STEPHEN LYONS

Stephen Lyons is an American Actor / Musician / Producer and Voice Actor known for his edgy portrayals of characters with searing complexity, and intensity.  He is most noted for his portrayal of Joker in ‘Red Hood’ (Dir Wells Watson Jr/Fraude Films 2021) with JD Martin (Manifest/NBC) as Robin and most recently as the Father in the Appalachian Horror Feature, ‘Acolyte’ (Dir Cam Tubbs / Uncanny Films 2023).  In Post-Production is the Supernatural series ‘Bleeding Juniper’ (Raw Daisies 2023 - Dir Madelyn Cardarelli) in which he plays The Priest.

 

His love of history and historical drama has led him to portrayals of characters such as Puritan Thomas Dudley in the political documentary ‘American Psyche’ (2023) Dir by Rachelle Mozman (El Museo del Barrio, Smithsonian) as well as work with the History Channel, playing Grigory Potemkin, Don ‘Big Daddy’ Garlits in ‘Mysteries at the Museum’ and recently as Elbridge Stuart ‘The Food That Built America’ (2023).  He has co-starred playing gritty characters on Investigation Discovery's, 'Calls From The Inside', 'Grave Mysteries', 'Diabolical' and 'Dead of Winter'.

 

Stephen also has a strong comedic side blending physical comedy and sketch comedy work. He appeared as the aging Brooklyn Hipster Brax in the web series ‘Dyed in The Wool’ (Matilda Szydagis ‘Marvelous Mrs Maisel’ and Amie Amis / Dir Bill Sorice Cold Gin Productions 2020) which earned 24 Selections, 10 awards, 7 nominations including 'Best Comedy Webseries' for the Houston Comedy Film Festival and the Portland Comedy Film Festival.  He also appeared as ‘Country Music Superstar’ JT Kraig for The Onion News in the comedic sketch ‘Bomb NY’. He produces his own sketch character work.

 

He first began his career in Theatre and more recently appeared as Volter (Pips Island Off-Broadway) and ‘I Am The Wolf’ (Ensemble Studio Theatre / Off-Broadway workshop) and appeared with numerous Regional Theaters including: The Orlando Shakespeare Theater, Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, Delaware Theatre Company, Cape May stage in roles from Classical and Musical Theatre.  The intersection of Pop / Rock / Folk and powerful storytelling is the genre of new Musical Theatre he is most attracted to. He has work shopped new Actor / Musician Musicals including ‘Run Bambi Run’ (2022 - Milwaukee Rep / Dir Mark Clements) playing Joe Bambinek based on the Laurie Bambinek trial with original music composed by Gordon Gano (Violent Femmes).  He was involved in the workshop of ‘Beginnings’ (With Katrina Lenk - ‘Indecent’, ‘The Band's Visit’ Broadway) based on the music of the band Chicago with an innovative re-telling of the King Arthur legend (Concept/Story Ryan McCurdy / Erikka Walsh with book by Ellie Pyle).  In 2019 he workshopped ‘White Rock Cliff’ by fellow bandmate Ryan McCurdy (Bonfire Falls).

 

Stephen is a member of the NYC based Actor / Musician band Bonfire Falls (Ryan McCurdy, Erikka Walsh, Justin Aaronson & Chris Kelly).  Their debut EP ‘Lifelines’ was released in 2016.  Their mix of melodic pop/indie/folk has earned them a loyal fan base and played extensively in the New York music scene.  Recently Stephen’s song ‘Drowning Dove’ is featured in the new film ‘Last Known Location’ (Silver Octopus Productions - 2023). He sang the theme song for a Nationally Syndicated Radio Program in 2010 with a listenership of 3 Million.  In 2007 he released his first solo album ‘Fall’ featuring Simon & Garfunkel’s classic, ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’ which was a semi-finalist for Best Male Vocal in the Unsigned Only competition.  The song was dedicated to the memory of his Brother ‘Little Joe’ and his Parents, Joseph and Eileen.  His Brother had a stroke at the age of three and died from a rare brain aneurysm at the age of Seven three weeks before Stephen was born. The extraordinary story of the song’s dedication appears here. Caregiving and Family play an important part in his life. 

 

The period between 2020 and 2023 produced extraordinary setbacks and breakthroughs as Stephen battled a COVID diagnosis in March 2020 then debilitating Long COVID, caring for his parents deteriorating health in Pennsylvania and the immense loss of his Father in September of 2020 from Dementia as a result of unauthorized  anti-psychotic medications by healthcare professionals which led to his Death. Despite these challenges he has been able to self-book multiple roles including Feature Films, Television, Voice Over and Composer work shuttling back and forth between New York and Pennsylvania.

 

Having grown up in the Brandywine River Valley and just down the road from the ‘other 9/11’ (Battle of Brandywine) Stephen takes enormous pride in advocating for historical and sacred spaces of his Native Southeastern Pennsylvania. He serves on the local Historic Commission and is involved in the Pennsylvania Hallowed Grounds Commission which advocates for the preservation and protection of Historic African American Cemeteries and supporting the work of Voices Underground a grassroots organization focused on creating a National Monument to the Historic legacy of the Underground Railroad in Southeastern Pennsylvania.   He believes strongly in the Power of Storytelling and Music to help bring about healing, reconciliation and hope.

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He studied Bel Canto vocal technique under Barbara Washington-Grant at the University of the Arts and earned his degree in Theatre from De Sales University. 

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Stephen resides in Pennsylvania and New York.