition.

The film was also selected as a finalist project for a Tribeca Film Institute grant and will screen at the much anticipated Saudi Arabia 2021 Red Sea Film Festival.
He is the founder of Zaha Productions, which produced the highly acclaimed short film, Baram & Hamza, among others.

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Emma Laird

NYFA / ALUMNI / ACTING FOR FILM / EMMA LAIRD

Emma Laird

Emma Laird

ACTOR
Graduated from NYFA NY Campus in 2016

Emma Laird is an actor known for her roles in television shows and films including Mayor of Kingstown alongside Marvel’s Jeremy Renner and Dianne Wiest, where she stars as Iris in 21 episodes of the series from 2021-2024. Laird, originally from England, also appeared in Kenneth Branagh’s film, A Haunting in Venice.

In 2021, she was named in Variety’s Top Ten ‘Brits to Watch’ alongside Bridgerton’s Simone Ashley and Golden Globe nominated singer Celeste. In 2022, she appeared on the cover of FOXES digital magazine.

Most recently Emma played the role of Audry in the Academy Award nominated film The Brutalist, alongside Adrien Brody. The film was produced by NYFA producing alum Trevor Matthews. Emma also played the lead role Lola in the independent feature film Satisfaction, and stars in 28 Years Later and will continue into the sequel, 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple, In early 2025, she was cast in the BBC’s upcoming dramedy Mint.

Get Hands-on Acting for Film Experience at NYFA

Interested in the art of acting on film? Consider one of NYFA’s hands-on acting programs at our NYFA Los Angeles or New York campuses. NYFA offers intensive degree, conservatories, and workshops designed to provide aspiring performers with enhanced acting and audition skills. To learn more, explore our programs today!

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Lana Condor

NYFA / ALUMNI / ACTING FOR FILM / LANA CONDOR

Lana Condor

Lana Condor

ACTOR
Graduated from NYFA NY Campus in 2011

Lana Condor is an actor best known for her role as Lara Jean Covey in the Netflix series To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before (2018–2021), adapted from the book series of the same name.
Her early career includes the roles of Li in Patriots Day (2013) and Jubilee in X-Men: Apocalypse (2016).

In 2022, she starred in the feature film, Moonshot (2022), a science-fiction romantic comedy directed by Chris Winterbauer.

Condor also stars in the title role of the DreamWorks Animation feature film Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken (2023), alongside Jane Fonda and Toni Colette. She recently guest-starred on the hit series Abbott’s Elementary, and played the role of Stephanie Selby in the feature film Valiant One (2025).

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Trevor Newlin

NYFA / ALUMNI / ACTING FOR FILM / TREVOR NEWLIN 

Trevor-Newlin

Trevor Newlin

ACTOR
Graduated from NYFA LA Campus in 2019

Trevor Newlin is an actor and creature performer best known for high-profile creature roles, including the iconic Xenomorph in Alien: Romulus, Mr. Handsome in Superman (2025), Smile 2, and Portal to Hell.

He was mentored by Doug Jones (Amphibian Man in Shape of Water, Saru in Star Trek: Discovery (2017–2024) and Abe Sapien) helping guide him as he developed his craft as a creature performer.

His journey into suit and creature performance began on the set of The Mandalorian (Season 2), where he worked with Legacy Effects inside a Wookiee suit. In addition to his film work, Newlin has appeared in several national commercial campaigns, most notably as the “Amazon Yeti” in Amazon’s Early Black Friday Deals and Spring campaign.

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NYFA / ALUMNI / ACTING FOR FILM / JAMIE ROY

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Jamie Roy

ACTOR
Graduated from NYFA Miami Campus in 2016

Jamie Roy is a Scottish-American actor known for portraying Brian Fraser, the father of Jamie Fraser, in the Starz prequel series Outlander: Blood of My Blood (2025). Roy attracted industry attention for his striking resemblance to actor Sam Heughan, who plays Jamie Fraser in the original Outlander series—a key factor in his casting as Jamie’s father in the highly anticipated prequel.

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Camilla Luddington

NYFA / ALUMNI / ACTING FOR FILM / CAMILLA LUDDINGTON

Camilla Luddington

Camilla Luddington

ACTOR
Graduated from NYFA NY Campus in 2003

Camilla Luddington is a British actress best known for her role as Dr. Josephine “Jo” Wilson on the ABC medical drama series Grey’s Anatomy, where she became a series regular from 2012 and ongoing. She has appeared in over in 273 episodes.
She began her career with supporting roles in series like The Forgotten, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, Days of Our Lives, and Big Time Rush and her portrayal of Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, in William & Kate (2011), marking her first major lead role in a U.S. TV film.

Luddington’s voice and motion-capture work as Lara Croft in the 2013 Tomb Raider video game reboot where she won 2016 Behind the Voice Actors People’s Choice Voice Acting Award for Best Female Lead Vocal Performance as Lara Croft in Rise of the Tomb Raider. She secured recurring roles on Californication (Showtime) and True Blood (HBO) in 2012, establishing herself in premium cable drama Her breakout television role came in 2012 when she joined Grey’s Anatomy as Dr. Jo Wilson—a character she first portrayed in a guest capacity during Season 9, later becoming a series regular from Season 10.

Her television credits reflect a consistent ability to bring depth and authenticity to every role, solidifying her place as a standout talent in serialized drama.

Camilla Luddington Alum Interview

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